Arrom, Arrom, Arrom.
It's all my grandfather talks of. Arrom, that's not even his real name.
No-one knows his real name, not even him!
My grandfather and his apprentice found him almost 2 moons ago, in a field south of the village. He was naked and didn't even know how he got there. Not that he remembers anything now.
Although he keeps to himself, rarely meeting any of us in the eyes, let alone talk to us, he managed to do earn himself a place in my grandfather's heart.
And it is this that has put me in the position I'm in now.
He managed to get himself sick. He goes nowhere but the forest, does nothing but sit in his tent most of the time, and he manages to get sick. So now I'm forced to care for him.
I didn't ask to, I don't want to, but as the 18 year old granddaughter of the leader of the clan, I must set an example an obey.
So this leaves me here, outside his tent, hating every second of this, but biting my tongue so hard I swear it'll fall off.
***
I opened the flap of his tent and sucked in my breath.
He was stretched out upon his bed, the sparse blanket tangled in his feet, where he had obviously tried to kick it away. His clothes were pulled about, I assumed in an attempt to actually remove them, but he had not gotten far. Thankfully he was asleep and couldn't me standing there like an idiot. You'd think I'd never seen a half-naked man before. Okay, so my grandfather believed that but then again, I wasn't about to tell him everything was I?
Slowly I crossed the small distance between us and kneeled at the side of his bed. I gently repositioned his clothes to a more modest state. He twitched slightly in his sleep and rolled on his side to face me.
I brushed the back of my hand over his forehead, the heat obvious before my skin even made contact.
Okay, so he had a fever, a pretty bad one at that. But I had treated people for fever before and most of them survived.
I opened my bag and removed the small pouch of water contained within. I stood, searching for a bowl to pour the water into, but managed to knock over a few cooking pans in the process.
Arrom stirred slightly, murmuring something in a language unfamiliar to me.
I sighed and returned to my search. Now I'm not known for my grace and managed to knock more things over. This time he really did stir, rolling onto his back, his head thrashing and a word on his lips.
"Na-ney!, Na-ney!"
The words were foreign, and spoken with fervour.
I made a soothing shushing sound, as though I was trying to quieten a child. Hurried in my task and came to sit by his beside once more.
"Na-ney, na-ney..." The words were fading now, his voice ebbing away.
"Arrom?" I called softly. I needed this man awake if I was to be able to tend to his sickness. He groaned in response.
"Arrom." I tried again, this time with success. His eyes opened and he looked at me, but I could tell he was not actually seeing my face.
"Arrom," The name seemed ridiculous now...he had only been naked until his arrival at the village. "I need you to wake up."
"What...what's....?" The words were strained and he swallowed convulsively, in noticeable pain.
"You're sick, but I'm here to help you get better." I spoke the words and suddenly realised I meant them. Curse my grandfather, he knew I could never turn my back to someone suffering.
"Sick?"
"Yes, but don't worry about that now. I need you to sit up, can you do that?" He finally focused on me.
"Who are you?" He sounded nervous, almost afraid.
"My name is Kartane, I am Shamda's granddaughter. I'm here to help." He seemed to consider my words and valiantly endeavoured to rise to an upright position.
Seeing his trouble I reached to his and wrapped my arms around his waist, with all my strength I aided him up. He may have been sick, but he certainly wasn't light!
"Thank you." He said in a quiet voice. I nodded solemnly at him and then spoke.
"I want you to drink this water. Can you do that?"
He weakly smiled at me and opened his mouth as the neck of the water pouch touched his lips. He managed 3 small sips then seemed to lose interest. I shook my head at him.
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to be well once more." My tone was light, almost gentle and he smiled at me.
"I'll try, but not now, please." I accepted his words and proceeded to pour some of the water into the bowl I had procured. As I soaked a cloth in the bowl, from the corner of my eye, I saw him watching me intently.
I concentrated on what I was doing, satisfied that the cloth was thoroughly wet, I wrung most of the water from it and lifted my head to meet his gaze.
