Rodney stepped through the 'gate and stopped short as he gazed up. And up. He'd skimmed the reports by Stackhouse's team but reading about it didn't do the forest around them justice. He'd seen pictures of the sequoia trees in California cut with tunnels for cars to pass through them, but these trees may have even dwarfed those. Rodney estimated the trees towered one hundred and fifty meters into the clear sky and were at least ten meters in diameter.

For once, Rodney was speechless as he walked away from the 'gate.

"Impressive," Sheppard said as he walked around one of the immense trunks. "Stackhouse wasn't kidding."

Rodney pulled his attention back down to earth, or whatever the people of P9X-664 called their world. "Now I know why the botanists have been begging to come here," he said and brushed his hand over one of the thick trunks.

Ford snorted and walked over to the DHD. "The area seems clear, sir," he reported.

Rodney pursed his lips but said nothing. It had been evident since breakfast that Ford blamed him for everything that happened during the invasion. He rubbed his arm, caught Sheppard watching him, and pulled the scanner out of his vest pocket.

"There's, umm, there are several life signs in that direction," Rodney said, pointing toward the path leading away from the 'gate.

"According to Stackhouse's report, there's a village about five clicks east of here," Sheppard said. "Seems like a good place to start. Ford, you have point."

"Yes, sir," Ford acknowledged with stiff formality. He gripped his P-90, made a sharp about-face, and headed off down the path. Rodney half-expected him to salute.

What was that all about? Rodney wondered. He was used to an easy smile and maybe a nod at most from Ford before he carried out whatever Sheppard wanted. Why the sudden fall back on protocol? he wondered with a glance at John.

John gave Ford's back a hard stare, then shook his head. "Let's go," he said and motioned Rodney to follow Ford.

Rodney stuffed the scanner in his vest pocket and frowned as he followed Ford. There was a reason he'd spent most of his life trying to not have to deal with people. Emotions were messy at the best of times. And while he was getting better at figuring out those unspoken cues, he still wasn't sure what to do when the problem wasn't straightforward. Give him an engineering problem over an emotional one any day.

Ford glanced back at Rodney and set a fast pace through the forest.

Rodney kept up with Ford as best he could, shifting the weight of the pack on his back, grateful he only had to carry a sidearm and not the heavier rifle as well. Definitely blaming you, Rodney thought to himself as he jogged a few steps, trying to keep Ford's backpack in sight.

"He was anxious and upset with him at the time," Teyla said.

Rodney glanced back and saw Sheppard and Teyla lagging several steps behind him.

"Doctor Beckett refused to take off during the storm even though we knew you needed assistance."

"Beckett made the right call," Sheppard replied. "He's a doctor, not a pilot. He had no business trying to fly through a storm like that. I wouldn't have tried it, either."

"I agree, Major. However, Lieutenant Ford was frustrated with the delay. I am afraid his temper was still rather short with Doctor Beckett once we arrived in Atlantis. At the time, I assumed Aiden's attitude was a result of his concern for finding you and assisting with the Genii."

"And now?"

Rodney glanced back and saw Teyla twist her head. "He is still … angry," she replied with a sigh. "I am not sure why."

"I can make a few guesses," Sheppard replied, his tone flat.

Teyla nodded. "I have heard some of the same rumors," she replied. "Though I do not understand how Lieutenant Ford can believe them."

Rodney hurried forward a few paces, focused on the trail and Ford's backpack instead of the conversation he was sure he wasn't supposed to have overheard.

It took them about an hour to hike from the stargate to the village nestled in a small valley backed by mountains and more forest. A stream encircled the buildings from the left, separating the town from fields of what looked to Rodney to be some sort of wheat. The river then meandered to a large lake or sea in the distance to the right.

They crossed a wooden bridge over the stream and entered the village square. As he looked around, Rodney estimated the planet was at about the technological level of Europe in the 1700s. The buildings were made of brick or stone. The streets were paved with more stones instead of dirt. Several different stalls in a nearby street sold various wares, including cloth, fish, and wooden toys. A large stone fountain dominated the center of the square, and Rodney heard the tinkle and splash of the water as they entered the village center.

