I have just discovered that the secret to curing writer's block is to eat
kit-kats. So I will be living on them for the rest of the Easter holidays.
If you live near me (you know who you are) don't bother trying to get some
from your local supermarket, I have already bought their entire stock.
Thanks to Jamei, Emowyen (again) and Sci fi Fan Gillian (again) for
reviewing. A huge thank you to Macisgate and Sandjgirl (you do like your
sexual innuendos don't you?) for being my most faithful reviewers. So this
chapter is dedicated to you guys.
P.S Once again sorry about the formatting in the middle of this story, I do
know how to structure paragraphs it's just fanfiction doesn't like me.
Teal'c's stepped onto the stone base of the Stargate platform and heard the sound of the portal closing behind him. Immediately he swung his staff weapon round as he searched the area for hostiles with quick precision. SG3 and Daniel Jackson were already crouched at the bottom of the steps and although the clearing was quiet except for the rustle of leaves in the wind, they were alert and ready.
"Ok guys move out. Dr. Jackson could you stay with me so you can show us the way?" Asked the leader of SG3 scanning the tree line. Daniel nodded and they began to walk into the wood.
Teal'c knew the village to be at least ten miles away; a three-hour walk through the trees. They could easily be ambushed and Teal'c knew this so he kept his hands tight on his weapon and his eyes on the undergrowth around them. However his mind wandered to O'Neill and Major Carter waiting back on Earth. He had been mildly surprised at the look on O'Neill's face when he and Daniel had volunteered for the mission. He knew that Colonel O'Neill would do the same for any of his team, so why did he not expect it in return? He also knew Major Carter's frustration at having to stay on the base, unable to help someone who...
The snap of a branch, as loud as a gunshot in the near silence of the wood, made Teal'c turn swiftly to the direction it had come from. He jumped over a log and crouched noiselessly behind it. He span around at the rustle of some leaves behind him then crept softly towards a clump of ferns at the base of the log. Slowly he parted the leaves of a fern with the end of his staff...
There was nothing there.
"It was probably just an animal or something." Said one of the younger soldiers who had walked up behind him. He took a step back when Teal'c looked at him.
"Perhaps."
They continued to walk. Teal'c was more vigilant than ever, it was very rarely that his warrior's instincts deceived him. The shifting shadows created by the wind blowing in the leaves formed shapes in the undergrowth. He changed his view constantly, his head turning this way and that hoping to catch a glimpse of his elusive enemy.
"Teal'c you know maybe he was right. Maybe you did just see an small creature or something." Daniel Jackson said as he walked alongside him. Then, as if on cue, there was a flash of red in the trees to the left of him. Teal'c strode over to the nearest tree and pointed his staff at it. "Come out from behind there. There is no need to fear us." He said calmly. A boy of about sixteen or so stepped sullenly out from behind the trunk. He was the same boy who had first met SG1 on their previous visit to P2X-959. He was dressed in clothes that were the same colour as the forest except for a red sash that was slung round his waist. His hair was fair and his eyes were muddy brown. "Lakas." Said Teal'c in recognition and he nodded, the boy grinned in reply. "It is indeed good to see you again." "Daniel!" The boy bounded over to Daniel Jackson and stopped in front of him. "Why are you back?" He lowered his voice as if he was afraid of someone overhearing them, "The elders will kill you if they find you." "I know Lakas. We would not have come back if it wasn't very important. We... We have to ask you something and it's important that you tell us the truth." Said Daniel hesitantly. Teal'c had a faint idea that he distrusted the boy for some reason. "I don't think you are demons if that's what you mean." The boy beamed at the rest of the group. "Smart kid," murmured a member of SG3. "Pity the rest of his people aren't as smart as him." "Er... Yes." Daniel pushed his glasses up. "Listen do you know if the guards in the village poison their crossbow bolts?" "Yes they do why?" He replied. "Well a member of my team was shot during our escape and he is very ill. We need to know what plant they used." The boy moved his feet nervously. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sorry about your friend." He looked up. "Is it Jack?" Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "Oh," he said. "Do you know of anyone who can help us? Anyone who might know what plant they used to poison the bolts?" Daniel asked. "Well my sister is the herbalist of the village she might know something. I could take you to our house." His eyes glittered at the thought. "It is imperative that we do not get caught. Are you sure that your sister will not report us to your elders?" Asked Teal'c sternly. "What of your parents?" Lakas blinked slowly. "My parents are dead, it is only my sister and me who live in my house. I am certain that she will not turn you in, she is concerned only for the well-being of others and will be glad to help Jack." He turned and began to walk to the north. "Come on!" The leader of SG3 shrugged and followed him, his team in turn tagging on behind. Daniel Jackson looked at Teal'c and frowned. Then they both set off, walking side by side through the forest.
