Teyla sat in the co-pilot seat, staring out the windscreen as the ocean passed below them. It had been an exhausting two days between the ceremony at the pyre and sorting through the items in Charin's tent. But her task was not yet complete. There was still one thing left for her to do. One last promise to keep.
"Control, this is Sheppard," John said as the city came into view.
"Go ahead, Colonel," Chuck replied.
"We're five minutes out. Requesting permission to land in the jumper bay," Colonel Sheppard replied.
Teyla listened with half an ear as John spoke to the control room technicians. Instead, she adjusted her hold on the funeral urn and watched as the city grew larger in front of her.
Colonel Sheppard's reaction to her announcement that she intended to return to Athos had been as she expected.
"You know what you're asking?" Sheppard said as he circled the village and headed out over the water.
"I do," Teyla replied. "However, I made Charin a promise long ago that I would do everything in my power to return her ashes to the Hallow."
"Hallow?"
"It is where our ancestors buried their dead for generations," Teyla replied.
"So before the Wraith, I take it."
"Yes," Teyla said. "Once the cullings began, the Hallow was abandoned when my people chose a nomadic existence to survive." She clutched the urn in her arms. "The Hallow was almost forgotten except in a few stories told by the elders of my people."
John glanced at Teyla, then focused on the heads up display on the windscreen.
"This is important to me," Teyla said after a few seconds of silence.
"I get that," Sheppard replied. "But you've said yourself that the planet isn't safe."
Teyla frowned and stared out the windscreen at the waves curling into foam below them. She knew John was right, but she needed to do this.
"The trip would not take long," she said. "I can go back to Athos, take Charin's ashes to the Hallow, and return within a day. Two at most. I believe any risk would be minimal."
She glanced over at Sheppard and found him watching her. "We're going to need to talk to Weir," John said as the city came into view in the distance.
"Control, please let Doctor Weir know we need to speak with her once we land," John said over the radio.
"Colonel?" Doctor Weir asked a few seconds later. "Is there a problem?"
Sheppard glanced at Teyla, then said, "Not a problem, no. Teyla needs to discuss something with you."
"I see. In that case, I will meet her in my office."
"Roger that," John replied. He hovered the jumper over the control tower as the sunroof opened. The shuttle landed a few minutes later, and he powered down the systems.
"Ready?" he asked as he followed her out of the ship. Teyla nodded, and John led the way out of the bay. "Let's go see what she says."
"Thank you," Teyla said as they climbed down the stairs from the bay to the control room.
"Don't thank me yet," John said. "She hasn't said 'yes' yet."
"Teyla, Colonel, come in," Doctor Weir said and waved them into her office.
Weir glanced at the urn in Teyla's hands as she and John sat in the chairs in front of the desk. "Colonel Sheppard said you had something you wished to discuss?" she asked with another glance at the urn.
"Yes, Doctor Weir," Teyla replied. She took a deep breath and set the urn on the end of Weir's desk. "I wish to return to Athos with Charin's ashes." Weir shook her head, but before she could say anything, Teyla continued. "I am aware of the risks, and I am willing to make the trip alone -"
"Whoa, hang on a second," Sheppard said and held up a hand. "No one said anything about you going alone. If you're going, I'm going with you. Ronon and McKay will come too, I'm sure."
"Colonel, that is not necessary," Teyla replied even as she felt a swell of gratitude at Sheppard's words. "The fact you were all at the pyre ceremony was more than enough. As you said, such a trip could be dangerous. I cannot ask you -"
"You didn't ask," John said. "We're volunteering."
Teyla saw the determination in Sheppard's expression and nodded.
"There isn't a place on the mainland where you could start a new tradition?" Doctor Weir asked.
"I made a promise," Teyla replied, her expression firm. "I wish to keep it."
Doctor Weir pursed her lips and looked down at her desk as she twisted a computer stylus through her fingers.
Teyla suspected Weir was about to deny her request when Sheppard spoke.
"There's another reason why going back to Athos could be a good idea," he said.
"Oh?" Weir asked and looked up with a raised eyebrow.
"We never did get a chance to check out that city we saw the first time we were there," John replied. "Now might be a good time to do that."
Teyla shook her head. "Colonel, if you truly are concerned the Wraith may return to Athos, it may be best to stay away from the city."
