Okay, so it was a little more than a week. It is a long chapter, though. :0) Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. I can't wait to read them with each chapter I post.

Warning! Too much Halloween candy can cause many hours getting to know your dentist. Maybe he's a nice guy. Maybe he's not. All I know is he went to the school of torture.

Once the Twilight

Chapter Eight

"Up or around?" Sam asked, looking up at the large cliff-face that had sprouted in front of them. She glanced back at Galek and frowned.

"It will take days to go around," Galek said. "Up is best."

Sam sighed. Great. She looked back up and put her hands on her hips. "Are you sure? You know where we are?"

Galek gave her a look that she couldn't quite read. Frustration mixed with forced patience, maybe? "I know where we are," he said. "This wall is usually covered with water this time of year."

A waterfall? Sam stepped back a bit in surprise. She let her eyes take in her surroundings again, this time noticing the indentations in the dirt and the way the trees were discolored halfway up their trunks. Both were indications of flooding. "Where's the water?"

"The rain has not yet created enough to run off the mountain and cause the lake to spill its contents."

Sam nodded and cast her eyes up at the clouds that were quickly rolling in. "And if that opens up on us…"

Galek smiled. "We should climb quickly."

Sam couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting. "Nice." She tightened the straps on her backpack and stepped up to the wall. She reached out and tested a rough edge of rock that jutted from it. It was firm. The slope wasn't the steepest she'd ever climbed and there were even plants that jutted out periodically. Piece of cake.

Galek put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and mentally kicked herself for it. Annoyed, she turned back to him. "What?"

"I believe there is rope in my bag," he said. "If you wait, I will fashion a harness for you." His eyes lifted to the wall and back to her. "I could then climb up to the first ledge and lower it down to you."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "You want to pull me up the cliff?"

"It is my duty," he answered.

Sam shook her head and bit her tongue for what felt like the thousandth time today. Without a word, she turned back to the mountain and grabbed her first handhold. She pulled herself up with little effort and found purchase with her feet.

"I have offended you again."

"Should be old hat by now." She reached up with her other hand and made a few inches progress.

She heard him sigh.

She closed her eyes and tried to be more understanding. It was easier to do when she didn't have to look at him and remember. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Come on."

There was a moment of silence while she pulled herself further up. Then she heard the shuffle of rock as he took hold of the wall.

OoOoOoOoO

"What do you think it is?" Daniel kept his voice low in case they weren't alone. Sweat glistened on his forehead and he could feel the tension in his shoulders to match the pain in his leg.

They'd been walking all morning after spending a rather unpleasant night nestled down between a few tall boulders that didn't quite block the rain. Up here on the mountain, there hadn't been much in the way of shelter and Jack, having taken the first shift, had awoken soaked and grumpy. His inability to reach Carter or Teal'c on the radio had made his mood even worse.

"I don't know," Jack said. "Doesn't look like it belongs here, though." He lay on his belly beside his teammate, hidden behind some tall grass.

Ahead of them sat an unnaturally split peak of rock nestled in the face of the mountain. Its two pieces stood about thirty feet high, as if the hand of God had reached in and parted the rock as He had parted the Red Sea. Hidden between the pieces, in the shadow of the mountain behind, sat a room-sized structure. It was the perfect hiding place for something you didn't want found. If they hadn't been right on top of it, they'd have never known it was there. Daniel guessed it would be just about invisible from above.

"It looks clear to me," he said. He wrinkled his nose and squinted against the sunlight.

Jack nodded. "I thought so, too."

The building was deserted. They'd been watching it for at least twenty minutes and not so much as a weed had moved.

Jack pushed himself up from their hiding place and started to walk toward the structure, his gun clutched at the ready.

Daniel followed, though more slowly, growing more curious the closer they got to the building. "It doesn't look like anything the locals would build," he said.

"What locals?" Jack gestured around at the steep terrain. "Who in their right mind would live here?"

"You know what I mean, Jack. The people on this planet don't build structures like this. They use brick and wood, not metal." He put his hand up to shield the sun from his eyes. "And I can't imagine they'd come all the way up here to build anything."

"I don't know," Jack said, pulling the brim of his cap lower. "Vacation home in the middle of nowhere… on a dangerous precipice… way up high… in the mountains…" He stopped and tilted his head. His eyes met Daniel's skeptical ones. "It could happen."

"Right." Daniel limped forward.

Jack pressed the button on his radio. "Carter. Teal'c."

It was at least the eighth time he'd done so in the last hour. Daniel had stopped saying anything after the angry glare Jack had given him the third time he'd pointed out that they shouldn't expect to hear anything.

