1Thanks to everybody who left reviews and tips. Don't worry Raquedan, I'm going in another direction in this chapter. I don't plan on using your storyline.
Regular quotation marks are for any dialogue in English, but double quotation marks indicate the foreign language used in this story.
O'Neill surveyed the situation
He hated being vulnerable, and having to put his weapons down and lace his fingers on his head was making him pretty vulnerable.
"I'm glad I didn't make that bet," O'Neill heard Daniel mutter.
"This does not seem to be a deserted wasteland," Teal'C whispered loudly.
"Is this one of those times when you're trying to be sarcastic T?"
Teal'C just looked at him with his oh so familiar expressionless face and blinked a few times.
"Oh my gosh. Look around us. We are surrounded by ruins. They look to be from the Ancients. This is amazing."
A few beats passed when O'Neill asked, "What are the guards waiting for? They are just standing there staring at us."
"They are probably sending someone to get their leader," Daniel put in helpfully. "I hope I can get a chance to look at the ruins," he continued, looking around the valley.
"These people seem to be advanced, yet their clothing indicates otherwise. Those robes look like just a bit more than scraps, but their weaponry is very advanced. It looks like they have a modified version of the zat gun. Look, they even have snipers watching us in those towers over there."
As Carter said this SG-1 looked over at the towers on the hill overlooking the valley they were in, and noticed a female figure striding down the hill towards them.
Daniel was transfixed.
He looked at her slight form draped in tan robes, and sighed when he saw her ruly brown curls.
Daniel had always had a thing for curls.
He was busy studying her approaching form when she looked his way.
He thought he saw her stumble, but wasn't sure.
She looked at him a few more seconds, then frowning, turned towards the guards to shout something.
""Arkados!""
This Arkados acknowledged her prescence and went to talk to her out of earshot.
"This woman looks like the leader of these guards," Carter said, breaking the silence.
"She seems to be well respected by the guards," Teal'C added.
A few more beats went by when O'Neill started to say, "You know, my arms are getting tired," but was cut off by the approach of this mysterious woman.
She broke through the line of guards to stand in front of them.
She didn't wait long before addressing them.
""Who are you and where are you from?"" She said in a language foreign to the team.
SG-1 stood motionless staring at the woman.
"I think that language is derived from the Anasazi American Indians who lived on earth around 1000-1500," Daniel tentatively said, turning his head slightly to O'Neill.
"Well? Can you speak to her?"
"I'll try. If I'm not mistaken, I also heard some Mogollon, and surprisingly some Gou'ld."
He turned to the woman who had been scrutinizing their brief conversation.
""We are peaceful explorers from a planet called earth.""
She looked astounded that he had spoken her language, but quickly recovered, straightening her back.
""State your names,"" she said in complete seriousness.
""Daniel Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, and Teal'C,"" he said, pointing to the respective owners of the names.
He looked back at her to see her glaring at Teal'C.
""Explain him. He is a Gou'ld Jaffa, is he not?""
Daniel took a risk, and said, ""No, not anymore. He is a rebel Jaffa. He fights the Gou'ld now.""
She slowly turned to him and said with no change of expression, ""You are enemies of the Gou'ld?""
""Yes.""
She visibly relaxed.
""Our people will do you no harm if you do us no harm. You may gather your weaponry, but keep the guns down, out of the way. Come with me.""
She proceeded to turn around and shout to the guards, ""Stand down!""
"Daniel," O'Neill drew out his name. "Translation please."
Daniel said as he put his arms down, "We can get our weapons, but keep them hidden. She says to follow her."
As Sg-1 began to gather their gear Carter asked, "What did you say to have her trust us?"
"I said we are enemies of the Gou'ld."
O'Neill burst out, "Ah! For once those snake heads save our butts!"
The woman gestured for them to follow.
"Let's move out," O'Neill said.
As they followed her through the ruins and towards the towers Daniel said, "I'm going to talk to her to see if she has translated any of the ruins.
He ran to catch up with her.
"I hope she can tolerate having her ear talked off. This place is like heaven for him," O'Neill muttered.
As the mysterious woman and SG-1 trudged up the hill, Carter looked back at the Stargate and the DHD.
She noticed something odd about the DHD, but thought she was imagining it.
It's probably the heat playing with my eyes, she thought.
Much to her surprise, as she will later find out, her eyes were not playing tricks on her.
