"You're a Furling?" McKay asked the question before the others could, but it was exactly what each of them – except for Teyla, and Sheppard – would have asked. Certainly neither of them understood why they all looked so shocked. Teyla wondered what a Furling was. Sheppard wondered whether it was bad or good to be one.

Kale shook his head.

"I am not. I am a Light One. We are a cousin race to the Furlings – not all that similar to them, but related by a common ancestor."

"Have you ever seen one?" Asked Mitchell.

"Never."

"How do you know you're related to them?"

"How does your kind know it is descended from the Ancients?"

"We saw it in a history of the Ancients..." McKay said. "Of course, there's always been speculation that the life on Earth was begun-"

"McKay."

Mitchell cut him short. For more than one reason, and not because she didn't want to hear him go into lecture mode. She definitely didn't want him talking about Earth to these people who they'd only just met – no matter how nice they seemed.

"What?"

"Shut up."

Rodney scowled, and decided that Mitchell was being so short with him because her leg had to be killing her. It was the only thing he could think of – since she was normally far more congenial under most circumstances.

"Sorry."

"You have Furling histories?" Mitchell asked.

Kale shook his head.

"We have our own histories, that tell us where we came from."

"Can we see them?" Rodney asked.

"They are not visual records," Aron told him. "We keep our histories intact in songs and stories passed down from one generation to another."

"Can-"

"Your companions need medical attention," Kale said, noting that the one he'd injured was looking pale – even for someone with a life force as strong as the one he sensed in her. "Perhaps later, if you are interested, Aron or one of the others will tell you a story."

"How many of you are there?" Sheppard asked, glad to finally be on a subject he could have interest in.

"Several hundred," Aron answered. "We're spread though out the planet, keeping watch over the human populations and the Dark Ones from places such as this one – high and isolated."

"The dark ones can't find you here?"

"They cannot fly," Kale said. "And the humans never come looking for us – although we would not mind them if they were to seek us out."

"The humans we spoke to are afraid to go beyond their own fields," Teyla said. "They fear your kind – or the dark ones you speak of."

"We would not hurt them."

"What about these dark ones?" Sheppard asked. "Would they?"

Kale nodded.

"Well, then, that would cause a problem..."

"Of course... they would not know us from the Dark Ones, and would not know they are in no danger."

"Better safe than eaten." Melony said.

"What's in the ancient city?" Rodney asked. He didn't really care about the problems of the people on this planet; he wanted to know more about this place – and wanted to see of maybe they'd get lucky and find some kind of undiscovered power source. Or, for that matter, a discovered one. It wasn't like these folks were using any huge amounts of energy, after all.

"We do not go there."

"What?"

"Enough, Kale," Aron said, speaking up. Sheppard wondered if she'd topped him from speaking for the same reason he was certain that Mitchell had stopped Rodney McKay only moments before – they didn't know enough about each other to start telling their greatest secrets. "They have hurts that need to be treated, and are probably hungry."

She looked at Mitchell and Sheppard, having decided from the way they were acting that these two were in charge.

"What can we bring you?"

"Something to make a splint for Major Sheppard's hand," Mitchell said. "And some bandages – or clean cloths – and some hot water." They had plenty of antiseptic solution in the first aid kits they all carried to take care of her shoulder and Ford's head.

Aron sent Kale off with a gesture, and she knelt close to Mitchell, looking at the bloody shoulder.

"Kale did this?"

"How did you know that?" Melony asked. She hadn't heard him tell her anything of the sort.

"He told me as he was bringing you to join the others."

"You're telepathic?"

"What?"

"You can talk to each other with your minds?" Mitchell clarified. It was the only thing she could think of to explain it, since she knew Kale hadn't said anything to anyone once he was in wolf form.

She nodded, reaching out and touching the tear in Melony's uniform that the talon had caused.

"You cannot?"

"No."

"How do you communicate over long distances, then?"

"We use radios," Sheppard said, holding his up in his good hand.

"Mechanical devices that transmit radio signals-"

"McKay."

Melony's head was starting to hurt, and Aron had started to pull back the fabric of her uniform from the wound in her shoulder and that hurt even more.

"Sorry."

"I am not knowledgeable in the anatomy of you humans..." Aron said, doubtfully. "I don't know how much help I could be..."

Mitchell shook her head.

"We can take care of ourselves, if you provide us with the items I asked for. We're used to it."

You're used to me taking care of you, you mean

That, too.