Jack looked at her 2IC nervously, as did the rest of his team and Freya. He suspected that Freya was royally pissed off now. Sam got down next to the horse, trying to find where a horse's pulse is. At the touch of her hands, Star laugh-whinnied. Sam was startled for a second and remembered that the horse was Immortal. The proud, jet-black stallion shook himself and stood up. Freya walked back to his side, a loving sister. The relief poured out of her. Star eyed the colonel slyly.

"Does that prove your point, or my point colonel?" he asked with a hint of a chuckle buried in his words. Jack nodded dumbly as Carter launched into a scientific speech.

"Sir, do you realize what this means? This shatters the medical society in the search for immortality. But to find a species that already is Immortal is astonishing!" Sam rambled almost as dumbly as Jack looked, but he snapped out of it.

"Carter? What did I mention to you about techno-babble before we left?" Jack told her off. Carter looked at him.

"Uh, you didn't sir. Were you supposed to?" she asked. Jack nodded.

"No techno-babble, there now I've said it." Jack paused as he thought. "This is like the time I ordered you to get a life, isn't it?" he pondered wondrously.

Sam nodded with a smile on her face. "Yes sir, I suppose it is." Daniel and Teal'c looked at the two knowingly. Freya managed to develop the blank look on her face, a poker face if you will. Jack looked slightly a taken back at the immediate acceptance of his proposal. Normally, the major would have smiled and stayed silent. Jack was happy though, but no one could know that, on the risk of losing his military career. It was one of the many signs that showed the colonel that his Sam was changing to be…looser, if you will. Daniel smiled inwardly at his friend's response. He also knew what Jack was thinking, of course. Teal'c, however, looked like he didn't want to know the pair. Star smiled in the way he could. Daniel noticed this and almost stared outright, a horse smiling… huh. Carter and the team turned back to their hosts politely. Jack was surprised, still, that the horse wanted him to shoot him. O'Neill had felt bad; he'd killed an animal for a demonstration. Then the stallion arose, perfectly fine with what he'd done. Star lay down again to finish the story of his people. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c preferred to stand, but Daniel, always wanting to make a good impression, sat along with Star's sister. So the rest of the team followed slowly. Daniel had a question ready as he sat.

"How long do the other herds live?" he wondered. Star thought carefully.

"The herds range from a normal life, about 20 years, to roughly 150 years, I believe is the oldest among the others," Star informed Daniel. "Does this answer your question, Dr. Jackson?" Daniel nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, please call me Daniel," he answered. Star gracefully accepted this. Sam wasn't listening carefully to what was being said. Though it was terribly fascinating, she was focusing on the immortality point. If she could possibly bring back one of the Chosen, possibly Freya and/or Star since they already knew them, then she could study why the Chosen were Immortal and why Earthlings weren't. No doubt Star and his sister were important to the community, but would the others let them go back to Earth? Jack noticed Sam's sudden obsession with the ground and called her out of it.

"Carter!" he said sharply. The voice permeated through her scientific fog and brought her back to reality. She looked up and noticed that all the company was looking at her. She blushed slightly knowing that she'd been ignoring all of them, including the hosts.

"Sorry sir, I was thinking about the possibilities of this on Earth, that's all," she apologized and smiled weakly. Jack gave her a curious little look.

"Oh, well then, stop it, for now. We've gotta listen to what they can give us," Jack mock ordered. She nodded and chuckled. Freya and Star looked at each other again. Sam was about to ask something when a beautiful chorus rang out from the area of the gate. It sounded like human singing, but it was accompanied with the essence of a horse whinny. Immediately, SG-1 knew that this was probably the 'elders' that Star had had been speaking about. They listened in awe of the beauty of the harmony. There must have been six, maybe seven voices down there, all singing a different note and it changed. The song weaved in and out like a Celtic knot. Starglyph raised his head to listen too, but it held a different meaning for Freya and him. He turned to her and she, to him. Star had been with her almost all the way and now she was almost as nervous as she was when she had to finally do the Awakening at the Axl. Now, though, she was not only filled with fear, but also she was happily anxious. Freya was going to be a full mare of the herd. Star nodded reassuringly to her. Star had always calmed her. Freya strengthened her resolve and stood up. All the humans, from Earth, had been listening intently to the singing, but now Freya and her brother caught their eye. Daniel noticed the girl was shaking like a leaf, but she was happy. Freya breathed in slowly and exhaled. The two didn't acknowledge SG-1, they were in their own little world, their ritual held virtually no meaning for the team. Freya turned towards the singing and walked to it. Star and SG-1 stood up to watch her go. Down in the clearing, about 12 young horses had assembled in front of the elders and the singing increased ten-fold. Even another part was added because of a couple extra females. The song was even more beautiful than Star remembered and it held great meaning for him, just as taps or the national anthem did for Americans in times of need. It evoked the same feelings in the Chosen as those songs did Americans. Teal'c also felt the significance of the ceremony, for he had something similar back on Chulak for those of great bravery. As the song rose to its climax, the team stood with their hands clasped behind their backs. It was a beautiful sight with the sun at its peak shining down through the trees and off the golden trees. The song started getting quieter as the younger horses started to drop out and trickle off to a tree. All that was left was elders singing after all the youngsters had gone to a tree. Star knew what was to happen next. When he had told SG-1 that for the first half of the day, the members of the herd rested, he hadn't told the whole truth. In fact, the first half of the day was spent reflecting on which necklace or tree drew the young one to it. A tree had to choose the horse. After the song, the horse was drawn to a specific tree and off dropped a necklace. This process could take a while, however. When all the fivers were under their tree, the elders dropped out as well. The beautiful music echoed through the forest before completely disappearing. A few well chosen words were said in an arcane language by a dark blue, silver maned beauty, who Star knew better as Amon, the Sage of the herd. The language in which she spoke was so ancient and rooted in music that even Daniel of Midgaard, didn't know it. Amon spoke the holy words.