* * *
The plumes of smoke spiralling up through the treetops from the village gradually became visible to Teal'c as they neared Lakas' house. It was built a little way from the village and was made from weather-stained wood. There was a small herb garden outside in a little clearing that caught the sun and a basket filled with cuttings of various plants stood next to it. Lakas glanced around and quickly lead them inside.
The cottage was small and cluttered with a long wooden table and a bench taking up most of one wall. Two doorways showed where Lakas and his sister slept.
A woman who was in her mid-twenties stepped into view, she had shoulder length blonde hair and the same brown eyes as her brown. She too was dressed in non-descript dirt-coloured clothes.
"Lakas!" She exclaimed. "Who are these..." Then she gasped with shock. "They are strangers that the elders accused of being demons. There's a reward for their capture, if you get caught harbouring them then..."
"Please, we are not demons we are simply here to help a friend of ours who is sick." Pleaded Daniel Jackson. "If you turn us in our friend will die."
"Yeah lady. All we need to do is get this plant and get out of here," said the leader of SG3. Lakas' sister frowned.
"Excuse me, I need to fetch the herbs in before it gets dark." Said Lakas interrupting, apparently satisfied that he could leave them alone with his sister. He smiled at them and left. Daniel looked concerned but didn't move.
"He means," Daniel continued, glaring at SG3's leader, "that our friend was shot with a crossbow bolt fired by one of the guards in our escape and it was poisoned. We need a sample of the plant used in order to make an antidote. We were hoping that you could help us er..."
"Kidra. My name is Kidra. I don't know what poison they use but I could find out for you. However it will have to be in the morning as the men are away hunting at the moment. You could stay here overnight but I'm not sure there will be enough room for all of you..." Kidra looked at SG3 doubtfully.
"Dr. Jackson, we'll head back to the gate and get a message back to General Hammond, as long as you and Teal'c stay inside this house then you shouldn't get spotted. When you have the damn plant just make your way back through the forest. Is that ok?"
"Indeed Captain." Teal'c replied. With that SG3 went outside and walked south towards the gate.
"Now you can sleep in Lakas' room and he sleep on the rug in my room. I just go and get two mats for you..." Murmured Kidra, rooting around in a cupboard. "You will have to be very quiet so that no one hears you, the guards sometimes patrol past here."
Suddenly the door flew open. Seven men dressed in a primitive blue uniform and pointing metal crossbows at them with a chilling indifference stood in the doorway. Kidra dropped the bowl she was holding and it shattered on the floor with a crash that splintered the cold silence. Teal'c looked past the shoulders of the men and saw Lakas with a righteous look on his face behind them. Sometime he would have to learn to trust Daniel Jackson's suspicions.
Teal'c's stepped onto the stone base of the Stargate platform and heard the sound of the portal closing behind him. Immediately he swung his staff weapon round as he searched the area for hostiles with quick precision. SG3 and Daniel Jackson were already crouched at the bottom of the steps and although the clearing was quiet except for the rustle of leaves in the wind, they were alert and ready.
"Ok guys move out. Dr. Jackson could you stay with me so you can show us the way?" Asked the leader of SG3 scanning the tree line. Daniel nodded and they began to walk into the wood.
Teal'c knew the village to be at least ten miles away; a three-hour walk through the trees. They could easily be ambushed and Teal'c knew this so he kept his hands tight on his weapon and his eyes on the undergrowth around them. However his mind wandered to O'Neill and Major Carter waiting back on Earth. He had been mildly surprised at the look on O'Neill's face when he and Daniel had volunteered for the mission. He knew that Colonel O'Neill would do the same for any of his team, so why did he not expect it in return? He also knew Major Carter's frustration at having to stay on the base, unable to help someone who...
The snap of a branch, as loud as a gunshot in the near silence of the wood, made Teal'c turn swiftly to the direction it had come from. He jumped over a log and crouched noiselessly behind it. He span around at the rustle of some leaves behind him then crept softly towards a clump of ferns at the base of the log. Slowly he parted the leaves of a fern with the end of his staff...
There was nothing there.
"It was probably just an animal or something." Said one of the younger soldiers who had walked up behind him. He took a step back when Teal'c looked at him.
"Perhaps."
They continued to walk. Teal'c was more vigilant than ever, it was very rarely that his warrior's instincts deceived him. The shifting shadows created by the wind blowing in the leaves formed shapes in the undergrowth. He changed his view constantly, his head turning this way and that hoping to catch a glimpse of his elusive enemy.
