Winter Wonderland

RATING: PG-13 for swearing
SEASON: Sometime during the 1st Season - probably before "The Brotherhood"
MAJOR CHARACTERS: McKay, Sheppard, Ford and Teyla
DISCLAIMERS: The characters, Atlantis, etc, all belong to Sony, MGM, Gecko, Showtime, the Sci-Fi Channel. I own nothing.
SUMMARY: The team finds a winter wonderland - but things turn rather badly from there.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks Tipper and Sable Cain for your comments, corrections, and support. This wouldn't have been finished without them -- so blame them both this time.
FEEDBACK: Yes please! comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
SPOILERS: won't tell you just yet.
DATE: Updated September 2005 - updated a bit July 28, 2006

Winter Wonderland
By NotTasha... wunnerfull wunnerful

CHAPTER 1: SORE THUMB

John Sheppard suddenly had a pretty good idea what it felt like to be slammed across the face with a frying pan. He stepped through the event horizon and onto P3M-433 and was instantly assaulted by a cold blast that took his breath away. The frigid air stuck at his nostrils, instantly freezing any bits that cluttered that passageway – cold, damn cold. He felt the freeze on his exposed skin, and he narrowed his eyes against it. It was one hell of a surprise when stepping from the pleasant warmth of Atlantis.

He’d forgotten what true cold felt like.

He turned when he heard a gasp behind him, and smirked as he saw Rodney stagger from the Gate. “Good God!” the physicist exclaimed, instantly ducking his head into his well-insulated shoulders. A blue fleece cap was quickly clapped onto his head – earflaps drawn down and strings tied under his chin. “They said it was going to be cold… but….”

Even Ford and Teyla looked offended by the chill that caught them. Oh, they’d been made aware of the situation on P3M-433 and had suited up accordingly. Three of them dressed in the military issued white snow gear. The fourth dressed in multiple layers, looked uncommonly plump. Long johns under a Maple Leafs wool sweater, beneath a bright red parka and black snowpants. The fleecy blue hat and the striped scarf were a bit much.

Sheppard had harangued McKay to use what had been issued to them. But the physicist had been insistent, stating he’d had the hat and scarf for years, that the jacket and pants were of far better quality than what Uncle Sam saw fit to offer, and the people of the planet were peaceful beings. Teyla had insisted the natives were uncommonly benign. “Besides,” McKay had added. “How much time do you plan to spend outdoors anyway? Honestly, Major, it’ll just be a quick trip to their households and then we’ll be indoors the rest of the time as we hammer out this trade agreement.”

“I won’t have it,” John had returned. “You’ll stand out like a sore thumb. Not that you don’t already, but I won’t have a walking target in my midst. Damn it, McKay, you’ll bring attention to all of us.”

“Then you don’t have to stand near me,” McKay had responded. “I’ve had the jacket since before I left for… you know… before Antarctica. I’ve found it to be the best parka out there. A little color is welcome in all that white and gray. It keeps me warm and dry, even in the worst weather. I’ll be toasty warm, while the rest of you are freezing.” And he had smiled smugly.

Finally, tired of the argument, Sheppard had replied with a quick, “Fine!” The damn Canuck had probably been looking for to a chance to play in the snow since they’d left earth. Well, they were going to get their chance here -- that was for certain. And the major narrowed his eyes at the white landscape. Cold as a witches…

“Damn,” Ford interjected, rubbing his hands together, “If we stay out here for long, we’ll turn into ice cubes.” The lieutenant who’d previously mocked the scientist, suddenly looked at the comfy-looking Doc with envy, clutching his arms over the white military regulation jacket. Teyla looked particularly uncomfortable and pressed her hands together.

With a frown, Sheppard flexed his fingers inside his gloves, wondering if he was really feeling the cold leach into his fingers already or if it was just imagination.

All about them, snow. Snow on the ground. Snow in piles. Snow covering hills and the distant mountains. Snow over huts and trees. Snow piled all around the DHD. Snow falling – fluffy flakes that drifted down in clumps – big, shapeless, puffy clumps – reminding Sheppard of McKay in his parka.