John twisted around in his chair. "You told Colonel Sumner you weren't convinced visiting the city brought the Wraith."
"I said it was a theory we had not tested for a long time," Teyla replied with a tiny smile.
"Still, it might be worth the risk," John said.
"How is this city connected to the Wraith?" Weir asked.
"We are not certain," Teyla explained. "The city was built by the Ancestors thousands of years ago. My people tell stories of living in the city before the Wraith came and culled most of the population."
"So, it's possible there might be a ZPM or other technology we could use," John said with a glance at Weir.
"It is possible. However, most of the city is little more than ruins."
Doctor Weir set down the stylus in her hand. "If this city is even half the size of Atlantis, it would be impossible to search the entire area quickly."
"There are a few buildings near the center of the city which are still intact." Teyla glanced down at the stargate. "Or at least they were still intact before the last culling. If you wish to take the risk, it should not take more than a few days to search for any surviving technology."
Doctor Weir studied her for a moment, then glanced at Sheppard.
"We're willing to take the chance," John said.
Weir blew out a breath and nodded. "All right. You have a go for a mission to Athos."
"Thank you, Doctor Weir," Teyla said and picked up the urn.
"Two days," Weir said to Sheppard. "That should give you enough time for Teyla to fulfil her promise and do an initial survey of the city. After that, we can decide what to do next."
"I'll find Rodney and Ronon," John replied and stood. "We should be ready to go in a couple of hours."
Sheppard led the way out of the office, and once they were in the hallway outside the control room, Teyla said, "Thank you, John. I am grateful for your support."
"I know you just lost someone important to you." John glanced at the urn. "But, umm." John crossed his arms over his chest. "You still have people who … care about you."
Teyla smiled and nodded as the lump rose in her throat again.
The silence grew between them until John scrubbed a hand over his chin, stepped back, and turned down a different hallway. "So, I'll go find the others and meet you in the jumper bay."
Teyla nodded and watched as Sheppard walked down the hall toward the armoury. "Sheppard to McKay," he said a moment later as he turned the corner.
Teyla walked back to her quarters and, after a quick shower, found a pair of leggings and an Athosian shirt to wear instead of her usual Earth-centric uniform. For the burial, she would be Teyla Emmagan, leader of the Athosians, and Charin's granddaughter.
She found a rucksack in the back of her closet, a purple cloth in a drawer, two small bowls from the shelf next to the door, and several candles from the shelf over her bed and added them to the pack. She slung the backpack over her shoulder, picked up the urn, and left her quarters.
She was near the transporter when she saw Corporal Webber coming toward her. She expected him to perhaps nod a greeting as he walked past, but instead, he stopped. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Teyla," he said.
Teyla nodded and kept walking, a bit surprised by Webber's comment but grateful for the sympathetic words from one of her students. As she walked back to the jumper bay, several other people offered condolences or respectfully stepped aside when they saw her, and Teyla felt overwhelmed by their show of support.
"You must find a balance between your two lives."
Charin's advice floated across her mind as Teyla exited the transporter and walked toward the jumper bay. Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Weir had accepted her need to return to Athos. Halling had been concerned when he heard of Teyla's plan to return to their home planet, however, in the end, he had supported her decision. Perhaps this was a sign that she was finally at the point where her two worlds could coexist.
"Thank you, Charin," she whispered to the urn as the door to the jumper bay opened.
"We're going where?" Rodney exclaimed as Teyla entered the jumper. "In case you forgot, I was in the middle of some important research."
"This is important, too, Rodney," Sheppard replied and glanced at Teyla as she entered the cockpit.
Rodney twisted around in the co-pilot's seat and gave the urn in Teyla's arms a startled look as she sat in the chair behind Rodney's.
"Oh. Umm, fine," Rodney mumbled and focused on the panel in front of him.
"Control, this is Jumper One," Sheppard said over the radio. "We're ready to go."
"Roger that, Jumper One," Chuck replied. "You are clear to dial the 'gate for Athos."
Sheppard nodded at Rodney, who then dialled the address for Athos.
The shuttle lifted off, and Teyla felt a shiver down her spine as they dropped down into the gateroom. She never expected to return to Athos so soon, and certainly not for the reason of burying Charin.
"Good luck," Doctor Weir said over the radio.
