"Well this is special." Jack O'Neill drawled as he was the first one to exit the Stargate. "Trees. How different."
"I don't know, Jack." Daniel Jackson put on his glasses and peered about. "These trees look pretty much the same as on the other planets."
Jack rolled his eyes as Daniel continued on with his comparison, the scientist not getting the joke at all.
"Sir, that's the bridge the M.A.L.P had sent back images on." Samantha Carter pointed out the cliff before them, a rope bridge swinging because of the cool breeze. "From what it looks like from here, it's the only way in or out of this plateau." The plateau Sam was referring to, was the low red rock cliff the Stargate was perched on. It had just enough room for the Stargate, the DHD, and a circle of stone pillars that lay broken underneath their feet.
"The symbols are Go'uald." Teal'c noted as he eyed the landscape for any danger. Daniel was nodding his head in agreement.
"They're in pieces, but I can read here that the gods, I guess, the Go'ualds were here many years ago. Something here about a ...battle?" Daniel squinted at the words on the piece he had picked up.
"A battle? Like they kicked their gods out?" Jack asked as he approached the rope bridge to peer down below. He grunted as he calculated the depth of the drop. It was about seven or eight stories down. The sight of a rapid, roaring river below, didn't assure Jack.
"No." Daniel showed the piece to Teal'c for confirmation. "More like the gods were battling among themselves?" Getting
an agreeing nod from Teal'c, Daniel continued. "After some sort of great battle, the gods were wounded and left this planet. The people waited for them to return, but-" Daniel shook his head. "That's all it says." He looked about around the circle of rubble to see if he could find another big piece to decipher but moments later, he shook his head regretfully. "No, that's it. Nothing more, Jack."
"Fighting over turf, sh?" Jack muttered, his eyes still on the drop. He looked back at the rope bridge and gave it an experimental tug. It held. Satisfied, Jack motioned the others to follow. "Well then, I guess there are no serpent heads here to give us trouble then. Let's do our reconn and go, okay folks?"
Daniel stopped besides Jack and peered down at the drop, too. "I don't know, Jack. That doesn't look too safe."
Jack held Daniel's chin up to make him not look down, but at the bridge. "You look ahead and that's all you do. Got it, Danny?" He looked at the rest of the team, noting that they had their packs on and armed. Judging that they ready, Jack nodding. "Follow after me, Daniel. Carter, come after I cross the bridge and Teal'c, you have the rear." With that, Jack crossed slowly. After three feet, he motioned Daniel to follow.
The rope bridge swayed as the team single filed walked across the bridge to the other side. The distance was only twenty feet, but at the slow and careful pace, it took Jack ten minutes to reach a little over halfway when he heard the rope bridge groan. He froze, which alerted to Daniel to stop. Sam was two feet behind Daniel. Teal'c, having just got on, was about to step back to decrease the strain on the bridge when he felt the rope rail under his hand's grip swelled and burst like an explosion.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c yelled. "The bridge! You must get across now!"
Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and was about to drag him across if he had to when he felt the rope rail under his hand snapped. The frayed end whipped up, catching him in the shoulder and leaving a bloody mark behind. That mark caused his hand to flinch, thus letting go of Daniel.
The bridge shattered one of its rail, ripped its middle and split into two dangling parts, with one on each side. Teal'c grabbed hold of Sam, his hand gripping on his staff weapon, which caught on to a crack of the cliff's face. Jack yelped as he felt the rope bridge on his half, tangle with his ankle, catching him in a precarious snag. As he felt himself slam into the rock face, Jack instinctively grabbed for Daniel once more. He succeeded catching Daniel's fingers.
"Sir!" Sam yelled out as she tried to tighted her claw like hold on the remaining piece of the rope rail. She didn't dare move, even to unclasp her backpack to lessen the wieght. She could see Jack trying to pull up Daniel as he tried to get a better hold of the rope.
"Can't talk now!" Jack bellowed as he tried once more to catch the rope with his free hand. The rope tangled with his ankle, tightened painfully. "Can you get a good grip, Danny?" He felt a tighten grip on his other hand in response.
"I'll try, Jack." Daniel fought the urge to look down. He was swaying in Jack's grip as he tried to grab hold of anything each time the swaying got him closer to the rock face.
As Teal'c pulled Sam up to the Stargate side of the plateau, he heard a shout. He looked up just in time to see Jack's side of the rope snap. Jack gave an outraged shout and the two fell.
Daniel felt Jack's fingers tighening around his again before abruptly letting going. Everything slowed at that point...
He heard the rope snap and letting go of its captives...
He heard Jack's yell as he lost his hold...
He heard Sam's fading voice crying out their names...
He heard the wind rushing past him as he fell...
He heard the water as he landed backpack first onto the river...
He heard a hoarse cry of pain as the cold water rushed over his blurred vision and pulled him in...
As darkness surrounded him, Daniel realized with wanning awareness that the cry came from him.
****************************************************
Nokrah was not happy with the catch he had made. The traps were barely full, the animals it caught were barely large enough to feed him, much less his family. The gods, he decided, were not happy with the sacrifices he had made. He must, indeed, return to the temple of Ra and pray once more. The village elder will not lend him anymore and his constant whining was more than Nokrah can stand. He knew that the warring between the villages had ran their storage dry, but surely Thal could have spared a bit more food for him! Was he not most loyal to the gods? Was he not there, every day praying? Nokrah's yellow teeth flashed as he thought of an unpleasant theory. Perhaps Thal had heard his mate complaining again, about how the gods were not there, listening to his prayers. His mate had complained that they should not rely on the gods, but on themselves. She, Nokrah decided sourly, was spending to much time sniffing her weird potions and concoctions that she made from the strange herbs she finds here. Perhaps, Nokrah thought, she could make me a potion to lure more beasts to my traps. With that, Nokrah quickened his pace. He froze, however, when he heard something snarled. A great beast with fur, stood on its hind legs and towered over Nokrah. The man could only drop his meats and cover his head, as he fervently prayed for the gods' aid once more.