As they crossed the wooden bridge over the stream, villagers stopped and stared at them. Maybe he was a little hyper-conscious, but Rodney took a step back as more and more people stopped what they were doing and watched them.

"Hello," Teyla said with a smile. "We are explorers come to trade. Is there someone we could speak to?"

A tall, broad man stepped forward from the middle of the crowd. "I am Rowland, Master of this village."

"Rowland," John said as he stood next to Teyla. "My name is Sheppard. These others are Ford, Teyla, and McKay." John nodded to each of them in turn.

"Ahh, are you also from Atlantis?" Rowland asked as he studied each of them. "We met men from the great city during the last moon."

Sheppard smiled. "We are. We were told you might be interested in a trade."

"We are always interested in a good trade, Sheppard. Come with me. Let us see what sort of trade we can make."

John gave them a quick glance. "Rodney, you and Ford take a look around the town. Teyla, you come with me."

Sheppard and Teyla followed Rowland across the square to a large house.

Rodney watched them leave, then took out the Ancient scanner and set it looking for energy signatures. "The only energy signature is the 'gate," Rodney reported.

Ford grunted in reply and walked over to the fountain.

Rodney clenched his hand around the scanner and glared at Ford's back. This was neither the time nor the place to get into a fight, but he was getting tired of Ford's attitude.

"Something you want to say, Lieutenant?" Rodney asked.

Ford glared at him, then focused on the carts lined along the side of the square.

Rodney scowled and winced. The stranglehold he had on the scanner was making his arm ache. He relaxed his grip on the Ancient device and reset the scanner to search for geologic information. The scanner beeped a moment later, and Rodney wandered over to the fountain.

"Now that's interesting," he muttered and knelt next to the beige-colored stone fountain. "This is the same odd stone I found in those ruins near Laren's village."

Ford gave him a bored look. "So? What's so fascinating about that?"

Rodney glared up at him. "For one thing, it's not composed of anything we have on Earth. For another, Laren didn't know where the stone came from." Rodney set the scanner on the edge of the fountain and stood. "Maybe it comes from this planet." He shrugged out of his pack and hunted through the pockets, looking for a sample jar.

He found a jar and said, "Ford, I need to borrow your knife." When he didn't get a response, he looked up and found Ford on the other side of the square, looking at the various wares for sale on the carts. Rodney sighed and pawed through his pack again until he found something to take a scraping of the stone.

He capped the jar, stuffed it in his pack and, as a distraction from Ford's blatant attempt to ignore him, he wandered down a random street, looking for any more of the beige-colored stone. The village buildings were laid out in a grid radiating from the square near the bridge. The larger, more impressive buildings were close to the square, while the buildings farther away were smaller and dirtier.

Rodney didn't see many people as he walked. He assumed they were busy doing whatever it was people did in villages barely entering the industrial age. The few people he encountered did their best to ignore him and went about their business as quickly as possible.

The street he was on ended at the river, and he turned up another street passing what looked like a blacksmith's shop as well as a shop with several men planing wood planks. He followed the road across the village until it ended at the forest. A few paths led into the trees, but Rodney decided against further exploration.

"Sheppard to McKay. Rodney, where the hell are you?"

"Here. I'm here," Rodney responded, tapping his earpiece. "I was looking around the village like you said."

"I also said you were supposed to stay with Ford. Get back to the square. Sheppard out."

Rodney tapped off the radio, and with one last look at the towering trees, he headed back to the square. As he passed the blacksmith's again, he watched as three men rolled barrels with 'POWDER XXX' painted on the side into a warehouse across the street. He made a mental note to tell Sheppard about the barrels then continued back through the maze of alleys until he found the plaza with the fountain.

Teyla stood under a sign with a crude drawing of a beer mug and raised her hand when she saw him. Rodney waved back and made his way over to what he assumed was a pub based on the sign.

"Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford are inside," Teyla said as Rodney stopped next to her.

"How did the negotiations go?" Rodney asked as Teyla led him inside.

"Not very well, so far." Teyla shook her head. "Rowland is a shrewd man. He wants a high price for the seed."

Rodney peered around the dim room, lit only by the large fire and a few lamps. A boy stood to one side of the large fireplace, turning a meat spit. Several other villagers sat at tables scattered around the room, drinking and speaking in low voices. Two doors led out of the room, one behind the bar and a second opposite a large fireplace in the corner of the room.

A large man with a full beard stood behind a high wooden bar laughing at something one of the men seated at the bar had said. The bar ran the entire length of one wall, what Rodney estimated to be around five meters, and was intricately carved along its entire length.

"Probably only needed one of those trees," Rodney muttered as they walked past the bar.

"Over here," Teyla said and led Rodney through the maze of tables, chairs, and villagers to a table on the far side of the room.

"There you are," Sheppard said as Rodney sat next to him.

Teyla sat on the other side of the table with Ford and a woman who looked enough like the man behind the bar that Rodney thought they had to be related.

"Where were you?" John asked as Rodney squirmed out of his pack and set it on the floor at his feet.

"I told you, exploring the village. It's not that big, really."

"You should have stayed with Ford," John chided.

"I wasn't the one doing the ditching," Rodney replied cryptically with a glance at Ford as the bartender came over to their table.

"Welcome, friends," the bartender said in a deep voice and gave each of them a piercing look as he stood at the end of their table.

Rodney had a momentary flashback to grade school when Michael Howser, a boy several years older and many inches taller, decided to make Rodney his favorite punching bag. Michael had had that same predatory look in his eye.

"My name is Kelden." He pointed to the woman seated next to Teyla. "I see you've already met my sister, Freyan. Rowland says you are to have the best meal the house has to offer."

"That is very kind of him," Teyla said with a smile.

Kelden clapped his hands, and a pair of girls, aged around twelve, came through the door behind the bar carrying dishes of food as well as plates and utensils. The table was quickly laid, and Kelden returned with mugs of beer.

"Enjoy," Kelden said, shooing the girls back into the kitchen. "If you need anything, let Freyan know."

Rodney picked up his fork and poked at the food on his plate. He heard a muffled noise, glanced up, and saw Ford rolling his eyes before spearing several vegetables with his fork.

That's not getting old, he grumbled to himself and started eating.

He had to admit, the meal was good. Roasted meat, a variety of different root vegetables, even the bread, which he gave a suspicious look before tasting, were all better than what they were eating in Atlantis at the moment. He thought Sheppard would nix the idea of beer, but when Rodney raised an eyebrow in question, Sheppard nodded and picked up his mug.

"Stackhouse told me it was pretty good," John told him in a low voice as Teyla and Ford asked Freyan about the village.

"We are fortunate," Freyan replied to a question Teyla had asked. "The forest provides wood which our craftsmen make into furniture as well as trinkets and toys for trade. And of course, there is farming and raising of bovids." She nodded to the platter of meat on the table.

"What of the Wraith?" Teyla asked as she finished her mug of beer.

Freyan glanced down at her fingers twisting through the edges of the apron she wore. "We have been lucky. There hasn't been a culling here for three generations." She looked up at Teyla. "We have heard rumors from those who come to trade that the Wraith have awoken in great numbers."

"Sadly, they are correct," Teyla replied.

Freyan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with shaking fingers. "I should leave you to your meal." She stood from the table. "Please, enjoy," she added. She glanced at Sheppard, then hurried across the room and disappeared through the door behind the bar.

Rodney waited until Freyan was gone, then said, "Teyla says the negotiation isn't going well."

Sheppard snorted. "That's an understatement. What Rowland wants is out of the question."

"What does he want?"

Sheppard gave the surrounding tables a wary look, then leant forward and said, "Weapons. Ammunition."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. We know how well that went the last time."