"We'll be back in a couple of days," John replied, and the jumper launched through the 'gate.
"You okay?" Ronon asked as the ship gained altitude once they were through the 'gate.
Teyla gave him a tight smile and nodded. "It is strange returning here after everything that has happened in the last year and a half," she replied, staring out the windscreen at the forest below.
"Anything?" John murmured at Rodney.
Rodney glanced at the head's up display and shook his head. "Nothing. Only scattered life signs and all of those are miles away from the village. No energy signatures, either," he added.
John nodded as the jumper skimmed over the forest. He landed the shuttle near the ruins of the tent village a few minutes later. "Stay alert, just in case," he said as he powered down the shuttle and lowered the rear hatch.
Ronon led the way out of the jumper with his particle weapon raised and scanned the area. "Looks clear," he said with a glance back at Teyla.
Teyla followed him down the ramp and walked over to what remained of the village and her childhood home. She had been in the forest with Sheppard when the Wraith had attacked the village. She remembered running back toward the village and the whine of the dart behind her just before the culling beam had swept her up. She hadn't been back to the planet since that night.
It had been Charin who had salvaged the few items she still possessed. Thanks to Colonel Sumner and his men, her people still in the village had had a few precious seconds to grab whatever they could and race for the questionable safety of the forest.
"Ronon and I are going to take a look around. Make sure there aren't any surprises," Sheppard said. "We shouldn't be long."
Teyla nodded, paying only scant attention to what John said as she stared at the level of destruction in front of her.
"Hey," Sheppard said, tapping her arm. "You going to be okay?"
"Yes, Colonel," Teyla said with a tiny smile. "It is merely a lot to take in."
She picked up a rag doll lying on the ground. "I never saw the damage caused by the Wraith after their last culling," she added and held up the doll for Sheppard to see. "This belonged to Isla's daughter, Idun." She brushed the doll's hair away from the stitched face. "She was only six years old when she and her father were taken in a culling a few months before you arrived in the village."
"I'm sorry," John said.
Teyla held the doll in her arms and looked around the rest of the village. "There was no time for my people to save much of their possessions. There may be other items still here that hold meaning for my people. I would like to take them back with us."
Sheppard nodded. "I think we can make that happen. I'll get Rodney to help you carry anything you find. Pack up anything you think your people will want and take it back to the jumper."
"Thank you, Colonel."
John nodded and turned to Rodney. "Teyla needs help packing up some things to take back to the Athosians. Give her a hand. Ronon and I will be back in a few minutes."
Rodney looked up from the scanner in his hand. "What?" He glanced from Sheppard to Teyla. "Oh, umm, right. Sure."
"Ronon," Sheppard said and pointed to the nearby trees.
Teyla waited until Sheppard and Ronon disappeared, then walked past the large meeting tent, now little more than tattered hide and a few scattered support poles and stopped outside one of the smaller tents. She ducked under the flap and turned in a slow circle.
The tent had belonged to Isla and her family, Teyla realised as she wandered over to a chest at the end of the bed and opened it. The chest held a few shirts and a fur-lined cape. Teyla moved the clothing and found a leather pouch tucked at the bottom of the chest. She picked up the pouch and found the silver bracelets Julen had given Isla on their wedding day inside. She dropped the bracelets back into the pouch and walked out of the tent carrying the pouch and the cape.
She looked around the other tents and saw Rodney standing in what remained of the meeting tent. He was holding something, and she walked over to him, curious to know what he had found.
"Rodney?"
Rodney looked over at her, and Teyla saw a familiar book in his hand.
"I have no idea if this is important or not," Rodney said, holding out the book. "The writing isn't Ancient."
Teyla glanced at the book with a wistful smile. The book wasn't very big, about the size of Rodney's hand and perhaps a few inches thick. The sturdy outer cover had protected all but the first few of the pages from the weather. She opened the book to a random page and felt a painful stab in her gut as she glanced at the long columns of indecipherable symbols.
"It is one of the few remaining texts written by my ancestors when they lived in the city," she said. "Halling will be pleased you found it."
She handed Rodney the book and wandered around the rest of the tent, hoping he wouldn't ask the inevitable question. She knelt and sifted through a pile of broken dishes and torn cushions and made the mistake of glancing back at him. Rodney stood with the book in his hand, watching her, and Teyla felt her spine tense when he started to speak.
