A/N: Thanks again for reading my story. I hope you like it.

Ilovesg1: You have mentioned that a couple of times, and I'm really glad you're enjoying it. It's great to hear that. liketoread: This really is turning out quite a bit longer than I had planned, my original outline called for 10 chapters, but Rover just kept demanding more screen time. :)


Chapter 35 – Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Just as Jack and Sam started down the mountain to see if they could find some people, a thought occurred to Sam. "You said you left a sign for anyone looking for us, Jack?"

"Oh. Yeah, I did." Jack spun around to find what he was looking for and pointed. "I left a note in the crater area."

Sam couldn't help but smile at the simplicity. Right in the middle of what used to be the field surrounding the stargate, was: 'S + J' written out in what looked like rocks and branches.

"I figured if anyone came looking for us in particular, that would let them know we were still alive and should start scanning for us and our radios. The Goa'uld don't normally use our first names, or use english letters, so maybe they might not understand what it was if they saw it." He shrugged as he explained it and Sam just shook her head and started walking down the incline. He couldn't help teasing, "I resisted the urge to draw a heart around it, but we could go back and do that if you want."


The first day of their travels from the mountain was uneventful. They mainly walked in companionable silence. Jack took point to keep an eye out for 'lions and tigers and bears' with Rover bounding around between them. The creature was surprisingly quiet even with the exuberance he displayed while trotting along the ground with them, occasionally darting through some trees after some unseen prey. Late in the afternoon of the second day, Rover pounced onto Sam's back, pushing her into Jack, causing them both to fall to the ground. He then stood over them with his wings stretched out over them, looking around the forest in every direction.

Jack stifled a groan, realizing he must have sensed something and whispered, "What's up, buddy? Is something out there?"

The dragon nodded, while still looking around the trees in every direction, trying to pinpoint the flicker of intelligence he had detected. Jack slowly stood up, pulled the sleeping bag off his pack and started to unroll it. "Rover, I appreciate the protection, but, I really think you should be the one hiding at the moment. Come here." He walked over to some heavy brush. "Get under this."

At first Rover just shook his head, pushing Sam back to the ground under his wing when she started to get up as well. Jack just whispered more strongly. "Rover. Your mom warned you not to come this way for a reason. I'm not about to let you get hurt because I made you come with us. Now, get under here!"

The young dragon slowly crept over to the brush and got under it, curling up in a tight ball, much like a cat. Jack covered him with the cammo sleeping bag and then covered that with brush. "Now stay under there until either I tell you it's ok, or after you don't sense anyone anymore and you can safely get back to the cave without anyone seeing you."

By this time Sam had crawled over to the cover of a tree and had pulled out her binoculars and was scanning the area for signs of anything Rover might have sensed. Jack took up a position a short distance away where he could cover her as well as look around for anyone or anything.

After a few tense moments they heard a noise, almost like a faint, slow drum beat. It was a steady, low pitched thump, thump, thump that slowly started to get noticeably louder. Sam thought she recognized the sound, but was having trouble placing it. Then there was a screech. Long and terrifying, it caused even the hardened soldiers to feel their chests constrict with fear. If it had been closer, it would have been deafening, but thankfully, the creature was still some distance away. Immediately Sam recognized the drum beat as the sound of an adult dragon in flight. When Rover flew, his wings didn't make quite the same sound, yet.

"?"

Jack was closer to the young dragon and urgently whispered to him. "Rover, stay there! And DON'T think about ANYTHING! If there's another dragon out there, I don't want it sensing you."

"?"

"NOTHING! Blank your mind and don't worry about us, we'll be fine."

As the beat of the wings got steadily louder they heard another sound – that of an occasional shout. A few more moments and they saw a large shadow pass overhead. Then there was some crashing of branches and brush as three large men came running through the woods towards them. "This way! We've got the monster afraid of us now!"

As they came within a few feet of Jack, the lead man stopped and his companions came to a stop behind him, looking at the strangely clad man holding an unknown object pointed towards them as if it were a weapon. Each man was carrying a spear and very large crossbow with huge, nasty looking quarrels. Their imposing figures made Teal'c look small. They each wore brown leather pants, boots and vests, leaving their massive arms visible. Each of the three had scars on their faces, hands or arms. The arm of one of the men was almost completely covered in what Jack could only guess was scarring from an extensive burn. "Greetings." The lead man spoke with a deep rumble of a voice. He looked to the side and saw Sam several feet away, behind another tree holding the same type of object he did not recognize pointed towards him. "Fear not, we will save you from the beast."

Jack slowly stood, still holding his P-90 trained on the lead man. "You three are going to save us from that? Yeah sure, ya betcha." Somehow he couldn't picture it. Sure they were large and apparently brave enough, but if little Rover could take out 4 armed Jaffa, not to mention their ship, he kind of doubted the chances Moe, Larry and Curly had with a fully grown dragon.

Sam slowly stood as well, but stayed where she was, several feet away from them. "Why are you hunting it?"

The three immediately laughed. "Why?" The leader turned towards Jack, eyes glinting with a mocking glare. "I realize females cannot be smart, but does your woman not know anything?" He then turned towards Sam and using the tone of voice one might use with a child, he stated. "The monster is evil. It kills for sport and thinks nothing of devouring your livestock." He then turned back towards Jack and stood a little taller, evidently proud of himself. "We have made it our life's work to rid our world of these beasts. This one that we track is one of the last of its kind, due to our vigilance. You should be grateful, without us, your lives would be far more difficult."

Great, Sam thought, she really loved macho idiots. "Have you ever tried to get along with them? Maybe communicate with them?"

Another round of laughter at the ignorant female. Then there was a flash of shadow. "Get down!" The men all scrambled for cover, while Sam stood standing a moment too long, her anger slowing her reaction time slightly. It was, unfortunately, enough. A huge dragon swooped down through the trees and landed in front of her. It stood staring at her, its lips curled in a snarl while a deep growl emanated from its throat. Realizing if she moved now, she would instantly be fried, all Sam could do was stand and stare at the behemoth before her.