Chapter 5
When the two men returned to their campsite from the Indian Village, they took a moment to relax out side their tents for a few moments. Daniel stirred up the embers to start a small fire then started the preparation of a fresh pot of coffee using his supply of Columbian blend. O'Neill settled down on the log to watch his younger friend.
After the coffee was done to his satisfaction, Jackson poured himself and Jack each a cup. He then sat down next to his friend. "One of the signs of civilization Jack." The archeologist mused. "A good cup of coffee is indicative of a great society at its pinnacle."
O'Neill smiled over at him. "Does Kusuf make a good cup of coffee?" referring to Daniel's Abydonian 'father'.
"Kusuf's coffee could keep this tribe and its herbal teas awake for a decade." Daniel smiled, thinking of the old man. "He has a type of coffee that's almost Turkish, thick, and rich. A true liqueur of caffeine." Daniel studied the contents of his cup. "It was one of the first things that I think we really agreed on." They sat a while in companionable silence. Then O'Neill glanced over at his best friend.
"How do you feel now?"
Daniel had the grace to look embarrassed. "You were right. I shouldn't have done the vision thing." He shrugged. "If you hadn't been there, I'd have gone off that cliff." He looked up at his friend. "Thanks Jack, again."
O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "You don't know that, it didn't happen. Besides, that's why I was there, to make sure it didn't." He reached over and patted Daniel on his bare knee. "You just can't predict what the mind will do while under the influence of drugs. Sometimes it's fun. Most of the time, it's not." He looked steadily at Daniel. "Just don't do it again, or I will kick your butt all the way back to Cheyenne Mountain."
"You have a deal." The scientist stared into the flickering embers of the morning fire then glanced towards his tent. "I think I'm going to catch some of that rack time Sam suggested."
"Me too," Jack poured the rest of his coffee out and the two men rose and found their respective bedrolls.
Late that afternoon, Col Jack O'Neill emerged from his tent. He stood up straight and stretched to the full extent of his six foot two inches in height. He stopped and smiled when the last vertebra popped back into its accustomed place. Looking around the campsite, he was very pleased to see all of his team members present and accounted for. Carter was sitting next to Jackson, smiling up at him, obviously pleased that he was in such a good mood. Teal'c was involved in doing something arcane to his staff weapon, probably in preparation for the soon-to-come appearance of the False Gods. Daniel however looked a bit worse for wear. "Evening everybody. How ya doing', Danny?"
"Hung over." He managed to raise his head up to reply to Jack's moderately spoken question about his state of health, but he dropped it back into the vapors of a maximum cup of coffee that he was nursing.
O'Neill bent over to look at his friend, and laid a friendly hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Next time you'll listen to your Uncle Jack." Danny nodded obediently. 'O'Neill glanced at Carter. "Ya see, just say no."
Sam just shook her head. "You don't have to tell me. Jacob Carter didn't raise any foolish children." Daniel raised his head up and looked at her mournfully. She giggled. He made a face at her.
O'Neill picked up his mug from where he had left it earlier in the day and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. "I'm just glad we're still all here and in one piece." He turned to Teal'c who looked at him expectantly. "So, what's been going on with you guys?"
The evening passed peacefully for the team. News and observations were shared between the members. MREs, with time to be properly prepared for a change, were eaten and enjoyed. And the coffee flowed into the late hours. Plans were made to attempt a sit-rep back to SGC if the Stargate cleared from its fluctuations. Teal'c had attempted to report back once but whoever was trying to dial in kept 'disconnecting' the DHD after only a few of the symbols had been activated. Hammond must be at least concerned as they had missed two time windows for their 'phone home' attempts. But whoever kept displacing their signal had been, at the least, successful in blocking the outgoing wormhole. Carter had a theory that the source of the incoming wormhole could possibly be slightly out of alignment with this planet's gate. That would explain the constant attempts to open the God's Mouth. But sooner or later, it would open and it was up to the Tribe and SG1 to deny the enemy their ground.
After several hours of planning and discussion, with the full moon high in the night sky, the last of the coffee was finished and all that could be said was spoken, the four found their way to their tents and their bedrolls to spend another Stargate night.
Jack came out of his tent early the next morning. Carter had the late guard and had already made the coffee. She greeted him with a cup as he sat down on the log they were using as a bench.
"Teal'c is still asleep but Daniel left with Painted Face at 0430 this morning." She reported to him as he bit down on his nutrition bar and grimaced.
Jack turned to face her with both eyebrows raised to his hairline. "Our Daniel?" He shook his head. "Must have been something fascinating."
