Disclaimer etc. in first chapter.
Author's Note: Hmm... it occurs to me I have nothing to say here...
They began their search for answers in the empty houses of the village and when that proved fruitless soon moved into the surrounding forest.
The silence was eerie. All the underlying sounds John had come to associate with nature were missing. There were no chirping birds, no buzzing insects, only the soft rustle of the breeze stirring in the leaves of the trees. The quiet concerned him more than any sounds could have, and his kept his eyes on the trees.
Ahead of him ranged his team. He'd had Ronon take point, knowing that the newest resident of Atlantis was the best tracker. Rodney followed Ronon nervously, one hand on his sidearm. He occasionally opened his mouth as if to make some comment, but was quickly silenced by a look from Teyla or Lorne, who were just ahead of John, flanking Elizabeth.
Elizabeth herself looked a bit nervous. John had tried to give her a gun, but she had refused, and so she was armed only with a knife borrowed from Teyla. John could tell from the way she held it that she knew how to use it, although he suspected it had been several years since she'd had any practice. He tucked that knowledge away in the back of his mind, thinking he might ask her about it later but knowing he never would, and that if he did, she wouldn't answer.
John turned his gaze back to woods around him, alert for any sign of human passage not made by his own team, waiting to hear a sound, any sound. If they didn't find some clue that the villagers had come this way soon, they would have to head back to Atlantis.
He was just about to call a halt when Ronon spoke up. "Over here," he said, drawing their attention to an area to their left. He pointed to some bent branches and broken undergrowth.
The group proceeded even more cautiously now, following the path of trampled greenery through an increasingly sparse forest, until they came upon what appeared to be entrance to a cave system.
"The tracks go in here," Teyla observed.
"All right," John said. "Lorne, Ronon and Elizabeth will stay out here. Rodney, Teyla, we're going in there.
Elizabeth seated herself on a nearby rock – or was it a root? She couldn't tell – and watched the two men left to guard her. She was slightly irritated that John seemed to think she needed so much protection. It wasn't like she hadn't been offworld before – hell, she'd gone alone to the Genii and negotiated for their help while blindfolded and tied up! And while the situation here on Palim was certainly eerie, there had been no indication that dangerous animals or humans were about to attack them. She would have been fine with just Major Lorne.
Plus, she was just as curious as the rest of them, and she wanted to see what was in that cave.
She contemplated simply ignoring John's orders and going into the cave anyway, but she knew he'd be upset if she did, and she had given her word to follow his direction in a military situation.
Lorne stood a few feet to her left, close enough, she noticed, that he could easily get to her in case of trouble, but not so close as to crowd her. She appreciated that; Lorne seemed to have an almost instinctual knowledge of how to work with her. Despite that, she found herself wishing that it were John out here with her. As much as she enjoyed Lorne's company he wasn't as easy to talk to as her military commander was.
Elizabeth shifted her gaze to her other companion. Ronon was pacing the tree line, looking for any other signs of life. While the former runner had opened up a fair amount during his stay on Atlantis, Elizabeth still wasn't entirely comfortable around him. She knew he respected John and admired Teyla, but she wondered sometimes how he felt about her.
As she watched him, he suddenly arrowed in on another set of tracks. "Looks like some of them went this way," he said.
Elizabeth moved to join him. "So it does," she replied. Then, deciding she was tired of playing the helpless female, because, damn it, she was the leader of this entire expedition, she added, "We should follow them."
She immediately suited action to words, and moved forward into the trees, knowing Ronon and Lorne would follow. There was no reason she couldn't be aiding in this mission, and why she shouldn't be safe. John had told her there were no large predators on this planet, and she trusted Ronon and Lorne to protect her from any human threats.
Behind her she heard Lorne's muttered "Shit," followed by the sound of him radioing John to tell the other man that they were leaving. She felt something large brush by her, and then Ronon was in the lead again, following the trail. Yes, this was much better than doing nothing.
Inside the cave, John echoed Lorne's expletive as the Major finished reporting. "Damn it, Elizabeth," he muttered, before telling Lorne he'd better stick to her like glue, "or else." Turning to Teyla and Rodney, he said, "Looks like we're on our own down here; no watch at the entrance anymore. Teyla, you watch our six."
They continued forward through the cave, noticing that the walls were so covered in vines and roots as to obscure the rock beneath. "There are no turnoffs," Rodney observed. "That's weird, isn't it?" He turned to Teyla, and when she didn't reply he looked to John. "Isn't it?" he repeated.
"I don't know, McKay, you're the budding geologist. Look, I think it ends just ahead."
The cave did end, in another root smothered wall. "Something is definitely not right," Rodney said. "This passage is too straight, too geometrical. It's like nothing I've ever heard about."
John refrained from pointing out that Rodney had only been working with the geologists for a little over a week. The physicist was right – something was definitely off with this cave. The feeling intensified when Rodney stepped on something and let out a little shriek. He leapt back and the three of them leaned in to see what he had stepped on.
They were staring in horrified silence at the skeletal hand that was reaching between two of the roots on the wall when Elizabeth's voice came over the radio. "John? We've found some of the villagers."
Greatly disturbed, John toggled his radio. "Yeah, well, we found something here, too..."
Ronon was staring in concern at the man in front of him. He recognized Alarad, the leader of the Palimin villagers, but the other man showed no sign that he knew Ronon.
"You're saying that you don't remember meeting Ronon at all?" Lorne asked.
"No," Alarad said again, sounding a little irritated. "As I said when you first came upon us, we have been on a hunting trip the last few days, and have met no one."
"You don't remember setting up a feast in front of the gate?" Ronon said suspiciously. "You don't remember agreeing to trade us food for medical supplies and training?"
Alarad shook his head. "I have never seen you before in my life. And why would we trade with you? We have all we need."
"Are there others among your people who might remember?" Elizabeth put in, noticing that the group in front of them numbered far less than the group John had described in his briefing.
At that, Alarad shot her a look of surprise. "Others of our people? This is all our people. We are a small community, but we hope to grow soon," and with that he turned a fond look to a young woman at the back of the group, her body rounded with pregnancy.
Ronon looked shaken. "All? There were more of you yesterday. Where is Kalin?" he asked, looking for Alarad's sister, who had run the tavern when they first came to the planet.
Alarad's expression was a mixture of confusion and concern. "I do not know any Kalin. Why is it you refuse to believe me? I... we do not know you!"
Leaving Lorne and Ronon to deal with the villagers for a moment, Elizabeth moved to one side and tapped her radio. "John? We've found some of the villagers."
She really didn't like his tone when he came back saying they'd found something too. There was a moment of silence, and she suspected he was conferring with Rodney and Teyla, and then he was back. "Elizabeth? We're going to come to you, and I hope these guys have some answers for us."
Elizabeth couldn't help but think that John was going to be disappointed.