For the first couple of hours all they could think about was not falling
off; after the fourth hour, their minds started wondering wether or not
they could possibly be any more uncomfortable; the sixth hour passed with
them only thinking they would be sore in the morning but by the seventh
hour, they weren´t thinking anything at all. Their feet were asleep, their
backs sore and there is only so much time any one can take sitting on top
of a horse. They were also hungry. They were just starting to get desperate
when Kaia brought the horses to an easy walk, and after a few minutes, they
walked into a clearing, full of tents and people. They were almost to tired
to notice these people were dressed mostly in brown, that they wore shoes
and they had no drawings anywhere on their clothes, but they did all wear a
sort of pendant in the shape of a horse.
Kaia stopped at the very centre of the settlement and got off her horse. SG- 1 did the same, but with little or no grace at all. It took all their concentration just to follow the girl, who went straight into the biggest tent around. Once inside, they noticed there were fine tapestries hanging from the ceiling, serving as walls. All of them had horses on them, some of them looked quite old. On these, the horses had a strange sort of horn, they were unicorns. In the very middle there was a square table, with benches all around. There was no one sitting there, but just after it there was a man pacing. He looked about fifty, his clothes were much the same as the ones Kaia was wearing and the ones the people had outside, only there were two lines running down the arms of his shirt, one was black and the other, white. He stopped as soon as he noticed them come in. He smiled weakly at Kaia and she bowed down, holding her arms in front of her, palms up. The man joined the tips of his fingers, held them in front of his eyes and them opened his hands, making a half circle with his arms. As soon as Kaia rose she turned to SG-1.
"You may sit if you like. Take food and water. You must be tired."
They didn´t need to be told twice. They plopped down on the benches and looked at the table. There was, in fact, food and drink there. It was mostly dried fruit of some kind and the drink was nothing more than water, but they took it anyway. Meanwhile Kaia and the man talked. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, they came to the table, but they didn´t sit.
"This is Laska. He is in command of the Niseos, he is their highest master."
The man, Laska, greeted them in the same way he´d greeted Kaia. SG-1 didn´t really know how to react, they did stop eating for a second and O´Neill actually managed to stand straight and nod his head stiffly. Laska smiled. Kaia continued.
"He has agreed to help us. Here you may learn of the Niseos and the Loshati and all of their history and legends. Nothing will be kept from you. I do warn you, you cannot expect to be given all the answers right away, this is the time for war." She sat down, Laska stood still, "Now, Laska has asked that you share with him some information. He wishes to understand you as I do. I realize I took knowledge without your permission but it was urgent. Now we have time, would you allow him to share some of your knowledge?"
Daniel was the first to speak up, which was fine by everyone else, "Knowledge.....do you mean our language?"
"Yes."
"He´s asking permission to learn our language?"
"Yes. As I learned it. As Iablaka learned it."
"He can do that?"
"No. I can, I will pass him the knowledge and then, if you wish it, he may pass some of his knowledge to you."
"He wants us to learn his language?"
"You must. How else are you to learn of them? I know you wish to learn, especially you Daniel," Daniel had to admit, he was a little surprised to hear the girl call him by his name, "the only way you will learn is by understanding them. Simply by understanding the language of a people you can begin to understand the people themselves."
Daniel didn´t think the conversation made much sense and he didn´t really care at the moment. He was beyond tired and all he wanted to do was sleep. A part of him was thrilled that he would be able to talk to these people directly, another part of him wondered if it was wise to be "implanted" all that knowledge but most of him didn´t have the energy to care. He shrugged and looked at O´Neill, who nodded at Daniel and warned him to be careful. After that, Kaia stood up and walked over to Laska. She put her hands over his eyes and spoke.
"Ia sta chami ta. Ia sta chami sto. Ia sta chami nal ia gat ko."
When Laska opened his eyes he quickly reached for some water. After he was done drinking it he spoke, in perfect English to the surprise of SG-1.
"Kaia was right. Bittersweet but simple.....it is strange. So many words to say so little, but I suppose it is your way and as such, I should not judge it or question it." He bowed a little, "You may stay here. Soon someone will come and show you where you may sleep. Kaia tells me you have some equipment you do not wish to part with, I cannot allow your.....technology," he really seemed to hate that word, "to go about us but we at least can solve the problem of your.....shoes. You may sleep until tonight and then, we will eat and you will learn about us and we will learn about you. We will share knowledge and food and so be bonded in aliance and friendship. In the morning you will set out and if Fate and Life permitt it, we may meet again."
With that he turned and left. Kaia didn´t follow. She sat in front of O´Neill, "He has helped you. He is a good leader and a fine master. Now, will you accept his knowledge?"
O´Neill backed away a little, accidentally bumping into Sam, "Well that´s more Daniel´s.....thing."
Kaia shook her head, "No. You must all learn, you must all understand. They will not keep anything from you and they will not harm you. You must all undestand, if not, how are you to learn? I have not led you to harm, will you still not trust me?"
O´Neill would of liked to say no but the truth was this girl had proven herself so far. He took a deep breath and went back to were he was sitting before backing away, "All right. Do it."
He didn´t feel much of anything. It was very much like when Kaia had first crouched in front of them and had put her hand over their eyes only this time they felt as if they were being given something. Kaia´s eyes turned a strange color and then it was all over. He didn´t feel any different and so Kaia moved on to Sam, then to Teal´c and then to Daniel. As soon as she was done a young boy walked into the tent. He held his fingers up as Laska had done and he bowed down on one knee, when he spoke, SG-1 undersood him. That was a big shock.