Sam smiled over at him as she sipped her cup. "He said, and I quote 'A once in a lifetime opportunity'."
O'Neill rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Geez, now I am worried. Did he give you more of a hint than that?"
"No Sir" She replied. "But he borrowed my sunscreen."
"Oh, so he was wearing..."
"Yes Sir, his uh...thong."
"Oh, well. At least he won't get sunburned." Finishing his breakfast, he cleaned his coffee mug and stowed it back in his pack. O'Neill then pulled out his 9MM pistol and gave it a quick cleaning. Next he checked its magazine and extra clips. A thought occurred to him and he looked over at his blond second in command. "Did Daniel take his side arm with him?"
Carter ducked her head and shook it as she dumped out the last of her coffee. "He said he'd only lose it, but" She looked up at her CO. "I made him take my Randall knife that Dad had made for me, the one with the sheath." She held up Jackson's Swiss Army Knife. "I told him if he wasn't going to take his pistol, to at least take a real knife."
"Thank you." Jack grunted. "At least he's got something with him." He got up off the log bench and went over to Jackson's tent. Sam heard him unzip Daniel's pack and rummage around in it. Jack came back out with the Archeologist's 9MM and his six clips. He sat back down on the log and disassembled the weapon. After giving it a good cleaning he rebuilt it and laid it down on his makeshift bench. Then Jack checked, cleaned and completely loaded all six clips, pushing one up into the pistol's magazine handle. He shoved it back into its holster and he looked up to see Carter watching him. She tried not to notice his concern for their missing teammate.
O'Neill shook his head at her. "It's not funny."
"No, Colonel. It's not." Sam agreed with him. While she had been amused at Jack's proprietary manner with Daniel's equipment, the younger man's casual attitude about his weaponry was not humorous. It had, in fact, been a long-time bone of contention between the two men.
"What is not funny? Major Carter?" Teal'c had come out of his tent and sat down beside her. He tore open the wrapper on his breakfast bar. "Where is Danieljackson?"
"Ah, yes. There in lies the rub, Teal'c." O'Neill answered sourly. "He's with Painted Face, again."
"You are angry." Teal'c commented.
Jack stood up and belted on his weapon in its normal location around his waist. He then followed suit with Daniel's piston and holster on the other side of his waist. "I'm...unhappy. I'm sure he had a good reason to go running off with his friend, the Tribal Shaman. Well, for him anyway. I just wish he had told me what his good reason was, this time."
Teal'c looked up at his Commander. "You are worried."
O'Neill picked up his fatigue shirt and slung it over his shoulder. "Yea, I'm worried." Jack groused. "Why does he insist on doing these things without telling us what the heck he's doing?"
Sam looked up at O'Neill. "He's Daniel. I know that's not a good reason, Sir. It's just the only one I can come up with."
Teal'c nodded. "Indeed."
After dousing their campfire, securing their gear and cleaning their campsite, the three remaining member of SG1 headed back to the village.
The tribe was busy as proverbial bees. If anything the atmosphere in the encampment had risen to a feverish lever. Children were running, carrying bundles while the women were working, preparing food and supplies for the upcoming battle.
O'Neill spotted Grey Badger sitting in his doorway. Crow Woman was standing next to him talking with great animation. He replied with a calming tone that definitely did not solve her problem. Crow Woman yelled something, threw her hands up in the air, turned on her heel and stalked off.
The Colonel whispered over his shoulder. "I don't think that needs any translation."
Sam shook her head. "No, sir."
O'Neill looked back in her direction. "Reminds me of the O'Neill family, circa 1956. Well, let's ask him about our boys." Jack approached the old chieftain.
The tribal elder greeted him with a smile and a wave. "Ho, Jack."
"Ho, Grey Badger!" He smiled at the use of his name by the old man. He asked in a combination of English, Indian and hand signals. "Where are Painted Face and Daniel?"
The chief replied in kind, speaking his own language and using the same signals to fill in the gap. "They have gone somewhere with the other young warriors to bring the something back." Jack shook his head, at the language gap.
"When are they coming back?"
An adolescent boy came running up and stood waiting, breathing hard, to be permitted to speak. Grey Badger nodded to him and listened intently. He then looked back at O'Neill and replied in their pidgin "before tomorrow at high sun, or it will be too late."
"Too late, why?" This didn't sound good at all to O'Neill.
"The God's Mouth speaks often now. The watchers think the False God will come tomorrow."
The Commander in O'Neill came forward immediately. "What would you like us to do to help you get prepared?"
