He awoke a short while later, hearing someones voice. He could not quite determine where it was coming from, it was somehow...inside his head?

*Yes...it is me, Lantash. I have done a very quick preliminary blending, since we must get further away from here soon before the Jaffa finds us. We will fully blend later - then you will truly understand us.*

"It is...a very strange sensation...to have someone talking inside your head..."

*You said that out loud...just...sort of think it to me instead...* Lantash smiled.

*Sorry...*

*It always takes a little while getting used to...*

*Lantash...can you read all my thoughts, my memories...* he was suddenly apprehensive.

*Yes, I can read your thoughts and your memories, but I will not do so unless you allow me to. It is not unusual that both have something he wishes to remain private, more so at first than later on.*

*I understand...* he sounded relieved, *...Lantash, how do I know you are not a Goa'uld? I saw your eyes glow...your voice has the same distortion...*

*Well...technically I am a Goa'uld, but if I subscribed to the same philosophy as they do, we would not be having this conversation...*

*So you could do what they do? Suppress the host, cause him pain, kill him...but you just would never do it?*

*That is correct. As a Tok'ra, I will do all that is in my power to protect you from harm, and to keep you healthy...we truly wish to share the body with our host...in our natural form we have little opportunity to interact with our surroundings, we can only survive a short time out of water - indeed, when we have been in our first host we need either to be ina host or in a very special environment to even survive. Through a host we gain the ability to walk, talk, hands to manipulate the world around us...in return we give the host a longer life, health, some extra strength and endurance, as well as knowledge...*

*It seems the host gains much more than you do...and all for just sharing their body...to me it sounds like a more than fair deal for me, since you could just take it...even though I do believe that you never would.*

*To us, it seems like we get the greater deal...there is one more thing...we both gain a very close friend. Host and symbiote become closer to each other than to anyone else.*

Atli mentally nodded. *So...can I glow my eyes now?*

Lantash smiled slightly, *well, technically, I will be the one glowing your eyes, but...yes.*

*Lantash...one more thing...*

*Yes?*

*Since I will be leaving the planet and starting a new - and totally different life, I feel it would be right to no longer use my child-name. I know it would otherwise have been many months before I would have taken my adult name - my real name. We...my family and I...would have had a ceremony to signify that I was now an adult. I would declare who I was in front of my family...using my real name for the first time. It is, I believe, a tradition left over from a time when it was not at all certain a child would live to adulthood - and not until then were they given a true name. At any rate, after the ceremony everyone would only use my adult name...it is a big celebration in our culture, and I was looking forward to it - and to the presents, I guess...* he admitted, blushing a little. *Since my family will not be able to celebrate it with me, I would at the very least like to take my real name while still on my home world. Do you understand?*

*Yes, of course. Much has happened in the last few days - forcing you to mature much faster than you should have. To me it seems very fitting that you should be considered an adult - and changing your name might also serve to help you put these days behind you...so, what is your true name, my friend?*

*Martouf,* he stated proudly. *I am named in honour of my great great grand father - one of the men responsible for creating the modern Setona.*

*Then from today you will be known by the name Martouf.* Lantash gave his new host a hug. *Come, Martouf. It is time to get up and leave this place together with the others. No doubt they are starting to worry...if there is anything you think of to ask, just do so. When we find a safe place we will complete the blending.*

Lantash opened his eyes and sat up. Zarin immediately went to him, intending to help him stand, but he waved her off. "Thank you, but we are fine." He looked around, not seeing his former host's body.

"We disintegrated Nemura's body, so it would not fall into the hands of Nephthys." Malek said, handing over a necklace to Lantash.

Lantash nodded sadly, taking the necklace. Martouf felt an intense wave of grief, as Lantash looked at it, thinking of his former host.

*We both wanted our mates to have this. If we decide to continue the relationship, new ones will be made for them and us.* He started walking, following the others.

