"Oh, god," Daniel moaned, immediately shutting his eyes against the harsh light that seemed to be coming from the doorway. His head pounded in tandem with his heart, and he could feel his stomach rolling around.

Wait. Doorway?

He forced his eyes open, and looked around. He was in a dark tent, lit only by the sunlight coming from the open flaps and the smoke hole in the top. He was currently tied to the center pole. Tightly, given the pain in his shoulders, and the numbness in his arms. At the moment, he wished his head was numb too.

And he was alone. No Jack. Okay, that wasn't good. He remembered how the blow had caught him off guard the night before. He'd woken to the snap of twigs in front of him, had barely registered the guards proximity before he felt pain flare in his cheek, and then nothing after that.

What had happened to Jack? Was he being held somewhere else? Was he injured? Panic began to lick at his consciousness until he stamped it down. No reason to panic. One more tough situation, that's all. To be honest, he should have been more alert. He knew the tests weren't over. Why had he allowed himself to relax?

He had dared to allow their routine to lull him into a sense of security. The days had been long, rising with the sun, walking all day, and then bedding down just before sunset. Tired, sore from walking, and gathering food stuffs, the nights wrapped in Jack's arms had been far too short.

Daniel allowed himself a smile. Jack had never pushed, never assumed, and had never asked. Daniel had set the pace for any activities they might have engaged in. He truly enjoyed watching Jack as Daniel gave him pleasure. Up until their capture, he hadn't himself managed a complete erection, though lately a tingle of arousal burned, spiking as Jack came down his throat.

Jack's understanding went a long way in providing that sense of security. He'd never made Daniel feel less for his lack of achievement.

Movement at the door returned his thoughts to his present predicament. An old woman stood there, decked out in beads and a leather tunic that hung loosely on her thin frame. Her face was brown and wrinkled, her figure hunched. But there was a fire and a snap to those old brown eyes that made for wisdom.

"You are awake," she observed.

Daniel barely refrained from snapping back a retort. She was speaking to him, and so far, that was more than anyone else had. So he smiled politely.

"So it appears," he replied respectfully.

The old woman snorted. "Your politeness is wasted on me. Your fate has been sealed. I am here only to deliver your sentence."

A million questions ran through Daniel's mind, but in the end, there was only one. "What's your name?"

He could see the surprise in the woman's eyes. She had thought to have him pegged, and had been proven wrong. He watched as she chortled with laughter.

"You have spine, boy. I like that. My name is Arkaya. I am Shaman of the Iskat. You may ask your questions," she granted.

Daniel sighed. He shouldn't, knew he shouldn't ask, but he had to know. "Where's Jack? My companion? Is he all right?"

Hey eyes immediately lost their sparkle. "Your love is no more."

Daniel's breathing hitched. Jack was dead? When? How? Tears threatened to crush him with their weight. What had they done to deserve this? To finally find each other, only to be ripped apart?

No, it couldn't be possible. He opened his mouth to deny it, but the gentle watering of her eyes told him there was no point. Daniel closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the post.

"Jack," he whispered mournfully. It wasn't fair. "Please, no."

"I am sorry, young one," Arkaya tried to comfort. Daniel felt a moment of empathy from her. Obviously, the punishment had not been her choice. Did she recognize the love between them? Had she ever known it herself? What was he going to do now?

Daniel's tears dried on his face. No! Jack was not dead! He was sure he would have felt something. Jack was the reason Daniel bothered with it all. He'd never worked to save the world- he'd worked to save Jack. His best friend. Lover. Life partner. It wasn't possible that his passing would be marked by mere grief. There was no great yawning chasm of grief, no dark abyss of despair.

Renewed, he kept his eyes closed. Jack was here, somewhere. He might be hurt, but he was not dead!

"Take me to him!" Daniel demanded, his eyes snapping open.

Arkaya's eyebrows rose at the swift change in the young man before her. She almost allowed herself a smile. Perhaps all was not lost. She was old, and tired of the games her people played, tired of death. Would she be granted one moment of peace before her end?