WINTER WONDERLAND
By NotTasha
oh man, your feedback is like food. Thanks so much for your kindness
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CHAPTER 12: MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH
"You should sit," Soldotna encouraged. Kenai moved alongside her sister-in-law, trying to help her calm down their guest. "There will be some time before the men return. It is our time to relax."
Kenai grinned, showing her straight, white teeth. "It is our only time of quiet, when the men are at their hunt. All winter long, we must be with them within these walls. It's nice to be without them for a while. Let us enjoy our quiet."
Teyla looked between Soldotna and Kenai, a grimace of annoyance crossing her. "You would prefer to remain quiet at your home instead of participating in the hunt?"
"Yes," Soldotna responded. "We are only women, after all."
Kenai nodded. "Even our men find the hunt difficult. It's not for the faint of heart."
With a disgusted snort, Teyla turned from them. She didn't like these people. She'd never understood cultures that treated their women like lesser creatures, but the Ekukians truly annoyed her. The Wraith left them alone for the most part, because the Ekukians spent most of their lives in their warm little holes, in their warm little worlds, while all around them the world froze. Maybe the Wraith were disgusted with them, too? They liked spirited prey – maybe the Ekukians tasted flavorless to them.
Teyla paced about, having lost her chill. The community, she decided, was too close, too warm, and she needed to get away from it.
"I need some air," Teyla said curtly and made her way to the door. Kenai and Soldotna came with her and frittered around, trying to dissuade her. When they realized that they couldn't change her mind, they helped with her coat and winter-wear, ensuring that she was well dressed. By time Teyla was suited up, she was nearly hyperventilating with the need to be free of them.
"Thank you," she curtly declared, and pressed back the first curtain. "I shall return shortly." And she moved on. She stood for a moment in the foyer, happy even to be this far from them. Then, she drew in a breath and pushed past the second curtain, into the biting air. It brought her up short as it stung her – she'd forgotten how cold it had been – or perhaps she'd told herself that it wasn't as cold as she recalled from the day before.
She couldn't let the mere chill stop her. In fact, it was almost agreeable after being closed in for so long.
She moved about to keep herself warm, following a path that had been packed into the snow, glad to be doing something physical. Better, much better. She agilely moved over the white, appreciating the sensation of movement. Maybe this world wasn't so bad, she decided. A winter wonderland could be inviting in the right circumstances.
She passed another doorway and cocked her head, wondering what was beyond that series of curtains. Another community? A storage area? Perhaps it was where they kept their damaged snow-skids? Maybe one might be usable. She had stepped toward the curtained doorway, but stopped when she heard a noise.
It was a strange sound. It didn't strike her as something to be wary of. She gauged the situation, but let her curiosity win out and continued forward. The noise was soft – a grunting, muffled. She pressed her hand to the curtain and said softly, "I do not mean to disturb you. I am Teyla. Would it be agreeable if I enter?" And the noise stopped. Interesting.
"I will enter," she declared. She pressed back the first curtain and was assaulted by a scent – different from the smell of the living quarters – quite different. This smell had an animal quality to it. She wrinkled her nose, and cautiously stepped forward. "I mean you no harm," she said, her voice calm and light. Her ears remained pricked for any sound of danger. Animals, she knew, could be easily calmed with the right tone – and obviously pets or livestock of some sort were kept within.
She pressed open the second curtain and found a room dimly lit from a window. There were stalls along the walls of the crude room. The smell became more oppressive and she narrowed her eyes. There were quiet squeaking whimpers, and something made a low growl. Her gaze sought the source, and, in the dimness, she found an animal, white and fluffy, curled up on one side. Tiny white, fluffy creatures nursed as the bigger animal looked up at her and growled again, then submissively thumped her tail against the ground. Nervously, it licked its lips.
A dog – she remembered the word the Atlanteans used to describe this sort of animal. She'd seen the depictions in the tapestries, and realized that she'd discovered the Ekukian's kennel.
The pups looked up at her with curious blue eyes. Some of the braver ones lifted onto their stubby feet and waddled closer to her. The greedier pups continued to suckle.
She knew better than to disturb a nursing mother. "I mean you no harm," she repeated softly as she backed to the door. "You are a good mother," she cooed, not turning her back on the creature that continued to growl softly, then thump her tail. "I will leave you now."
She was almost to the door when the growl changed to a gibbering laugh. She froze, her hand clutching the curtain, as she remembered – as she remembered it all so clearly.
No…
She stared at the creature, seeing those familiar blue eyes. Then, almost without thinking, she backed through the first door, and then the other – and once outside – took off at a run, knowing where she had to go.
TBC
A/N: Go Teyla! Go! You know, I have mention this before, but it bares repeating. I have a serious problem creating aliens. Somehow they always end up as weirdo jerk freaks. I'm sorry about that.