*****************************************************
The pain awoke him before the cold water did. Daniel groaned, a bit gratified to hear his own voice working, and tried to get up.
Pain.
Daniel managed to sit up, but the pain on his ribs scolded him for his efforts. He looked around and found that somehow, he was able to reach the shore. His glasses were cracked, but by some miracle, had stayed with him. His backpack had cushioned him from any disasterous damage to his spine from the fall.
The fall...
Daniel shuddered as he remembered the terrifying drop. The wind, how it screamed in his ears! The fear he felt when he felt Jack's fingers let go-
Jack. Oh god, Jack fell down with him, too!
"Jack?" Daniel called out. His breath caught with the effort. God, everything hurt now once the adrenline rush faded and the memories set in. All he saw was trees and the river. Daniel looked up and realized that the cliffs were not above him. The river had washed him downstream elsewhere. He unstrapped his backpack and stood up for a better look.
"Jack!" Daniel called out a bit louder. He gasped as the pain rocked his balance and he came crashing down to his knees. He carefully probed his stomach with shaky fingers and nearly passed out with that touch.
"Not good." Daniel muttered. He clutched his backpack, wondering how he was going to carry it. He might need the supplies that were within, but the prospect of carrying it around caused a bit of nausea to rush over him. Daniel, however, knew he couldn't stay here. He had to find the others. He had to find Jack! If he was able to survive the fall, Daniel knew that Jack did, too. Jack had to have survived! Daniel refused to believe otherwise. He also knew that Sam and Teal'c had made it safely and probably searching for them right now.
It was then he heard the cry.
"Jack?" Daniel called out, but got only another yell instead.
It came from the thicket of trees a few feet away. Daniel heard an animal roared and the yelp of a frightened person who must had been unfortuante enough to cross its path. Daniel got up, slowly shouldering his pack and checked if his sidearm that Jack always insisted on him to carry, was still there. It was. Daniel gripped it tightly and headed over there quickly.
*************************************************************
Nokrah heard the lightning before he looked up again. To his surprise, he saw the beast cringed and turning around before fleeing on all four of his legs. He looked up and saw a man in wet clothes that he had never seen before. He was waving a black stick, smoke was wafting out of it. Nokrah didn't see it work, but he knew the lightning must have come from that stick.
"I knew the gods would come!" he cried as he rushed over with his graditude. The man stared at him blankly. Nokrah wondered if his words were offense. His mate always said that his tongue didn't know how to turn the sounds properly and if the gods were to come, they would be offended greatly. He didn't believe it until now.
"Gods?" the man choked out in Nokrah's language. Nokrah heard a few other words he didn't understand, except for Go'uald. The man stumbled forward, his hand dropped to his side, the shoulders sagging under the weight of his strange load on his back. It was then that Nokrah realized he was injured.
He is a god, injured from the great battles, Nokrah thought as he stepped forward to steady the man. The man stiffened at the touch, looking up with eyes that matched the sky at day. He muttered something before folding in on himself. Nokrah grunted as the full weight impacted on his arms.
"Jac'?" Nokrah muttered. He didn't understand the words, but then again, the gods were very wise. Surely this man knew more words than humble Nokrah did! He eyed the black stick that the man had dropped, with greedy eyes. If he had this, the warring would be over. Nokrah could be elder. Then Thal would have to beg him for scraps! Nokrah licked his lips greedily, picked up the black stick that spit lightning out, studied the strange man, and then put his arm around the man's waist. He grunted, a bit surprised that the man was smaller than he. He thought the gods would be tall and towering. Perhaps, Nokrah thought as he half carried the man down the road that lead to his home, he is a young god and that is why he is so small.
No matter, Nokrah thought as they progressed down the road, a god is a god. Once his mate healed him with her strange potions, the god would be grateful and give him the knowledge of that black stick...
Jack felt himself lose his grip on Jackson just as the rope gave way. He saw Daniel fall, back first, into the water - just before he entered the water, cleanly, using a sailor's dive. Thankfully, the water was deep, but the coldness took his breath away. He fought his way up to the swirling, bubbling surface and realized he'd already traveled far downstream. Each kick of his injured leg brought a throbbing, burning pain. Feels like the ankle is broken, he thought. Still, he'd survived the fall. Sure hope Jackson didn't hit his head, or break his back. A quick glance around showed no signs of him or of the red cliff plateau where the Gate was. If Teal'c and Sam repel down, they'll follow the river, Jack continued thinking, sizing up the situation. Battling the rapids, he pulled himself to the side of the river, and crawled out - exhausted from the effort.
He stripped down, trying to wring out his clothes. The day was beginning to fade into what promised to be a cold night and Jack was already shivering. He dared not take off his boots - the ankle would swell and he'd never get them back on. Somehow, he'd have to gather wood for a fire, then he'd check to see if the flares in his pack managed to remain dry. Fashioning a crude crutch from a tree branch, he limped about the edge of the wood, picking up kindling.
The river was never far from his sight, and he hoped to see one of the other team members. The pain worsened and he tried to ignore it. All the while, the sound of Daniel screaming in pain as he hit the water kept ringing in Jack's ears. How well did he know how to swim? Who knows? It never came up before. Damn you, Jackson, you'd better still be alive!
Managing only to gather a few small sticks, Jack started a meager fire and gingerly laid down next to it, trying unsuccessfully to get warm. The flares were soaked beyond use. Rescue would have to come in daylight. After about an hour, the wind began to pick up, changing from a strong breeze to near hurricane force in a matter of minutes. Rain began to fall in torrents, and trees became uprooted. Jack left his gear and tried to find some sort of shelter from the storm, he would return to the river in the morning. Pushing with all his might against the wind, he found what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. Collapsing inside, he figured all that could go wrong had gone wrong that day, and now things were bound to improve. He didn't see that he was not alone in the cave, and 'the others' had been warned of his presence.
