AU, Week 2: Step Outside (1/2)
Title: Step Outside
Author: schneefink
Genre: AU
Prompt: Stargate accident
Word Count: 14,900
Rating: PG-13
Summary: For years, the small group of survivors has been able to hide from the Wraith behind their shield. But now that the Wraith have found a potentially dangerous new weapon, Teyla is forced to act.
Notes: Much love and gratitude to michelel72 and busaikko. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Teyla had to wash the Wraith blood off before the shield would let her in. It sparked against her skin even after a thorough bath in the river. She shivered in the cool air and wished she had taken the time to wash her coat.
She had entered the shielded area in the middle of the field. As she ran towards the town she took care not to step onto the small shoots that had started to appear a few days before. Soon they would be able to start harvesting the first roots; then they would also have a harvest celebration, with music and good food and a few dances. Teyla thought of the Wraith she had killed not half a day away and barely bit back a heartfelt curse.
Charin would have smiled and said that she spent too much time with the Southerners. Thinking of Charin calmed her, and when she reached Rodney's workshop the rush of the fight had finally left her.
Rodney was alone, sitting at his workbench and for once not muttering to himself. He jerked around when she knocked lightly against the wall and his eyes widened.
"Are you okay? Did something happen?"
Teyla paused in surprise and then remembered what she must look like. "I am fine," she assured him. "But it would be very welcome if I could borrow a coat."
"Sure. I should have one around here somewhere." Rodney went into the next room and Teyla took the opportunity to look around. In one corner stood an almost-completed wheelchair, one that looked far more sophisticated than the simple chair with wheels he had built as an emergency solution when John had arrived only days ago. On the main shelf his notes on the Artifact were unorganized once again, so he must have been working on it. And next to the notes lay a few small figures that looked like toys.
"Here," Rodney said and thrust a dark overcoat at her. "That should fit."
"Thank you," she said, putting it on with some relief.
"So, what happened?" He followed her look and blushed when he saw the toys. "Yes, well. What happened?"
"I encountered a Wraith," she said simply.
"A Wraith? Here?" he exclaimed. "That's impossible! It could never have gotten through the shield!"
"I was outside the shield. I was planning to hunt and to make sure that the Wraith John spoke of were far enough away not to be an immediate danger."
"Looks like they are."
"Yes," she said simply.
"But wait," he said, frowning, "shouldn't Sora have noticed if the Wraith came that close? She and her little band of merry men are always running around in the woods, right?"
"Yes," she said, eyes narrowing, "that's precisely what I will ask Sora when they come back."
"They're back already," Rodney said. "Sora came by two hours ago. She said she wanted to speak to Sheppard."
Teyla tensed. "Did she say why?"
"No. Just said that Min had told her about Sheppard and she wanted to ask him something."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Sheppard was going to play some pointless games with the kids. I told her they'd probably be around the town square. Why? Is there a problem?"
Teyla breathed out slowly. "It is nothing. Have you heard from Ronon yet?"
"No, but that's not unusual, he's often a couple of days late." Rodney looked at her curiously. When she did not explain further, he turned back to his workbench with a quiet huff. He had already learned that he wouldn't get an answer if he kept asking. "Fine. Oh, and Min said he'd cook for us tomorrow. Apparently Ford caught something."
"Thank you, Rodney."
He made a quick gesture in response, already absorbed in his work again.
***
Teyla went to the town square next. She could hear the children's bright laughter from several streets away.
"Mama!" Torren ran into her from behind as soon as she walked onto the square and hugged her knees. "You're back! Look what we made!"
"Torren," she said warmly and twisted around to hug him. Torren jumped back and pointed at the wall.
"Look!"
Teyla looked at the picture of a large green animal with dark red spots that had been drawn on one of the houses. It appeared to have two horns and large, crooked claws. Tomin stood on his toes on an empty box and appeared to be painting a feathered wing. "It looks very pretty," she said with a wide smile.
"It's a sharraff," Yira said proudly, carefully drawing another big dot. Her hands were red and green with chalk.
"Yes, a huuuuge one!" Torren ran back to the wall and squatted to add another claw.
"They've been working on this the whole day," Aiden said with a grin as he came to stand beside her. "I told them it could rain tomorrow, but they didn't care."
Teyla looked up automatically. The sky was light grey, and she did not think it would rain heavily. "I do not think they will mind painting another picture."
Aiden laughed. "As long as they don't run out of chalk. Hey, did you hear, we caught some rabbits today. I bet Min's going to prepare a feast."
"Maybe he'll open a jar of berry sauce," Lannée suggested. She was sitting on one of the benches and showing Ashin a new string figure that involved her left foot. Her hair was pinned up to expose the intricate black swirls of the tattoo on her shoulder blades, almost invisible against her skin.
"Yeah," Aiden said wishfully.
"I wish to speak to you," Teyla said in a lower voice. Aiden looked at her in surprise and then, instead of fidgeting, just nodded. She was reminded once again how much he had grown up since the Wraith had come.
"Where have you been hunting this season?" Teyla asked as soon as they reached the other end of the square, far enough not to be overheard. Lannée had looked up and watched them sharply, but she turned around again when Aiden shook his head.
"The same place we did last season," he said. "Behind the river, west of the old charcoal piles."
"You're lying."
"I'm not." But he avoided her eyes.
"I was attacked by a Wraith today," she said harshly. "In the same place you promised to keep free of them. Tell me, is it a matter of negligence or incompetence that allowed the Wraith to come into shouting distance of this town?"
Aiden winced. "You killed a Wraith? Congratulations," he offered weakly.
She ignored it. "Where is Sora?"
"I don't know. Honestly," he said, raising his hands. "I don't know. She went off with Sheppard, said she wanted to ask him something."
"About something you discovered elsewhere."
Aiden winced again, but said nothing. He wouldn't tell her anything, she realized.
"Tell Sora I want to speak to her."
"Sure," he said automatically. "But, uh…"
"Tell John the same. Tell the others that there may be Wraith in the forest; they have to be careful."
"Aren't you going to tell them yourself?"
"Tomorrow." She felt a small stab of guilt - she probably should tell them as soon as possible. But she was already starting to notice the strain of the fight and did not look forward to an evening carefully talking around the subject of Sora. Now that Sora, Lannée, and Aiden had returned it was unlikely anyone would go outside the shield until the next day. "I will be at home."
"Fine," Aiden said, frowning slightly. "Are you hurt?"
"No," she said, perhaps more sharply than she had intended. Aiden backed off a bit and shrugged in acquiescence.
Lannée was watching them. Teyla wondered if Lannée would have told her more; she was more often than not the silent one, but she did not hesitate to argue with Sora when they disagreed. Now, however, Lannée would not speak of anything that Aiden had obviously refused to tell.
Teyla turned around, intending to say a brief goodbye to Torren, and started to laugh. The sharraff now had a large flower garland and a tail with an enormous tuft.
***
Teyla breathed out slowly as she moved through the exercise, feeling all the places where bruises would form. Her muscles were burning pleasantly and she had to remind herself not to overdo it. It was difficult with the image of the Wraith still fresh in her mind. She had been lucky: the wind had blown in her direction and she had heard the Wraith long before it noticed her. Careless, but it didn't expect a threat. For a moment she had even thought it might not notice her, but it had walked straight at her and she had attacked while she still had the element of surprise.
The fight had been fast and vicious. Her back still ached where the Wraith had thrown her against the tree. It had been reasonably well-fed; not as strong as some of the Wraith that had attacked the town over three years ago, but strong enough that it had almost ignored the first stab wound and conjured shrieking shapes of mist to fly at her. Only when she had managed to push the knife through its feeding hand had it shown signs of injury, and even when it lay unmoving on the ground she hadn't trusted its death until she had broken its neck and almost decapitated it. It had been a long time since she had encountered a Wraith, but she had not forgotten how to kill them.
Afterwards, she had waited, hidden, for other Wraith to come, but none appeared. That was strange: Ronon had mentioned occasionally encountering single Wraith, but they were usually sent from a dart and specifically hunting for him. Raid or exploration groups tended to consist of five to seven Wraith, one commander and several drones. Lone Wraith were rare, though not unheard of. When they came near a settlement or town the inhabitants often hunted them down and took great pleasure in killing them, seeking revenge for everyone they had lost.
Teyla finished the last form, paused, and then drank greedily from the water flask. The sun was touching the higher trees; Torren would come home soon, and he'd be hungry.
Charin had never stopped trying to teach her to cook, and when Charin had died Min had continued her work. By now, Teyla felt that she was a passable cook. Rodney still claimed that Torren didn't complain only because he didn't know anything else, but even he had started asking for a second portion when he came to eat with them.
This evening she made baked toya. Stirring the pot was soothing, and she found herself humming under her breath. Torren, to her regret, didn't like to sing, and he didn't like to listen, either. The only musical thing he liked was drumming. Rodney had discovered Torren's preference, and Rana made him two beautiful small drums. The whole town regretted it whenever Torren was in a bad mood.
Teyla was thinking about looking for Torren when he finally arrived. He was walking behind John's wheelchair, occasionally pushing it and grinning proudly when John sped up.
