CHAPTER 8

"I don't' remember much after getting into the rings, but the next thing I remember was waking up in a bed. Tomin had found me and believed that I had been sent to him by the gods. So I let him keep on thinking that. I was in the Ori home galaxy and had no way of knowing if the Ori knew that I was there or not. Tomin was a very sweet man. As I had mentioned earlier he had been stricken with a limp since childhood, the others lookdown on him and it had been some time since he had company. A few weeks past and I began to feel better. Then I realized that I was pregnant."

"How could you be certain?"

"Women know these kinds of things Daniel."

"Sorry, do go on."

"Anyway I knew that I had a problem because Tomin was a very devout man and if he knew that I was pregnant he would more than likely report me to Seevis, whom at the time I did not know was an Ori rebel, and they would burn me alive."

"So what did you do?"

"The only thing that I could go given the circumstances. I took advantage of the fact that Tomin was smitten with me and convinced him to marry me. That way I could sleep with him and pray the timing was close enough that he could be convinced that the baby was his."

Daniel was dumbstruck.

"You married him?"

"As I told you before I had no choice. It was that or death and excuse me for not wanting to be slapped on an altar and fried."

"I'm sorry," Daniel said apologetically. "It's just a lot to take in."

"Tell me about it."

"What happened next?"

"Well, Tomin and I got married and as I had hoped the timing was right and I was able to convince him that the child belonged to him. After a few months I began to put out feelers regarding the Anti-Ori underground. That's when Seevis chained me up without food or water for three days."

"And the baby survived?"

"Yes," Vala said looking down at her stomach. "Part of we was kind of grateful for it. However that's when I realized that it may not be a normal child. Not too long after I overheard a Prior telling Tomin that the child did not belong to him, but was in fact, the will of the Ori."

"How did Tomin react to that?"

"Not good. But we'll get to that part later. By that time I had earned Seevis and Denya's trust. I had explained to them who I was and how I got here. That's when they showed me the communication terminal and stones that Harrid and Sallis had found in Ver Ager. It seems that every so often objects that pre-date the creation by the Ori is are dug up and taken to Celestis to be burned. However, it's seems that your speech about people from another galaxy did not fall on deaf ears. Seevis' spies managed to pass that information along to monks that he has working within the city of Celestis. They managed to intercept the terminal before it was burned and brought it to him in Ver Isca."

"That's what you used to try and contact me the first time?"

"Yes, however we got interrupted by Tomin. It seems that he had grown suspicious after his conversation with the Prior and began to follow me."

"What happened?"

"He killed Seevis, then Denya. During the confusion I was accidentally hit."

"This explains why I passed out."

"When I woke up I learned that Tomin had the Prior heal me. He was livid and accused me of betraying him. However I was able to convince him that Seevis and Denya took me against my will and that they forced me to try and communicate with the unbelievers. That I honestly believed that the child belonged to him and my pregnancy meant that the Ori chose us to partake on an important duty."

"And he believed you?"

"Like I told you before he wasn't a man that had a great deal of companions over the years, he came to love me a great deal."

"How do you feel about him?"

Vala blushed and Daniel could tell right away that Vala cared for Tomin. However her eyes gave away her answer before she could say a word.

"I care for Tomin. He's sweet, kind and not that bad looking either. However he is a very devout follower of the Ori and I don't think that there will be anything that I could say to him that would change his mind. There are times when I wish I could convince him, to show him that what the Ori preach is false. But if you're asking if I love him, I do. But not in a romantic way."

Daniel couldn't help but feel strangely relieved by that. He could tell by her smile that she did indeed care for Tomin, and it hurt her that she could not give more to him that he had given to her. It seemed that time in the Ori galaxy had been hard on Vala. However it was the kind of hard that usually led to one becoming a better person. Vala gave Daniel a smile and tightened her grip on his hands.

"You need to get me out of here," she whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

Daniel got down on his knees to where he was eye level with Vala. Taking her head in his hands, he kissed her forehead.

"I promise. I'll bring you home."

Stifling back tears Vala hugged Daniel and for the first time in months, she felt truly safe.