"You must prepare your warriors for battle, Grey Wolf. When you have done for yourselves, then do as before in the valley. Tomorrow morning go to the Canyon walls and we will wait together to fight the false god."
"O'Neill nodded in agreement, and then returned to the remainder of his team.
"What's going on sir?" Carter asked.
"They think the Goa'uld are coming tomorrow. Grey Badger wants us to get locked and loaded then help the village get ready if we can."
Teal'c asked. "Does the chief know where Danieljackson has gone?"
Jack nodded. "Daniel and the other young warriors have gone to get the big secret weapon from the, uh beyond the...out there somewhere." He looked at Teal'c. "It seems that we'll finally find out what IT is."
The big man nodded. "Their reason the Goa'uld have not conquered these people."
"All I can say is, if the only other options we have are the rocks, bows and arrows, Daniel had better be on time or we're in a heap big pile of trouble.
Late that afternoon Painted Face and his group of eight young warriors, one suspiciously pale, arrived at the top of a small hill. As they looked over a huge green prairie land, Daniel could see what appeared to be an ocean of large brown woolly beasts. Buffalo, hundreds of them, were grazing placidly on the tall green grasses. But more startlingly, off to the right, he could see a herd of tough little Mustang horses grazing. Daniel stared at the Indian ponies in amazement. When the men approached the small group of herdsmen, the ponies calmly raised their heads from grazing to watch the approaching humans.
Painted Face called out to announce their presence to the other band of warriors. "Ho, the camp. Ho, Two Spears."
"Ho, Painted Face. Ho, warriors."
"The God's Mouth awakens. We must bring the beasts."
Two Spears had gotten up from the campfire to welcome the newcomers. He nodded. "You men rest the night. We will gather the horses in the morning and leave before first light." He saw the pale face in the crowd. "Ho Coyote, why are you here?"
Painted Face answered for him. "Coyote has come to help us bring in the Big Humps."
"Can he ride the sacred horses?" Two Spears asked his Shaman.
Daniel answered for himself. "I've ridden horses since I was four years old on the plains of Egypt. I'm a little rusty, but I think I can manage." He looked at Painted Face and said in a low voice. "I didn't know you had horses."
The shaman smiled at him, and answered quietly. "Then there are still things we must teach you, my brother."
If Two Spears overheard the comments, he chose to ignore them. "Then welcome, young Shaman." The Chief clapped Daniel on the shoulder then pulled him into a hug and spoke in his ear. "Just don't break your neck or Grey Wolf will try to break mine." He pulled back still gripping his shoulder and grinned at him.
"Don't worry. I won't, or he'll definitely break mine.
The band of newly arrived warriors settled down at the campfire for a few hours of sleep before the daunting task of trying to drive several thousand wild buffalo over twenty miles in the morning.
It was barely light, just as the sun was coming up and breaking into the beginning of the valley, Daniel awoke to the sounds of the camp. He stood up and stretched, wishing desperately for a cup of something hot. Painted Face handed him a piece of dried meat and a gourd of cold water. He tried to smile. It didn't take.
Two Spears had been watching the exchange between the two young men from his seat by the fire. He got up and called out to one of his warriors. "Lone Arrow, catch the spotted mare and put a rein on her for Coyote." He turned back to his white friend. "She is strong and fearless, and sure on her feet. She will carry you safe. Eat now while we prepare the herd to be moved." He turned and followed the rest of his men to the horses.
Daniel turned to Painted Face who was sitting next to him chewing his own breakfast. "We're going to drive the buff... uh big-humps into the canyon to the God's Mouth when the False Gods come through?"
Painted Face grinned at him. "Yes. Nothing can withstand them. They are our strength, a gift from the Great Spirit."
"Yes, a very valuable one." Daniel hesitated. "Very valuable to risk."
"This is so friend." The Shaman sighed. "But we risk everything each time the God's Mouth opens and the evil ones come. If we fail, many people will suffer."
Daniel looked confused. "How many more? Your village is small."
"Yes," Painted Face replied. "Our village is small, but our tribe is many." His face then cleared, realizing that Coyote did not know the truth. "You think our village is all of our people?"
"Well, yes. Isn't it?" Then he realized the scope of his misunderstanding. He had been so wrong about this culture from the very beginning. It was time he corrected his wrong assumptions.
Painted Face smiled at his friend's changing expression. "Now you understand. We are only a small village. It is our turn to guard the God's Mouth. We have been here for ten moons. In four more, another village will take our place. When you and your band of warriors came through the God's Mouth we spoke to your War Chief through you. But we watched all of you and we saw your truth is as ours. Grey Badger is a wise chief, we accepted you and you have been one with us. You took your Spirit Quest with me and your vision was true. See, here it is. You and Grey Wolf, She Lion and Great Bear have come to help us."
