Chapter Two



Trip woke to find Archer already busy making breakfast. The engineer climbed out of his sleeping bag and stretched. He pulled on some clothes then bent and stepped out of the tent.

Archer looked up from the little fire. "Morning, Trip! Sleep well?"

The engineer put his hands on his lower back and stretched again. "Pretty well. You?"

"Like a baby," Archer replied. "Breakfast's almost ready."

Trip approached the little fire and pulled the coffee pot off the grill. He poured himself a cup then wandered over to look down at the river. He realized that for the first time since Roth's death, he actually felt good. The shadow that had been cast over him for the past two weeks had finally lifted.

Trip glanced back at the captain still busy flipping pancakes. He smiled. He'd known Jonathan Archer for almost a decade. Ten years, the engineer thought with a shake of his head. He owed the older man his life several times over but he owed him so much more. Because of Archer, Trip was living his childhood dreams.

The engineer took a sip of his coffee and turned back to the river. Archer was the closest friend he'd ever known and Trip wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to tell the older man just what that friendship meant to him.

"Come and get it!" Archer called breaking Trip from his reverie. He turned and walked back to the camp.

After breakfast and a quick dip in the frigid river to clean up, the two men broke camp. They packed up the raft then pushed it into the water. Both men jumped in and took their positions, straddling the side of the little raft on opposites sides.

By mid-afternoon, Trip was ready for a break. He glanced behind them then turned to Archer.

The captain grinned. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

Trip nodded. The two men directed the raft to the shore then climbed out and headed back up river.

"This looks like a good spot," Trip said. He adjusted his life jacket then jumped in the water. He rose quickly and reclined his body into a sitting position, his legs sticking out straight in front of him. The current was swift so he was carried along at a quick pace. The engineer let out a rebel yell and laughed then sputtered as a wave of water crashed over his head. He turned enough to see Archer coming up quickly behind him whooping and hollering as he bounced through the rapids.

When Trip saw the raft he began the swim to shore. He pulled himself from the water then sat down.

Archer dropped beside him. "Phew, that was some ride!" he laughed. "Want to do it again?"

Trip shrugged. "Why not," he replied with a grin. They stood and jogged back up river.



In the early evening, the little raft hit rough waters. The two men steered the raft over the rapids, getting doused by the raging river.

When the first hint of darkness fell, the river calmed again. They began looking for a place to pull out for the night.

"Over there," Trip said, pointing to a break in the rocky edge that lined the river on both sides. They dug their paddles in and steered the raft toward the shore.

When the raft bumped the edge, Trip hopped out and pulled it up on the rocky beach. "I'll check it out," he said over his shoulder.

Jon watched the younger man scale the bank. Trip stood with his hands on his hips at the top, surveying the scene before him. The captain stood and hopped out of the raft just as Trip came back down the bank.

"There's a perfect spot to pitch the tent," the engineer said. He reached in the raft and grabbed his backpack.

"Hey, Trip?" said Jon as he grabbed for his own pack. "Thanks for coming with me."

"I've had a great time, Cap'n," the engineer replied. "Thanks for asking me." The younger man turned.

"Trip?"

"Yeah."

"I just wanted you to know, well, I just---," Jon stammered.

Trip smiled warmly. "Aye, Cap'n," he replied. He patted the captain's arm then both men headed up the bank.

As they topped the bank, they stopped. Spread before them was a tiny village.

"Cap'n," Trip whispered. "This wasn't here before."

"We've been noticed, Trip, and they don't look too happy," Jon said. He grabbed the engineer's arm and pulled him back down the embankment. They tossed their supplies into their raft and then shoved it into the water. Something hit the water next to him and Jon turned. The villagers were shooting arrows.

"Go Trip, go!" Jon shouted.

They guided the raft out into the current then Trip cried out. Jon turned to him. An arrow was embedded in the back of the commander's shoulder. The captain reached for the younger man frantically but watched in horror as Trip tumbled into the water. He prayed the engineer was still conscious enough to keep his head above the swirling river's surface. If they could just make it downstream far enough, he could pull Trip back into the raft.