*I understand...wait! Mates? You have mates? You have been intimate with a woman?*

Lantash laughed softly, thinking of Rosha and Jolinar. *Yes, young one, I have mates...and yes, I have mated with them...often. I hope we will continue the relationship, but we will have to see. Generally, it continues, unless the new host absolutely cannot accept his or her symbiote's mates, or they cannot accept the new host. Such a thing is very rare, though.*

*What if the new host already has a mate?*

*It is unusual for the host to bring their mate or family to the tunnels - our base. Usually he would leave his former life and only visit his family, since he would be joining a secret - and of course forbidden - resistance movement. It would be too dangerous to bring them. If however, he did bring a mate, and his symbiote already had a mate or mates...I assume everyone would attempt to get along, or the host would have to chose. If nothing could be worked out another host might be found. As I said, it is rare. I do not know of it happening in my time.*

Martouf nodded. *How old are you, Lantash?*

*I am 544 years old. While it sounds like a lot, for a symbiote I am very young. Mine was Egeria's last clutch - Egeria is the Tok'ra queen who started our resistance and spawned most of us...I will explain more about the Tok'ra and symbiotes later.*

*How long was Nemura your host?*

*Just under 200 years.* Lantash again sounded sad at the mentioning of his former host.

*Sorry, I should not have brought him up...*

*It is all right...you should ask all that is on your mind.*

*He looked so young...and yet he had been your host for 200 years!* Martouf suddenly thought of something. *How long will I live, now when I am blended with you?*

*The lifespan of the host depends on his or her age at the time of blending. You are very young, much younger than most when they become hosts...baring extreme injuries, you could most likely live another 500 years or so as my host.*

*500 years!*

*Yes...Nemura was only my second host...* another wave of sadness hit Martouf, *I am pleased that you are so young...it will be a very long time before I lose you...*

*You loved your former host very much.*

*Yes, the relationship between host and symbiote are extremely close - and we love deeply and forever...I will never forget him.*

*How long have you been with your mates? What are their names?...you really have two mates?*

*Almost 75 years. Their names are Rosha and Jolinar...yes, there are two, as they are Tok'ra. Jolinar is the symbiote.*

*I...I look forward to meeting them...I guess. I have never even had a girlfriend before - I haven't even kissed anyone yet, as pathetic as that may sound. What will they think of me?...and what if I cannot learn to love them?*

*You will love them, unless you have an extreme antipathy against them. Host and symbiote feel as one when it comes to deeper feelings. Soon we will love as one, and you will not worry about this.*

*They still may not like me - and will the love I feel not be different, since it is really yours and not my own?*

*I believe they will get to like you, though they will need time to grieve for Nemura first. We shall see. As for your other question...why would it matter where and how the love started? It will become your feelings, and you cannot tell the difference. Your own feelings will grow from those you get from me.*

*All right. I hope you are correct, though I suppose you know better than me.*

"Lantash?" Johan said, "we have not yet spoken to Atli after your blending, how is he handling all of this?"

"He has many questions, but is otherwise very well. Atli was his child-name, and he has chosen to no longer use it. He will go by his adult name from now on - Martouf."

Lantash bowed his head and gently pushed Martouf forward.

*It felt very strange when you were in control of my body - my mouth moving and my legs walking by the command of someone else...but this feels strange as well...my mind being 'pushed' forward and suddenly I have control again...*

*You will get used to it - it will soon feel no stranger than, say, moving a hand...talk to them.*

"Hi...yes, Lantash is right. I am fine. Everything is just a little...weird...I guess...and yes, I would like to use my adult name now...I have begun a new life now anyway, and will be away from this planet soon? What more 'grown up' can you be than leaving your home world?"

The others smiled, remembering well how strange it had been at first, to share your body with another.

"Indeed - Martouf. We have all experienced it...it is strange at first, but soon you will not wish to live without your soul mate," Jena said. "Another thing - do you know of any place where we can hide for a few weeks or so? The Tok'ra have two operatives at Nephthys court. When we do not report back one of them will try to get stationed on Setona. However, it might take at least a month for them to succeed. If we can then make contact, they may be able to help us flee this planet."