He could not know that being out in the storm was a far safer place for him to be!
Nokrah's mate gasp as she saw her husband come up to their home with a strange man in his arms. The man had golden hair like the grain fields that once stood behind them before the warring started. He had on strange wet clothes and her husband was half carrying the man and a black object, too.
"Lin-ya!" Nokrah cried out, his voice sharp with puzzling excitement. "Quickly! You must heal him with your potions!"
Lin-ya hurried over, biting back a retort that Nokrah never did appreciate her potions before, but the paleness of the strange man's face had held her tongue. Nokrah dropped the man down in an awkward heap, then realizing his mistake when the man groaned.
"Jak?" Lin-ya repeated what the man said. Nokrah shook his head with impatience at his mate.
"No, no. He said Jac'." Nokrah corrected her. He straightened up as he spoke. "He is a god."
"A god?" Lin-ya echoed as she looked down at the man. "He does not look like a god, my husband. He looks more like a boy." She found herself brushing back the golden hair, thinking how she had long for a child, only to be cursed with young deaths and barrenness. Nokrah had bemoaned that he hadn't prayed to the gods long enough, but she saw him every day before the sun rose, doing his prayers. That and many other things had caused her to say what she was going to say to husband right now like she did many times before.
"The gods are no longer with us, my husband. Surely they would have answered any of your prayers by now."
Nokrah hissed as he glanced back and forth nervously. "Silence your tongue, woman! Do you wish to be stoned like your sister for such lies?"
Holding her tongue, Lin-ya just shook her head as she had, many times before and just motioned her husband to bring in the so- called god inside their poor home.
****************************************************************
"Colonel! Daniel!" Sam shouted down the drop, recieving no answer like the many countless times before. Over and over again, she saw the two fall off the cliff face. Over and over again, she heard the shouts as they fell.
"I have fastened the rope, Captain Carter." Teal'c announced as he handed over the coils of rope. Carter just nodded, trying to concentrate with the task at hand as she tossed one end of the rope down. She watched it tumble down to the river below and she swallowed. The image came up unbidden again.
"Come on." Carter muttered. "Now is not the time for this shit, Carter."
"Captain Carter?" Teal'c asked her as he noticed her not making a move to start climbing down.
"We get down there and follow the river's bed." Carter said as she slowly tied a loop around her waist. "We should leave our packs here to lighten the load, but we may need the supplies when we find them." Carter couldn't say- no, couldn't think, of what they might find.
The river seem to stretch for miles. Judging by the fast rush of the water, Carter knew that the two could have been carried downstream for miles. Carter and Teal'c made their way slowly along the river bed, checking for signs of their teammates anywhere. After a mile, they had to rest. Carter winced as she felt the winds picked up and the temperature dropping.
"It seems a storm may be approaching." Teal'c observed as he stood over her, his eyes staring beyond the river's flow.
"Rest up, Teal'c." Carter said wearily, as she rubbed her arm where she had banged up when the bridge snapped. "We have to our strength up if we're going to keep searching."
Teal'c didn't sit down. He couldn't bring himself to stop searching, even though they were just standing still right now. Carter sighed, understanding his frustration and got up. She was about to tell Teal'c to continue when she heard the shouting.
Jack allowed himself to drop off into an uneasy sleep. If he needed to hike any distance tomorrow, he would need some rest. Shadows approached him cautiously, running away at his slightest movement or snoring sound. The Others gathered about him, filled with curiosity and fear. It had been many seasons since a son of the tribesmen dared to come into their part of the forest. How different the tribesmen had become, maybe because of the ways of their gods. Ever so gently, small hands with long fingers slipped Jack's sidearm out of the holster and spirited it away. Next his flashlight was removed along with anything else that might be used as a weapon or means of escape. Finally, a long silky thread similar to spider's silk was slowly wound around and around Jack's sleeping form. As Jack tried to turn over and shift position to relieve pressure on his ankle, he woke with a start, unable to move at all!
"What the...?" Jack's mind slowly clicked into gear, and he realized what had happened to him. Peering into the blackness of the cave he made out 10 or 15 small forms, each about 3 feet high. They seemed to be wearing simple clothing made from animal skins. He could not distinguish their facial features, but he sensed they were not human. "I feel like Gulliver! Could one of you cut me loose? Joke's over!" Jack began to pull hard on his restraints, and although they stretched, they would not break.
The Others communicated by a series of grunts, whistles and growls; but they knew the language of the tribesmen and could repeat the sounds with ease. "Gulliver? You Gulliver?" one of them asked Jack.
Relieved that they were intelligent and could perhaps be reasoned with, Jack responded "No, actually I'm called O'Neill, Colonel O'Neill. I came here from a far off place, and I've injured my leg. People like me are coming, looking for me, down by the river." He now realized they had removed all his weapons. "Could you help me up, and return my things? I promise not to hurt you!"
There was excited discussion among the Others, then one who seemed to be a leader of sorts stepped forward. Jack could see that he had wispy white hair, small eyes, long sharp teeth and wrinkled sun tanned skin. He had a strong odor about him, reminding Jack of the monkey house at the zoo. "Well?" Jack asked him, desperate to stretch out his stiff frame and rub his ankle.
"Not to hurt?" the Other asked. How could he begin to explain to this O'Neill all the pain and suffering endured by the Others since the tribesmen and their gods had come. This strange tribesman would be made to suffer and the Others would benefit. "No! Not to hurt! You O'Neill help the Others!" The leader motioned to 3 of the aliens who brought buckets of foul-smelling yellow paste to O'Neill's side. They began to rub the paste over Jack's entire body. The more Jack resisted, the more he became entangled in the web and paste mixture.
"Wait! Wait a doggone minute!" Jack yelled.
They all paused, briefly.