"Do you know …" He started to say and stopped. He studied her for a moment, then shook his head and set the book on a handy chair. "Never mind," he muttered and looked around the tent. "What else do you want to take back with us?"
Teyla blew out a silent breath of relief and stood. "There is little else of importance here," she replied and dropped the tattered cushion in her hand. "We should check the other tents."
By the time Sheppard and Ronon returned ten minutes later, a small pile of items lay out on the ground near the meeting tent, including clothes, toys, jewellery, and a few pieces of furniture passed down from one generation to the next.
"We're clear," Sheppard said as Teyla walked out of another tent.
"I think I told you that before," Rodney said as he followed Teyla out of the tent, carrying a carved cradle in his arms. He set the cradle down near the rest of the items they had salvaged, then stood and stretched his back. "I think you just wanted to get out of playing mover and left me to do the heavy lifting."
Ronon snorted, picked up the cradle in one hand, and carried it back to the jumper.
John ignored Rodney and turned to Teyla. "Whenever you're ready, we can go find your hallow."
Teyla nodded and laid the quilts she carried on a low round table. "There is only one other tent to check," she said. "It should not take more than a few minutes."
"No rush," John replied as Ronon walked back over to the pile of items.
"No, no rush at all," Rodney agreed. He sat down on one of the thick tent poles lying nearby and pulled out his canteen. He swallowed a few sips of water, capped the canteen, and rested his arms on his knees and his head on his arms.
"We'll take care of this," Sheppard said, and Ronon pulled Rodney to his feet.
"Hey!" Rodney protested, pulling his arm out of Ronon's grip.
"Come on," Ronon said. "Jumper isn't going to load itself."
Rodney grumbled something under his breath as Ronon handed him the pile of quilts and picked up the table.
"Take your time," John said to Teyla. He picked up a small chest and followed Ronon and Rodney back to the jumper.
Teyla nodded, took a deep breath, and turned toward the tent near the edge of the clearing. She was surprised but pleased it was one of the tents still in relatively good shape.
Probably because it was closer to the trees, Teyla thought to herself as she ducked under the flap.
She straightened and froze when she saw the bow hanging from a peg embedded in one of the rear support poles of the tent.
"I'm so sorry, Teyla," Charin said, holding Teyla's hands in hers. "The man with the dark hair and his friends were telling us we had to run. He kept saying the Wraith were coming, and we had to get to the Portal. There was no time. I grabbed the few things I could," she looked around at the sparsely decorated room, "but there was no time to save your father's bow."
Teyla felt a pang in her chest. Her grandfather had carved the bow and had given it to her father when he was just a boy. Her father had promised he would give the bow to her and that she would pass it on to her children one day. After the Wraith had culled her father, the bow was one of the few things Teyla had to remember him by.
Charin squeezed Teyla's fingers. "I am so sorry," she whispered.
Teyla swallowed the pang of hurt and gave Charin a tight smile. She touched her forehead to Charin's and said, "The bow is a loss, but I am much happier knowing that you are here with me and that we are now safe from the Wraith."
Teyla reached out and pulled the bow off its peg. She ran her hand along the curve of the limbs remembering Torren telling her more than once how his father had made the bow.
"Nice bow," Ronon said from behind her.
Teyla turned and found Ronon standing near the tent flap.
"It is an old friend," she said and held the bow out to him. "It once belonged to my father."
Ronon took the bow and examined it, then pulled back the string and sighted along the limb. "Good balance," he added. He relaxed the string and nodded to the image of a deer carved into the grip. "Your father made this?"
"My grandfather," Teyla replied. "I never knew him, but my father told me many of the people we traded with sought him out to make various weapons."
"I can see why," Ronon said and handed back the bow.
Teyla took the bow and looked around the rest of the tent. She opened a chest against the tent's back wall and found the usual assortment of clothes inside. She also found a small ring. It was a simple gold ring with a pair of oak leaves worked into the soft metal and had been a gift to Charin from her husband on their anniversary. Teyla put down the bow, and after a brief hesitation, she tried the ring on, smiling when it fit her pinky finger.
She picked up the bow and turned in a slow circle, letting the memories wash over her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes a moment later and nodded toward the front of the tent.
