CHAPTER SIX: MEANWHILE....
The Wraith guard stopped, turning slowly in a circle, the faceless mask tilting as it appeared to listen to something only it could hear. After a moment, it focused on an earthen embankment on which some flowers had been planted, the bright colored petals losing their beauty under the creature's cold gaze.
Behind the dirt wall, Ford gripped his machine gun tightly, his eyes watching Teyla. She was crouched about a foot away, her eyes closed, using her ability to sense the Wraith to determine when and if the coast was clear. Neither of them seemed to breathe, afraid to move a muscle, afraid even to think.
Eventually, the Wraith turned its head again...and walked on.
Teyla let out a pent up breath, turned and nodded at the lieutenant. Ford risked a peek over the top of the embankment, then straightened, turning to follow Teyla away from their hiding spot and into the trees surrounding the village.
The Athosian had sensed the Wraith's arrival, her early warning giving the few they were with some ability to get under cover. They heard the shouts from the other villagers as close to a dozen Wraith appeared out of nowhere near the edge of the huts, stalking down the single dirt street, looking around like ugly tourists at a cattle market. Teyla and Ford had been smuggled out the back way of one of the huts, then shown a back route back to the Stargate, both of which kindnesses were amazing in themselves, as the villagers were helping them despite being scared to death.
The dozen Wraith warriors were akin to an army to the poor villagers, whose only defense against them were their ineffectual bows and arrows and swords. One villager did manage to drag his knife down one of the foot soldier's arms, but all it did was make the creature so furious that it broke the man's neck with a single twist. Meanwhile, Darts screamed overhead, culling those unlucky enough to be in the path of their beams.
"What are they looking for?" Ford hissed, thinking about the Wraith stalking the village as he followed Teyla deeper into the woods. "Us?"
"No, I do not think so," she whispered back. "I think they are checking on the health of their herd. Making sure they are not sickly, and making sure that they have not become too technically advanced."
"Ugh," the young man spat, "Do we have to use the term 'herd?'"
She didn't answer, just turned away. "I do not like it any more than you, Lieutenant." Her tone was cold and a little defensive.
"I wish there was something we could do," he muttered.
"Alerting them to our presence would only bring more, Lieutenant, you know that. We can only hope that this visit by the Wraith is not a full culling, and thus the only danger is from those few Wraith on the ground and the three or four Darts flying overhead."
"I know," he caught up with her, running only a single length behind, "Just wish...."
"We will find a way," Teyla stated firmly, "Someday. Just not today."
Ford didn't answer, just followed her as they ran deeper into the forest along the thin track. Finally, she paused in a darkly shadowed glen, to get her bearings and to allow them to catch their breaths. Ford skidded to a halt next to her, frowning and looking around him, his P90 never loose in his hands.
"I do not think we are far from the Stargate, a couple of miles only," Teyla said, looking around at the trees. "Which means we can not be that far from the hill."
"Yeah," Ford agreed, looking back at her. Unconsciously, she lifted her hand to tap her radio, and he grabbed it.
"No, don't."
She frowned, confused, "But we must contact them."
He shook his head, "The Wraith might pick it up."
"Even if they are not looking for it?" she replied.
"You never know," he grimaced. "Look, right now the Major and McKay are safer than us. Best we just loop back to the Temple, try to catch them on their way out. With luck, we'll be able to warn them before they come out and do something to cause the Wraith detect them."
Another Dart squealed over, and Teyla looked up. "Is there no way we can warn them now? They could walk right into them—that main entrance is easily seen from the valleys below. Perhaps the risk is worth it?"
"Look, my guess? Sheppard forced McKay to agree that they would only look at one more room, and McKay would pick the one deepest underground from which he got readings, just to piss the Major off. That should put them well outside the Dart's scanner range, and our radio range. Even if we could reach them, we'd only be highlighting our position as well as theirs." He shook his head, "I'm just hoping they haven't started back up yet."
Teyla turned her dark eyes to the young lieutenant, reading his face. After a moment, she nodded.
"Okay." Turning, she looked behind her in the direction of the village they had just left. The Wraith were probably still checking them out. With a sigh, her eyes examined the rest of the forest, then narrowed. "I believe the way up to the Temple entrance is this way."
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TBC