"What are you doing? I just want my things back, and I'll leave! Promise!"
They said no more to him, and when they were finished with their work, they left him alone - barely able to breathe - in the cold darkness of the cave. Had he imagined it, or had a few of the little guys felt his leg and arm, as if to see how much meat he had on him. Jack tried to see what the paste was doing to his clothing and skin. It was hard to tell for certain, but it seemed as if his clothes were softening, disintegrating. His skin felt warm and numb. A terrible thought occurred to him as he realized how a bug must feel, caught in a spider's web, covered by digestive juices!
*Well this is just wonderful* Jack thought to himself as he struggled vainly against his bonds. The paste was hardening, forming a shell around him, but the stuff on the inside was still sticky and it felt like it was oozing and sliding back and forth, now in full contact with his skin, all over his body.
Finally, seeing that struggling would get him nowhere, Jack tried another approach.
"Help!" he screamed, and the caves echoed his cry, throwing it back in his face like they were mocking him. "Sam! Teal'c! Daniel! Come over here and get me out!" He tried to rock back and forth against the hard floor or the cave, to see if he could wiggle his way out. Unfourtunately, he was also glued to the floor.
"Damnit!" he cursed, and continued to struggle.
*************************************************************
Sam and Teal'c immediately ran in the direction of the shouts. Peering through the trees, they saw strange creatures in what looked like a fierce debate milling outside of a cave. The two team-members hung back behind the bushes, assessing the situation.
The creatures were unlike any Sam had seen before. They were only thigh-high, with very thin limbs, but fat bellies. They had whiskers and antennae, and long hands and feet. Their eyes were large and black, and they almost looked faceted. Their skin was mostly pale, as if they spent much of their time under ground. Some of them had dark skin though, and it was much more wrinkled than the others.
"Teal'c, do you know what these are?" Sam whispered very quietly to her companion. "They're probably the species indigenous to this planet. I bet they were here before the Goa'uld brought humans here to be slaves." He shook his head, indicating he didn't know anything about the creatures, still staring at the sight before him. What were they arguing about?
Suddenly, the young creature that was arguing with the very old one screamed and threw its hands into the air. It glared at the old one and, turning on its heels, left with some others that seemed to follow it. The old one chattered after it, shaking its fist.
"Captain Carter," Teal'c said, getting Sam's attention, and pointed to the entrance to the cave. There they could see a gun, flashlight, water bottle and other things that clearly didn't belong here.
"I only see one set of equipment," Sam whispered, scanning the area. "Who's do you suppose it is? Maybe Jack or Daniel are inside, or perhaps they lost their stuff and these guys fished it out of the river?"
"There is one way to find out," Teal'c said, and began circling around to the entrance to the cave. Sam quickly followed, keeping a look-out for unwanted company.
They got there quickly, and dashed inside, immediately hiding behind an outcrop of rock to look around the cave. It was huge, and stretched far back into the hillside. Now that they were actually inside the cave, they could hear the echo.
"Daniel! Sam! Teal'c! Get me out of here!"
Daniel awoke to the smells of meat cooking and sounds of murmuring nearby. He groaned before realizing he had spoken. The murmuring stopped and Daniel soon saw two faces floating over his blurry view.
"My worship, you are awaken?" a man asked in ancient Egyptian as he rubbed his large, rough hands together in anxiety. The man was tall, blocking all light as he hovered over him. His hair was pulled back in dirty braids and his face was dirty. He licked his yellow teeth as he asked.
'My worship'? Daniel thought fuzzily, wondering if perhaps he didn't hear it correctly.
"I am your humble servant Nokrah. This is my mate Lin-ya." the man waved a hand absently to a graying haired woman who smiled kindly down at him. "You are in our home, my worship. I am forever in your depth of rescuing my humble life from that great beast. I knew! I knew that I was not forsaken in my prayers! I-"
"Nokrah." Lin-ya finally spoke when she realized that the strange man wanted to speak. Her husband shut up, but not before throwing her an irritated look for interrupting him. She shook her head when the man tried to sit up. With hands darkened from hard labor at their once plentiful fields, she pushed him back down onto the bed. For a moment, Lin-ya felt ashamed that their best bed was only a wooden plank piled with the furs of past kills. 'If this was a god,' she thought, 'he would be use to sleeping in their golden sarcophagus of life, not on top of smelly dead skins.' She didn't apologize to the man however. She somehow knew that this man, this strange man-boy with the golden hair like their past grain fields, would not be offended.
"I'm not a god." the man whispered, wincing at what the words cost him.
"What?" Nokrah's mouth dropped open. His eyes grew huge with disbelief. "But your black stick of lightning-"
'Black stick of lightning'? Daniel wondered what he was talking about. Then he remembered. His gun. The man was talking about his gun. Obviously this planet had not progressed long in technology since the 'gods' had abandoned them many years ago. They never evolved independently, just waiting for their gods to return. His gun must have been seen as magic to them.
"That is my weapon." Daniel tried to explain, needing to catch his breath constantly. His mind tried to spell out the words in ancient Egyptian. He felt like he was back at Abydos the very first time, trying to stumble onto the proper words again. He lived there for a year, he KNEW the language. Why can't the words come to him now like they use to? "To protect myself." Daniel said, echoing the words Jack had told him long ago as the colonel had kept insisting that Daniel took a weapon on these missions.
Jack.
"My friend." Daniel tried to sit up again. "I was with someone. We were crossing the bridge over your river-"
"The bridge that led from the Chappai?" Lin-ya asked, referring to the Stargate.
Daniel nodded. "It b-broke." Daniel's voice faltered over the words, the rush of the fall returning to his memory, the feeling of Jack's fingers letting go...He shook his head, getting dizzy as a result. He had to concentrate! He had to find Jack and the others! "We fell in the river and got separated. He may be hurt!" Daniel didn't want to voice the possibility that Jack may be dead, too.
