Thank you, thank you everyone who reviewed my last chapter. Lots of hugs all of you! I hope that interest in this story is not dropping as less people reviewed than chapter two, but anyway, here's chapter four.

Chap 4: From the Frying Pan...

Adric approached the group of Atlantians with trepidation in his heart. Not because he feared them, but because he feared that he might fail in the task that John Sheppard had set out for him. Sheppard had taught them the game of football, the game which called for strategic planning, how to rebound even when it looked like the odds were against them. In that game, Sheppard had selected Adric to be the Captain of the football team that he had set up. So when Sheppard had called Adric's name and asked that he be the one to light that spark of fire that would ultimately be the Atlantian team's funeral pyre, Adric knew instantly that he couldn't do it. These people were his friends, he especially admired and looked up to the warrior called John Sheppard.

He had protested all the way as the Genii dragged him out, wondering why Sheppard was doing this to him. It took him a while to detect and comprehend the underlining words that Sheppard didn't say. It was only when he looked into the dark haired colonel's eyes, did he become aware that he was selected not because Sheppard wanted him to be the hand that brought death to them, but the one who would do something to save their lives. There was no defeat that he saw in the hazel warrior's eyes but an expectation, a belief in Adric that he had never seen or experienced before. The look that he received, warmed his heart with a sense of courage that he had never felt before - to know that the warrior before him trusted him enough with their lives was a powerful motivator for him to do something about it. And Adric was determined not to let them down. He would enlist his friends help: the other young men who had learnt football from Sheppard. He was sure that they would be keen to help save the Atlantians once he spoke to them. He didn't think he would have trouble convincing them. Already a plan was forming in his mind, but it also needed Sheppard and his team to be free from their binds if it were to work. And time was also a factor - things could easily go wrong. However, he refused to think about that.

Making up his mind, he turned and took what he hoped looked like a nervous glance at the Genii soldiers before stepping up towards the wooden pyre to approach the bound team.

"What are you doing, boy?" he heard Koden call out impatiently, making him pause and his heart race with nervousness.

Adric turned and looked back at the Genii leader. "Before I light the match, I wish to stare into the eyes of those whom I am condemning to die," he replied, trying to sound like a curious teenager that he was.

The Genii laughed, thinking that he was a blood thirsty young man, which suited Adric's purposes fine. Adric smiled at the man before turning back to face the Atlantian team. He approached John Sheppard first. His gaze noted the sheen of perspiration that covered Sheppard's face and the blood that stained his uniform. He didn't realise that Sheppard had been wounded as he and his friends had been away helping their fathers out in the fields when the Atlantians tried to escape and were recaptured. He saw Sheppard scutinising him with determination and courage in his pale features. Adric recognised what he saw. This man had eyes of not only a warrior, but a great leader; he had seen the same look once in Toga's father, when he was a small child. Where the old man led, the other Nonamers had followed - they had thrived then; this Adric had heard from his parents and from his own memory of the past.

As for Toga, Adric had always liked the man, admired him for the leader that he was. Toga had a way with words to charm a person into liking him. Like his late father, Toga also liked to speak of peace, of safety, or building strong alliances with people who could protect them. Adric knew that the Nonamer leader had tried to form trade alliances with many out-worlders, sometimes going off-world to complete them. As Adric wasn't privy to those meetings, he never knew how many off-worlders Toga had dealings with. Some of the alliances formed were open alliances, like the ones with the Athosians and the ones that Toga was planning with the Atlantians. Others, were more low-keyed that most Nonamers didn't know about them. However, lately Toga had become quite excited with a trade that he said he had made with some off-worlders. He said that soon, they wouldn't need to worry about the Wraith anymore, as these people had promised to protect them. And when the Atlantians had arrived and asked for trade, he had even been more excited over the prospect of medicines for his people in exchange of food for the off-worlders. So, like many, Adric had admired and looked up to their leader.