"We should go," she said to Ronon. "The Hallow is some distance from the village, and we need to reach it before dark."
They walked back through the remains of the village and found Colonel Sheppard near the jumper, dividing his time between watching the surrounding trees and Rodney. Rodney stood a few steps away, facing the Ancestor's city in the distance, studying the scanner. He looked up from the scanner, staring at the city for a moment, then glanced at Sheppard.
"I'm not getting anything," Rodney said and tapped the screen. "No energy readings. No chemical signatures, nothing." He dropped the hand holding the scanner and stared at the crumbling city. "You sure there's something there to find?"
John shrugged. "Sumner thought so."
Rodney snorted at the mention of Sumner's name.
"Maybe we'll find another archive like Mendar," John said. "There weren't any energy readings then, either." He nodded as Teyla walked over and stood next to him.
"Maybe," Rodney replied. He glanced at Teyla and stuffed the scanner in one of his vest pockets. "If that's the case, we should have brought one of the portable generators with us."
"We'll figure something out," Sheppard said to Rodney and nodded at the bow in Teyla's hand. "Nice bow."
"Thank you, Colonel," Teyla replied, running her thumb over the carved image of the deer in the grip. "I believe we have done all we can here. I am ready to leave for the Hallow."
"All right," John said and turned toward the jumper. "It shouldn't take that long to fly -" Teyla shook her head, and John stopped speaking.
"No, it is better if we walk," she said.
"I thought you said this hallow was one big clearing," Rodney argued.
"It is also a burial site," Teyla reminded him.
Rodney looked as if he wanted to continue the argument, but Sheppard held up a hand. "Okay, we walk."
Teyla nodded and stepped toward the jumper. "I will only be a moment."
She entered the jumper and found all of the items from the village carefully stacked on the benches or tucked into the space between the bulkhead and the cockpit. She set the bow inside the cradle then walked into the cockpit, where she picked up the rucksack and the funeral urn.
She stepped off the ramp, slung the rucksack over her shoulder, and adjusted her hold on the urn.
"Want some help?" Ronon asked as Teyla turned toward the woods to her left.
Teyla shook her head. "I am fine, thank you," she replied and led the way through the trees.
Teyla breathed in the scent of the flowers and was surprised at the sense of calm she felt walking through the forest. The smells, the sounds, it was all so familiar, so comforting. She bent and picked one of the pink flowers growing in the long grass. She sniffed the flower and smiled to herself. As much as she loved Atlantis and the mainland, Athos would always be home.
She tucked the flower inside the urn and continued walking.
"I thought you said this hallow was close to the village," Rodney said twenty minutes later. "How much farther do we need to go?"
"McKay," John hissed.
Teyla glanced behind her. "It is not much farther," she replied, pushing aside a tree branch.
Five minutes later, she led the way out of the trees and into the Hallow.
"This … This is not what I was expecting," John said. He stood at the edge of the tree line with Ronon and Rodney beside him.
Teyla glanced over at him and then out at the wide meadow in front of her.
Maple and oak trees surrounded the meadow, providing shade. A tall, thick obelisk of dull grey stone stood in the center of the field and smaller stones, each roughly eighteen inches tall, dotted the rest of the area.
"I'm surprised the Wraith haven't destroyed everything," Sheppard said as he walked a few steps into the meadow.
"There would be no reason for them to come here," Teyla replied. "The Hallow is open ground, there is no place for people to hide, and it is some distance from the village."
Rodney muttered something under his breath, and Teyla saw Ronon elbow McKay in the side. Rodney, in turn, glared at Ronon, then took a few steps into the meadow, knelt beside one of the smaller markers, and pulled the scanner out of his vest pocket.
"Huh," he said and stood. "The stone appears to be some sort of volcanic rock." He turned in a slow circle. "But I don't see anything like a volcano around here."
"There is an outcrop of the same stone on the other side of the Hallow," Teyla said. She felt the lump forming in her throat and swallowed.
You are doing this for Charin, she reminded herself. She took a deep breath and forced down her grief as she stepped into the clearing.
"Did you have any particular spot in mind?" John asked as he followed her.
Teyla shook her head and looked around the Hallow. "Perhaps -"
"Wait!" Rodney said and walked out farther out into the meadow. He stopped in front of another of the small stones, pointed at another, and mumbled under his breath. He walked several steps farther into the Hallow and repeated the same pattern.