"Thanks, kid," John said solemnly. Small purple flowers stuck between the bandages on his arm and even on his legs - Yira's work, probably. "Hello, Teyla."
"Hello Mama," Torren said and ran past her to the kitchen wall.
"John. You are welcome to stay for dinner," she greeted him.
Torren was already putting the plates and cutlery on the table. "You have to see the sharraff! It's amazing!" he said excitedly. "Tomin made a crown! Aiden says there are many crowns in the South."
"I wouldn't say many. Maybe one or two," John said, rolling his chair to the table. Torren's face fell, and John quickly amended, "But I'm sure there are more where Aiden's from."
Torren looked confused. "But you are both from the South."
"The South is pretty big, kid," John said with an indulgent smile.
Torren opened his mouth but stopped when Teyla put the pot on the table. He bowed his head and murmured a quick thanks-giving. Teyla looked at him and felt as if her love illuminated the room.
"Tell me a story!" Torren demanded when he looked up again. "With crowns and animals flying and balloons!"
"Balloons?" John asked, amused, and took another ladleful of toya.
"Aiden speaks of them often," Teyla explained. "Colorful balloons and cotton candy. I believe he asks Rodney to invent a machine to make it every season."
"Rodney says candy is bad for your health," Torren said seriously around a mouthful of dinner.
John grinned. "He's right. But hey, I bet Rodney'll help us to make some flying lanterns, they're even better than balloons. Where I come from they used to have this festival…"
The festival did sound amazing, Teyla had to admit. John was a good, if somewhat reluctant storyteller: he concentrated on the fun parts, and he didn't mind when Torren laughed about stories he had clearly intended to be suspenseful. Every once in a while he tried to illustrate something with his hands and winced when he remembered his bandages. He seemed reluctant every time Torren asked for another story, but he always gave in, and the food was long cold when they finally finished dinner.
After they did the dishes Torren immediately went to his corner and took out his chalkboard.
"I think he enjoyed the stories," John said, sounding proud.
"He did," Teyla agreed. She shifted in her seat so she could face him fully.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" John asked.
"Sora came to speak with you today," she began carefully.
"Yeah. She said she and the other two just came back from a hunting trip and she wasn't caught up on the news. Ford and that other girl, the black-haired one, stayed with the kids."
"What did you tell her?"
John frowned. "Shouldn't I have talked to her?"
She chose her words with care. "Occasionally, Sora acts… rashly. And if you told her about what you saw…"
"I did," he said. "What do you think she's going to do?"
"I am not sure." It was not precisely a lie, but she did not want to share her fears. Especially since she didn't know John well enough yet to know if he would support Sora's course of action. He was a soldier, he had said, but there were many different kinds of soldiers.
"Do you know where she is now?"
"She said she was going for a walk in the woods."
That meant that she was probably checking several of the caches she, Ford, Lannée and Born had hidden near the town. If she had taken a light she would not be back until late.
Could she trust that Sora would not do anything hasty before speaking to her? They had agreed to that, even though Sora sometimes "forgot" to mention where she was going. But this time it was personal for her, and Teyla could not predict how she would react. Surely she would at least wait for Ronon to arrive?
John was looking at her expectantly. "I apologize for keeping you," Teyla said, standing up.
"Nah," he said easily. "Thanks for dinner."
"You are welcome. Torren quite enjoyed your company."
Torren did not let John leave until he had confirmed that the squiggles looked like real cotton candy.
***
Teyla woke up from another nightmare. At least she had not woken Torren, who was still clinging to her as he often did in sleep. She looked at the patch of purple sky she could see through the window and tried to dispel the foreboding that it would be an exhausting day.
Torren was quiet during breakfast, indicating that he had not slept well. He agreed without enthusiasm when she proposed going to Rana and Linor's. He seemed to lighten up on the way there, kicking small stones along the way, but he did not talk much, and after a while she let him be. Although she could not shake the instinctive desire to help him with whatever was troubling him, she had long since learned that sometimes it was better to wait for him. Often he would act as if everything was all right only a short time later, and spending time with Tomin and Yira usually helped. Maybe Ashin would play highball with them later.
Rana was watering the small plant pots on the windowsills of the house next to hers. "Teyla, Torren," she called when she saw them, raising the watering can in greeting.
She maneuvered expertly with the can and the crutches and arrived at the door just as Teyla and Torren did. Torren waved at her and Rana waved back with her fingers. "Do come in!"
It was quite dark inside, as Rana and Linor's house had smaller windows. The room was divided by several colorful cloths that hung from the ceiling. Linor emerged behind one of them, smiling at Teyla and then crouching down to greet Torren.
"He'll need a razor soon," Rana announced and Linor ducked his head. "And a haircut."
"I am not sure," Teyla said teasingly, "Yira thinks he looks cute with long hair."
"Charin said I should not do as you did and run around with long hair until it gets tangled in branches and you have to cut it all off," Linor replied innocently, still sitting on the floor. Teyla smiled in reminiscence.
"Aiden told us about yesterday," Rana said in a lower voice. "Everyone will be extra careful when we have to step outside the shield."
"Good," Teyla said, relieved."Until we know where it came from, we should not take unnecessary risks."
"Speaking of risks, I've seen Sora," Rana said.
"Where?"
"Walking down the street towards the river, just a few moments ago."
"Thank you." Teyla took a step towards the door and then turned again, looking for Torren. She could hear rustling behind one of the large cloths.
"Lunch at Min's, we'll bring him," Rana assured her. Teyla gave her a grateful nod and went in search of Sora.
***
She had only passed four houses when she spotted Sora on the street. For a moment Teyla thought Sora would run away, but instead she waited until Teyla had caught up with her. She had her gun and knives with her and wore hunting clothes. Her face was still clean, her hair dry and brushed, so she had most likely spent the night in town. Teyla wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not.
"I heard you're looking for me," Sora said curtly.
"It's good to see you safely returned," Teyla replied.
Sora scowled. "Thank you. Was there something you wanted?"
"Do not try to kill the queen."
"You have no right to order me around," Sora spat.
"I have every right in this instance," Teyla countered, stepping closer. "You know the danger, and nothing would be gained from it even if you succeeded. You cannot needlessly endanger all our lives by acting in rage!"
Her voice had become louder. Sora drew herself up and they stared at each other for a long moment.
"Rest assured, whatever I do, I will be well prepared," Sora finally said.
"Sora…"
"I'll wait for Ronon's arrival, and I'll make sure to inform you before we act, if it's possible. But you don't have the authority to keep me here."
"I had hoped that you had learned about consequences," Teyla bit out. It came out more harshly than she had intended. A part of her was satisfied when Sora flinched.
"Have a good day," Sora said formally and stepped past her.
Teyla didn't answer. I do not have the authority, she wanted to say, but I do have the ability, and by the Ancestors, Sora, if you endanger my son, I will gladly see you a prisoner for the rest of your life.
She took a deep breath. It would not come to that, she told herself. Sora would come to her senses, and surely Aiden and Lannée would not go along with her idea. Besides, the town was protected now. The Wraith would not come here again. Elsewhere, however…
No. She would not let it happen.
Teyla thought about going back to Rana and Linor's, but decided against it. She needed fresh air, and upset as she was she did not want to alarm Torren. She walked towards the river and then turned downstream, heading for the place she'd left her coat and knives the day before. The wind was cool and she regretted not wearing the coat Rodney had lent her, even if it wasn't as warm as her own.
This time she hardly felt the shield when she stepped through it. Looking back at the apparently empty countryside she fought down the familiar, disconcerting feeling of being lost and instead spared another moment to be grateful for the protection the shield offered them. "Better late than never," as Rodney said when he was very drunk.
The coat and knives were in exactly the same place where she had left them. She carried the coat to the laundry spot down the river and started scrubbing it over the washboard, harder than was probably necessary.
She would get another chance to talk to Sora at dinner. Min would surely prepare a feast for the whole town - she should help him prepare the tables for everyone later. And after dinner she could call for a town meeting. Sora would have to attend, as would Aiden and Lannée. Surely Sora would not act against the wishes of everyone in the town. No, Teyla corrected herself, Sora would, but maybe she could be convinced. Maybe. And Teyla would take the opportunity to ask Sora where they had been "hunting" instead of protecting the area around the town.
Something rustled on the other side of the river. Teyla jumped up with her knives in her hands; it was probably just an animal, but it never hurt to be careful.
A man stepped out of the woods, his hand raised in greeting, and Teyla exhaled in relief.
"Ronon!" she called.
He grinned widely and started to run. Teyla stepped aside as he ran over the stepping stones and then jumped across the river, remembering just in time to snag the coat away from his landing place.
Ronon landed in a crouch and immediately straightened up, one-handedly checking his coat pockets. "Teyla," he said, stepping forward and hugging her.
"It is good to see you," she said against his shoulder and then pulled back to look at him closely. He appeared to be unhurt, and on first glance she didn't see any new scars. He wore two new beads in his hair and had a new tattoo on his neck that looked like a letter of the Satedan alphabet above a stylized animal she didn't recognize.
"Melena's family sign," Ronon said proudly, touching the mark with his fingertips.
"Congratulations," she said sincerely.