Rodney swallowed hard at the reminder of the Genii and felt his heart rate increase.

John shook his head and picked up his beer mug.

"They have a sort of shotgun," Ford said. "I saw a few of the men carrying them as they headed for the woods."

"And powder," Rodney added. "I saw some men rolling barrels of it into a warehouse."

"But apparently not enough," Sheppard said. "That's something else Rowland asked for."

"So are we leaving?" Rodney asked.

Teyla and Sheppard exchanged a look, and Rodney realised he had inadvertently stepped into a running disagreement between them.

John stared at Teyla a moment longer, then sighed. "No," he finally said. "The Athosians need the seed, and this is probably our best chance of getting it. We'll try again in the morning." He looked at Teyla again. "But if we can't come to some sort of agreement by the time we're due to check-in with Atlantis tomorrow, we'll have to try our luck elsewhere."

Teyla nodded her agreement, and Sheppard looked around the pub.

Freyan must have seen him as she came back over to the table. "Would you like more beer?" she asked.

"No, thanks," John said with a smile. "We do need a place to stay for the night. Is there anywhere we can rent rooms?"

Freyan smiled. "We have rooms here. However, there are only three. Two of you will have to share."

Rodney didn't like the idea of splitting them up for the night and glanced over at John to see what he wanted to do.

"McKay and I will take the double," Sheppard said with a quick look at Teyla and Ford.

"Yes, sir," Ford said stiffly, and Rodney thought he looked like he wanted to disagree with Sheppard.

Sheppard looked up at Freyan. "There are two beds, right?"

She nodded. "The beds in that room are smaller, but you should be comfortable."

"Okay," Sheppard looked across the table. "I say we call it a night. We'll talk to Rowland again in the morning and then check in with Atlantis."

Freyan led them through the door in the corner and down the hallway to three doors, two on the left-hand side and one on the right. She opened the right-hand door, and Rodney saw a room with two narrow beds.

"See you in the morning," John said to Teyla and Ford as he stood in the doorway to their room.

"Good night, Major. Doctor McKay," Teyla replied and opened one of the doors on the left.

"Sir," Ford added with a nod. He gave Rodney a fleeting glance, then went into the last room and closed the door.

Rodney followed Sheppard into their room and closed the door. A metal candelabra with four arms sat on a table between the beds, the candles providing the only light in the room. The room itself was small, with one bed under a large window that opened outward and looked out on several trees, and the other was between that bed and the door. A beautifully carved wooden chest sat at the end of each bed.

Sheppard checked the door and turned the lock. He dropped his pack on the bed closest to the door and stuffed his earpiece in a pocket of his tac-vest, then dropped the vest and his jacket on the chest.

"Was it a good idea to split us up like this?" Rodney asked as he dropped his own pack, vest, and jacket on the chest at the end of the other bed. He put the earpiece for the radio on the bedside table where he would see it in the morning.

John shrugged. "Stackhouse's team was here a few months ago without any problems," John said as he took off his boots.

"And yet you still checked the lock and took the bed closest to the door," Rodney pointed out.

"Habit," John replied and laid down on the bed. "Relax. Everything's fine."

"Right, relax," Rodney muttered.

He took his boots off and stuffed them under the bed, then laid down and tried to get comfortable. He glanced at the bandage on his arm as he rubbed absently at the ache and stared up at the blank ceiling.

The last thing Rodney wanted to do was try and sleep with John in the same room. He hadn't slept much since the storm, thanks to several recurring nightmares involving knives, lightning, and any number of people ending up dead, himself included. While he knew John would keep anything he heard to himself, Rodney suspected John was having more than a few bad dreams of his own, and he didn't want to add to the problem.

The bed was narrow, and the mattress a thin, stuffed tick. Rodney squirmed for several minutes, trying to get comfortable before an impatient "Settle already, McKay" came from the other bed.

Rodney sighed, closed his eyes, and told himself to not think about Kolya, monster storms, or bloody knives as he tried to relax. He rolled onto his side, facing away from the window and watched John in the other bed fall asleep seemingly effortlessly.