Nokrah only half heard what Daniel was saying. Not a god? It couldn't be! He could hear the sneers of the village. He had been so sure, so sure! He had ran to the village as soon as he left the man with his mate, announcing that the gods had sent someone to save him from the great beast. He had ran to the village announcing that the god was grateful for his tending to his injuries,(surely from the great battles they had heard of in the legends!) and was going to give him a great power that would bring lightning. Yes! Nokrah was going to gain power. He was going to stop the cave dwellers who attack them at night. He was going to stop the villages of the River and of the Ground and lead their village; the worshippers of Ra to glory! He had said all this as he showed the black stick. The villagers had oohed and aahed over it. Thal even gave him the finest meats they had in storage to feed the god!
What was he going to do now?
"My friend." Daniel was murmuring as Lin-ya whispered to him that everything would be okay. She found herself stroking his hair again, feeling the fever that raged, and saw the pain in those strange colored eyes.
'Friend'? Nokrah realized that this friend of his, might also be looking for him. This 'friend' would take the man away! At first, Nokrah was glad to be rid of him; so disappointed in the discovery that he was not a god. But it also meant that the strange black stick, this man's 'weapon' would also be gone! What would Nokrah do then? He made promises, recieved the awe of his people. How could this be? Nokrah chewed on his knuckle angrily as he thought of the glory and power he was going to lose. He, the most loyal to the gods, was going to look like a fool!
"You must relax, my child." Lin-ya said as she felt his chest with her hand. She frowned at the fast beating of his heart. All her healer mother had told her before disappearing so long ago, was telling her bad things about this man-boy's injuries. "What is your name, young one?"
"Daniel." he whispered.
"Dan..yer?" Something flittered across his face and she wondered if she had pronounced his name right. He nodded anyway.
"Your friend must know you're alive and would be searching for you. You are too ill to be searching for him. Let him come to you, instead." She reached down and gave him a wooden cup filled with a minty scented liquid. "This will stop your pain and let you sleep. Drink." She tipped the cup to his lips and smiled encouragingly as he sipped it. Wiping his mouth with a rag, she watched his eyelids flutter closed and his breathing slowed into sleep. Lin-ya knew the potion would mask the pain, but it didn't heal it. She would have to find more herbs and try to heal him-
"Is he dead?" Nokrah asked, his voice changing to a harsh tone.
"No, my husband." Lin-ya pulled up the covers to the man's chin. "He is merely asleep from my potions."
"The one that makes you see spirits." Nokrah remembered her giving it to him once when he broke his leg.
"Only if you drink too much of it like you had." Lin-ya reminded him as she looked up at her husband. She didn't gloat to him that she was right that the man wasn't a god. "His friend must be looking for him. He will be fine until his friend finds him."
Nokrah frowned again. "Only if he is not dead."
"Do not say that." Lin-ya glanced back at Daniel with concern, but the man didn't seem to hear.
"What if he is?" Nokrah asked, his eyes were glued to Daniel's pack, while still chewing on his knuckle.
"Then-" Lin-ya paused. What would they do? "He could stay here, my husband." Nokrah didn't look too thrilled with the prospect anymore now that Daniel wasn't a god. "Perhaps he would teach you his magic?"
Nokrah brightened, but his face darkened again. "Ay, woman. He may leave once he is better, to search for his friends." He paused as an idea came to him. "If his friend is still alive. He may be dead."
"You don't know that."
"Well," Nokrah muttered as he left the room as he worked out his idea, "neither does he." Lin-ya watched her husband leave, suddenly feeling like she shouldn't leave this room. She glanced down at Daniel, a man who could have been her child and clasped his laxed hand protectively.
The man stood at the top of the hill, observing the village below. No one saw him however. He was good at hiding from the enemy. The worshippers of Ra, or the 'sun worshippers' as his people called them, were scurrying about their business when a man in his fifties came running through. Normally, he kept his eye out on the hunters to see if they had managed to capture the cave dwellers alive and if so, he would take them from the villagers. But the way the man waved his arms like a man possessed had caught his attention. He made his way down through the brush, crept into the village and hid in the shadows their shelters created. What he heard proved interesting.
The man was boasting of the god who will give him power. He was showing them a black stick that he claimed would call down lightning. *So that was the sound Emek heard* he thought as he listened intently. From what he was saying, the god was injured and resting at his home. In graditude for his servitude, the god would grant this man his power.
The observer stroked his chin in thought. He decided that this was very important and left the village for his; the village of the River. He needed to tell the village elder about this.
As he followed the river upstream to his home, he noticed two individuals standing by the river bend. Unsure if they were friend or foe, he hid once more within the trees. He narrowed his eyes as he realized who they were.
One was a Jaafa. He could see the golden tattoo on his forehead. The other was sitting on the ground, resting. A female! He shook his head bemused. The Jaafa was told as protectors of gods in their legends. Surely this female with the golden hair couldn't be a god! But the Jaafa was evidence of that. He frowned as he saw the black sticks they were carrying, similar to the one he saw in the village of Ra, only bigger. If they are truly magic, then he must find a way to obtain some for his people. That way, the war that came to be for generations, would finally sway to their side. He would no longer need to seek the cave dwellers and force them to fight their battles.
The observer smiled at this thought, wondering if the villager back there had been thinking the same thing.
Teal'c and Carter flicked on their flashlights and began to search the cave, calling out to the Colonel as they went. Highly skilled in tracking, Teal'c was able to locate him with relative ease. "O'Neill! You are wrapped in some sort of strange covering!" Teal'c announced.
"Tell me about it!" Jack answered, relief and aggravation evident in his voice. "I think I've been glad wrapped for lunch later on! Get me outta here!"
"We saw your gear outside, and some odd creatures. No sign of Daniel though." Sam added as she began to cut open the hardened material with her knife. "Oh, Colonel! This stuff reeks!"