"She said she was tired of waiting for me to ask her and that she already had the ink ready," he confessed with a grin.
Teyla carefully did not say "I told you so," a phrase that had become common in the town ever since Rodney's arrival. Ronon saw her meaning anyway and laughed.
"How's Torren?"
"Good. He has developed a fondness for adventure stories. I think he will keep you busy this evening!"
"Yeah, I have lots to tell him," Ronon said with a grin. "That your coat?"
Teyla nodded and gathered it up. It looked cleaner than it had in a long time. "Hopefully not many sad tales."
Ronon grimaced. "We're doing okay. Most of the smaller towns and villages get culled at least every few moons, but they're adapting. Many of them are still trying to fight back, but whenever they become dangerous the Wraith bomb them. They wiped out Taranis recently." He quickly made the Satedan commemoration gesture. "I heard there're some people in the South who are apparently fighting off Wraith cruisers, but I don't know how much of that is true." He looked at her and added: "I've met someone who said that two moons ago Athos was okay. She didn't know who they lost, but she remembered meeting Halling and some other people. I made a list. She didn't know Kanaan, though."
"Thank you," Teyla said evenly. Athos was okay, Halling was alive. She tried to ignore that Ronon hadn't found Kanaan, again. Maybe he was in the South, or unable to travel or send word for other reasons.
"So how're things here?" Ronon asked in an obvious attempt to change the topic.
"Fine. Although…" She hesitated. "Four days ago a flying machine crashed half a day's walk from the town. Min and I went to investigate. We found the pilot, a Southerner called John Sheppard. He was badly wounded, but still alive. Linor set his legs and Rodney made him a Southern device, a chair with wheels to get around. He should recover, eventually."
"But," Ronon prompted her. They were walking slowly towards the town. The shield let them through without problems, and Ronon visibly tried not to startle when the town suddenly appeared before them.
"He says that when he was shot down, he was touched by the mind of a queen."
"A queen," Ronon said sharply.
"Yes."
"Where did he come from?"
"The South. He cannot say exactly, but from his description of what he saw, Min said the queen was most likely near a place he called Upper Caves."
"Have you checked it out yet?"
Teyla hesitated again. "No. But Sora, Lannée, and Aiden lied about what they were doing, so I don't know where they have been. I do not know what they are planning, either."
"Sora's the angry blond one?"
"Yes," she said, amused.
He grunted. "So what are your plans?"
What were her plans? Part of her had known, but hearing Ronon ask finally made her admit to herself that she had to do something. She could not hide behind their shield and hope that Sora would not do anything foolish. Having a Wraith stronghold, and a queen's no less, this close was dangerous, and they did not know what the Wraith were doing outside the mountains.
"I do not trust Sora." The words felt heavy in her mouth.
Ronon raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You already said that."
She didn't answer. They had nearly reached the first houses, and after estimating the time she led him towards Min's house. Everyone would be glad to see Ronon, relieved that he was alive and eager for news from other cities. He didn't carry a large bag this time, but he had probably stashed away a few sweets for the children. When it came to sweets even Ashin forgot to protest that he was not a child anymore.
"You came at the right time. Min is cooking for everyone today," she said as they took the last turn.
"Did Charin provide the secret ingredient?" he asked with a grin.
She had almost forgotten how much Ronon had loved Charin's liquor. The memory made her throat tight. "Charin passed away last fall."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, making the commemoration gesture again.
Then Min saw them and called for the others to welcome Ronon back.
***
Teyla helped Alos carry the dishes outside while Min supervised the cooking pots and the children gathered around Ronon. He had indeed brought them sweets, small red candies wrapped in colorful paper, and they were sucking on them eagerly, dismissing Rana's suggestion to wait until after lunch. The smell of whichever animal Min was cooking already drifted through the streets, and in the kitchen Teyla had seen that he did indeed have a small bottle of Charin's liquor.
Lannée and Aiden were inside, stirring the pots. Most likely Lannée was making sure Aiden did not taste half of the sauce. She wore one of her embroidered vests, but it was already food-stained.
Sora came a short time later. She greeted Ronon politely, and Teyla could almost see her adapting her plans to his arrival.
"We should hold a town meeting after lunch," Sora said, quietly enough for the children not to hear her. "Ronon certainly has news to tell us all, and we can discuss what to do further."
"Good idea," Alos agreed readily. Teyla fought back the irrational annoyance that Sora had come up with the same idea and simply nodded.
Lunch was ready when Rodney finally arrived, pushing John's wheelchair and complaining about people who always tried to do everything by themselves. Min had made a delicious roast with vegetable sauce and wild onions and visibly basked in the compliments he received, handing out second servings with a proud smile. Ronon in particular ate like a starving man, or someone who had spent the last moon walking through Wraith-infested lands. Everyone kept asking him questions about the towns he had visited, the things he had seen, and the people he had met who were still alive and well; he answered between bites, careful not to talk too much about the Wraith where the children could hear him. When he finished eating he told the tale of his bonding ceremony, acknowledging the congratulations with visible pride and an unusual shyness.
Teyla's fingers twitched, and for a moment she thought she could feel the partnership band on her upper arm again, where she now had two scars. She wondered if Kanaan still had his. The image of his body, lying unmoving on the ground with the band on his arm, came to her mind, and she shook her head to dispel it. Rana gave her a sympathetic look.
"Ashin, why don't you play highball with the children?" Alos finally suggested.
Ashin grimaced but then nodded. After Charin's death, Alos was the eldest, and Ashin's parents had been traditional in that regard.
"I don't want to," Yira protested.
"Can Ronon come?" Torren asked.
"You go and train now, and I'll join you later," Ronon promised.
"Okay. Bye, Mama," Torren said and hopped off the bench. Tomin, who was playing idly with one of the straws he liked to carry and whistle on, followed, and Yira grudgingly went after them.
"So," Rana said, "now for the ugly truth. How bad is it?"
"About the same. They're quicker to attack when encountering resistance, but rumors say that's because there's more successful resistance. Supposedly in the South. That true?" Ronon looked at John.
"Sumner's gonna kill me," John muttered and sat up straighter in his chair. "We're doing okay. We had some losses, but we have some Ancient technology that's keeping them at bay. But we don't know how long that'll work."
"Ancient technology?" Rodney asked, outraged. "You never told me that!"
"It's not like it'll help you, McKay. I'm not a scientist."
"Yes, but-"
"So they sent you looking for a place to attack them," Sora interrupted him, staring at John.
"Pretty much," John said. "There are no major Wraith installations down South. Maybe the climate doesn't agree with them. They only send ships, but we know they don't use the Gate that often. The ships have to come from somewhere."
"And if you do find something?"
"Then we'll find a way to attack," John said simply. Even though he was still bruised, bandaged, and sitting in a wheelchair with so many broken bones, he did not sound ridiculous. It reminded her of another time, when someone else had said nearly exactly the same words. Teyla suddenly felt cold.
"And how are you going to do that?" Lannée asked skeptically.
"We'll figure something out."
"It will not work," Teyla said.
"We'll find a way," he repeated stubbornly.
"No. Even if you find a way to attack them, even if you succeed in your attack, more Wraith will come. If you do not have a way to close the Portal, more Wraith will come, and they will seek revenge. Can you close the Portal?"
"Not yet," John admitted.
Rodney snorted. "It took me years to make some progress. I bet your so-called scientists are still trying to figure out the pretty squiggles."
"Look, Teyla," John said, leaning forward, "I get it. But what are we supposed to do? Just sit and wait like obedient cows to be eaten?"
"There is a difference between fighting the Wraith and attacking with no plan!"
"If you had the strength to fight Wraith ships you would have done so when they first came," Lannée interrupted.
"We weren't prepared then."
"You might be prepared. But can you protect everyone? Will you take responsibility for all the people the Wraith wipe out after you destroy their base?" Teyla asked angrily.
"This is not only our fight!"
"So you have no right to blindly race ahead and force your decision to risk destruction and death for a momentary feigned victory on everyone!"
She had stood up somewhere in the middle of the fight, her fingers digging into the table. John looked like he wanted to stand up, too, but had settled for glaring at her. She did not look away, even though fury kept building in her. It seemed like the air between them should start to burn.
"Stop that," Ronon said, with a note of finality in his voice.
"It's relevant," Sora said. Teyla finally turned her head, and Sora gave her a quick, triumphant look. "Because there's a Wraith queen in the forest, and we need to act."
Teyla sat down, her hands flat on the table, and breathed deeply while Sora quickly told Ronon what John had seen.
"So you want to, what, kill the queen? That's different," Rana pointed out. "John's people's strategy would at least weaken the Wraith somewhat."
"So would the death of a queen," Sora said. "In fact, from what we know of the Wraith, it's likely they have more drones than queens. The death of a queen would be a heavier loss than any number of ships."
"And would be avenged, as you well know," Alos said calmly.
The table fell quiet. Rodney fidgeted, and Teyla wished he would look at her so she could reassure him.
"Wait," John frowned, "a queen died?"
"Don't you know?" Rana asked, surprised. "About three years ago. A queen died, and that's when they started the first mass killings."
Teyla glanced at Sora, but her face showed no reaction.