"Lucky you," he muttered to himself and closed his eyes.

Rodney must have slept at some point as he found himself back in the same nightmare he'd had the last two nights. Kolya stood in front of him with a knife in his hand and that same hard look in his eyes that said he had no problem hurting Rodney or anyone else. The blade was already red. Rodney looked down and saw a long cut on his arm. He gulped as he looked back up and felt an arm wrapped around his chest and the knife against his throat. Unlike other nights, the blade felt unusually sharp and cold against the skin of his throat, and he stared into Kolya's eyes as he demanded Rodney drop it.

Rodney's confused mind was still figuring out what that meant when he felt himself jerked backwards. The band around his chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. Oddly, even though he thought he was awake, he still felt the knife against his throat. He looked around and realised there was someone behind him.

"Hey," he croaked and struggled against the arm wrapped around his chest. "Lemme go! What's going on?"

The knife dug into his throat, and Rodney felt a trickle of blood along his neck, which only made him fight harder as panic set in. His sleep-addled mind didn't know how Kolya had managed to grab him, but he wasn't going to let the Genii commander use him again.

"Let him go," a hard, cold voice demanded. "Now."

The demand froze Rodney for a moment in his struggle to get free. There was never anyone with him when Koyla attacked him. Where had the voice come from?

Moonlight lit the room enough for Rodney to see John crouched in front of him, facing him. He also saw the Beretta aimed at a point just to the left of his head and swallowed.

"John?" Rodney squeaked as the grip around his chest tightened.

"You shoot me, you shoot him," a gravelly male voice said in Rodney's left ear.

That wasn't Kolya, Rodney's sleepy mind noted. He fought against the hold until the knife at his throat dug in a little deeper, and he felt the blood flow down his neck faster.

"Hold still," the voice growled in his ear.

"Not likely," Rodney hissed back and tried to get a leg into kicking range.

"Hold still, or I'll kill you right here."

Rodney gasped as the man squeezed him harder. It was getting difficult to breathe, and panic set in again. Rodney gave the arm around his chest another futile push and sought out John's face.

"I won't tell you again," John growled, his face blank but his eyes hard. His aim never wavered from the point just to the left of Rodney's ear. "Let. Him. Go."

"You talk a good game," the man growled next to Rodney's ear. "We both know you won't shoot. Not with your little friend in the way."

Rodney bristled at the 'little friend' comment, and anger momentarily replaced the panic. "You know, after the week I've had, I really didn't need to add human shield to the list." He tried to squirm out of the grip again, but his captor just squeezed his ribcage until he didn't have enough air left to fight.

He was starting to see black around the edges of his vision when there was pounding on their door.

"Major!" Ford yelled, and the pounding sounded again.

It was enough to distract Rodney's captor that he glanced at the door and loosened his hold.

Rodney had just enough time to take a shallow breath before he was deafened by a gunshot in the small room. He slid to the floor, unsure if he'd been shot or not. He didn't feel any pain, but didn't that happen with shock? he wondered. You didn't feel it right away?

The vice-like grip around his chest had disappeared, and Rodney took several gasping breaths of air. He couldn't hear anything but ringing and a voice coming from down a long tunnel. He felt hands on his shoulders, opened his eyes and found he was on his knees on the floor, and John knelt in front of him, holding him up.

"Rodney, are you all right?" John said close to his ear. Rodney suspected he'd asked that question a few times already based on the worried look in John's eyes.

"Umm, fine, fine, I think," Rodney mumbled as he coughed and tried to hide how scared he'd been to have yet another knife used against him. He must have failed as John squeezed his shoulders before helping him sit back on the bed.

"How did you even know he was there?" Rodney asked, fear making his voice crack as he looked around the room.

"You were having a nightmare," John explained absently. He tilted Rodney's head enough to look at his neck, and Rodney saw anger flash in John's eyes. "I was going to wake you up when he came through the window and grabbed you."