However, this would be the first time that Adric saw Toga placed in a challenging situation. When the Genii arrived and took their Atlantian guests prisoners, Adric had expected Toga to protest, to fight for their new found allies. Adric knew that he and all the other men in the village, including his freinds, would have been ready to follow Toga into battle if he had given the word. But the leader of the Nonamers hadn't. Instead he had seen fear and something else written in Toga's eyes, and he had been shocked by it, and by the silence of his leader as he acquiesced to the Genii's wish. It would be the first time he experienced the deep burn of shame. He felt embarrassed and angry that his people had stood there doing nothing to aid the Atlantians in their time of need. Although he wanted to scream in protest, he did not have the courage to do anything. After all, he was still considered a youngling and his people had been led by Toga's family for many generations; it was not his place to speak up. Adric remembered wishing that he wasn't a Nonamer any longer.

Now, as Adric looked into the eyes of the one called Sheppard, he recognised the man to be a true leader - a man who wasn't afraid to die for his beliefs and a man who never lacked courage, despite being afraid. During his encounters with Sheppard, the man had spoken to Adric and the others about honour and battle tactics both in the game of football and in field of battle. Being young men, they had been eager to hear about his and Ronon's battles against the wraiths. It stirred their hearts with fire to know that there were some humans out there who were brave enough to fight back against the wraith. Adric and many young men had found themselves wishing that they could follow Sheppard back to somehow aid in the fight. It would be meaningful, it would give them a purpose rather than just surviving day by day planting crops and hiding in the caves whenever the cullings began.

Sheppard had extended himself with a gift of friendship towards Adric and his friends and the Nonamers in general. Adric realised that if the situation had been reversed, Sheppard would have fought for them. A fire of determination grew deep within him. There would be no second chances, Adric knew. This time, he would fight for Sheppard and his team. This time, he would do the Nonamer name justice.

He looked up from the blood on Sheppard's uniform and saw that the man was eying him calmly. In the steel look of his hazel eyes, an unspoken message seemed to pass between them that seemed to say 'You can do this!'. Adric gave a wordless nod, and then in a blink of an eye, he slipped the spare weapon that he had hidden in the folds of his cloak and placed it into Sheppard's pocket. He saw the man's eyes widen slightly in the surprise, but like a true warrior he didn't display any other emotion in his face, except to blink once in acknowledgment.

He turned then, striding towards the tall one, the warrior called Ronon, the one who had taught him and his friends the art of hand to hand combat. Yet, before he could reach him, he had to walk pass Teyla Emmagan. As he did so, he turned to look at her, giving her a brief nod, feeling the uncomfortable presence of her cold gaze on him. For a moment, he wondered whether he should give her the hunter's knife instead, for he knew her well enough to know that she was more than capable of using it. But the ropes that the team was tied to were thick, and it would take her longer to saw through the coils. No, it would be speed that they needed: the Satedan would have the strength to do what was required faster.

Soon he was walking past her and staring directly into the eyes of Ronon Dex. As he approached the man, he saw the fury burning within the Satedan's eyes. However, he saw that it wasn't aimed at him, but at the Genii warriors behind him. Adric smiled nervously. Hoping that Ronon would get the hint as he suddenly came up towards the Satedan and spat in his face. His action took the Satedan by surprise, and the tall warrior jerked at the ropes and snarled back furiously at him - the fury burning in his eyes was enough to make him instantly afraid of his life. Oh, dumb move, Adric! he thought to himself then. But in the flurry of movement, he quickly slipped the hunter's dagger into the runner's hand.

He heard laughter behind him from the onlooking Genii but looking up at the Satedan, he saw the look of fury in his eyes had turned to a glint of understanding as the hand moved and hid the knife that was already position upwards in between the thick ropes that bound them. Adric's body blocked the Genii from seeing what had occurred. Ronon played along, giving no indication as to what he did as he continued his display of furious anger. The stage of set, he had done his part to help out the Atlantians, the rest would be a mixture of luck and courage from both he and his friends and Sheppard's team. The Genii were getting impatient now. "Enough!" They called out to him, before he could make a display of visiting the one called Rodney McKay, the scientist.

"Start the fire now!"

He heard Rodney called out in a frightened voice. "Oh god! I hope you know what you're doing Sheppard, cos in a few minutes we're going to die!"

Adric looked apologetically at Sheppard's team, then kneeling down beside the wooden pyre, he took the torch that was handed to him by Koden. Soon the wood began to burn.

o-0-o

TBC

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