John shrugged uncomfortably. "We just thought they were annoyed by the resistance. We're in the high South," he defended himself.
"It didn't matter. They just got a new queen," Linor said. "For all we know, they're like bees: when they need a queen, they breed one."
"You can kill a hive by killing the queen," Sora countered.
"It just means that you get stung a lot before the new hive moves in. Except if you smoke the place out and regularly add the right dried leaves," Linor added.
Aiden grinned and demonstratively rubbed the part of his arm where his shirt had ripped when he had gone to collect honey with Linor last spring. It had taken a long time for the swelling to disappear. Linor noticed his gesture and blushed.
"Oh please. We can't 'smoke out' the planet," Rodney said mockingly. He was drumming his fingers on the table, watching the fights like a spectator at a highball match, but careful not to get involved. The last time he had tried, he had managed to insult everyone.
"I know that." Linor ducked his head in embarrassment. Rana elbowed him gently in the side.
"It wasn't a bad analogy."
Sora huffed. "If they react, it's because queens are precious to them. There's no guarantee they'll find another queen again or this quickly. One queen in a tiny facility in the woods is an opportunity we'll never get again."
"We can't risk so many lives on guesswork alone. And how do you know about the Wraith facility?" Teyla demanded.
"John mentioned it," Sora said.
"No, I didn't," John corrected her. "I just felt the queen."
Sora gave him an angry look, but John just raised his eyebrows.
"We've been hunting in that part of the woods. Recently we've seen more Wraith. We think they built a small base there, but we haven't found it yet," Lannée said.
"Lannée!" Sora glared at her.
Lannée stared back. "They need to know."
"We do. And when did you intend to tell us?" Rana asked with narrowed eyes.
"Soon?" Aiden offered.
"That's why there were Wraith near the other side of the town, like the one that attacked Teyla," Rodney realized out loud.
"Sorry about that," Aiden said sheepishly. "We didn't think they'd come this close."
Rana crossed her arms and glared. Min sighed, and Alos just looked disappointed. Teyla knew that he would have been the first one to shout at Sora if anyone had got seriously hurt.
Sora scowled. "We don't know why they're suddenly building a base. Rodney said it's possible they found an artifact of the Ancestors. And if there's a queen there, it has to be important. We can't allow them to have that advantage." Teyla glanced at Rodney. He nodded in confirmation, but did not look happy; probably he realized only now why Sora had been interested in his theories. "We can find the Wraith base, kill the queen, and remove the danger."
"No!" Teyla said loudly.
"Then what do you want to do?" Sora challenged her.
Teyla exhaled slowly. "We can find the Wraith base. We can find out what it is that they are doing there, and if necessary, we can destroy the Artifact of the Ancestors. But we cannot kill the queen."
"Sounds like a plan," Ronon said. Teyla had nearly forgotten his presence. "I can come with you."
"That won't be-" Sora began, but Teyla interrupted her. "I'll come, too."
"We don't need a babysitter," Sora said hotly.
Teyla kept her opinion on that matter to herself. "You are planning to invade a Wraith facility. You need as many people as possible."
"What about Torren?"
"I have gone on hunting trips before. He will be fine." He could stay with Yira and Tomin in Alos's house, or with Rana and Linor. Torren had grown a lot; he'd be fine without her for a few days. Min, Linor, and Rodney would help look after him, the other children would be there for him to play with, and one of them would help him if he had a nightmare. Torren would be fine. "How far is the facility?"
"Not even a day's walk, if it is in the caves," Min said.
"Fine," Sora said abruptly. "You can come, too. As long as you don't slow us down."
"I should come, too," Rodney said.
"McKay!" Aiden protested.
"You?" Sora said with a mixture of surprise and barely disguised mockery.
Rodney raised his chin. "Yes. I'm the foremost expert on Ancient technology. If the Wraith did find a Device, which frankly is likely, you'll need me to find out what it does and how to destroy it. Otherwise you'll just blow yourselves up."
"You're not a fighter," Lannée said critically, leaning forward and looking at him closely.
"Teyla has been training me." It was true, she had given him bantos lessons. He was a slow learner, but he hadn't given up, and in three years he'd become passable for a beginner of his age. It had done him good: he moved more confidently, and the work in the fields did not tire him as much as it had initially. But however much he had learned, he was not and probably would never be a fighter.
Rodney saw the skepticism on everyone's face and bristled."And anyway, I won't be going as a fighter. I'll be going as a scientist, which, hello? You need one."
"Haven't you been teaching Teyla?" Aiden asked.
"She's as much of a scientist as I'm a fighter." He glared at Aiden and then gave Teyla a quick apologetic look. She did not feel insulted: Rodney had had years of formal education in the South, and she was only beginning to understand the monitors near the Artifact.
"He's right, we need him," Ronon said. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks," Rodney said, with only a little bit of sarcasm in his voice.
Aiden started to say something, but fell quiet when Lannée shook her head. John looked like he deeply regretted not being able to come with them. If he had not been injured, he would have been a great asset; Teyla had seen enough of him to know that he was a fighter, and probably a good one, too. Maybe they could spar together when he was healed.
"So, when will you go?" Rana asked briskly. "I'll better prepare your lunch packets."
Aiden made a face, and Rana winked at him.
"Tomorrow morning," Sora said. "When the sun rises."
The others nodded, Rodney grimacing at the early time. Tomorrow morning, then.
***
Torren almost bounced on the way home, excitedly retelling their glorious adventures: chasing the tree ghost, cornering the ghost until it showed them how to capture the Wraith, and finally defeating the Wraith in a hard struggle. The Wraith had been possessed by a dark spirit - Yira had known, because it was grinning - but the ghost had told them what to do.
"And then we tickled him until he gave up!" he concluded triumphantly and reenacted their victory dance around the table, complete with stomping and howling.
Teyla suppressed her laughter and handed him a piece of yinna fruit instead. He took it and sat down on his chair, legs swinging.
"You were a good tree ghost," he said around a bite of fruit. "Tomorrow we'll play again! And I can do the trap, Ronon said so!"
"You will have to wait for another day," she said regretfully. "We are going hunting tomorrow."
Torren looked confused. "We?"
"Ronon, Sora, Aiden, Lannée, Rodney, and I."
"You, too?"
"Yes. We are hoping to find another Artifact of the Ancestors." It was not strictly untrue.
"For a bigger shield? So we can go to the whiteberry bushes?" He didn't seem overly excited at the prospect.
"Perhaps," she allowed, although she thought it was unlikely. If they did find an Artifact, they would most likely have to destroy it, to prevent the Wraith from using it.
Torren ate the last bit of fruit and licked his fingers. He stared at the table. "Is it dangerous?"
Teyla hesitated. "A bit more dangerous than usual. But we will come back."
"Sometimes people can't come back, you said. Even when they want to. Like Kanaan."
He was still staring at the table. She was just stepping forward to hug him when there was a knock at the door.
Teyla turned and saw Sora standing in the doorway, looking almost hesitant.
"I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?"
Torren hopped off the chair and went to his corner. He sat down with one of his puzzles, demonstratively ignoring the adults.
"It is fine," Teyla said politely. "Come in."
Sora took three slow steps inside. "I wanted to give you this," she said and pulled a small sword out of the bag she carried. "You could probably use it tomorrow."
"Thank you," Teyla said. "But I already have a sword."
Sora frowned. "You do?"
Teyla opened the small cupboard and took out her sword. It was larger and sharper than the one Sora offered her: good quality work, and she cared for it well. "Ronon gave it to me."
"I've never seen you train with it." Sora sounded almost hurt.
"It has been a long time since we sparred together."
Sora stilled, and it gave Teyla a sense of satisfaction. They last time they had sparred together, Charin had separated them before they could seriously injure each other.
The cause had been similar, too.
Sora looked uncomfortable, like she wanted to say something and couldn't find the words. Teyla did nothing to break the silence. In the past, she would have; in the short time between Teyla and Kanaan's arrival at Charin's and the execution of Tyrus' plan they had become good friends. They had often spent companionable afternoons in the woods or near the river, hunting, sparring, or just talking. They had worried about the Wraith together, and Sora had helped her when Kanaan left. When the Wraith attacked, Teyla had worried about Sora and wished she was there to protect the town and Torren. When Sora finally returned, injured, alone, and exhausted, it was Teyla she had turned to.
Their friendship had never recovered from that fight.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Sora finally said.
"At sunrise," Teyla confirmed.
With a last glance at Torren, Sora left again. Teyla stared after her and then exhaled and carefully put the sword away again. She still preferred her bantos rods, but Wraith were hard to kill and decapitation was one of the easiest ways.
Torren had finished his puzzle and stood up. "So," he said.
Teyla interrupted him, kneeling down to pull him into an Athosian embrace. He stiffened for a moment and then let his head fall against hers, eyes screwed shut.
"I will do everything I can to make sure I'll come back," Teyla said, putting all the conviction she felt into her voice. And she was convinced, she realized with some surprise. She would come back, and she would see Torren again. The Ancestors would not allow otherwise; she would not allow otherwise.
Torren took a deep breath. "Okay," he said quietly.
They stayed as they were for long heartbeats.