"The stranger´s quarters are ready. I will lead you to them. Laska says they are guests and must be treated as such." He stood up and walked out. Kaia followed him, as did SG-1, but only after a second. What the hell had the girl just done to them?
Kaia stopped at the very centre of the settlement and got off her horse. SG- 1 did the same, but with little or no grace at all. It took all their concentration just to follow the girl, who went straight into the biggest tent around. Once inside, they noticed there were fine tapestries hanging from the ceiling, serving as walls. All of them had horses on them, some of them looked quite old. On these, the horses had a strange sort of horn, they were unicorns. In the very middle there was a square table, with benches all around. There was no one sitting there, but just after it there was a man pacing. He looked about fifty, his clothes were much the same as the ones Kaia was wearing and the ones the people had outside, only there were two lines running down the arms of his shirt, one was black and the other, white. He stopped as soon as he noticed them come in. He smiled weakly at Kaia and she bowed down, holding her arms in front of her, palms up. The man joined the tips of his fingers, held them in front of his eyes and them opened his hands, making a half circle with his arms. As soon as Kaia rose she turned to SG-1.
"You may sit if you like. Take food and water. You must be tired."
They didn´t need to be told twice. They plopped down on the benches and looked at the table. There was, in fact, food and drink there. It was mostly dried fruit of some kind and the drink was nothing more than water, but they took it anyway. Meanwhile Kaia and the man talked. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, they came to the table, but they didn´t sit.
"This is Laska. He is in command of the Niseos, he is their highest master."
The man, Laska, greeted them in the same way he´d greeted Kaia. SG-1 didn´t really know how to react, they did stop eating for a second and O´Neill actually managed to stand straight and nod his head stiffly. Laska smiled. Kaia continued.
"He has agreed to help us. Here you may learn of the Niseos and the Loshati and all of their history and legends. Nothing will be kept from you. I do warn you, you cannot expect to be given all the answers right away, this is the time for war." She sat down, Laska stood still, "Now, Laska has asked that you share with him some information. He wishes to understand you as I do. I realize I took knowledge without your permission but it was urgent. Now we have time, would you allow him to share some of your knowledge?"
Daniel was the first to speak up, which was fine by everyone else, "Knowledge.....do you mean our language?"
"Yes."
"He´s asking permission to learn our language?"
"Yes. As I learned it. As Iablaka learned it."
"He can do that?"
"No. I can, I will pass him the knowledge and then, if you wish it, he may pass some of his knowledge to you."
"He wants us to learn his language?"
"You must. How else are you to learn of them? I know you wish to learn, especially you Daniel," Daniel had to admit, he was a little surprised to hear the girl call him by his name, "the only way you will learn is by understanding them. Simply by understanding the language of a people you can begin to understand the people themselves."
Daniel didn´t think the conversation made much sense and he didn´t really care at the moment. He was beyond tired and all he wanted to do was sleep. A part of him was thrilled that he would be able to talk to these people directly, another part of him wondered if it was wise to be "implanted" all that knowledge but most of him didn´t have the energy to care. He shrugged and looked at O´Neill, who nodded at Daniel and warned him to be careful. After that, Kaia stood up and walked over to Laska. She put her hands over his eyes and spoke.
"Ia sta chami ta. Ia sta chami sto. Ia sta chami nal ia gat ko."
When Laska opened his eyes he quickly reached for some water. After he was done drinking it he spoke, in perfect English to the surprise of SG-1.
"Kaia was right. Bittersweet but simple.....it is strange. So many words to say so little, but I suppose it is your way and as such, I should not judge it or question it." He bowed a little, "You may stay here. Soon someone will come and show you where you may sleep. Kaia tells me you have some equipment you do not wish to part with, I cannot allow your.....technology," he really seemed to hate that word, "to go about us but we at least can solve the problem of your.....shoes. You may sleep until tonight and then, we will eat and you will learn about us and we will learn about you. We will share knowledge and food and so be bonded in aliance and friendship. In the morning you will set out and if Fate and Life permitt it, we may meet again."
With that he turned and left. Kaia didn´t follow. She sat in front of O´Neill, "He has helped you. He is a good leader and a fine master. Now, will you accept his knowledge?"
O´Neill backed away a little, accidentally bumping into Sam, "Well that´s more Daniel´s.....thing."
Kaia shook her head, "No. You must all learn, you must all understand. They will not keep anything from you and they will not harm you. You must all undestand, if not, how are you to learn? I have not led you to harm, will you still not trust me?"
O´Neill would of liked to say no but the truth was this girl had proven herself so far. He took a deep breath and went back to were he was sitting before backing away, "All right. Do it."
He didn´t feel much of anything. It was very much like when Kaia had first crouched in front of them and had put her hand over their eyes only this time they felt as if they were being given something. Kaia´s eyes turned a strange color and then it was all over. He didn´t feel any different and so Kaia moved on to Sam, then to Teal´c and then to Daniel. As soon as she was done a young boy walked into the tent. He held his fingers up as Laska had done and he bowed down on one knee, when he spoke, SG-1 undersood him. That was a big shock.
"The stranger´s quarters are ready. I will lead you to them. Laska says they are guests and must be treated as such." He stood up and walked out. Kaia followed him, as did SG-1, but only after a second. What the hell had the girl just done to them?