"But you didn't need our help." Daniel spoke, shaking his head. "You will win with or without us." He indicated the great herd. "The Great Spirit gave you the way."
"This time, my friend. But you know how they can come at anytime." Painted Face reached out and laid his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "You know the pain of losing your loved family." Daniel nodded silently as the Shaman continued. "We have used this ploy too many times. This time we will succeed because of you four. You have brought us great medicine with your powerful weapons, but we will need this help again." He stopped speaking and looked up at the tall shape that had come up beside them.
Two Spears sat down at the fire beside Painted Face. "My brother speaks words of wisdom. The last time the False Gods came, many of our people died. Others became skin-walkers. So the False ones now know of our secrets."
"I understand." Daniel looked thoughtfully into the flames. "There are several things that can be done, but I must first speak to my chief."
"Those are the words of a wise Shaman worthy of the name Coyote." He looked at Painted Face and smiled. The younger man smiled back, evidence of a similar discussion held many times before.
One of the other warriors came over to the trio. "The ponies are ready. I have caught the red spotted mare for Coyote and the clay-colored mare for Painted Face."
"It is good, and it is now time to leave. We have many beasts to move and we must be at the God's Mouth before the noon sun."
The majority of the braves had mounted their horses already and were quietly getting behind the huge herd of buffalo. Daniel followed Painted Face to the two mustangs that had been cut out for them. Painted Face greeted his mount by wrapping his arms around the Dun's neck and whispering in her ears. She rubbed her head on his chest and mumbled to him. Daniel approached the mare Two Spears had selected for him. She was approximately fourteen hands and 800 pounds. Basically a fox red with white roan spots scattered over her coat. The mare eyed him cautiously and sniffed his extended hand. "What is she called?"
"She is called Shefox." Painted Face swung up on his mount. "She will not buck but she is quick like the fox, and she will jump any barrier." He grinned at Daniel. "Hold on to her mane, she is used to it."
Daniel smiled back at his friend and swung his long legs over her back. Shefox shifted her feet, adjusting her stance and accepting his weight. He reached down and patted her shoulder. The mare flicked her ears, hearing his voice and judging his ability. He squeezed her sides and urged her forward, the mare stepping forward eagerly following the dun. Daniel picked up the single leather thong that was tied to her jaw. Painted Face moved up to ride beside him, watching Daniel fingering the single rein. "You must control her by leaning to the direction you want to go. Speed is with your legs and to stop, touch the leather lightly and speak to her with your weight."
Daniel nodded gratefully. "I'm used to a bridle with two reins."
The Shaman nodded. "Squaw ponies are trained like that. Shefox is a hunting pony. This way allows a warrior to use his bow while on the run."
Daniel tried shifting his weight and feeling the horse's reactions to his leg cues. "I think I've got the idea and I can practice as we go." He nodded to Painted Face. "I'll be all right; I don't want to hold anyone back so that we're too late."
"That is good." The Indian nodded. "The mare will take care of you." Painted Face urged his pony toward the herd. Shefox followed at an easy trot. Daniel shifted his weight to get more comfortable on the bare back of his mount.
O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c were posted on the edge of the Canyon overlooking the Stargate. The sentry warrior had sent out the alarm out two hours earlier. SG1 was fully armed with two M-50s, three 9-Millimeter pistols, a staff weapon and two zat guns. The Indian warriors were checking again their stockpile of weapons and building up the bonfires behind them.
Grey Badger was walking the cliffs, first speaking to his experienced warriors and then giving encouragement to some of the younger men. Finally, he approached SG1. "Ho, Jack."
"Ho Grey Badger." O'Neill smiled at the old War Chief and gave him the thumbs up that had become their all systems go signal. He then signed the question "Any news on the young warriors?"
The Chief shook his head. He signed to listen then in a soft, low note he whistled a call. O'Neill nodded his understanding. The Chief gave the thumbs up back at them, chapped Jack on the back and went on down the line to more of his warriors.
O'Neill looked at Teal'c and Carter. "Well then, I guess we wait."
"Indeed O'Neill," The Jaffa warrior nodded. "The hardest thing of all."
Jack stretched his long legs out in front of him, leaning back on a pile of rocks. "Yea, been there, got the t-shirt, and wore it out already." He glanced back down at the Stargate, pulled his baseball cap over his eyes and waited.