Onwards to Part 2
Author: schneefink
Genre: AU
Prompt: Stargate accident
Word Count: 14,900
Rating: PG-13
Summary: For years, the small group of survivors has been able to hide from the Wraith behind their shield. But now that the Wraith have found a potentially dangerous new weapon, Teyla is forced to act.
Notes: Much love and gratitude to michelel72 and busaikko. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Teyla had to wash the Wraith blood off before the shield would let her in. It sparked against her skin even after a thorough bath in the river. She shivered in the cool air and wished she had taken the time to wash her coat.
She had entered the shielded area in the middle of the field. As she ran towards the town she took care not to step onto the small shoots that had started to appear a few days before. Soon they would be able to start harvesting the first roots; then they would also have a harvest celebration, with music and good food and a few dances. Teyla thought of the Wraith she had killed not half a day away and barely bit back a heartfelt curse.
Charin would have smiled and said that she spent too much time with the Southerners. Thinking of Charin calmed her, and when she reached Rodney's workshop the rush of the fight had finally left her.
Rodney was alone, sitting at his workbench and for once not muttering to himself. He jerked around when she knocked lightly against the wall and his eyes widened.
"Are you okay? Did something happen?"
Teyla paused in surprise and then remembered what she must look like. "I am fine," she assured him. "But it would be very welcome if I could borrow a coat."
"Sure. I should have one around here somewhere." Rodney went into the next room and Teyla took the opportunity to look around. In one corner stood an almost-completed wheelchair, one that looked far more sophisticated than the simple chair with wheels he had built as an emergency solution when John had arrived only days ago. On the main shelf his notes on the Artifact were unorganized once again, so he must have been working on it. And next to the notes lay a few small figures that looked like toys.
"Here," Rodney said and thrust a dark overcoat at her. "That should fit."
"Thank you," she said, putting it on with some relief.
"So, what happened?" He followed her look and blushed when he saw the toys. "Yes, well. What happened?"
"I encountered a Wraith," she said simply.
"A Wraith? Here?" he exclaimed. "That's impossible! It could never have gotten through the shield!"
"I was outside the shield. I was planning to hunt and to make sure that the Wraith John spoke of were far enough away not to be an immediate danger."
"Looks like they are."
"Yes," she said simply.
"But wait," he said, frowning, "shouldn't Sora have noticed if the Wraith came that close? She and her little band of merry men are always running around in the woods, right?"
"Yes," she said, eyes narrowing, "that's precisely what I will ask Sora when they come back."
"They're back already," Rodney said. "Sora came by two hours ago. She said she wanted to speak to Sheppard."
Teyla tensed. "Did she say why?"
"No. Just said that Min had told her about Sheppard and she wanted to ask him something."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Sheppard was going to play some pointless games with the kids. I told her they'd probably be around the town square. Why? Is there a problem?"
Teyla breathed out slowly. "It is nothing. Have you heard from Ronon yet?"
"No, but that's not unusual, he's often a couple of days late." Rodney looked at her curiously. When she did not explain further, he turned back to his workbench with a quiet huff. He had already learned that he wouldn't get an answer if he kept asking. "Fine. Oh, and Min said he'd cook for us tomorrow. Apparently Ford caught something."
"Thank you, Rodney."
He made a quick gesture in response, already absorbed in his work again.
***
Teyla went to the town square next. She could hear the children's bright laughter from several streets away.
"Mama!" Torren ran into her from behind as soon as she walked onto the square and hugged her knees. "You're back! Look what we made!"
"Torren," she said warmly and twisted around to hug him. Torren jumped back and pointed at the wall.
"Look!"
Teyla looked at the picture of a large green animal with dark red spots that had been drawn on one of the houses. It appeared to have two horns and large, crooked claws. Tomin stood on his toes on an empty box and appeared to be painting a feathered wing. "It looks very pretty," she said with a wide smile.
"It's a sharraff," Yira said proudly, carefully drawing another big dot. Her hands were red and green with chalk.
"Yes, a huuuuge one!" Torren ran back to the wall and squatted to add another claw.
"They've been working on this the whole day," Aiden said with a grin as he came to stand beside her. "I told them it could rain tomorrow, but they didn't care."
Teyla looked up automatically. The sky was light grey, and she did not think it would rain heavily. "I do not think they will mind painting another picture."
Aiden laughed. "As long as they don't run out of chalk. Hey, did you hear, we caught some rabbits today. I bet Min's going to prepare a feast."
"Maybe he'll open a jar of berry sauce," Lannée suggested. She was sitting on one of the benches and showing Ashin a new string figure that involved her left foot. Her hair was pinned up to expose the intricate black swirls of the tattoo on her shoulder blades, almost invisible against her skin.
"Yeah," Aiden said wishfully.
"I wish to speak to you," Teyla said in a lower voice. Aiden looked at her in surprise and then, instead of fidgeting, just nodded. She was reminded once again how much he had grown up since the Wraith had come.
"Where have you been hunting this season?" Teyla asked as soon as they reached the other end of the square, far enough not to be overheard. Lannée had looked up and watched them sharply, but she turned around again when Aiden shook his head.
"The same place we did last season," he said. "Behind the river, west of the old charcoal piles."
"You're lying."
"I'm not." But he avoided her eyes.
"I was attacked by a Wraith today," she said harshly. "In the same place you promised to keep free of them. Tell me, is it a matter of negligence or incompetence that allowed the Wraith to come into shouting distance of this town?"
Aiden winced. "You killed a Wraith? Congratulations," he offered weakly.
She ignored it. "Where is Sora?"
"I don't know. Honestly," he said, raising his hands. "I don't know. She went off with Sheppard, said she wanted to ask him something."
"About something you discovered elsewhere."
Aiden winced again, but said nothing. He wouldn't tell her anything, she realized.
"Tell Sora I want to speak to her."
"Sure," he said automatically. "But, uh…"
"Tell John the same. Tell the others that there may be Wraith in the forest; they have to be careful."
"Aren't you going to tell them yourself?"
"Tomorrow." She felt a small stab of guilt - she probably should tell them as soon as possible. But she was already starting to notice the strain of the fight and did not look forward to an evening carefully talking around the subject of Sora. Now that Sora, Lannée, and Aiden had returned it was unlikely anyone would go outside the shield until the next day. "I will be at home."
"Fine," Aiden said, frowning slightly. "Are you hurt?"
"No," she said, perhaps more sharply than she had intended. Aiden backed off a bit and shrugged in acquiescence.
Lannée was watching them. Teyla wondered if Lannée would have told her more; she was more often than not the silent one, but she did not hesitate to argue with Sora when they disagreed. Now, however, Lannée would not speak of anything that Aiden had obviously refused to tell.
Teyla turned around, intending to say a brief goodbye to Torren, and started to laugh. The sharraff now had a large flower garland and a tail with an enormous tuft.
***
Teyla breathed out slowly as she moved through the exercise, feeling all the places where bruises would form. Her muscles were burning pleasantly and she had to remind herself not to overdo it. It was difficult with the image of the Wraith still fresh in her mind. She had been lucky: the wind had blown in her direction and she had heard the Wraith long before it noticed her. Careless, but it didn't expect a threat. For a moment she had even thought it might not notice her, but it had walked straight at her and she had attacked while she still had the element of surprise.
The fight had been fast and vicious. Her back still ached where the Wraith had thrown her against the tree. It had been reasonably well-fed; not as strong as some of the Wraith that had attacked the town over three years ago, but strong enough that it had almost ignored the first stab wound and conjured shrieking shapes of mist to fly at her. Only when she had managed to push the knife through its feeding hand had it shown signs of injury, and even when it lay unmoving on the ground she hadn't trusted its death until she had broken its neck and almost decapitated it. It had been a long time since she had encountered a Wraith, but she had not forgotten how to kill them.
Afterwards, she had waited, hidden, for other Wraith to come, but none appeared. That was strange: Ronon had mentioned occasionally encountering single Wraith, but they were usually sent from a dart and specifically hunting for him. Raid or exploration groups tended to consist of five to seven Wraith, one commander and several drones. Lone Wraith were rare, though not unheard of. When they came near a settlement or town the inhabitants often hunted them down and took great pleasure in killing them, seeking revenge for everyone they had lost.
Teyla finished the last form, paused, and then drank greedily from the water flask. The sun was touching the higher trees; Torren would come home soon, and he'd be hungry.
Charin had never stopped trying to teach her to cook, and when Charin had died Min had continued her work. By now, Teyla felt that she was a passable cook. Rodney still claimed that Torren didn't complain only because he didn't know anything else, but even he had started asking for a second portion when he came to eat with them.
This evening she made baked toya. Stirring the pot was soothing, and she found herself humming under her breath. Torren, to her regret, didn't like to sing, and he didn't like to listen, either. The only musical thing he liked was drumming. Rodney had discovered Torren's preference, and Rana made him two beautiful small drums. The whole town regretted it whenever Torren was in a bad mood.
Teyla was thinking about looking for Torren when he finally arrived. He was walking behind John's wheelchair, occasionally pushing it and grinning proudly when John sped up.
