After the kender had returned with his distressing newsflash, Daniel had
lost whatever little interest he'd had in the cup of stew that he'd been
offered earlier. Though at least it gave him something to do, he thought,
twiddling the spoon nervously as he listened to Tas's story.
"They just came from nowhere, all of a sudden - no, wait, that's not quite true! They came out of that big round stone circle thing, though it wasn't empty like when we saw it earlier, it was full of something that looked a bit like water! They killed many of the draconians and drove away the rest. They used those staffs that shoot firebolts, just like the one your friend had," Tasslehoff paused dramatically and pointed at Jack and Daniel.
"Well, yeah, probably, but that doesn't mean that we're in league with them," Jack tried to be quick with his reply, but didn't quite succeed, since Tas just kept babbling away.
"So, did I tell you that they looked a bit like your friend too? They had these symbols on their foreheads, I think there were different kinds of them, like they had different kinds of helmets too. And I think I saw their leader too, and she had a dragon helmet of sorts."
Daniel looked up from his stew, startled. "She? What did she look like?"
"I think she was pretty - though not at all like you, Goldmoon. Actually, she reminded me of Kitiara - that's Raistlin and Caramon's sister, though we haven't seen her in a long while. She had the same kind of hair, black and curly. But it wasn't Kit, I'm sure of that, even though I didn't get to see her from very close. She spoke to her people in some strange language that I didn't know. It sounded like a bird of some sort - 'Kree! Kree!'"
There had been no goa'uld about when they arrived on Krynn, but now it seemed they had brought one with them. There was no mistaking Tas's imitation of the very usual word of their tongue. And how many goa'uld Queens with dark, curly hair could there be?
Before he'd even realized what he was doing, Daniel had jumped up from his seat. "Jack, it's got to be Sha're! It's got to be her! We have to get back to the gate!"
"You reveal yourselves at last, dark wizards! Your evil friends have come to help you!" Sturm had leaped up as well, and stepped closer to Daniel.
"No we don't, and they haven't! They're NOT our friends. And no, Daniel, we're NOT going to rush unarmed into the middle of a conflict that we can't even begin to understand," Jack declared, moving to stand between the archaeologist and the knightly man.
"Shhh, keep your voices down, there might be a good many draconians about," Tanis noted, not taking sides with anyone yet.
"If they are not your friends, then how do you know this dark-haired, dragon-helmed woman, and why would you wish to go to her, if she is indeed an enemy?" Riverwind spoke up sternly.
Daniel sat down again, his shoulders hunched. "I know her, because she is my wife. Sha're. That is why I want to go to her. She was taken as a host by a terrible, parasitic alien, who now lives in her and controls all her actions - but she is still there, somewhere, and I'm going to get her back!"
"Why should we believe you?" Sturm was defiant.
Jack ignored him completely. "Yep, Danny - we are going to get her back, but not right now. It's dark already, and we have no idea of what to expect. Besides, you can't actually be sure that it's her."
"It's got to be!"
"We'll go at sunrise. Before that, I want you to get some sleep," Jack said, facing Daniel. Then he turned around to look at the odd bunch of aliens - the knight-like figure, the tall, leather-clad man, the healer lady, the half-elf, the dwarf and the kender.
"We're going over there to have a nap," the colonel gestured towards a corner of their hiding place, a bit farther away from the fire. "I don't really care what you think about us, but you'd better not try anything."
No matter how hard Daniel tried, there was no changing what Jack had decided. So, Daniel found himself lying on the ground, covered with a blanket that Tas had offered. Jack sat next to him, looking amazingly menacing without a weapon of any kind. Apparently the colonel wasn't planning to get any sleep anytime soon, and neither did Sturm, who was still by the fire, staring intensely at the half of SG-1. Riverwind and Goldmoon had retreated to sleep as well, while Tanis, Tas and Flint were talking in low voices - and Daniel had no trouble guessing what was the subject of their conversation.
Daniel was certain he'd not be able to sleep. He didn't feel even remotely tired, and the idea that Sha're might just leave the planet during the night, for whatever reason, before they'd get to her, was a continuous torment.