"What are you going to do with that?" He inquired, the nervous tone back in his voice.
"You are taking a bath, of a sort." He shook his head, the clenched his eyes shut as the movement seemed to cause discomfort.
***
"Arrom, you're burning with fever, you need cooling down," I added a teasing tone to my voice, "besides that, you smell!"
He scrunched up his nose, inhaled deeply and frowned.
"Umm. Yeah sorry about that."
I grinned at him and indicated that he should allow me to remove his shirt.
He faltered for a second before reluctantly nodding his head.
The 'bath' was uneventful, Arrom became weary quickly and despite his early attempts at conversation, the bath was concluded in silence. As I slowly swiped the cloth over his feet, I heard him mutter.
"Arella"
I frowned and resolved to ask him about the strange language.
He slept fitfully for several hours before calming into a deep slumber. I relaxed against a mound of cloth, and soon drifted into my own slumber.
***
I awoke with a start, my mind filled with Arrom's face, and looked over to him. He was still sitting upright, awake and staring at me.
"You said my name." He stated simply.
"I did?"
"Yes, just before you woke."
"Do you make a habit of watching people sleep?"
"Do you have a habit of talking in your sleep?"
"No actually, that would be you."
He opened his mouth to respond, then swiftly closed it again. He appeared to think seriously for a second before he asked.
"Really. What did I say?"
"Umm. You said Na-ney."
"Really?" He seemed surprised. I was mildly disappointed, I wanted to know what that meant.
"Did I um...say anything else?" He look concerned. I smiled at him.
"Nothing to embarrass yourself about I would imagine. You said Arella."
"Arella." He rolled the word in his mouth, tasting the sound. "I don't know."
"It doesn't matter. Now that you're awake I want you to drink some more water. Alright?"
He sighed but as I moved to sit by him he shifted a little so I could sit upon his bed. I looked blankly at him.
"The floor's very hard." He said, as if that was the obvious answer.
I helped him drink the water, almost twice as much as before. I nodded and smiled my approval at him. Then glancing outside the tent rose to my feet.
"Are you going somewhere?" He sounded like a child whose mother was sending him away to his first apprenticeship.
"I need to go to the forest before darkfall, you need some herbs to help you recover."
He pouted, he actually pouted.
"But I feel a bit better already." He protested.
"That's only because you actually drank some water, and kept warm. If you'd done that 3 days ago, you wouldn't be sick now. But no...you only do it because someone told you to."
"But..."
"No buts Arrom. It's the truth." His head dropped in a guilty manner, but I could see a smile peaking through.
"Now, drink that water I left. I won't be gone long."
"Ummm...."
"Kartane." I gently reminded him.
"Oh, yes. Kartane?"
"Yes Arrom?" My patience was fading as was the sunlight.
"You're coming back, right?" His voice sounded lost. As though he truly didn't expect me to return.
"Yes, of course I am." He seemed relieved and the smile returned to his face.
***
I walked to the forest alone, deep in thought. Why had Arrom looked so lost when I said I was leaving for a while? Did he truly think I wouldn't come back. I pictured his face in my mind and heard his voice.
'You're coming back, right?</p>
My soul! He had. Had he been abandoned before, was that how he came to be with us? He seemed so quiet, so innocent. What could he possibly have done to deserve that?
I quickly gathered what herbs and roots I needed and headed back for the village.
***
"Kartane?" I snapped my head around at the sound of my name. It was Eleir, a boy of my age my grandfather wished me to be interested in. I found him quite dull.
***
"Eleir?"
"Why have you been in the forest at this hour? And alone too, you should know better." I bit down my anger at his presumptuousness.
"Eleir, you know as well as I that there are no dangers in the forest, and Arrom needs these medicinal plants to aid his recovery." I stormed away from him adding as I went, "And I can take good care of myself thank you."
***
I strode heavily across the village and threw the tent flap open. Arrom was awake, and seemed a little less flushed. He noticed my foul mood and said nothing.