"Thanks, kid," John said solemnly. Small purple flowers stuck between the bandages on his arm and even on his legs - Yira's work, probably. "Hello, Teyla."
"Hello Mama," Torren said and ran past her to the kitchen wall.
"John. You are welcome to stay for dinner," she greeted him.
Torren was already putting the plates and cutlery on the table. "You have to see the sharraff! It's amazing!" he said excitedly. "Tomin made a crown! Aiden says there are many crowns in the South."
"I wouldn't say many. Maybe one or two," John said, rolling his chair to the table. Torren's face fell, and John quickly amended, "But I'm sure there are more where Aiden's from."
Torren looked confused. "But you are both from the South."
"The South is pretty big, kid," John said with an indulgent smile.
Torren opened his mouth but stopped when Teyla put the pot on the table. He bowed his head and murmured a quick thanks-giving. Teyla looked at him and felt as if her love illuminated the room.
"Tell me a story!" Torren demanded when he looked up again. "With crowns and animals flying and balloons!"
"Balloons?" John asked, amused, and took another ladleful of toya.
"Aiden speaks of them often," Teyla explained. "Colorful balloons and cotton candy. I believe he asks Rodney to invent a machine to make it every season."
"Rodney says candy is bad for your health," Torren said seriously around a mouthful of dinner.
John grinned. "He's right. But hey, I bet Rodney'll help us to make some flying lanterns, they're even better than balloons. Where I come from they used to have this festival…"
The festival did sound amazing, Teyla had to admit. John was a good, if somewhat reluctant storyteller: he concentrated on the fun parts, and he didn't mind when Torren laughed about stories he had clearly intended to be suspenseful. Every once in a while he tried to illustrate something with his hands and winced when he remembered his bandages. He seemed reluctant every time Torren asked for another story, but he always gave in, and the food was long cold when they finally finished dinner.
After they did the dishes Torren immediately went to his corner and took out his chalkboard.
"I think he enjoyed the stories," John said, sounding proud.
"He did," Teyla agreed. She shifted in her seat so she could face him fully.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" John asked.
"Sora came to speak with you today," she began carefully.
"Yeah. She said she and the other two just came back from a hunting trip and she wasn't caught up on the news. Ford and that other girl, the black-haired one, stayed with the kids."
"What did you tell her?"
John frowned. "Shouldn't I have talked to her?"
She chose her words with care. "Occasionally, Sora acts… rashly. And if you told her about what you saw…"
"I did," he said. "What do you think she's going to do?"
"I am not sure." It was not precisely a lie, but she did not want to share her fears. Especially since she didn't know John well enough yet to know if he would support Sora's course of action. He was a soldier, he had said, but there were many different kinds of soldiers.
"Do you know where she is now?"
"She said she was going for a walk in the woods."
That meant that she was probably checking several of the caches she, Ford, Lannée and Born had hidden near the town. If she had taken a light she would not be back until late.
Could she trust that Sora would not do anything hasty before speaking to her? They had agreed to that, even though Sora sometimes "forgot" to mention where she was going. But this time it was personal for her, and Teyla could not predict how she would react. Surely she would at least wait for Ronon to arrive?
John was looking at her expectantly. "I apologize for keeping you," Teyla said, standing up.
"Nah," he said easily. "Thanks for dinner."
"You are welcome. Torren quite enjoyed your company."
Torren did not let John leave until he had confirmed that the squiggles looked like real cotton candy.
***
Teyla woke up from another nightmare. At least she had not woken Torren, who was still clinging to her as he often did in sleep. She looked at the patch of purple sky she could see through the window and tried to dispel the foreboding that it would be an exhausting day.
Torren was quiet during breakfast, indicating that he had not slept well. He agreed without enthusiasm when she proposed going to Rana and Linor's. He seemed to lighten up on the way there, kicking small stones along the way, but he did not talk much, and after a while she let him be. Although she could not shake the instinctive desire to help him with whatever was troubling him, she had long since learned that sometimes it was better to wait for him. Often he would act as if everything was all right only a short time later, and spending time with Tomin and Yira usually helped. Maybe Ashin would play highball with them later.
Rana was watering the small plant pots on the windowsills of the house next to hers. "Teyla, Torren," she called when she saw them, raising the watering can in greeting.
She maneuvered expertly with the can and the crutches and arrived at the door just as Teyla and Torren did. Torren waved at her and Rana waved back with her fingers. "Do come in!"
It was quite dark inside, as Rana and Linor's house had smaller windows. The room was divided by several colorful cloths that hung from the ceiling. Linor emerged behind one of them, smiling at Teyla and then crouching down to greet Torren.
"He'll need a razor soon," Rana announced and Linor ducked his head. "And a haircut."
"I am not sure," Teyla said teasingly, "Yira thinks he looks cute with long hair."
"Charin said I should not do as you did and run around with long hair until it gets tangled in branches and you have to cut it all off," Linor replied innocently, still sitting on the floor. Teyla smiled in reminiscence.
"Aiden told us about yesterday," Rana said in a lower voice. "Everyone will be extra careful when we have to step outside the shield."
"Good," Teyla said, relieved."Until we know where it came from, we should not take unnecessary risks."
"Speaking of risks, I've seen Sora," Rana said.
"Where?"
"Walking down the street towards the river, just a few moments ago."
"Thank you." Teyla took a step towards the door and then turned again, looking for Torren. She could hear rustling behind one of the large cloths.
"Lunch at Min's, we'll bring him," Rana assured her. Teyla gave her a grateful nod and went in search of Sora.
***
She had only passed four houses when she spotted Sora on the street. For a moment Teyla thought Sora would run away, but instead she waited until Teyla had caught up with her. She had her gun and knives with her and wore hunting clothes. Her face was still clean, her hair dry and brushed, so she had most likely spent the night in town. Teyla wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not.
"I heard you're looking for me," Sora said curtly.
"It's good to see you safely returned," Teyla replied.
Sora scowled. "Thank you. Was there something you wanted?"
"Do not try to kill the queen."
"You have no right to order me around," Sora spat.
"I have every right in this instance," Teyla countered, stepping closer. "You know the danger, and nothing would be gained from it even if you succeeded. You cannot needlessly endanger all our lives by acting in rage!"
Her voice had become louder. Sora drew herself up and they stared at each other for a long moment.
"Rest assured, whatever I do, I will be well prepared," Sora finally said.
"Sora…"
"I'll wait for Ronon's arrival, and I'll make sure to inform you before we act, if it's possible. But you don't have the authority to keep me here."
"I had hoped that you had learned about consequences," Teyla bit out. It came out more harshly than she had intended. A part of her was satisfied when Sora flinched.
"Have a good day," Sora said formally and stepped past her.
Teyla didn't answer. I do not have the authority, she wanted to say, but I do have the ability, and by the Ancestors, Sora, if you endanger my son, I will gladly see you a prisoner for the rest of your life.
She took a deep breath. It would not come to that, she told herself. Sora would come to her senses, and surely Aiden and Lannée would not go along with her idea. Besides, the town was protected now. The Wraith would not come here again. Elsewhere, however…
No. She would not let it happen.
Teyla thought about going back to Rana and Linor's, but decided against it. She needed fresh air, and upset as she was she did not want to alarm Torren. She walked towards the river and then turned downstream, heading for the place she'd left her coat and knives the day before. The wind was cool and she regretted not wearing the coat Rodney had lent her, even if it wasn't as warm as her own.
This time she hardly felt the shield when she stepped through it. Looking back at the apparently empty countryside she fought down the familiar, disconcerting feeling of being lost and instead spared another moment to be grateful for the protection the shield offered them. "Better late than never," as Rodney said when he was very drunk.
The coat and knives were in exactly the same place where she had left them. She carried the coat to the laundry spot down the river and started scrubbing it over the washboard, harder than was probably necessary.
She would get another chance to talk to Sora at dinner. Min would surely prepare a feast for the whole town - she should help him prepare the tables for everyone later. And after dinner she could call for a town meeting. Sora would have to attend, as would Aiden and Lannée. Surely Sora would not act against the wishes of everyone in the town. No, Teyla corrected herself, Sora would, but maybe she could be convinced. Maybe. And Teyla would take the opportunity to ask Sora where they had been "hunting" instead of protecting the area around the town.
Something rustled on the other side of the river. Teyla jumped up with her knives in her hands; it was probably just an animal, but it never hurt to be careful.
A man stepped out of the woods, his hand raised in greeting, and Teyla exhaled in relief.
"Ronon!" she called.
He grinned widely and started to run. Teyla stepped aside as he ran over the stepping stones and then jumped across the river, remembering just in time to snag the coat away from his landing place.
Ronon landed in a crouch and immediately straightened up, one-handedly checking his coat pockets. "Teyla," he said, stepping forward and hugging her.
"It is good to see you," she said against his shoulder and then pulled back to look at him closely. He appeared to be unhurt, and on first glance she didn't see any new scars. He wore two new beads in his hair and had a new tattoo on his neck that looked like a letter of the Satedan alphabet above a stylized animal she didn't recognize.
"Melena's family sign," Ronon said proudly, touching the mark with his fingertips.
"Congratulations," she said sincerely.