Jon's hopes were short-lived. The river suddenly narrowed and the captain could see netting strung across the gap, villagers on either shoreline. His raft was easily snared. He turned quickly, searching for Trip in the water behind him. The younger man was nowhere. Before Jon could leap over the edge into the river, the villagers were on him. He fought against them, desperate to free himself but the villagers overwhelmed him quickly. His last conscious thought was of his friend before the captain's world turned black.



He awoke with a throbbing headache. Jon slowly sat up, confused by his surroundings. He looked around for Trip, expecting the young man to be at his side. The memories came rushing back and the captain stood up. He was in a small wood hut. He looked up to find the hut was without a roof. The two moons hung directly overhead. Night had fallen. He walked to the door and tried to open it. It was latched from the outside. He peered out the tiny window but saw no one. Jon threw his body against the door but it held tight.

The captain moved around the hut, pushing against the walls, searching for any weakness but the little hut was solid.

"Hey!" he yelled out. There was no response. He yelled over and over again but no one came. As he slid slowly down one wall to crouch on the grassy floor, he was overwhelmed with fear. Trip, he thought helplessly.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door swung open. Two big males entered, dragging a body between them. They dumped the engineer in a heap then left, shutting the door behind them. Jon crawled to Trip's side. At his touch, the young man moaned. Jon closed his eyes in relief. He was alive.

Trip was soaked to the skin and his body shivered. Jon gently rolled him on to his side and saw the dark splotch covering the young man's upper back. He leaned in close then swore violently. The arrow's shaft had broken, leaving the head buried deep in Trip's shoulder.

"Cap'n?"

The captain carefully lifted the engineer and held him against his chest. "Yeah."

"You okay?" asked Trip, his voice weak, his eyes closed.

Jon smiled warmly. "I'm fine," he replied. "How about you?"

"Hurts like a sonofabitch," Trip replied.

"Hang in there, okay?"

Trip didn't reply. His body relaxed against Jon and the captain knew the younger man had slipped into unconsciousness. Gently, Jon shifted the commander, pulling Trip tighter against him. Jon wrapped his arms around the young man, hoping that his body heat was enough to warm him. He remained awake, conscious of his friend's every move and every sound.



Strong arms grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Trip came awake quickly, staggering to remain upright. His shoulder throbbed without mercy. As his vision cleared, he saw two men pull the captain up. The men shouted at them then shoved them both out the door. Archer looped an arm around Trip's waist to help him but the men parted them, grunting something unintelligible. One man shoved Archer so hard, the captain fell to his knees in the grass.

"Knock it off!" yelled Trip in anger. He was quickly rewarded for his trouble when another man grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully behind him. He felt the wound in his shoulder open up and he cursed loudly.

They were taken to the center of the village where a statue of a female stood looming. Trip's thought processes untangled and he finally took a look at their captors. They were definitely Triatans but much bigger than the regional governor he'd seen on the bridge view screen. They were clothed only in wraps that covered their hips but left the rest of their pale yellow skin exposed. They had no hair on their bodies that Trip could see, their baldheads covered in ornate tattoos of various colors.

The engineer turned his head slightly so he could see the statue. The woman was clothed the same, also bald, her breasts small but full. He turned his head back as one of the men shoved him to his knees. The captain dropped beside him. Trip looked up to see the woman depicted by the statue in flesh and blood before him. She looked first at Archer then at the engineer, her eyes raking over them. Trip felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.

The woman approached him and grabbed Trip's chin, lifting his face to hers. She leaned down and took his mouth brutally with her own. Trip struggled to keep the contents of his stomach in place, as he tasted her. Vaguely he wondered what she'd eaten for breakfast. Sweet was definitely not an apt description, he thought in disgust.

She released Trip then ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled.