His silence didn't earn him a reprieve. When there wasn't an answer from the radio Jack took his sunglasses off and gave Daniel a warning look. "I heard that."

"I didn't say anything."

"But you thought it."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, Daniel, you did."

"You can't blame someone for thinking something."

"Watch me."

Daniel shook his head and kept walking.

The sun glinted off the metal structure. It was beginning to look strangely familiar the closer they got. Daniel felt himself growing more and more excited.

"Is it just me, or does this look suspiciously like—"

"Asgard." Daniel nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. I mean, it's not too surprising considering this was a treaty protected planet before the king kicked the Asgard out."

"A lot of good the treaty did these people."

"They couldn't step in after the people willingly accepted Goa'uld rule."

"They didn't know the king was Goa'uld."

Daniel shook his head. He grimaced as he stepped over a rather large, prickly plant. "Doesn't matter. If the Asgard came in and liberated a world the Goa'uld considered theirs, it could have endangered other worlds protected by treaties… including Earth."

Jack pursed his lips and cleared his throat. "Some protection. They threw an asteroid at us. I didn't see the Asgard step in to save our butts, either."

The radios on their vests squealed; they started at the sound. Loud feedback whistled from their speakers and grew with each step they took. Jack reached up quickly to switch his radio off.

Daniel did the same, and they both stopped.

"What…?"

"Something in the building is interfering with the signal," Daniel said.

Jack's brow wrinkled. "What signal? We haven't heard so much as a peep since we got here." His gaze shot to the building as if he were on to something.

It was Daniel's turn to read Jack's thoughts. He nodded. "Could be. Won't know until we see what's inside."

"I knew you were going to say that."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Sam reached up for the next handhold, found purchase, and pulled herself up another few inches. Rain poured down on her, making her grip slippery at best. She spat the water from her mouth and reached for another handhold.

Sam glanced down at Galek, who stood on the last shelf they'd reached, about thirty feet down, and wondered only half-jokingly whether his offer to pull her up was still on the table. The rain and wind were miserable and she was sure the tips of her fingers were worn raw by now, even though the actual climb was not the most difficult. Still, was there really anything wrong with letting the guy work a little harder? She let herself entertain the thought as she reached for the next handhold.

Her heart leapt when long fingers wrapped around her outstretched wrist. She was suddenly lifted upward, her knees and stomach scraping the rocks of the cliff-face as she went. She heard Galek's surprised shout below her, but turned her attention immediately to the angry Jaffa who hefted her up. His face was devoid of emotion, but his grip tightened as he pulled on her arm ruthlessly. Her entire weight hung from her shoulder. Her muscles burned with the stress, and she swore she heard the joint creak. She feared it would be pulled from its socket. Sam gritted her teeth and pawed at the cliff-face with her feet and free arm. Her limbs scrabbled against the surface, sent a cascade of pebbles and dirt downward, but she couldn't get purchase to relieve the pressure on her arm. If she fought back and he released her… she glanced down. The fall would kill her. She gritted her teeth against the agony and watched as the distance between her and the Jaffa closed.

He dragged her inch by inch onto the ledge. Once her knees cleared it she scrambled forward. But he kept pulling. He yanked her forward faster than she expected. She couldn't get her feet under her.

He dragged her away from the cliff and dropped her.

Rocks and dirt bit into her palms as they hit the ground. She pushed herself up, and her hands shot to her gun. She looked up, squinted through the rain to find her aim, and saw him only as a large, indistinct blur who swung towards her. His staff weapon slammed into her face.

Her head whipped back and she saw stars. Darkness threatened the edges of her vision, but she blinked it away. She threw up her hands and grabbed the head of the weapon before he swung a second time. Her hands found slick purchase. It almost slipped out of her grasp as he yanked, but she held firm.

The Jaffa reversed his momentum and stepped toward her.

Sam saw his intent and shifted her weight to avoid the heavy foot he aimed at her rib cage. It glanced off her torso, but she missed the full brunt of the assault. She ignored the pain and rolled hard left. The staff weapon twisted from her assailant's hands, but before she could bring it to bear the Jaffa came at her again. He swung his arm around to strike her and Sam jabbed him in the gut with the back end of the staff. He staggered backward, bent over, stunned long enough for Sam to reverse and prime the weapon.

The Jaffa snarled and advanced on Sam again. His weapon kicked in her hands and his face twisted with pain as his chest lit up with fire. Sam felt instant relief and gave a humorless smile of triumph. But before he'd fallen to the ground, arms reached around her and pinned hers to her sides in a crushing vise. She felt the breath of another Jaffa on her cheek. His arm gauntlets dug into her biceps and squeezed the air from her lungs.