"She said she was tired of waiting for me to ask her and that she already had the ink ready," he confessed with a grin.
Teyla carefully did not say "I told you so," a phrase that had become common in the town ever since Rodney's arrival. Ronon saw her meaning anyway and laughed.
"How's Torren?"
"Good. He has developed a fondness for adventure stories. I think he will keep you busy this evening!"
"Yeah, I have lots to tell him," Ronon said with a grin. "That your coat?"
Teyla nodded and gathered it up. It looked cleaner than it had in a long time. "Hopefully not many sad tales."
Ronon grimaced. "We're doing okay. Most of the smaller towns and villages get culled at least every few moons, but they're adapting. Many of them are still trying to fight back, but whenever they become dangerous the Wraith bomb them. They wiped out Taranis recently." He quickly made the Satedan commemoration gesture. "I heard there're some people in the South who are apparently fighting off Wraith cruisers, but I don't know how much of that is true." He looked at her and added: "I've met someone who said that two moons ago Athos was okay. She didn't know who they lost, but she remembered meeting Halling and some other people. I made a list. She didn't know Kanaan, though."
"Thank you," Teyla said evenly. Athos was okay, Halling was alive. She tried to ignore that Ronon hadn't found Kanaan, again. Maybe he was in the South, or unable to travel or send word for other reasons.
"So how're things here?" Ronon asked in an obvious attempt to change the topic.
"Fine. Although…" She hesitated. "Four days ago a flying machine crashed half a day's walk from the town. Min and I went to investigate. We found the pilot, a Southerner called John Sheppard. He was badly wounded, but still alive. Linor set his legs and Rodney made him a Southern device, a chair with wheels to get around. He should recover, eventually."
"But," Ronon prompted her. They were walking slowly towards the town. The shield let them through without problems, and Ronon visibly tried not to startle when the town suddenly appeared before them.
"He says that when he was shot down, he was touched by the mind of a queen."
"A queen," Ronon said sharply.
"Yes."
"Where did he come from?"
"The South. He cannot say exactly, but from his description of what he saw, Min said the queen was most likely near a place he called Upper Caves."
"Have you checked it out yet?"
Teyla hesitated again. "No. But Sora, Lannée, and Aiden lied about what they were doing, so I don't know where they have been. I do not know what they are planning, either."
"Sora's the angry blond one?"
"Yes," she said, amused.
He grunted. "So what are your plans?"
What were her plans? Part of her had known, but hearing Ronon ask finally made her admit to herself that she had to do something. She could not hide behind their shield and hope that Sora would not do anything foolish. Having a Wraith stronghold, and a queen's no less, this close was dangerous, and they did not know what the Wraith were doing outside the mountains.
"I do not trust Sora." The words felt heavy in her mouth.
Ronon raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You already said that."
She didn't answer. They had nearly reached the first houses, and after estimating the time she led him towards Min's house. Everyone would be glad to see Ronon, relieved that he was alive and eager for news from other cities. He didn't carry a large bag this time, but he had probably stashed away a few sweets for the children. When it came to sweets even Ashin forgot to protest that he was not a child anymore.
"You came at the right time. Min is cooking for everyone today," she said as they took the last turn.
"Did Charin provide the secret ingredient?" he asked with a grin.
She had almost forgotten how much Ronon had loved Charin's liquor. The memory made her throat tight. "Charin passed away last fall."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, making the commemoration gesture again.
Then Min saw them and called for the others to welcome Ronon back.
***
Teyla helped Alos carry the dishes outside while Min supervised the cooking pots and the children gathered around Ronon. He had indeed brought them sweets, small red candies wrapped in colorful paper, and they were sucking on them eagerly, dismissing Rana's suggestion to wait until after lunch. The smell of whichever animal Min was cooking already drifted through the streets, and in the kitchen Teyla had seen that he did indeed have a small bottle of Charin's liquor.
Lannée and Aiden were inside, stirring the pots. Most likely Lannée was making sure Aiden did not taste half of the sauce. She wore one of her embroidered vests, but it was already food-stained.
Sora came a short time later. She greeted Ronon politely, and Teyla could almost see her adapting her plans to his arrival.
"We should hold a town meeting after lunch," Sora said, quietly enough for the children not to hear her. "Ronon certainly has news to tell us all, and we can discuss what to do further."
"Good idea," Alos agreed readily. Teyla fought back the irrational annoyance that Sora had come up with the same idea and simply nodded.
Lunch was ready when Rodney finally arrived, pushing John's wheelchair and complaining about people who always tried to do everything by themselves. Min had made a delicious roast with vegetable sauce and wild onions and visibly basked in the compliments he received, handing out second servings with a proud smile. Ronon in particular ate like a starving man, or someone who had spent the last moon walking through Wraith-infested lands. Everyone kept asking him questions about the towns he had visited, the things he had seen, and the people he had met who were still alive and well; he answered between bites, careful not to talk too much about the Wraith where the children could hear him. When he finished eating he told the tale of his bonding ceremony, acknowledging the congratulations with visible pride and an unusual shyness.
Teyla's fingers twitched, and for a moment she thought she could feel the partnership band on her upper arm again, where she now had two scars. She wondered if Kanaan still had his. The image of his body, lying unmoving on the ground with the band on his arm, came to her mind, and she shook her head to dispel it. Rana gave her a sympathetic look.
"Ashin, why don't you play highball with the children?" Alos finally suggested.
Ashin grimaced but then nodded. After Charin's death, Alos was the eldest, and Ashin's parents had been traditional in that regard.
"I don't want to," Yira protested.
"Can Ronon come?" Torren asked.
"You go and train now, and I'll join you later," Ronon promised.
"Okay. Bye, Mama," Torren said and hopped off the bench. Tomin, who was playing idly with one of the straws he liked to carry and whistle on, followed, and Yira grudgingly went after them.
"So," Rana said, "now for the ugly truth. How bad is it?"
"About the same. They're quicker to attack when encountering resistance, but rumors say that's because there's more successful resistance. Supposedly in the South. That true?" Ronon looked at John.
"Sumner's gonna kill me," John muttered and sat up straighter in his chair. "We're doing okay. We had some losses, but we have some Ancient technology that's keeping them at bay. But we don't know how long that'll work."
"Ancient technology?" Rodney asked, outraged. "You never told me that!"
"It's not like it'll help you, McKay. I'm not a scientist."
"Yes, but-"
"So they sent you looking for a place to attack them," Sora interrupted him, staring at John.
"Pretty much," John said. "There are no major Wraith installations down South. Maybe the climate doesn't agree with them. They only send ships, but we know they don't use the Gate that often. The ships have to come from somewhere."
"And if you do find something?"
"Then we'll find a way to attack," John said simply. Even though he was still bruised, bandaged, and sitting in a wheelchair with so many broken bones, he did not sound ridiculous. It reminded her of another time, when someone else had said nearly exactly the same words. Teyla suddenly felt cold.
"And how are you going to do that?" Lannée asked skeptically.
"We'll figure something out."
"It will not work," Teyla said.
"We'll find a way," he repeated stubbornly.
"No. Even if you find a way to attack them, even if you succeed in your attack, more Wraith will come. If you do not have a way to close the Portal, more Wraith will come, and they will seek revenge. Can you close the Portal?"
"Not yet," John admitted.
Rodney snorted. "It took me years to make some progress. I bet your so-called scientists are still trying to figure out the pretty squiggles."
"Look, Teyla," John said, leaning forward, "I get it. But what are we supposed to do? Just sit and wait like obedient cows to be eaten?"
"There is a difference between fighting the Wraith and attacking with no plan!"
"If you had the strength to fight Wraith ships you would have done so when they first came," Lannée interrupted.
"We weren't prepared then."
"You might be prepared. But can you protect everyone? Will you take responsibility for all the people the Wraith wipe out after you destroy their base?" Teyla asked angrily.
"This is not only our fight!"
"So you have no right to blindly race ahead and force your decision to risk destruction and death for a momentary feigned victory on everyone!"
She had stood up somewhere in the middle of the fight, her fingers digging into the table. John looked like he wanted to stand up, too, but had settled for glaring at her. She did not look away, even though fury kept building in her. It seemed like the air between them should start to burn.
"Stop that," Ronon said, with a note of finality in his voice.
"It's relevant," Sora said. Teyla finally turned her head, and Sora gave her a quick, triumphant look. "Because there's a Wraith queen in the forest, and we need to act."
Teyla sat down, her hands flat on the table, and breathed deeply while Sora quickly told Ronon what John had seen.
"So you want to, what, kill the queen? That's different," Rana pointed out. "John's people's strategy would at least weaken the Wraith somewhat."
"So would the death of a queen," Sora said. "In fact, from what we know of the Wraith, it's likely they have more drones than queens. The death of a queen would be a heavier loss than any number of ships."
"And would be avenged, as you well know," Alos said calmly.
The table fell quiet. Rodney fidgeted, and Teyla wished he would look at her so she could reassure him.
"Wait," John frowned, "a queen died?"
"Don't you know?" Rana asked, surprised. "About three years ago. A queen died, and that's when they started the first mass killings."
Teyla glanced at Sora, but her face showed no reaction.