I barely acknowledged him and began to prepare the plants, striping away leaves in a furious manner.
"Kartane?"
"What?" I snapped.
"Nothing." His voice sounded small. I sighed, Eleir's belief that I was unable to defend myself was not his fault, and here I was taking out my temper on a sick man.
"Arrom?, I'm sorry."
"What happened?" I turned to look at him, he appeared to be genuine in his concern. He indicated that I should go sit beside him. I abandoned my task and moved across to him.
I told him of Eleir and my grandfathers desires. He seemed surprised that I would be expected to simply agree to such a union. I told him that I was not like the other girls of the clan, that my grandfather had called me 'high-spirited' and expected much trouble from me. He laughed lightly, and told me he could not believe such a thing. He asked why I was taking care of him, and I told him my grandfather wished me to.
"But surely a young girl should be having fun, not taking care of someone, someone who isn't even really a member of the clan?"
"But you are, from the day you were found here, you became a part of us. My grandfather would not have named you in our way had he not believed it also."
"He named me 'naked one'," his voice was light and playful, "For what are you named?"
I blushed fervently.
"I am named for a snowflake."
"A snowflake?"
"Yes, you see on the world before this one, it often snowed. I was born just as a snowstorm began. My mother named me."
"Have I met her?" His question had been simple enough, but still I felt the familiar sting in my eyes. I stood and returned to my work.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked. I kept my back to him, unwilling to openly cry before him.
"No. My...my parents did not believe that the old world was becoming unstable. The did not think that the mountain would rupture. They stayed behind." I took in a long shuddering breath and released it shakily.
"I'm very sorry. You must miss them very much."
"Yes. I often do."
***
We fell into silence after that, and I believed I had made Arrom sad and uncomfortable. I finished mixing the herbs and placed them into a boiling pot with water. As I gingerly balanced it over the small fire, I heard Arrom mutter.
"I wish I had someone to miss." The words were quiet, and not meant for me to hear, but I did hear them, and could not ignore their meaning.
I took up a wet cloth and moved to sit behind him, placing his head against my shoulder. I swiped the cloth gently over his face, pretending I didn't see the silent tears falling. Wiping them away without saying a word. After a while I stopped my ministrations and we simply sat together, in companionable silence, neither one feeling the need to speak. Softly Arrom took my hand in his, and spoke.
"Thank you."
I nodded and seeing the pot begin to boil started to move away from him, dropping a kiss into his hair as I did. He not seem to react, but upon glancing back at him I saw the beginnings of a small smile appear on his face. I moved the pot from the fire and allowed the liquid to cool, wafting the steam away to peer inside. The roots and leaves were almost completely dissolved, it was ready.
"What is that smell?!" Arrom's voice was thick and I soon realised why. He was holding his nose between his fingers, pinching so hard his fingertips were white.
"Can you even breath with your nose like that?" I asked playfully.
"No, and I don't think I want to."
"You think smelling it is bad...wait until you taste it." His face fell in horror.
"You mean...no...no way am I drinking....that!"
I stood and placed my hands on my hips, if he wished to act like a child, then he would be treated as such.
"Do you want to get well?" I said, putting on my best mothering tone.
***
"If I have to drink that, then no I don't." he was pouting, and I shook my finger at him.
"You listen, I walked several hundred measures to gather these plants, I prepared them, I boiled them, you are going to drink this."
"Yes Kartane." He replied, sounding for all the world like a small child.
***
The medicine had sent Arrom into a deep slumber, as I knew it would. So I busied myself with cleaning the tent he called home. I had just begun to gather his soiled linen when he stirred in his sleep.
"Arella." There was that word again. I was just thinking what it could possibly mean, when suddenly he awoke with a start and a cry on his lips. I dropped down beside him and took his hand.
"Arrom, it's alright. It was just a dream. It's over now." His eyes were wild and his breath was shallow and rapid. He seemed to hunch over as though in pain.