***
Sha're was crouched over him, her dark curls tickling his face, a broad smile on her beautiful, full lips. "My Daniel," she uttered softly. "You have no idea of what is happening, do you?"
As happy as he was to see the face of his beloved again, Daniel frowned. "No, I don't - what're you talking about?"
"The great battle that is to come, in which you shall play one part or the other, though I know not what. That is for you to choose, but I can help."
A persistent corner of Daniel's mind kept telling him that something wasn't right here. How was he suddenly facing Sha're, when the last thing he remembered was trying to get some sleep, with Jack sitting on guard next to him?
"I want you to fight for me, my Daniel. Fight against the demon that calls herself a queen and a goddess, for she is neither."
"Of course I will! I'll do whatever I can, though I have no idea how I'm going to fight a goa'uld queen like her."
"But you have power! I know it was given to you, a power strong enough to match hers, even to overcome it. They gave it to you, but they did not tell you how to use it. I will show you how, and you will use it for me, you will have revenge over that creature!"
He had been thinking that something was wrong here, hadn't he? The thought was beginning to slide away already. Why shouldn't he help her? Of course he would! He would do whatever she'd ask!
"I will show you." she repeated, whispering to his ear.
He opened his eyes to see that it was still dark, the fire had shrunk to embers and everyone besides Jack and Sturm had gone to sleep. He couldn't help feeling both angry and annoyed. How could Jack be such a nuisance? Why wouldn't he understand?
Daniel stood up. Of course, Jack noticed it instantly, and as usual, couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Daniel? Everything all right?"
"Sure, everything's all right! Share's there, waiting for me, and you're not letting me go to her! But I AM going to help her, and you're not going to stop me!" Daniel yelled, loud enough to wake up everybody in the camp.
Without the slightest idea of what he was doing, the archaeologist took a few steps backwards, raised his hands and drew an arc over the area before him.
Out of thin air appeared a fine, glistening net that fell down on the campsite, trapping everyone except Daniel in its sticky grasp.
Daniel didn't stay to wonder what he had done or how, he didn't wait to check whether Jack and the others were all right or not. Instead, he turned his back to them and made his way out of the opening in the thicket, running as fast as he could towards the Stargate.
"They just came from nowhere, all of a sudden - no, wait, that's not quite true! They came out of that big round stone circle thing, though it wasn't empty like when we saw it earlier, it was full of something that looked a bit like water! They killed many of the draconians and drove away the rest. They used those staffs that shoot firebolts, just like the one your friend had," Tasslehoff paused dramatically and pointed at Jack and Daniel.
"Well, yeah, probably, but that doesn't mean that we're in league with them," Jack tried to be quick with his reply, but didn't quite succeed, since Tas just kept babbling away.
"So, did I tell you that they looked a bit like your friend too? They had these symbols on their foreheads, I think there were different kinds of them, like they had different kinds of helmets too. And I think I saw their leader too, and she had a dragon helmet of sorts."
Daniel looked up from his stew, startled. "She? What did she look like?"
"I think she was pretty - though not at all like you, Goldmoon. Actually, she reminded me of Kitiara - that's Raistlin and Caramon's sister, though we haven't seen her in a long while. She had the same kind of hair, black and curly. But it wasn't Kit, I'm sure of that, even though I didn't get to see her from very close. She spoke to her people in some strange language that I didn't know. It sounded like a bird of some sort - 'Kree! Kree!'"
There had been no goa'uld about when they arrived on Krynn, but now it seemed they had brought one with them. There was no mistaking Tas's imitation of the very usual word of their tongue. And how many goa'uld Queens with dark, curly hair could there be?
Before he'd even realized what he was doing, Daniel had jumped up from his seat. "Jack, it's got to be Sha're! It's got to be her! We have to get back to the gate!"
"You reveal yourselves at last, dark wizards! Your evil friends have come to help you!" Sturm had leaped up as well, and stepped closer to Daniel.
"No we don't, and they haven't! They're NOT our friends. And no, Daniel, we're NOT going to rush unarmed into the middle of a conflict that we can't even begin to understand," Jack declared, moving to stand between the archaeologist and the knightly man.