John shrugged uncomfortably. "We just thought they were annoyed by the resistance. We're in the high South," he defended himself.
"It didn't matter. They just got a new queen," Linor said. "For all we know, they're like bees: when they need a queen, they breed one."
"You can kill a hive by killing the queen," Sora countered.
"It just means that you get stung a lot before the new hive moves in. Except if you smoke the place out and regularly add the right dried leaves," Linor added.
Aiden grinned and demonstratively rubbed the part of his arm where his shirt had ripped when he had gone to collect honey with Linor last spring. It had taken a long time for the swelling to disappear. Linor noticed his gesture and blushed.
"Oh please. We can't 'smoke out' the planet," Rodney said mockingly. He was drumming his fingers on the table, watching the fights like a spectator at a highball match, but careful not to get involved. The last time he had tried, he had managed to insult everyone.
"I know that." Linor ducked his head in embarrassment. Rana elbowed him gently in the side.
"It wasn't a bad analogy."
Sora huffed. "If they react, it's because queens are precious to them. There's no guarantee they'll find another queen again or this quickly. One queen in a tiny facility in the woods is an opportunity we'll never get again."
"We can't risk so many lives on guesswork alone. And how do you know about the Wraith facility?" Teyla demanded.
"John mentioned it," Sora said.
"No, I didn't," John corrected her. "I just felt the queen."
Sora gave him an angry look, but John just raised his eyebrows.
"We've been hunting in that part of the woods. Recently we've seen more Wraith. We think they built a small base there, but we haven't found it yet," Lannée said.
"Lannée!" Sora glared at her.
Lannée stared back. "They need to know."
"We do. And when did you intend to tell us?" Rana asked with narrowed eyes.
"Soon?" Aiden offered.
"That's why there were Wraith near the other side of the town, like the one that attacked Teyla," Rodney realized out loud.
"Sorry about that," Aiden said sheepishly. "We didn't think they'd come this close."
Rana crossed her arms and glared. Min sighed, and Alos just looked disappointed. Teyla knew that he would have been the first one to shout at Sora if anyone had got seriously hurt.
Sora scowled. "We don't know why they're suddenly building a base. Rodney said it's possible they found an artifact of the Ancestors. And if there's a queen there, it has to be important. We can't allow them to have that advantage." Teyla glanced at Rodney. He nodded in confirmation, but did not look happy; probably he realized only now why Sora had been interested in his theories. "We can find the Wraith base, kill the queen, and remove the danger."
"No!" Teyla said loudly.
"Then what do you want to do?" Sora challenged her.
Teyla exhaled slowly. "We can find the Wraith base. We can find out what it is that they are doing there, and if necessary, we can destroy the Artifact of the Ancestors. But we cannot kill the queen."
"Sounds like a plan," Ronon said. Teyla had nearly forgotten his presence. "I can come with you."
"That won't be-" Sora began, but Teyla interrupted her. "I'll come, too."
"We don't need a babysitter," Sora said hotly.
Teyla kept her opinion on that matter to herself. "You are planning to invade a Wraith facility. You need as many people as possible."
"What about Torren?"
"I have gone on hunting trips before. He will be fine." He could stay with Yira and Tomin in Alos's house, or with Rana and Linor. Torren had grown a lot; he'd be fine without her for a few days. Min, Linor, and Rodney would help look after him, the other children would be there for him to play with, and one of them would help him if he had a nightmare. Torren would be fine. "How far is the facility?"
"Not even a day's walk, if it is in the caves," Min said.
"Fine," Sora said abruptly. "You can come, too. As long as you don't slow us down."
"I should come, too," Rodney said.
"McKay!" Aiden protested.
"You?" Sora said with a mixture of surprise and barely disguised mockery.
Rodney raised his chin. "Yes. I'm the foremost expert on Ancient technology. If the Wraith did find a Device, which frankly is likely, you'll need me to find out what it does and how to destroy it. Otherwise you'll just blow yourselves up."
"You're not a fighter," Lannée said critically, leaning forward and looking at him closely.
"Teyla has been training me." It was true, she had given him bantos lessons. He was a slow learner, but he hadn't given up, and in three years he'd become passable for a beginner of his age. It had done him good: he moved more confidently, and the work in the fields did not tire him as much as it had initially. But however much he had learned, he was not and probably would never be a fighter.
Rodney saw the skepticism on everyone's face and bristled."And anyway, I won't be going as a fighter. I'll be going as a scientist, which, hello? You need one."
"Haven't you been teaching Teyla?" Aiden asked.
"She's as much of a scientist as I'm a fighter." He glared at Aiden and then gave Teyla a quick apologetic look. She did not feel insulted: Rodney had had years of formal education in the South, and she was only beginning to understand the monitors near the Artifact.
"He's right, we need him," Ronon said. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks," Rodney said, with only a little bit of sarcasm in his voice.
Aiden started to say something, but fell quiet when Lannée shook her head. John looked like he deeply regretted not being able to come with them. If he had not been injured, he would have been a great asset; Teyla had seen enough of him to know that he was a fighter, and probably a good one, too. Maybe they could spar together when he was healed.
"So, when will you go?" Rana asked briskly. "I'll better prepare your lunch packets."
Aiden made a face, and Rana winked at him.
"Tomorrow morning," Sora said. "When the sun rises."
The others nodded, Rodney grimacing at the early time. Tomorrow morning, then.
***
Torren almost bounced on the way home, excitedly retelling their glorious adventures: chasing the tree ghost, cornering the ghost until it showed them how to capture the Wraith, and finally defeating the Wraith in a hard struggle. The Wraith had been possessed by a dark spirit - Yira had known, because it was grinning - but the ghost had told them what to do.
"And then we tickled him until he gave up!" he concluded triumphantly and reenacted their victory dance around the table, complete with stomping and howling.
Teyla suppressed her laughter and handed him a piece of yinna fruit instead. He took it and sat down on his chair, legs swinging.
"You were a good tree ghost," he said around a bite of fruit. "Tomorrow we'll play again! And I can do the trap, Ronon said so!"
"You will have to wait for another day," she said regretfully. "We are going hunting tomorrow."
Torren looked confused. "We?"
"Ronon, Sora, Aiden, Lannée, Rodney, and I."
"You, too?"
"Yes. We are hoping to find another Artifact of the Ancestors." It was not strictly untrue.
"For a bigger shield? So we can go to the whiteberry bushes?" He didn't seem overly excited at the prospect.
"Perhaps," she allowed, although she thought it was unlikely. If they did find an Artifact, they would most likely have to destroy it, to prevent the Wraith from using it.
Torren ate the last bit of fruit and licked his fingers. He stared at the table. "Is it dangerous?"
Teyla hesitated. "A bit more dangerous than usual. But we will come back."
"Sometimes people can't come back, you said. Even when they want to. Like Kanaan."
He was still staring at the table. She was just stepping forward to hug him when there was a knock at the door.
Teyla turned and saw Sora standing in the doorway, looking almost hesitant.
"I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?"
Torren hopped off the chair and went to his corner. He sat down with one of his puzzles, demonstratively ignoring the adults.
"It is fine," Teyla said politely. "Come in."
Sora took three slow steps inside. "I wanted to give you this," she said and pulled a small sword out of the bag she carried. "You could probably use it tomorrow."
"Thank you," Teyla said. "But I already have a sword."
Sora frowned. "You do?"
Teyla opened the small cupboard and took out her sword. It was larger and sharper than the one Sora offered her: good quality work, and she cared for it well. "Ronon gave it to me."
"I've never seen you train with it." Sora sounded almost hurt.
"It has been a long time since we sparred together."
Sora stilled, and it gave Teyla a sense of satisfaction. They last time they had sparred together, Charin had separated them before they could seriously injure each other.
The cause had been similar, too.
Sora looked uncomfortable, like she wanted to say something and couldn't find the words. Teyla did nothing to break the silence. In the past, she would have; in the short time between Teyla and Kanaan's arrival at Charin's and the execution of Tyrus' plan they had become good friends. They had often spent companionable afternoons in the woods or near the river, hunting, sparring, or just talking. They had worried about the Wraith together, and Sora had helped her when Kanaan left. When the Wraith attacked, Teyla had worried about Sora and wished she was there to protect the town and Torren. When Sora finally returned, injured, alone, and exhausted, it was Teyla she had turned to.
Their friendship had never recovered from that fight.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Sora finally said.
"At sunrise," Teyla confirmed.
With a last glance at Torren, Sora left again. Teyla stared after her and then exhaled and carefully put the sword away again. She still preferred her bantos rods, but Wraith were hard to kill and decapitation was one of the easiest ways.
Torren had finished his puzzle and stood up. "So," he said.
Teyla interrupted him, kneeling down to pull him into an Athosian embrace. He stiffened for a moment and then let his head fall against hers, eyes screwed shut.
"I will do everything I can to make sure I'll come back," Teyla said, putting all the conviction she felt into her voice. And she was convinced, she realized with some surprise. She would come back, and she would see Torren again. The Ancestors would not allow otherwise; she would not allow otherwise.
Torren took a deep breath. "Okay," he said quietly.
They stayed as they were for long heartbeats.
Onwards to Part 2