A third Jaffa came from behind her and into sight. He rounded the two of them so they were face-to-face. She took in his handsome features before they twisted with a sneer. "Drop the weapon and surrender."

"I don't think so." It was hard to find the air to speak. She could feel her fingers start to go numb, but she held tight to the staff weapon even though she had no hope of aiming it anywhere but at the muddy ground. She squirmed in his grasp, twisting her body in an attempt to break free. Her captor's answer was to tighten his grip on her. The pressure made her ribs hurt.

"So, it was not Tok'ra who snuck past our security yesterday." The Jaffa in front of her eyed the insignia sewn on the shoulder of her BDUs. "Interesting. What purpose have the Tau'ri here?"

"I thought it'd be a great place… for a summer home," she grunted.

Anger lit his face. He kicked the weapon from her hands and stepped forward. He buried his hand in her hair and pulled back so she was forced to meet his gaze. The pain made her eyes water. With his other hand, he unclipped her gun from her vest and let it fall to the ground.

"I warn you not to toy with me. I have no patience for it."

Rain poured down into her now slightly upturned face. She blinked it away and glared back at him.

"How many of you are here?"

"How many of me are here?" Her breath caught as the Jaffa squeezed. Her lungs screamed as she sucked in air. "You're looking at her."

The hand in her hair yanked sharply.

Sam refused to let the pain show. "You're wasting your time," she said. "I'm not telling you anything." She swung her leg up with all her might and kicked the Jaffa's inseam. He cried out in surprise and pain, took a step backward, and fell over the dead Jaffa.

The man who held her was thrown off balance by her sudden movement. She took advantage and brought her boot back to rake it against his instep. He cried out and tried to shuffle her. Seeing her chance, she stuck her legs between his, effectively tripping him up. They both landed hard on the ground. Mud and water splashed up into her mouth.

She rolled off the Jaffa and came to her knees, taking a deep and much needed breath. Both men were already getting up. The one who'd pulled her hair pushed himself to his feet, but he hadn't yet regained his balance when she tucked and rolled into his legs. He fell to the ground again even as she righted herself.

Sam spied the staff weapon that lay between them at the same moment the handsome one saw it. Her ribs gave a twinge as she threw herself forward, her arm reaching for its golden handle. It was no good. She was just too far away. She watched the Jaffa's hand grip the staff and draw it up off the ground, a look of triumph on his face.

A whistling sound flew above her and the Jaffa fell to his back, eyes staring, an arrow stuck in his neck.

Galek had finally crested the small cliff.

Sam didn't take time to celebrate. She crawled toward the Jaffa and grabbed the staff weapon. Her hand wrapped around the cold metal just as a fiery blast hit the ground next to her hip. Her eyes shot up to find three more Jaffa rushing toward her. Only one held a staff weapon. The other two carried zats.

Curious. Zats weren't the usual Jaffa weapon of choice.

She pushed the thought away and raised her own staff weapon. She managed to shoot the closest enemy before she was forced to dodge a zat blast. The zing of the charge seized her as it conducted itself through a puddle underneath her knees. The jolt wasn't enough to knock her out, but it rang in her ears and stole her breath for a moment.

Galek ran to her side, bow drawn. He shot an arrow into the shoulder of another Jaffa. He dropped the zat he carried, and with barely a pause, kept coming.

Sam stood, but the staff weapon flew from her hands as it was caught by a another zat blast. This shock was worse than the last and she felt her knees start to buckle. She forced them to lock beneath her and bent low to meet the attack of the advancing enemy.

Galek, without time to grab and draw another arrow, threw himself at the other man. They both fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Sam aimed a kick at her assailant's weapon and sent it sailing into the air. He hit her hard with his fist and then landed a kick to her knee. She grunted as stars once again exploded around her. The world seemed to wobble, but she stayed on her feet. If she fell, he'd have her. She stepped back into a defensive stance, blinking quickly to bring the world back into focus.

The Jaffa charged her. She ducked low and used his momentum to send him over her shoulder. He fell hard on his back but kicked out to trip her up. She jumped over his legs and swirled to face him. He flipped himself up to his feet and squared off with her. His back was to the cliff now. She could hear the grunts of the two others fighting nearby.

She put up her guard and waited for the attack to come. It never did. One second, the Jaffa looked madder than spit and the next, his eyes widened and fear lit his face. Instantly, Sam knew it wasn't her he was afraid of. He was looking at something over her shoulder.

The Jaffa took one more glance at her and then ran to her left and into the trees, leaving his buddy behind.