"How is it you came to be captured, O'Neill? The creatures we saw seemed to lack weapons of any kind."
Jack didn't respond, preferring to forget the events of last night. Slowly, the casing was cut away and they helped Jack to his feet. What a sight he was! Yellow slime dripped off of him, and what remained of his clothing had become paper thin - almost transparent. His skin was a fiery red and he leaned heavily on Teal'c as his ankle protested greatly when he tried to put weight on it.
"Something wrong with your leg, sir?" asked Sam, trying not to look directly at her scantily clothed commanding officer.
"Damn ankle's probably broken. Don't know for sure though. I didn't take the boot off yet. Help me back to the river so I can wash up a bit, then I'll figure what we should do next." Jack ordered.
Slowly they made their way back to the riverside. The morning was dawning crisp and beautiful. Birdsong could be heard, and a mist was rising from the water. There were no signs of the cave creatures. Sitting on a rock, splashing his arms and face, Jack began to assess their situation, "How far back to the Gate?"
"About a four hour walk," Teal'c responded.
"Yeah, and if I were with you, about 10 hours," O'Neill grumbled, slapping his ankle - and immediately regretting it as twinges of pain spread up his leg. "You said there was no sign of Daniel. He could be seriously hurt, we need to begin a search and rescue right away. Teal'c, you could make the best time going down river. See if you can pick up any signs of Jackson..."
Teal'c interrupted, "I saw many indications of large animals in the forest, O'Neill. If Daniel Jackson survived the fall, there is a likelihood one of these animals might have taken him. You should also know that as a result of the rainstorm, the river level has risen and the mud banks have washed out. Any signs of Daniel Jackson leaving the river would have been washed away. I will do my best to find him, O'Neill."
Teal'c's look was not reassuring, and Jack knew that as more time passed the chances of finding Daniel alive became less and less. "Carter, think you can make it back to the Gate by yourself?"
"Of course, sir!" came Sam's immediate reply. "We left the climbing ropes in place."
"I want you to go back. Get some help from SGC. We really could use some tracking dogs and extra manpower." Jack explained.
"And a new set of fatigues for you, sir! It might take a bit of time. We'll need to set up harnesses to lower the dogs down. Then again, we'll be needing them to pull you up!" Sam noted.
Jack didn't want to be reminded of his handicap just then. He wasn't about to sit and wait, but what else could he do? "Were there any signs of people here?"
"We did see smoke in the distance when we were up on the Gate plateau. Could have been a wildfire, or perhaps smoke from cooking fires in a village - impossible to tell for sure," Sam analyzed.
"OK kids, we've got two functioning radios. Mine bought it with the fall. Teal'c and Sam keep in touch with each other, and keep trying to raise Daniel. I guess I'm stuck here, at least for the time being." Jack mused.
"Let me at least have a look at the ankle?" Sam asked. "I could try to ace wrap it, and I have an ice pack."
"Leave that stuff, I'll...take care of it later. You better move out now. Leave me a gun and a few flares. Teal'c, unless you find something, I only want you to go another 5 miles. If there's still no sign, return back here." Jack completed his orders.
"Understood!" Teal'c replied. "I would also like to give you my jacket. Not much remains of your uniform!"
Jack only then realized how very little of him was covered up. "Good idea! Ummm...get going, now. I'll be fine. Be extra careful, you hear? We have no idea who or what is out there!" Jack watched them hurry off, feeling increasingly frustrated. He couldn't even pace back and forth to ease the tension. He figured a quick dip would wash off the remains of the paste, then he could fashion some sort of clothing from Teal'c's jacket and a survival blanket. He peeled off the scraps of cloth that still clung to him. His skin was hot and tender, as if he'd been sunburned. He placed his gun next to him, within reach, on a rock and waded into the river. The cold water felt good, as he floated on his back and he allowed himself a moment of relaxation. His reverie was broken by the sound of women, giggling! Jack's eyes flew open, and he righted himself so that he was treading water. He eyed them suspiciously, they returned his gaze with shy looks of surprise and admiration!
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Sam retraced her path along the river to the Gate plateau, trying to resist the urge to run full tilt. She knew how important it was for her to move quietly, to keep out of site of anyone, or anything, else who might be in the forest. She kept her hand resting on her sidearm the entire way. So far, so good, she thought to herself as she saw the plateau rising in the distance. Wait, something wasn't quite right. She took out her field glasses and looked ahead. All right Carter, how good are you at free climbing, she wondered, as she saw that the climbing ropes had been removed!
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Teal'c's experienced eye looked to both sides of the riverbank, as he jogged along. The river began to widen and slow down. He reasoned, if Jackson had floated in the river, he most probably would have come to rest at the river's edge in this area, as the current was so slight. He tested the depth of the water - it was also shallow. He decided to make a complete search of the woods on either side of the river. An instinct born of years of training and experience, told him this was the spot Jackson left the river. He still had strong doubts as to finding the man alive. After passing through a thicket, he saw several sets of footprints. One could possibly be that of Daniel Jackson, it seemed to be a boot shape. The other, large, human like, deeply set. Most likely a large man. Only these footprints left the area, more deeply pressed into the mud. This larger man, was he carrying Daniel Jackson, and was it because he was injured or because he was dead, Teal'c wondered. Although O'Neill had ordered him to only find signs of Daniel, then return, Teal'c decided to continue on. Daniel Jackson was nearby, he could sense it. He would let Captain Carter know of the change in plans first, as he attempted to call her on the radio. There was no response! Teal'c did not take the time to consider why she might not be responding - he pressed on in his search.
Lin-ya watched as her husband paced the small plot of dirt outside their dwelling's door. He muttered to himself, occassionally casting an annoyed look over to her direction. Lin-ya, growing tiring of watching her husband paced, decided to check back on the man, who called himself Dan-yer.