"Teal'c you know maybe he was right. Maybe you did just see an small creature or something." Daniel Jackson said as he walked alongside him. Then, as if on cue, there was a flash of red in the trees to the left of him. Teal'c strode over to the nearest tree and pointed his staff at it. "Come out from behind there. There is no need to fear us." He said calmly. A boy of about sixteen or so stepped sullenly out from behind the trunk. He was the same boy who had first met SG1 on their previous visit to P2X-959. He was dressed in clothes that were the same colour as the forest except for a red sash that was slung round his waist. His hair was fair and his eyes were muddy brown. "Lakas." Said Teal'c in recognition and he nodded, the boy grinned in reply. "It is indeed good to see you again." "Daniel!" The boy bounded over to Daniel Jackson and stopped in front of him. "Why are you back?" He lowered his voice as if he was afraid of someone overhearing them, "The elders will kill you if they find you." "I know Lakas. We would not have come back if it wasn't very important. We... We have to ask you something and it's important that you tell us the truth." Said Daniel hesitantly. Teal'c had a faint idea that he distrusted the boy for some reason. "I don't think you are demons if that's what you mean." The boy beamed at the rest of the group. "Smart kid," murmured a member of SG3. "Pity the rest of his people aren't as smart as him." "Er... Yes." Daniel pushed his glasses up. "Listen do you know if the guards in the village poison their crossbow bolts?" "Yes they do why?" He replied. "Well a member of my team was shot during our escape and he is very ill. We need to know what plant they used." The boy moved his feet nervously. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sorry about your friend." He looked up. "Is it Jack?" Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "Oh," he said. "Do you know of anyone who can help us? Anyone who might know what plant they used to poison the bolts?" Daniel asked. "Well my sister is the herbalist of the village she might know something. I could take you to our house." His eyes glittered at the thought. "It is imperative that we do not get caught. Are you sure that your sister will not report us to your elders?" Asked Teal'c sternly. "What of your parents?" Lakas blinked slowly. "My parents are dead, it is only my sister and me who live in my house. I am certain that she will not turn you in, she is concerned only for the well-being of others and will be glad to help Jack." He turned and began to walk to the north. "Come on!" The leader of SG3 shrugged and followed him, his team in turn tagging on behind. Daniel Jackson looked at Teal'c and frowned. Then they both set off, walking side by side through the forest.
* * *
The plumes of smoke spiralling up through the treetops from the village gradually became visible to Teal'c as they neared Lakas' house. It was built a little way from the village and was made from weather-stained wood. There was a small herb garden outside in a little clearing that caught the sun and a basket filled with cuttings of various plants stood next to it. Lakas glanced around and quickly lead them inside.
The cottage was small and cluttered with a long wooden table and a bench taking up most of one wall. Two doorways showed where Lakas and his sister slept.
A woman who was in her mid-twenties stepped into view, she had shoulder length blonde hair and the same brown eyes as her brown. She too was dressed in non-descript dirt-coloured clothes.
"Lakas!" She exclaimed. "Who are these..." Then she gasped with shock. "They are strangers that the elders accused of being demons. There's a reward for their capture, if you get caught harbouring them then..."
"Please, we are not demons we are simply here to help a friend of ours who is sick." Pleaded Daniel Jackson. "If you turn us in our friend will die."
"Yeah lady. All we need to do is get this plant and get out of here," said the leader of SG3. Lakas' sister frowned.
"Excuse me, I need to fetch the herbs in before it gets dark." Said Lakas interrupting, apparently satisfied that he could leave them alone with his sister. He smiled at them and left. Daniel looked concerned but didn't move.
"He means," Daniel continued, glaring at SG3's leader, "that our friend was shot with a crossbow bolt fired by one of the guards in our escape and it was poisoned. We need a sample of the plant used in order to make an antidote. We were hoping that you could help us er..."
"Kidra. My name is Kidra. I don't know what poison they use but I could find out for you. However it will have to be in the morning as the men are away hunting at the moment. You could stay here overnight but I'm not sure there will be enough room for all of you..." Kidra looked at SG3 doubtfully.
"Dr. Jackson, we'll head back to the gate and get a message back to General Hammond, as long as you and Teal'c stay inside this house then you shouldn't get spotted. When you have the damn plant just make your way back through the forest. Is that ok?"
"Indeed Captain." Teal'c replied. With that SG3 went outside and walked south towards the gate.
"Now you can sleep in Lakas' room and he sleep on the rug in my room. I just go and get two mats for you..." Murmured Kidra, rooting around in a cupboard. "You will have to be very quiet so that no one hears you, the guards sometimes patrol past here."
Suddenly the door flew open. Seven men dressed in a primitive blue uniform and pointing metal crossbows at them with a chilling indifference stood in the doorway. Kidra dropped the bowl she was holding and it shattered on the floor with a crash that splintered the cold silence. Teal'c looked past the shoulders of the men and saw Lakas with a righteous look on his face behind them. Sometime he would have to learn to trust Daniel Jackson's suspicions.