"De vijand van mijn vijand is mijn vriend, voor wanneer wij groeien, zullen wij de vriend op alle manieren helpen," she called out for all to hear. Star dare not tell the group that no one could understand the ancient, magical language. Evident to SG-1, it was as well, all the horses and Freya held looks of misunderstanding. They had no idea what Amon was saying. Daniel let out a small "oh!" He recognized the language; he'd spoken it once with a young Dr. Catherine Langford in New York in 1969. SG-1 looked at him in wonder, he didn't recognize the other language, but he knew this one? Daniel was bewildered; the horses down there didn't know Dutch?? It was evident to him that, to them, this was an ancient language that only the female saying it knew what it meant. Daniel snapped out of it and provided an instant translation.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." At this first part, the team looked at him and back at the horses with a curious look on their faces. "For when we grow, we shall help the friend in all ways." The speaking stopped as Amon paused to think about the next part. She continued in a language that only Star and Freya, of this group, would understand. "Mai tout nous représentons bon, et pouvons tout, Choisi ou pas, reçoivent à ce qu'elles étaient destinées." It was a fluting, soft language unlike the slightly guttural language of the Dutch. Daniel continued to translate again. "May all we do represent good, and may all, Chosen or not, receive what they were destined for." The French was recognized by Sam as well as Star and Freya. Star was confused, why had Amon changed the ritual sayings? That was something to think about. At this, the necklaces started to drop onto the youngsters necks. Jack assumed that the horses were rubbing up against the tree branches or something to make the vines drop off. Star turned away from the clearing in thought. The team caught this movement and Jack cocked his head to indicate that maybe they should follow him. So they did. Star hunkered down back in the soft grass to think.

"Star," Sam asked, "what was that supposed to mean?" Daniel was curious as well.

"We've heard that before, remember guys? The giant aliens in the cavern on…P7X-377," Daniel pointed out. Sam picked up on something.

"Wasn't that in Hindu, Daniel?" she wanted to know. Daniel nodded and Sam looked confused. Why were the same words used here? This planet was becoming one of many mysteries. Jack was sitting on a rock nearby, Teal'c stood next to him. Daniel was on the ground again and next to Carter. Jack stood up and clapped his hands together.

"Well! After this ceremony thing, we should report to Hammond and Carter, you can tell him about the immortal thingy."

"Immortality sir."

"Right, Danny, you can tell him about the language thing that's going on and Teal'c and I will stand around and pretend to know what the hell you're all talking about. How's that?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow, Sam nodded, and Daniel stared at him. "Okay then!" Jack ended cheerfully. Star raised his head.

"Wait, you can't go yet. The elders have yet to meet you," he protested quietly. Sam did the liberty of explaining this all to the stallion.

"Star, you see, all we're going to do is turn on the Stargate, Axl, and talk through it using these," she pointed to the radio on her shoulder. "Then the Axl disengages and we're still here. Simple as that," Sam finished.

"Exactly what she said, simple as that," Jack echoed from his perch back on the rock. "Good job Carter."

"Thank you sir."

Now Star was confused. "What do you mean turn on the Axl, major? How can you do that?" Daniel looked up at his friends from under his glasses and Sam, Jack and him exchanged looks. Teal'c offered an explanation.

"By means of a dial home device, we shall activate the Stargate again," he said stoically. Star cocked his head. He had no clue what a 'dial-home-device' was.

"It's a circular thing on a pedestal and its got thirty…" Daniel looked for help.

"Six," Carter said.

"Right, thirty-six little symbols on it and if you push them in the right order the Stargate…"

"Flooshes," Jack finished triumphantly for Daniel.

"Right, flooshes." Star now looked apprehensive about the idea.

"If you come with us, you can see the whole thing," Sam offered mistaking Star's emotion.

"You cannot do this while the group is here," the black stallion informed them.

"Why not?" Jack asked sarcastically. Star looked at him.

"Because the Axl only turns on when we arrive," Star said, but he knew better. Star knew that Amon ran down to the Axl every year to turn it on with her magic; no one else could do this. To do so was against the gods will. The black stallion was not a religious horse, but his belief in going against the gods was strong enough where he wouldn't dare do this. Problem was, now the group of humans had wet his curiosity of the Axl or the Stargate as they called it. He was supposed to be the next Hakan, even though he didn't believe it, but maybe he could bend the law slightly because, supposedly, the gods favored him. He looked back at the group with a light in his eyes. Sam had been about to say that he didn't have to come and violate his beliefs, but she stayed quiet when she saw the light in his eyes turn on. He was coming.

"I'm coming, but only after the whole ceremony is done," Star made sure of this fact. Jack nodded.

"Done, glad to have ya along. Star," he added.

More comin' your way... I promise!