Anxiously Aria waited. Yet the longer she remained immobile, the more she didn't like this situation. Already the living shadow and her traveling companion, Ronon, had been on this hot and deathly silent planet for too long. At least one Wraith had followed her runner through the pool of light; it wouldn't be long before another one showed up. Still it was shortly after nightfall before 'Doc' finished what he was doing and the giant man passed out. If it hadn't been for how much time had passed since the operation started, Aria might have found Ronon falling to the ground as he passed out funny; especially since she of all people knew just how stubborn the poor soul could be.
Once the treat to his people had passed out the soldier packed up and rejoined the other strangers, but the ghost-like woman couldn't move. With eyes glued to the unconscious oaf, the air turned heavy and every muscle in her body suddenly refused to work. It wasn't until the mud covered patient ducked out the hidden back entrance to the cave that it finally dawned on the reclusive figure, she'd been holding her breath. Finally this nightmare was going to end. Aria broke cover heading straight for the nearest climbable tree. Just like a forest predator, she floated effortlessly from branch to branch barely making any noise as the luscious greenery danced in her wake.
For a split second, the woman with tented goggles had a blaster waved in her face as the hooded girl suddenly dropped behind Ronon. Cocking her hooded head to the side, Aria watched the big guy wavier on his feet. His eyes were glazed with pain, and for a moment there was no recognition in them as the ex-runner looked upon the mysterious shadow in the faint moonlight that penetrated the leaves overhead. Very slowly, she lowered her hood and removed the tented goggles revealing worry behind strange silver colored eyes. Just as carefully, Aria took a hesitant step forward, gently moving the gun so that it pointed towards the forest floor.
Suddenly Ronon buckled under his own weight, nearly taking his little buddy to the ground as she tried to catch him. Aria was dwarfed in comparison to the giant, forcing the stubborn idiot to lean heavily on the closest tree just to remain standing. He grunted in pain as the quiet woman tugged on his armor, and none to gentle either, checking the freshly made incision. Much to her surprise, it showed great skill. The strange sounding healer, the mysterious figure had to admit, sure knew what he was doing. "I'm fine," Ronon growled, pulling away from Aria's help. Snorting in disapproval, she narrowed her eyes and signed 'crazy fool'.
The giant ex-soldier was about to comment, when gunshots sounded in the distance. It appeared as if they were coming from somewhere near an un-sprung trap the two nomads had set earlier. "Come on."Ronon took a step towards the loud weapons sounding in the distance. Yet Aria was not as interested in heading in that direction. In fact, the living shadow pointed off in the opposite direction, drawing a circle in the air. "We can't go through the ring yet. I told you we have to find their friend first." Crossing her arms and pursing her lips, the mysterious figure didn't look convinced. However, it didn't look like she was going to be given much of a choice.
As the two hunters neared the clearing, the pine trees thinned out allowing the odd pair to see everything going on within. Spreading out they encircled two men, one was caught in the trap, hanging upside down by one of his legs, while the other one stood in front of him waving another one of the odd noisy weapons. The strangers appeared to be arguing about something Aria didn't care enough about to pay any attention too. No, once again her keen eyes were drawn to the ominous black iris of the angry man. In all her years of wandering, she'd never seen anything like it, and it was fascinating. There seemed to be no pupil to the eye, just a solid empty void that not even the moon's pale light reflected in.
It took great effort, but finally the girl with silvery blue irises was able to tear her eyes away long enough to decide to return to the safety of the tree branches overhead. Pulling up the hood of the fur cloak so that once again her face was obscured by darkness, Aria settled in and made herself comfortable amongst the leaves. She might have followed the stubborn fool here, but it didn't mean she had to interfere. Still, after everything the mysterious woman had overheard today hidden in the midst of these strangers, something didn't feel right. Perhaps it was their familiarity with the wingless, metal birds, or there noisy manor. However, if 'black eye' wasn't so clearly agitated, evident from his raised voice, tense jaw muscles, and the funny weapon pointed at his victim, the shadow in the trees might have found this situation to be a bit amusing. As it was, she was more worried the giant oaf might do something stupid.
Every second wasted sitting at the clearing made the freed runner's little companion nervous. However just when she was about to try talking some since into the stubborn warrior, Ronon signaled and broke cover. Shocked, all Aria could do was watch in horror; the crazy fool tackled the disfigured human. On impact the loud weapon went off and something struck the woman hiding in the tree. Pain suddenly shot through her shoulder, nearly knocking the unsuspecting victim off the tree branch. Despite the pain and blood dripping down her arm, there was an underlining feeling of something being lodged in the wound. Although none of that mattered as much as the battle between one of the strangers and the mud covered giant being waged in the clearing.
Tentatively the hidden woman tried to crawl forward to get a better look at the men rolling around on the moonlit ground, but the bite from her shoulder injury made that impossible. Helplessly all she could do was watch as the grappling match turned into a knife fight. Just when hooded shadow thought things couldn't get any worse, another stranger showed up and pointed his weapon at the man with the strange eye and Ronon. And just Aria's luck, it was the one called 'Sheppard'. He didn't seem interested in his former captor as the former hostage chased the other heavily armed man out of the clearing.
For a split second, Ronon was about to follow the two strangers when a birdcall echoed across the clearing stopping him in his tracks. Turning around he looked upon the poor man hanging upside down. "Hi! Doctor Rodney McKay. Could you, um, get me down, please?" Again Aria tested her injured arm, this time finding the pain bearable enough to make it to the captured bumbling moron and cut him down. While the very loud and nervous human was distracted, groaning and untangling himself, the silent observer dropped behind her very large friend. There was a since on urgency as fingerless gloves tugged on Ronon's arm, however he just pulled out of their grasp.
End Chapter 3
