DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Elden motioned for Laro to follow him and they moved a short distance from Daniel. Keeping his voice low, Elden asked. "Laro, how do you suppose this Daniel avoided the Redcaps if he has truly traveled a great distance."
"I, uh, I don't know. Boran survived a journey to the sea."
"True, but he swore he would never do so again."
"We could ask Daniel."
"Laro, if he's Goa'uld, he'd lie."
"Elden, he could lie even if he's not Goa'uld."
"True. I'll ask where he slept last night. Maybe that will tell us something." Elden turned quickly to face Daniel. "Might I ask, Daniel, where you slept last night?"
Daniel grimaced, praying he'd give the right answer. "In ruins to the south. It seemed the safest haven from the monsters of the dark."
Elden nodded. "You have the Redcaps where you are from? They are indeed a scourge to our existence."
"Redcaps? Is that your name for the evil beasts? Yes, we have them but their numbers and ferocity vary greatly from place to place. They seem to be here in great numbers."
"I am familiar with the ruins. The round temple is most impressive."
'Oh, shit. Round temple?' Daniel once again uttered a silent prayer to the protector of archaeologists, took a deep breath and responded. "I saw no such temple."
Laro interjected. "Elden, he has answered correctly. There is no round temple in that place, and we have little time to waste if we are to be safely behind walls when the darkness comes."
Daniel smiled. "That has a nice sound. It is very long since I have been safely behind walls."
"Then come, Daniel, we must move at a steady pace if we are to make it to our home before last light." Elden led the way toward the door.
Laro put an amicable arm around Daniel's shoulders. "You say these beasts are not called Redcaps where you live?"
"Uh, no."
"Then what are they called?"
Daniel thought quickly. "We call them 'muggers'."
Marne held the door to Tiamon's home open, allowing Sam and Teal'c to enter before him. Sam gasped involuntarily as she caught sight of the young warrior. In the relatively short time since she'd last seen the handsome man, his appearance had totally changed. His face had little if any natural color, and his breathing was coming in short, pain-filled gasps. Sam knelt beside him and was shocked to feel the heat radiating from his body. Turning to Marne, she asked. "He's burning up with fever. What's being done for him?"
Marne looked sadly at his friend. "The healer says the fever is like nothing he has ever seen. None of his potions or herbs have had any effect."
Teal'c looked grave. "How long will we be allowed to remain here?"
"Until I have taken Tiamon's testimony, and as you can see, what I write will be purely my own invention."
"Unless Tiamon could give actual evidence."
Marne snorted a laugh. "Evidence? Tiamon can give you nothing. Look at him, man, even now he speaks in riddles from the dream state. I credit what little the healer has done as preventing the convulsions which precede death. But I fear they cannot be far away." He laid a gentle hand on his friend's forehead as he spoke.
"Major Carter, it is often the case in my home that a high fever burns off the illness that creates it. Have you also heard of such things?"
"Yes, Teal'c, but even though I'm not a doctor, nurse, or even a medic, I know enough to guess that he can't take this fever much longer."
"Then we should attempt to reduce it ... if Marne can prevent our being removed from this place too quickly."
"Do you think you can help him?" The little man's eyes lit up with the first hope he'd allowed himself in many hours.
"Teal'c, what do..."
"Marne, does this home have running water or must it be brought from a well?"
The little man smiled. "Tiamon likes his little luxuries. He is one of the few among us who has built a bath house in his home. He even installed a bathing reservoir."
"How cold is the water?" Sam interjected quickly, suddenly realizing where the Jaffa was going with his questions.
"It comes from the mountain streams, but this time of year it is not very cold. Some even bathe without heating it on a stove."
"Marne, please fill the reservoir with cold water only."
"He has already been bathed in the water. It did not reduce his fever." Marne said doubtfully.
Sam smiled reassuringly at the man. "Just fill it with water, Marne. I believe we can lower the temperature enough." She watched as the Euloean raced to fulfill her request.
"You will use the cold packs in the med-kits to help lower his temperature, Major Carter?"
She nodded, then looked into the Jaffa's eyes. "Teal'c, what if he dies?"
"Then, Major Carter, we will be no worse off than we were before."
Jack's head dropped to one side, resulting in a cry of pain from the colonel. Gasping he pushed himself upright with his good hand, and glanced around the basement. The evening glow cast eerie shadows across the cellar and for a moment, the colonel was completely disoriented, unsure if it was late evening or early morning. As the haze that was his thoughts, cleared he smiled grimly and muttered to himself. "It's early evening, Jack. You'd be critter fodder if you'd spent the night out here." He glared first at his injured, and useless limbs, then at the stairwell with its open door, then at the distance to said stairwell. He tried to ease himself upright, but the sharp stab of pain in his leg told him that was a mistake, but he knew he had to get to the safety of the stairwell.
"Dammit Daniel. I should've stayed there to begin with. Shit, what am I saying, I'd have fallen down the steps if I'd stayed there!" Muttering a silent apology to the absent archaeologist, Jack studied the distance once more. "Maybe I can slide over there." Pushing off with his good leg, and balancing with his good hand, he managed to slide backwards a few inches. Okay. This was good. At this rate, by morning he should be safely stowed in something's stomach.