Then she stepped to Archer and kissed him with the same brutal force. When she finished her exploration of the captain's mouth, she stood straight and nodded to the men holding them. They both were hauled to their feet and stripped naked.

The female looked over her captors with an appraising eye. She reached forward but Trip grabbed her hand to stop her from touching him, daring her with his eyes. The woman smiled then squeezed his hand with shocking strength. Trip swallowed hard but didn't show her his pain at the hard pressure. She let him go then moved to Archer. After looking over the captain thoroughly, the female nodded to her minions again then turned and walked away.

Both men were handed wraps then taken back to their hut. When the door closed, Trip dropped to his knees, his shoulder radiating fire.

Archer was beside him in an instant. "You okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

Trip nodded then sat down. "I could use a good mouthwash, but I'm okay," he replied.

"If my guess is right, Travis should be arriving at the lake in a few hours. Hopefully he won't wait too long before he realizes we're not coming," the captain said. He settled down next to Trip and examined the younger man's shoulder. "I'd say T'Pol and Malcolm will have us out of here by morning," he continued. "Just hang on a little longer."

"Don't worry about me, Cap'n. I'll be fine."



Only minutes had passed when the door to the hut opened again.

"You must rise now," ordered the woman from the square.

"Wait," Trip said, his voice tight with pain. "Why don't you tell us where we are and what the hell you want with us."

The female walked over and backhanded Trip across the face so hard he fell against Jon. "I said you must rise!"

Both men stood, Jon reaching a hand down to help the younger man.

"You will put those on," the woman ordered, motioning at the wraps that lay on the grassy floor.

Jon picked them up and placed one around Trip's hips then the other around his own. They were then pushed out of the hut and led back to the center square. Fifty or so men and women stood waiting for them. They were brought to a halt before the statue and made to kneel again.

The captain could hear Trip gasping beside him. The younger man's face was flushed with pain. Jon leaned back slightly and saw a thin stream of blood oozing from Trip's wound. His eyes then darted around them, searching for a possible way of escape. Triatans surrounded them on all sides.

"I am Lotya, Lady of Kuraat. You are here to be tested for your strength," said the female Triatan, her voice booming. "If you prove to be strong, you will live. If you are weak, you will die."

Jon was pulled to his feet. A big Triatan male approached him carrying a small clear ornate container of red fluid. He put the container down next to Jon then opened his hands. In each palm was a hook carved from bone. The straight part of each hook ended in a barb. The captain swallowed hard then glanced at Trip. The engineer was staring at the hooks, his eyes wide with fear.

"Prepare him, Tol!" ordered Lotya and she clapped her hands once.

Without so much as a grimace, Tol took one hook and pushed it up through Jon's pectoral muscle. The captain nearly dropped. Strong hands gripped his arms from behind to steady him. Then Tol pushed the remaining hook into the other side of Jon's chest. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to scream out his agony.

Through the fog of his pain, Jon could feel himself being guided. He opened his eyes and found that he was standing at the head of two lines. His mind was hazy but he guessed that there were about five Triatan males in each line. They were facing each other each brandishing long thin tree shoots in their big hands. Jon glanced down at his chest through blurry eyes. Blood streamed down his abdomen from both wounds.

Tol stepped in front of him holding the container in his big hands.

"You will walk through the testing line slowly," instructed Lotya. "If you spill any of the contents, you will be killed where you stand. Do you understand?"

As Tol placed the handle of the container on the two hooks and let go, Jon's legs almost buckled. He swallowed hard, his thoughts on his friend. Trip was already weakened from his shoulder wound and Jon wondered if he had the strength to pass this horrific test.

"Do you understand?" repeated Lotya.

Jon nodded. Sweat poured down his face, burning his eyes.

"You will begin!" shouted the woman.

The captain hesitated and turned his head enough so that he could see Trip still on his knees watching him, a look of horror on his face. Then Jon turned back and stepped forward between the two lines. The test began.