"Shhh, keep your voices down, there might be a good many draconians about," Tanis noted, not taking sides with anyone yet.
"If they are not your friends, then how do you know this dark-haired, dragon-helmed woman, and why would you wish to go to her, if she is indeed an enemy?" Riverwind spoke up sternly.
Daniel sat down again, his shoulders hunched. "I know her, because she is my wife. Sha're. That is why I want to go to her. She was taken as a host by a terrible, parasitic alien, who now lives in her and controls all her actions - but she is still there, somewhere, and I'm going to get her back!"
"Why should we believe you?" Sturm was defiant.
Jack ignored him completely. "Yep, Danny - we are going to get her back, but not right now. It's dark already, and we have no idea of what to expect. Besides, you can't actually be sure that it's her."
"It's got to be!"
"We'll go at sunrise. Before that, I want you to get some sleep," Jack said, facing Daniel. Then he turned around to look at the odd bunch of aliens - the knight-like figure, the tall, leather-clad man, the healer lady, the half-elf, the dwarf and the kender.
"We're going over there to have a nap," the colonel gestured towards a corner of their hiding place, a bit farther away from the fire. "I don't really care what you think about us, but you'd better not try anything."
No matter how hard Daniel tried, there was no changing what Jack had decided. So, Daniel found himself lying on the ground, covered with a blanket that Tas had offered. Jack sat next to him, looking amazingly menacing without a weapon of any kind. Apparently the colonel wasn't planning to get any sleep anytime soon, and neither did Sturm, who was still by the fire, staring intensely at the half of SG-1. Riverwind and Goldmoon had retreated to sleep as well, while Tanis, Tas and Flint were talking in low voices - and Daniel had no trouble guessing what was the subject of their conversation.
Daniel was certain he'd not be able to sleep. He didn't feel even remotely tired, and the idea that Sha're might just leave the planet during the night, for whatever reason, before they'd get to her, was a continuous torment.
***
Sha're was crouched over him, her dark curls tickling his face, a broad smile on her beautiful, full lips. "My Daniel," she uttered softly. "You have no idea of what is happening, do you?"
As happy as he was to see the face of his beloved again, Daniel frowned. "No, I don't - what're you talking about?"
"The great battle that is to come, in which you shall play one part or the other, though I know not what. That is for you to choose, but I can help."
A persistent corner of Daniel's mind kept telling him that something wasn't right here. How was he suddenly facing Sha're, when the last thing he remembered was trying to get some sleep, with Jack sitting on guard next to him?
"I want you to fight for me, my Daniel. Fight against the demon that calls herself a queen and a goddess, for she is neither."
"Of course I will! I'll do whatever I can, though I have no idea how I'm going to fight a goa'uld queen like her."
"But you have power! I know it was given to you, a power strong enough to match hers, even to overcome it. They gave it to you, but they did not tell you how to use it. I will show you how, and you will use it for me, you will have revenge over that creature!"
He had been thinking that something was wrong here, hadn't he? The thought was beginning to slide away already. Why shouldn't he help her? Of course he would! He would do whatever she'd ask!
"I will show you." she repeated, whispering to his ear.
He opened his eyes to see that it was still dark, the fire had shrunk to embers and everyone besides Jack and Sturm had gone to sleep. He couldn't help feeling both angry and annoyed. How could Jack be such a nuisance? Why wouldn't he understand?
Daniel stood up. Of course, Jack noticed it instantly, and as usual, couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Daniel? Everything all right?"
"Sure, everything's all right! Share's there, waiting for me, and you're not letting me go to her! But I AM going to help her, and you're not going to stop me!" Daniel yelled, loud enough to wake up everybody in the camp.
Without the slightest idea of what he was doing, the archaeologist took a few steps backwards, raised his hands and drew an arc over the area before him.
Out of thin air appeared a fine, glistening net that fell down on the campsite, trapping everyone except Daniel in its sticky grasp.
Daniel didn't stay to wonder what he had done or how, he didn't wait to check whether Jack and the others were all right or not. Instead, he turned his back to them and made his way out of the opening in the thicket, running as fast as he could towards the Stargate.