Sam turned reluctantly to see what had sent the Jaffa scampering off and her eyes widened. Just behind a tree, not thirty feet away stood an extremely large… something. Instinctively, she took a step backward. It matched her step back with a step forward. The animal snorted loudly through its gigantic nostrils and the leaves on the tree in front of it moved. Even through the rain, Sam could tell this wasn't an animal to play around with.

Galek stood, having finally downed the Jaffa he'd been fighting, and must have noticed the alarmed look on her face because he turned to look at the animal. He stiffened.

"Nobody said anything about dinosaurs," Sam said. The lizard-like beast resembled a T-Rex, but he was green and had the black plumage of a raven on top of his head. He took another step toward them and let out a chilling roar.

"Stay very still," Galek said calmly.

"Still it is," Sam said. She glanced behind her at the drop-off that wasn't as far away as she'd like. The fall wasn't huge unless you included the three other smallish cliffs they'd had to climb to get to this particular plateau. None of the landings in between had been larger than four or five feet wide and she could see the very bottom from where she stood. It was a long way down.

The creature roared again, drawing her complete attention. It pawed at the ground and snorted.

"So we just stand here and it'll go away, right?"

"It is not likely." Galek made a few clicking sounds with his mouth and stepped a bit closer to Sam.

Sam let out an exasperated sigh. "What are we standing around for, then?" Her weapon lay not far in front of her. She dove for it and pointed it at the animal.

"That will merely make it angry," Galek said.

"Got any better ideas?" She stood. The creature had paused a moment in reaction to her sudden move for the gun. Now, it eyed her like she was going to be supper.

Galek took another step toward her.

The animal charged.

Sam registered Galek's alarmed shout and pulled the trigger, but as he had said, the bullets merely bounced off the animal's tough skin.

It hesitated for a moment, though, and belched out another loud roar.

Sam had nowhere to go.

In the back of her mind, another sound had begun to grow louder. She couldn't identify it. Almost like a low rumble.

"Sam!" Galek's voice held a new note in it. One of fear she hadn't heard from him yet. "We must move!"

Sam took a step back and felt the edge of the cliff with her heel. "Yeah, that's brilliant!" She glanced at him and then quickly back at the animal that looked like it was ready to come at them again. "Where do you suggest we go?"

"Away from the flood water's path!"

"What flood water?"

Galek pointed and she understood. The rumble grew louder and Sam saw why. They stood at the edge of a short mountain valley whose incline was almost imperceptible except for on either side of them, where there appeared to be hip-high dirt embankments about ten meters apart. Almost like they were in a dried riverbed. Or an arroyo.

With all the fighting, she'd almost forgotten where they were. Waterfall.

The creature snapped at them.

"I'll cover you! Go!" Sam fired at it again, this time aiming for the face. It roared and backed away.

"I will not leave you behind!"

"I'll be right behind you! Go!" With a renewed sense of urgency, Sam pulled the trigger and held it, pushing the animal farther back. Galek's arrows joined her bullets. It cried out under the onslaught and finally turned to run.

Sam felt a sense of panic as she caught sight of the surge just beyond it. The rain that had pelted them through the night and then today had begun to run down the mountain. The floodwaters filled the arroyo quickly, and if they didn't get out of its path, would wash them back down the mountainside.

And Galek still stood stubbornly beside her.

The water rushed under the feet of the animal. He scrambled against the tide toward the nearest embankment.

Sam thought the creature had the right idea. She grabbed onto Galek's shirt and pulled. Together, they ran to the right. The water crashed around them and her feet disappeared beneath the flood. It was cold and it pulled at her, trying to sweep her off the shelf. But she could fight it. It wasn't going to win. Even though it quickly rose from her ankles to her calves, she was able to push toward safety.

"At least it got rid of our friend!" she called back to Galek.

"We are lucky. Erostas are vicious animals. We would not have won."

"I don't know about that. I think we were starting to have an understanding."

Sam spied the edge of the arroyo just in front of her. The water had quickly risen to her hips and gained some strength. It pushed her off balance. She felt herself start to fall. With the weight of her pack, she wasn't sure she'd be able to pull herself back up. The ledge was still far too close for comfort.

Galek's hands grabbed her upper arm. He pulled her back up and waited until she'd found her balance before he released her.

She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

And then the ground beneath their feet disappeared, washed away by the rushing water.

I'm hard at work on chapter nine... as well as the three assignments coming up this week for my masters program: a literary analysis of a short story (that isn't exactly short), a more than a little complex writing exercise, and a 20 page minimum short story of my very own. Needless to say, I'll be busy. I promise to get chapter nine posted as soon as I possibly can. Now that's a promise I can keep. :0)

Remember, I love, love, love, love to hear from you! (Especially on nutso weeks like this one.)