The Visit

Daniel was silent as he left the conference room. He should have known. Known that there was a possibility that the pictures and history weren't all metaphors. No, they had talked about the history as though it were real, as though they believed everything that the engravings showed was true, and he hadn't asked. He hadn't asked. How could he not ask? He was supposed to be the archeologist/anthropologist, the one that knew what questions to ask to ascertain what kind of people they were dealing with. And he hadn't done that.

Then again, they hadn't volunteered the information either, but it was all there. All the easily see-able clues and hints that led to the questions to ask. But no. He just assumed that it was metaphorical, or that the truth had something to do with wolves—hadn't Lenshol said something about that? He thought for a minute.

Yes, he did, and so had Airsha when she was giving the tour. Something about their wolves helping out when they had revolted against the Goa-ould that ruled them. But still… he should've at least been suspicious.

Now, Jack was… he was… a werewolf… Daniel shook his head. That was an odd thought. He had accepted the fact that Janet had seen Jack change into a wolf, therefore making him a werewolf. Yet…

"DanielJackson," a familiar voice came from behind him. He turned and saw Teal'c walking up the corridor toward him.

"Uh, yeah?" Quickly, he glanced around him trying to figure out where he was—he guessed somewhere near the mess hall.

"May I join you?" Teal'c gestured toward the door that was, in fact, the mess hall door.

"Sure," he answered slowly, his thoughts beginning to distract him again. They walked in silence, and he went back to his former train of thought.

Jack. A werewolf. It was still hard to accept. He wondered how much of the information in the myths were true. There were many different takes on the subject, granted he hadn't actually researched much on comparing the different myths about werewolves—not really his subject of interest—but he did know a bit. And he was definitely going to look it up now.

He hoped that the people of Iryshrow would be willing and able to help them. They should be: it was one of them that bit Jack and turned him into a werewolf.

"DanielJackson, are you going to eat that?" Teal'c asked, indicating Daniel's frozen yogurt. He shook his head and Teal'c took it.

"Do – what do you think about the Lyacanthes?" Daniel asked curiously, looking at his friend across the table.

"They seemed most friendly," the Jaffa answered steadily, eating his food.

"So – so you don't think they did this on purpose?"

"Indeed, I do not."

"Why?"

"They expressed many times to O'Neill that they wished to become allies and friends with the Tau'ri. O'Neill believed this feeling was genuine, as do I."

Daniel was silent for a moment. Teal'c was right, not once had he felt the least bit unwelcome. They willingly told about themselves when asked—though obviously not everything—and were interested in Earth, its history with the Goa-ould and the recent war. They were friendly, and that was why they were going back there now—well, in half an hour, anyway.

Finally, he nodded and started picking at his food.

-A week ago-

It had taken them nearly four hours of following the well worn, recently used path before they saw any sign of the village. The path had lead directly from the Stargate and had signs of both recent use and often use, so they decided, without much other choice, to see if there was anything at the end of it. It weaved back and forth through a thick forest, zigzagging, almost excessively, with no foreseeable reason. The whole area was basically flat, with only a slight uphill tilt once in a while.

The sky was a clear, bright blue and they could hear the birds in the trees. After a while, they slowed down a little, making the walk feel even more like they were all just taking a morning stroll through a forest on a warm summer day, instead of being on another planet trying to find out whether there was locals, and whether they were friendly or not.

They heard the village before they saw it—actually three whole zigzags before they saw it.

"Hey, look at this," Daniel said when they had finally emerged from the forest to be confronted with the town. He kneeled down in front of what looked like a square marble gravestone standing up right, about three feet high, it had a little engraved picture at the top. "Interesting…"

Colonel O'Neill walked over to stand behind him, looking over his shoulder at the picture. "Yes," he agreed with his usual sarcasm, "they like art. Dark, morbid art."

Daniel ran his finger over the little engraving. It was a picture of a large beast-like thing attacking what looked like a human, ripping it to shreds and eating its… insides. There was a moon that looked to be full, along with stars and a back ground of trees. He couldn't quite place the style of engravings—it seemed to be of mixed origin. There was no writing on the stone at all and no colour, just a simple picture.

"Okay, time to go. If the other kids play nice then you can come back and look later." With that Jack turned and headed down the path toward the village, Teal'c beside him.

Daniel got up and both he and Sam followed a couple steps behind, glancing at the passing streetlamps and picture stones that stood on either side of the wide path, interchanging every ten feet or so.

When they reached the village they were greeted almost immediately by a man who looked a little over thirty with dark, nearly shoulder length hair. He held out his hand for the Jack to shake, smiling warmly.

"E' zine yao no' 'fore. Di' yao kim sphore tha Jear-ny Gate?"

There was a hesitant pause, in which Jack took the offered hand and smiled as well, though clearly not understanding what he was saying. And truth be told, Daniel didn't have a clue either, though he searched thoroughly for something similar, he came up empty handed. It didn't sound the least bit familiar.

"Daniel?" Jack said, glancing sideways at him.

He looked at Jack and shrugged. "I think he said, 'gate'?"

At that word the man nodded patiently, still smiling. "Jear-ny Gate."

"Jear-ny Gate?" Daniel drew a circle in the air with his finger and the man nodded again. Then he smiled and nodded at the man agreeably. "Yes, we came through the Jear-ny Gate."

This seemed to satisfy the man as then, he stretched his arms wide and bowed slightly. "'e'kem thine. E'm Tolshen." He pointed to himself during the last word signifying that that was his name.

Daniel quickly introduced them but before he could say anything else a woman came up beside Tolshen. He spoke rapidly to her for a few seconds and she nodded. He turned back to them, bowed, gestured to the light-haired woman next to him and then left.

The woman smiled at them and held out a hand for Jack to shake, which he took. "Welcome. Tolshen says you come through the Gate?" And although there was still a strong accent to her words, she was understandable.

"Yes," O'Neill answered firmly since she seemed to be talking to him directly.

"My name is Airsha. Welcome to Iryshrow of Phelan. I shall take you to Maeshrin, our leader, if you wish." She smiled warmly and gestured for them to follow.

-Present time-

"He has already changed then?" Maeshrin asked sounding concerned. After reaching the village, it had only taken the three members of SG1 a few minutes to explain the situation to the man.

Daniel nodded, slightly worried at Maeshrin's concern.

"This is unfortunate," Maeshrin announced solemnly. "His body has not yet had the time to prepare itself. He would be in great pain."

"Do you know how to stop it?" Sam asked.

Maeshrin shook his head. "There is nothing that can stop the change from happening ever again, but we can prevent it for one night." Maeshrin opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a small clear pouch that was filled with a yellow-green substance. He placed it on the desk. "Give him this, here,"—he pointed to the side of his neck—"and he must be awake when the night comes."

Teal'c took the pouch and they all stood.

"In two days, I shall send Reshna to explain what causes this…" Maeshrin then added gravely, "Make sure you do this though, or your Colonel may not survive the change again."