"He got away, sir," Ford said as he banged through the door, making Rodney jump. Teyla was right behind him, her expression grim. "You hit him, though. There's blood on the window sill. You guys all right?" He looked from John to Rodney and back again.

John nodded, and Rodney saw Teyla pass Sheppard a sterile pad from her vest.

"Here," John said as he took Rodney's hand and pressed the pad to his neck. "He didn't do much more than nick you," John reassured him, never taking his hand off Rodney's shoulder.

"I did not need another bully with a knife coming at me," Rodney grumbled as he held the pad against his neck. "Once was more than enough."

John squeezed his shoulder and turned to Teyla and Ford. "What do we know?"

"What's going on?" Kelden yelled as he came down the hallway with a thick club in his hand.

Ford and Teyla faced the door, weapons raised, while John stood between the door and Rodney.

"Your hospitality leaves a bit to be desired," Sheppard growled as Kelden stood in the doorway and lowered the club.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Someone came through the window and tried to kidnap one of my people," John explained. "Any idea who it might have been?"

Kelden shook his head. "I don't know what to say. This has never happened before."

John grunted, but Rodney saw his shoulders relax.

Rodney dropped the bloody bandage on the table and felt along his neck, trying to find the cut. "This doesn't feel like a knick," he said.

John batted his hand away and tilted his head. "It's stopped bleeding," John told him after a quick look. "I think you'll live."

Rodney scowled at him, and John smiled.

"I can get the healer," Kelden offered.

"That won't be necessary," John said and gave Kelden another wary look. "We'll be fine."

"If you're sure," Kelden pressed.

John nodded, and Kelden left.

"Theories?" John asked once the door was closed.

Rodney had his suspicions, but before he could say anything, Teyla looked at John.

"I believe it may have something to do with our current negotiations," she said and sat on John's bed.

John sat next to Rodney. "So, what? I don't give Rowland weapons, he kidnaps McKay?"

"I have heard of such things happening," Teyla confessed. "It is rare, but it does happen." She glanced at the window. "There is a chance Rowland had nothing to do with this. According to Sergeant Stackhouse's report, there are several villages within a few days' walk of the stargate. It is possible someone else was hoping to either stop the trade with Rowland or force us to trade with them as well."

"I vote we leave now," Rodney said as he touched his neck. "We can get seeds somewhere else or eat MREs."

Ford rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't we try to find out what's really going on?" he asked.

Rodney snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "You be the one squeezed to death next time. Then see how you feel about sticking around to ask questions."

"McKay has a point," John agreed. "I'm not sure sticking around is the best idea, but we need that seed. Let's get back to the 'gate and let Elizabeth know what's happened. She can either call this whole thing off or send us some reinforcements."

John waited for Teyla and Ford to nod, then added, "Since we don't know if our late-night visitor had friends, we'll split up, go in two groups. Teyla, you go with Ford. I'll stay with Rodney. We'll meet at the 'gate."

"Sir, are you sure?" Ford questioned with a sideways glance at Rodney. "Maybe I should go with you."

John frowned. "I'm not sending two civilians back to the 'gate alone, Lieutenant."

Rodney saw Ford's expression harden. "But Teyla -"

"Is still technically a civilian. You have your orders, Lieutenant."

Ford glowered at him, then gave Sheppard a sharp nod. "Yes, sir."

"Get your shoes on," John said Rodney as he pulled on his tac-vest, pack, and holster and headed for the door.

Rodney finished tying his boots, grabbed his belongings, and followed the others as John led the way back through the pub and behind the bar to the kitchen.

"Isn't sneaking out the back door a bit cliché?" Rodney asked as John cracked open the outer door and checked the alley behind the pub.

"Let's just say I don't want to make us an easy target for anyone else who might be watching," John replied as he crept down the alley to the corner of the pub facing the square.

Sheppard turned to Ford and Teyla. "Go. Don't take chances, and watch each other's back."

Ford still looked unhappy, but he nodded and motioned for Teyla to follow him.