~ 8 ~

It watched the two humans embrace outside the cabin. It was an interesting interaction to observe. The female was clearly the stronger of the two, but the larger male was the dominant. How strange. The female brought him from the river and up the mountain. She was unafraid to walk alone too.

It dug its nails into the wet rock, grinding away as it continued to watch. Deciding to take a closer look, it glanced down at the water-logged book squashed into the mud at its feet and began to crawl silently through the trees towards the cabin.

~ SJ ~

"I think we should try and go back," Sam suggested as she took a long sip of her coffee.

Jack glanced briefly at her, before returning his attention to her half bandaged ankle in his lap. When Sam had said that she rolled it on the way up the face of the mountain, Jack knew he should have insisted on seeing it straight away, but she had done an excellent job of hiding the limp.

"Probably not a good idea while it's raining. Don't want a repeat of yesterday." Jack shook his head slowly and continued to wrap the bandage in a figure eight around her ankle. He avoided the blister on Sam's heel that she got as a result of wearing wet boots, however, since the choice came down to blisters or ankle support, he was glad she had chosen the latter.

"I wonder how Daniel and Teal'c are doing," She thought aloud after a moment's silence. Jack pushed down a swelling of guilt. He hadn't even thought about the rest of SG-1; he'd been too consumed by the situation he and Carter were in.

Then again, that was understandable. He'd almost died – though he suspected he actually had – and Carter nearly killed herself to save him.

"They said they were going to the settlement about a click upstream from the gate. If they got hit with the rain like we did, they would have taken shelter up there..." Jack tucked in the end of the bandage to secure it. "...I don't think they'd try and come back to the campsite. But they would attempt to radio us if they decided to sit tight..." Jack trailed off as he considered the possibilities.

As he sat and tried to guess what had happened to Teal'c and Daniel, his tendency to fiddle had him applying gentle pressure to Sam's foot. Sam noticed but obviously Jack hadn't. Though she was highly – as in, extremely – tempted to let him to continue, Sam knew this was one of those little indulgences she wasn't allowed to enjoy. She cleared her throat.

"Uh Sir?" His eyes flickered back to her, having not realised that he had gone on a tangent. "You done?" She gave her foot a tiny wriggle. Jack looked down and promptly released her bound ankle.

"I wouldn't be dancing on it for a while," Jack quipped.

"Too bad. I was going to a ball in two weeks time." Sam tipped back the last, and most concentrated part, of her coffee. Jack gave her a look that meant he was wondering if she were joking or not.

She opened her mouth to explain, but a loud thud on the roof of the cabin cut their conversation short. They sat in silence, eyes glued to the ceiling.

"What do reckon th-" Jack began quietly. They jumped to their feet when four more thuds sounded.

Something was on the roof.

SJ

"Sam, its Daniel. Come in." Daniel tried for the umpteenth time that morning. Grunting in irritation, he threw the unresponsive radio on top of his pack. He would try again later.

"The signal probably wouldn't get through the rain and the mountains anyway," He sighed as he folded his arms and slowly walked around the room. Teal'c sat cross-legged on the bench of the small single room, trying intently to meditate, despite the frequent distractions of his friend.

"I wonder if they got caught out in the rain. We sent them a warning. They're probably at the campsite waiting for us." Daniel continued to ponder.

He and Teal'c had been searching through a collection of cabins that had been abandoned after their return to the planet. There were twenty two of the primitive structures clustered in a gorge, which had been well inhabited during SG-1's previous visit. The people were simple folk, and had little interest in recording their history (which frustrated Daniel to no end).

They had been caught in a violent storm since the previous morning, and chosen to take refuge in the cabins. They had sent word to Sam and Jack, but received no response. It was almost five miles back to the campsite, so when Teal'c had suggested staying for the night, Daniel was inclined to agree. Unfortunately, it was still raining when they woke up the next morning.

"I believe the storm is dissipating," Teal'c advised him. Daniel stopped his pacing and listened to the rain. Teal'c was right; it was beginning to lose its intensity. Although Daniel's boredom was grating at Teal'c's patience, he was still disposed to wait until the rain had stopped, in case it started up again on the way back.

"It would be wise to wait a little longer, when we can guarantee that it is safe to travel," Teal'c suggested, making no sign of moving off the bench.

"I think you're right," Daniel nodded, though his tone revealed his frustration. "I have a few theories about what might have happened to the villagers." He said with a little more enthusiasm.

Teal'c opened his eyes, indicating to his friend that he was listening.

"For example, they could be nomadic; but if that were the case, why bother with permanent infrastructure?" Daniel waved an open hand to their surroundings. "Then again it's possible they were driven out by a natural disaster, like a flood; it seems to rain pretty heavily." He looked to the ceiling. "Or they may have died out due to a plague; or gone in search of medical help."

"Perhaps they were driven from the settlement by a dangerous presence," Teal'c offered with a tilt of his head.

"Like what? We haven't seen much in the way of wild life here." Daniel turned on his friend, suddenly curious.

"If the mountains lacked large predators, the local animal life would be thriving in the absence of omnivorous humans. As you said, that is not the case."

Daniel couldn't argue with Teal'c's logic, but he would prefer to believe one of his other theories; one of the ones that didn't involve big animals.

"Maybe. I'd hate to think there was something big, ugly and hungry out there." Daniel frowned in discomfort.

"As do I," Teal'c agreed. He continued to listen to the rain falling on the roof, until it began to slow to a light patter.

~ SJ ~

No, it's not any old mountain lion. Much uglier. And I'm going with the idea that Sam dropped her book at the base of the mountain when she brought her pack back.