Daniel was muttering in his sleep in a language she was not familiar with. There were words she caught that she thought she understood, but in his pain filled voice, Lin-ya was not sure. She felt his forehead again, noting with dismay that the fever had not broken. Dipping a rag into a bucket of cool water, she tried to wipe his face in an effort to bring down his fever. Daniel moaned slightly at the cold water and opened his eyes. He looked at her with a bit of confusion. Then it hit him on who she was.
"Lin-ya?" Daniel whispered as the woman just nodded. "I can't stay here. My friend-" Daniel swallowed before he continued, "Jack. He might need help. I have to find him. I can't stay here."
"You can not leave yet." Lin-ya chided him. "I will not allow you to wander around here in your condition. Even if you were well, it would still be too dangerous to be out there without any company."
"Why?" Daniel asked weakly. He closed his eyes. The cold water felt comforting against his hot forehead.
"The cave dwellers might harm you, Dan-yer."
"Cave dwellers?" Daniel whispered as he opened his eyes once again.
"They attack us at night. Destroy our crops and villages." Lin-ya's eyes clouded as she recalled the last time they attacked. "They burned our grain fields three moon phases ago."
"Oh." Daniel said. He hoped Jack wasn't going to encounter any of these 'cave dwellers' Lin-ya spoke of.
"And then there is the war." Lin-ya continued on saying."
"War?" Daniel didn't like the sound of that.
Shaking her head, Lin-ya smiled at Daniel. "I talk too much. I talk like a man would. Forgive me." She paused as she studied Daniel. "I need to find out what are your injuries, Dan-yer. Do you permit me?" Daniel slowly nodded. Lin-ya gingerly felt his stomach for injuries. Daniel gasped at the pain her touch inflicted. "I am sorry, Dan-yer. I will try to be more gentle." She probed the area for a brief moment before pulling her hands away with a sigh. It didn't sound good.
"What is it?" Daniel asked faintly, sensing what it might be.
"You are injured from the inside." Lin-ya told him honestly, "Yet you do not bleed." Lin-ya continued with the rags to cool down his fever. "I have no potions to help you with that."
Internal bruising, Daniel guessed. No bleeding meant he wasn't bleeding internally.
"You are a healer?" Daniel asked as he watched her expertly mix another potion. She paused, her hands stilled from the tearing of her herbs.
"My mother was." Lin-ya informed Daniel sadly. "She taught me everything before she left."
"Left?"
"She was chosen." Lin-ya told him with a bit of pride, "By the gods who once lived here, to be one of them."
Daniel's heart chilled as he realized that Lin-ya's mother was probably taken to be a host for the Go'ualds. He didn't say anything to her, though. He just nodded and said, "That must have been an honorable position for her."
"It gave her family great pride. She celebrated with us and then left for the Temple of Ra, our sleeping god." Lin-ya continued with her examination, checking Daniel's head with gentle fingers.
Daniel winced as her hands found a lump, but continued to ask her. "Temple of Ra? You call him, your sleeping god?"
"He sleeps within the Temple, to heal after the Great Battles." Lin-ya paused as she recalled the memory. "We have not heard from him in many turns of the sun. After my mother left, the Temple was quiet. I thought perhaps they had left."
"Perhaps." Daniel murmured, a bit glad to hear that there was no Go'uald presence here.
Lin-ya gave him a strange look. "You do not believe me, Dan-yer?"
"Not in the gods you believed in." Daniel said, regretting his words immediately. He didn't want to offend Lin-ya,no matter how misdirected he believed her beliefs were.
"Sometimes I believe what you believe." Lin-ya carefully whispered, keeping an eye on the doorway in case her husband heard her. "But it is a dangerous thing to say, Dan-yer. My older sister was stoned to death at the Temple for voicing this."
"I'm sorry." Daniel truly was.
"It was to be." Lin-ya said quietly as she finished her mixture. "There. This would help you for the pain for now. It would help you sleep." Lin-ya hoped his friend would find Daniel soon. She couldn't keep giving him the potions. In the long term, it would do more harm than good.
"I can't sleep." Daniel protested. "I have to find Jack."
"You can barely sit up, much less venture out there." Lin-ya pointed out.
Daniel tried to get up, but he stiffened at the pain and wound up hitting the bed in a thud. He gasped at the shock.
"I told you." Lin-ya scolded without any real anger in her voice. She drew up the covers over him. "You can not move. It will make your injuries worst."
If Daniel was in this much pain, he couldn't even imagine how it must be for Jack. "I can't stay here. My friend-"
"I will look for your friend." Nokrah interrupted, entering the room. He looked down at Daniel and smiled tightly. "Tell me what he looks like. I will try to find him for you."
"Yes." Lin-ya said, gladden that her husband was finally coming to his senses, "My husband knows this land very well. He can find your friend and bring him here. Then you can go home." She looked up at her husband and was startled to see Nokrah's face darkened at her last words. He recovered, however, and smiled at Daniel again. Yellow teeth flashed into a tight smile as Nokrah bid his leave after receiving Jack's description. Daniel turned his head and watched anxiously as Nokrah left. It was only then, when the man disappeared from his sight, was Daniel willing to drink Lin-ya's potion and let it carry him away into painless sleep.
Nokrah headed toward the river. He had found the stranger there, why not his friend as well. Carefully avoiding the many beast traps he had set, he began to walk along the river edge, ever watchful for the River People. He did not fear them, but they could be a problem if he wanted to find and surprise this 'Jac'. Behind him, he thought he heard one of the big traps spring. No matter, there would be others to empty the trap, for now he had more important things to do.
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The trap had indeed sprung. As he continued to search for Daniel, Teal'c had reacted to the unexpected flight of a bird up from the forest floor. He took a misplaced step backwards and felt himself propelled violently up into the air. Then he found he was suspended 15 feet or so above the ground, wrapped in a large, sticky netting. He could not quite reach his knife, which was strapped to his leg. Struggling seemed to do no good. He paused to consider his options, dismayed that his staff weapon lay on the ground below him.