Martouf thought for a little while. "There are caves in the mountains to the west of this forest. They were used hundreds of years ago, by slaves who had fled from Anubis. We visited them on a school trip when I was in 5th grade. They are not too far away...I think we can reach them in 3-4 days."

"That is what we will do, then. We still have food enough to last us almost a week, if we stretch it. We will have to look for edible plants, fruits, and berries, as well as perhaps animals to hunt."

"The problem is that I don't know what direction west is..."

"Do not concern yourself. When we were observing the chaapa'ai from the tree-line, the sun rose almost exactly in that direction. It is summer, so it rises in the north-east. The chaapa'ai is now almost exactly behind us, so that is north-east. We are then walking in a south-western direction. Thus, we need to adjust our direction slightly and walk more to the west." Thoran said.

Martouf just nodded at this. *Do not worry - you will soon learn how to navigate like that.* Lantash hugged his host.

*Thanks...it really felt like you embraced me. Can I learn to do that as well?*

*Yes, certainly. I think the best way to describe it is...it is a combination of projecting the feeling and stimulating the senses...* he repeated what he did before.

*Like this?* Martouf gave Lantash a small hug.

*Yes!* Lantash felt very proud of his new host. *You learned that very quickly!*

Martouf felt himself blush, then suddenly remembered what he wanted to ask. *I have been wondering...there is this strange, faintly prickling or maybe humming sensation - I am not sure how to describe it...I first felt it shortly after our...our blending...it is somewhat weaker now, but I still feel it...and the weirdest thing is...I also feel something very like it from the others...is that normal?*

*Yes, it is. What you feel is the naquadah in my - and now to some degree in your - blood, reacting or resonating with the naquadah in the others. We can sense other symbiotes as far off as 50 feet. We can also feel other sources of naquadah - what you feel behind us is the chaapa'ai. It contains a large amount of naquadah and we can sense it very far away. This is often useful. This is how we will find the mountains, and also how we found our way to the chaapa'ai before.*

*I agree that it would be useful...wait, you - we have naquadah in our blood? I have never heard of anyone having that in their body before...*

*All symbiotes have it in their blood...and to a smaller degree, so does anyone who is or ever has been a host. It is what enables us to use some of the Goa'uld technology which is keyed to only activate when it senses naquadah in the user. The Goa'uld have done this mostly to make it seem like magic to others who cannot use it. Much of the technology is also controlled by thought and emotion, meaning you need to know how to use it - how to focus your energy. I will teach you, beginning with the healing device you saw Zarin and Thoran use earlier.*

*Lantash...is it not...disturbing to always sense other symbiotes close by?*

*No, it is actually pleasant when you get used to it - home on our base, in the Tok'ra tunnels, there is almost always someone close enough to feel, and we have much naquadah-based technology. It reminds us of home and safety. That we are not alone, but among friends. The ability also warns us of approaching Jaffa or Goa'uld when we are away from home. It is of course also a problem, as the Goa'uld will sense us as well, though the Jaffa do not. Of course, we would usually pretend to be Goa'uld when we are near them, and use that to gain information from them. Tok'ra are often working undercover among them, sometimes for months or years. Fortunately, the Goa'uld rarely spend much time together, so we will usually only have to deal with Jaffa and human slaves.*

*You go on missions as Goa'uld, just as you went as humans here...*

*Yes, we can pretend to be either. It is to our advantage that we enter the host through the mouth instead of the neck, as the Goa'uld always do. There is no scar, which is what most look for when they check if someone is a Goa'uld...also, many hosts do not like the scar.* Lantash showed Martouf an image of how it looked.

*No. I would not like to have such a scar either. Why do the Goa'uld not enter through the mouth, then?*

*They do not like being reminded of the horror on the host's face every time they look in a mirror...since our hosts are willing, we do not have any such problems.*

*Do the Goa'uld not examine you for such a scar - it would seem an easy way of determining if you are a Goa'uld or a Tok'ra.*

*No, they would never do that! It is a serious insult to even suggest that a Goa'uld might be Tok'ra. Besides, they do not like to be reminded that it is not their own body, and thus hides the scar.*