"No, it's not. There was something....something wrong with me." He tore his hand from mine and started pulling at his clothes. He yanked his shirt up and his fingers ghosted over a large scar across his middle.
"Here..." he whispered, "It was here....something..." His voice faded away. I knew he had been on the precipice of remembering something. But it had slipped away from him.
***
The next few days were spent bringing Arrom back to full health. He slowly but surely regained his strength and took short walks outside the tent. At night we talked, I filled his head with a thousand tales, if I repeated myself he never stopped me. He seemed so content to learn all about us, but whenever I tried to steer conversation his way he became quiet and withdrawn. I learnt not to push him, everytime something flashed briefly through his mind, he shared it with me. Together we tried to make his memories clearer, but to no avail.
***
One day we had ventured into the forest on one of our walks. Arrom seemed nervous, as though he had something to say, but could not find the words.
"Arella." He simply said.
"What does that mean?" I asked, like so many times before. But to my surprise he answered.
"Angel. It means Angel. Don't ask in what language, because I don't know. Don't ask when I learnt it, because I don't know."
He stopped us in our tracks and took my hands in his.
"But I do know one thing, you are Arella."
I tried to speak but his fingers upon my lips prevented it. He spoke once more.
"You are Arella. You took care of me even though you didn't want to. You bore my frustrations when no-one else would have. You stayed with me, when I felt alone. You became my friend. You are Arella."
"We are more than friends Arrom, we are family." I let him wrap me into his arms and we embraced. I had meant my words. This man, this man with no past, had become family to me, an elder brother whom I knew would look out for me. But would also allow me to travel my own path.
Reluctantly we parted, I told him I would return to the village, he needed time alone, and I allowed him that.
***
As I entered the village I heard strangers voices, intermixed with my grandfathers.
***
"No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust them." My grandfather said
"Don't judge a book by its cover." The stranger replied.
"Enemies promises were made to be broken."
"And yet, honesty is the best policy."
"He that has too many friends has none."
"Ah, but...birds of a feather..."
"I'm unfamiliar with that story. What lesson does it teach?" My grandfather seemed genuinely interested.
"It has to do with flocking...and togetherness...and...to be honest, I'm not that familiar with the particulars myself. The point is, we're not your enemy. Give us a chance to prove it."
My grandfather began to think this over, I could see his mind working. Then from behind the strangers came another unfamiliar voice.
"Colonel," The man said, "We found something you might want to see."
The man moved aside and behind him was Arrom!
The strangers behaviour changed, they moved as one towards Arrom, recognition clear on their faces.
"Daniel?" The leader of the strangers spoke.
I could not stay to watch, I knew the strangers had come to take Arrom away, and I was angry. Angry at them, that they would take him, and angry at myself that I would deny him this chance to discover who he was. I turned and ran from the scene before me.
***
It was some time later that Arrom found me hiding in an old unused tent.
"Kartane?"
"Arrom."
"Daniel." He said with a smile in his voice.
"Dan-yel." The word was hard and foreign in my mouth and I wanted to hate it. I turned to face him, uncaring of the tears streaming unbidden down my face.
"Oh sweet Arella." His came over to me and took me in to his embrace.
"You're leaving, aren't you? You're going with them." There was no question in my voice, these were facts I already knew.
"I have to Arella, I have to know who I am."
"I already know, and I don't care what they say, you're Arrom, you're my family."
"They say I am theirs also. You understand, I must do this."
"Yes, I understand." I replied between sniffs, my heart was heavy, but I did understand.
"You remember when we talked about your parents? How you missed them so much? These people claim to have missed me, in much the same way. It didn't mean much to me before that no-one had come to find me, I had no one to miss." His voice grew soft but serious.
"Had?" I questioned.
"Yes, because I do now, I have you my dear sweet Arella. Thank you for being someone I'll miss." He held me tightly for a moment, then let me go out of his arms. Out of his life.
I watched sadly as he walked away from the tent, and towards his memories.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is what happens when you watch Fallen three times in a row!
© 6th October, 2003 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.