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The sun was already above the trees as Nokrah rounded the bend in the river and saw a curious sight. River women were calling to someone in the water...a man...could it be Jac? Nokrah would wait in hiding until he was certain. His hand held tightly to the black lightening stick. He would learn how to use it, and he would become most powerful!
"Mornin ladies!" Jack called from the water. "You can move right along! Nothin to see here!" and he motioned them away with a wave of his hand.
They continued to call to him, beckoning him from the water. After awhile, the group of women parted and Jack saw a woman of great strength, composure and beauty move down to the water's edge. Her hair was long, jet-black and braided with brightly colored feathers. She wore a woven dress, decorated with feathers and beads. This woman commanded the respect of the others, and it would seem O'Neill as well. She spoke directly to him, "Bene wa? Bene! Komme ya ne? Kay no - BENE WA?"
Jack vaguely recognized the language as being similar to Abydan, but he wasn't able to interpret. "I'm O'Neill! I am here in peace. I won't harm you!" Seeing the confusion on the woman's face, he knew she had no idea what he was saying. He continued to point to himself saying "O'Neill! O'NEILL!" Shit, it's getting cold in here, he thought with a shiver.
Nokrah was excited when he first heard the man speak. It seemed like some of the sounds Dan-yer was making, but when he pointed to himself and said "O'neyal", Nokrah knew this must not be Jac. Maybe Dan-yer has brought other friends, he thought. This was all so confusing! He would watch some more.
The leader of the women suddenly straightened up and pointed at Jack with fear in her eyes. She began to scream at him "OLAWA! OLAWA!" and beckon him strongly to shore.
Jack figured she'd given up the 'let's be friends' approach and now was ordering him out of the water. He wasn't about to leave and was going to say -no thanks, when she lifted up a bow and drew an arrow from her quiver, pointing it directly at Jack! He lifted his hands up into the air "OK! OK! If it means that much to you, I'll come out!"
He didn't have time to move, when she shot the arrow. It landed to Jack's left, and as he reacted, he saw blood rising up in the water. A large alligator-type animal had silently swum up behind O'Neill! It now floated harmlessly away, mortally wounded by the single arrow! The woman laughed at Jack's open-mouthed reaction, and again called him to shore. This time he did not refuse, "Nice shootin, and thanks!"
The woman leader pointed to herself and said "Kiryani", inside she wondered who this handsome man was! Was he not in the habit of wearing clothing? Yet he seemed shy about his nakedness. She observed he was walking with a limp as he came out of the water. She reached for him and embraced him with a warm hug of welcome "Bene wa!"
Jack really wanted to show his gratitude, but felt at a great disadvantage as all the women gathered about - each eager to 'welcome' him. "Kiryani? My clothes?" Jack asked as he pointed to the pile on the ground.
She lifted Teal'c's jacket and the blanket, not able to make sense out of what kind of covering these were. Handing them to Jack she watched carefully, curious to see how he would dress himself. Jack's gun also caught her eye and she picked that up as well.
"No! I'd rather keep that myself!" Jack was quick to say as he grabbed the gun from her. He put on the jacket with ease, although it was too big for him, then he fumbled with the blanket, finally tying it bath towel style around his waist.
Kiryani was very amused. She would learn much from this man. How wonderful of the gods to deliver a strong man to her! So many men had been lost in the war, now mostly the very young, the terribly old and those with affliction remained in her village. She claimed O'neyal for herself and announced it to all of her sisters. She began to blush as she thought of bringing him to her sleeping mat. He did seem grateful that she saved his life. How could she communicate with him? Well, she continued to think, some things require no words! Why would he bathe in the river with the Olawa? He would have much to learn from her as well! Suddenly remembering that the man had an injured foot, she ordered the other women to bring their cart to the water. It looked much like a wheelbarrow, only it was fashioned out of woven straw and pieces of wood tied together.
Nokrah was now very excited. He saw that this O'neyal had a black stick much like the one Dan-yer carried. This man must be of the same tribe, although he dresses strangely. He would take him from these River women and find out what he knows. It would be best to attack them in the woods, where he had more cover. He rose up too quickly, and Jack immediately saw him. He also saw that he was carrying what looked to be Daniel's sidearm! "Hey! Where did you get that?" Jack yelled after him. "Hey, come back here!" he tried to run, but collapsed as his ankle gave way.
Kiryani tried to tell O'neyal that the man was among the tribe who worshipped Ra, and that he should not bother with him, he was unimportant. Jack, in return, tried to explain about Daniel and how the man must have seen his friend. Neither one understood a word the other was saying, but a definite connection was forming, and in spite of himself, Jack wanted to spend more time with Kiryani. He motioned for her to remain by the river with him. She realized what he wanted, but did not want to comply so she feigned a lack of understanding and ordered Jack into the cart. He politely refused, but Kiryani was not going to be denied something that she very much wanted. As he turned to limp away from her, she picked up a stick and struck him on the back of his head. Jack wheeled around and grabbed the stick from her "That's no way to treat a visitor!" he yelled, holding the stick up and out of her reach. She rushed at him, knocking him down, and drew out a knife - holding it to his throat. Jack flipped her over and pinned her down. She loved the fire and spirit of this man! She knew she had made a good choice! How lucky for her they needed water that day! The other women responded to Kiryani being held on the ground, by pointing their arrows at Jack. He slowly rose up, rubbing the back of his head. Kiryani motioned again to the cart, and finding no other reasonable alternative, O'Neill flopped into it, pulling down the edge of his blanket-wrap, covering up as best he could.
He looked back at the river, disappearing behind him, and thought of the others. Kiryani grabbed his hand and held it reassuringly. She would feed this man, tend to his foot, then...oh then...the older women only gossiped about such nights of bliss from memories before the wars. Oh, Kiryani, how lucky you are...
© 1998 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 authors.
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