"McKay," Sheppard said. "Let Teyla pick -"
"Don't you see it?" Rodney interrupted and spun around in a circle. He hurried over to another of the markers and nodded to himself.
"See what?" Ronon growled. "It's a field with a bunch of stones."
"There's a pattern," Rodney replied, and Teyla saw the mix of impatience and awe in his expression. "Just give me a second."
He stood in an open area, looking from the tall obelisk to the edge of the clearing.
"Circles," he said a moment later and glanced from John to Teyla. "These aren't just random burials. The markers are in a series of concentric circles starting in the center," he pointed to the obelisk, "and moving out in larger and larger circles."
"Like ripples on a lake?" John asked.
Rodney made a face even as he nodded. "Something like that, yes. But none of the stones is in a direct line with another. Each of these smaller markers has an unobstructed line of sight to the obelisk in the middle of the field, hallow, whatever."
"So, where are we supposed to dig?" Ronon asked.
Sheppard glanced at Teyla, who shook her head. "Charin never said anything about the symbolism of the Hallow. Only that it was a sacred place for the dead."
John pursed his lips. "Okay," he drawled. "Rodney? Any ideas?"
"Umm …" Rodney studied the clearing again and pointed. "Over there. I think that's where the most recent markers, relatively speaking, are set," he finished and started walking.
John shook his head but followed as Rodney led the way around the edge of the clearing. Rodney stopped every few steps, glanced from the obelisk to the nearest marker, and then kept walking.
"You sure you know where you're going?" Ronon asked a few minutes later.
"Yes, umm, yes," Rodney replied and stopped again. He studied the obelisk twenty feet in front of them for a few seconds, then took a few more steps and pointed to the ground. "Here," he said and pointed to an open area half the distance from the obelisk to the edge of the meadow. "This is where the next burial should go," he said and glanced from Sheppard to Teyla.
John unclipped his backpack and pulled a small shovel from inside the pack. Ronon took the shovel, knelt and dug up the grass in the spot Rodney indicated, then started digging a deeper hole for the urn.
"Where do you think you're going?" John asked as Rodney walked to the edge of the clearing with the scanner in his hand.
"I'll be right back," Rodney replied and walked into the trees.
Ronon looked up from the hole and glanced first at Rodney's retreating back and then at Sheppard. "You want me to go after him?"
John shook his head. "I think I know what he's doing. If he's not back soon, we'll go after him."
Ronon shrugged and kept digging.
"I believe that is deep enough," Teyla said several minutes later.
Ronon looked up at her and nodded. He flattened the bottom of the hole with the back of the shovel, climbed to his feet, and stood next to John a few paces away.
Teyla knelt in front of the hole, carefully set the urn inside, then, using her hands, covered the urn with dirt. Tears ran down her cheeks as she patted the dirt into place, then brushed her hands on her trousers. She opened the rucksack, laid the purple cloth over the freshly covered hole, lined the candles in a row along the cloth's top edge, and set the two bowls on the fabric.
She lit the candles, then poured water from her canteen into one of the bowls, added a few pieces of dried fruit to the other, and whispered, "Luck on your journey, my chaguo bibi."
Branches snapped in the trees to her left, and Teyla jumped to her feet, wiping the tears from her eyes as she looked for threats.
Rodney walked back into the meadow a few seconds later, carrying a chunk of dark stone in his arms. He set the stone on the ground next to the candles and gave Teyla a crooked smile.
"For the …" Rodney waved his hand at one of the nearby markers.
"What did you do to your hands?" John asked.
Teyla glanced at Rodney's hands and saw several shallow cuts along his palms.
"Oh, umm, the stone didn't want to break apart as easily as I hoped," he replied and flexed his fingers. "I, umm, had to break off several pieces before I had one that was the correct shape."
John shook his head and passed over an antiseptic wipe. "Here."
Rodney took the wipe with a nod of thanks and cleaned the cuts on his hands.
Ronon dug a second hole for the marker stone, and John helped Teyla set it into place. Ronon packed the dirt around the marker and stepped back.
"Thank you," Teyla said, wiping fresh tears from her eyes. She gave each of them a watery smile, then bent and blew out the candles.