The initial strike from the whip-like shoots was jarring, stinging Jon's flesh. The Triatans struck Jon's legs, arms, and back without mercy. The captain kept his head down watching the liquid slop back and forth in the container. He focused his mind on the end of the line, as the pain burned through him.

Finally he made it to the end and collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. He gritted his teeth against the overwhelming throbbing and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. Tol knelt in front of him and removed the container then grabbed both hooks and pulled them up and out of Jon's skin and muscle. The captain wanted to fall to the ground and let darkness take him but he heard Lotya call for Trip.

Unable to stand, Jon turned on his knees as two men drug Trip to the head of the two lines. Blood flowed freely down his stomach from the two hooks embedded in his chest. Tol placed the container on the hooks then stepped away.

Jon saw Trip waver and his eyes start to roll back. "Focus on me, Trip," he called. He was rewarded with a snap of a tree shoot across his shoulder blades and he almost blacked out. Looking up, he blinked until his vision cleared. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest. He watched as Trip took the first step.

Jon locked eyes with the commander, refusing to look away. He cringed as each Triatan struck the young man's body. Trip kept going, pushing himself forward, sweat streaming down his face, the container swinging back and forth in front of him. When he reached the end, he fell to his knees. Jon could see him shaking. Tol removed the container then pulled the hooks out with brutal force. Trip's eyes closed and he collapsed. Jon moved to his friend's side and pulled him against him protectively.

Lotya clapped twice. "Take them back!" she shouted.

Two men pulled Trip out of Jon's arms and dragged him between them while two others yanked Jon to his feet. The captain stumbled back to the little hut. They were left with a bucket of water and some torn cloth. Jon crawled to the bucket and dipped a rag in the cool liquid. He moved to Trip's side and carefully bathed his face. The younger man didn't stir.

The door opened and Lotya entered followed closely by Tol. Jon looked up to meet the female's dark eyes defiantly.

"You off-worlders have proved your strength," the woman said simply.

"So what does that mean now?" Jon asked, his voice shaking with anger. He turned back to Trip.

"That means that tonight after the Ceremony of the Fading, I will couple with you."

"And if we refuse."

"Why would you refuse? It is a great honor to lay with me."

"For your people maybe," Jon replied angrily. He dipped the rag back in the bucket then washed Trip's neck and chest, hoping the cool water soothed the heat from the ugly red welts and the open wounds.

"If you refuse me, then you will be killed," Lotya said coldly.

Jon ignored her and focused on his friend. Trip began to move and his eyes slowly opened.

"Hey," Jon greeted softly. "You made it."

Trip looked confused and unfocused then his eyes slid shut again.

"Do you have a doctor?" the captain asked.

"We have no need for a doctor here," Lotya replied. "Our life is eternal."

Jon looked up at her in surprise. "You mean you people are immortal?"

She smiled. "You might say that."

Trip stirred again and Jon looked down into eyes foggy with pain.

"Take it easy, Trip," Jon soothed. He helped Trip sit up slowly then leaned the commander against the wall. He continued to wash the cool rag over Trip's chest and arms, taking care to be gentle. He was so focused on easing his friend's pain that he jumped slightly when Lotya knelt next to him.

"Trip?" the woman asked looking at the engineer. "Your name is Trip?" She ran her hand up the engineer's chest. "You can't stop me from touching you now, can you."

"Leave him alone, Lotya," hissed Jon. Tol stepped forward and pulled Jon away.

"Oh I bet you could give me lots of pleasure, couldn't you Trip," Lotya continued.

Trip threw Jon a startled glance then returned his confused gaze to the woman before him.

Lotya's hand continued to move across Trip's abdomen. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back. "Oh I would so love to have two beautiful men in my bed tonight," she breathed.

Lotya removed her hand from Trip then stood and without a word, she left. Tol pushed Jon away then followed the woman. He shut the door behind them.



To Be Continued