Except – the flakes were white. Everything was white – so white it hurt to look about. Even the smoke that piped from one of the hills seemed to be more white than black.

Sheppard turned about slowly. “So,” he started. “This is Ekuk?”

Teyla, looking downright miserable, nodded tightly. “Yes, Major,” she responded. She huddled in her coat. “The Ekukians should be here shortly.” She glanced about hopefully.

Ford seemed to over his initial shock as he smiled at the surroundings. “Thought it’d be more like Antarctica,” he declared. “It isn’t that barren. There’s trees under the snow. It’s kinda … nice once you get over the cold.” He put on a positive expression. “Kind of a winter wonderland, don’t you think?”

“You think so?” Sheppard replied, sharply.

“It looks like a Christmas card,” Aiden added.

Sheppard grimaced.   “Too cold for my liking.”

“Aw, but Major,” Ford cajoled. “It isn’t any worse than Antarctica.”

Sheppard moved to the edge of the platform, looking about for any signs of the civilians. “Well,” he stated, swiping at the snow that collected on his shoulders. “I didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors while I was there. Mostly, I stayed in nice warm aircraft.”

“The climate is actually entirely different than Antarctica,” McKay informed as he stepped forward, looking too damn cozy in that coat.    “There’s far more moisture in the atmosphere here,” he stated, pointing to the falling snow. “Antarctica is, if you would believe it, mostly a desert. Very little precipitation. This planet has seasons – all of the snow will melt away in the spring. Imagine what the run-off would look like.” He turned to Teyla, asking pointedly, “By the way, I thought you said it would be autumn?”

Teyla, hugging herself tightly, lifted her shoulders a fraction and let them fall – a gesture she’d only recently learned and felt rather fitting for the moment. “It is early winter. Their warm seasons are short,” she declared. “I was hoping for something a bit more accommodating.”

“Well, as long as one is adequately prepared,” McKay declared as he patted his insulated chest, “It really isn’t too bad. Rather bracing when you get down to it. Don’t you think, Major?”

“Bracing, yeah,” Sheppard responded. I’ll put you in a brace, he thought. How did people live in this region and WHERE THE HELL were the locals?

As if to answer his question, there was suddenly movement – figures coming through the snow. Sheppard squinted against the bright field, and finally fumbled with a pocket to find his sunglasses, fitting them over his eyes. Three people made their way toward then, all dressed in furs.

“Halooo!” someone shouted, waving furry arms. The man was dressed in dark brown fur, and the flailing made him look like a furious grizzly.

Sheppard returned the gesture less frenetically, lifting one hand and calling back, “Hey.”

The figures trudged onward, over hard-packed snow, as more flakes fell all about. “Welcome!” the man shouted. “Welcome! Welcome to Ekuk!” He wore a huge furred hood that covered most of his face, and he pulled back the head-covering as he approached, revealing his thick hair, beard and bushy eyebrows. It was almost as if he hadn’t removed the hood at all. “I am Akhiok!” He gestured with his mittened hands as he strode up the stairs to the platform. He smiled, showing off his yellowish teeth. “This is my brother Karluk. And this is my wife, Soldotna.”

Sheppard looked over the other two, so covered in furs (one brownish and the other blackish), he was unable to tell which one was a woman.   He hoped it was the shorter one. “Major John Sheppard,” he introduced himself, then pointed to the others, giving their names. “This is Lt. Ford, and that’s Teyla. And the big red blimp is Dr. McKay.”

Rodney gave him a sharp look, but said nothing.

Akhiok looked pleased. He rubbed his mitts together. “Have you come to trade?” he asked hopefully.

“Yup,” Sheppard responded.

“Excellent! Most excellent,” Akhiok responded. “We are pleased!”

“Do you have fruit?” a surprisingly pretty voice came from under one of the hoods. “Oh, I’ve longed for the taste of fruit.”

Teyla smiled, in spite of her discomfort. She indicated the case that she brought with her. “We have brought both fruit and vegetables for you to sample. We have come to trade for meat.”

Akhiok smiled broadly, and clapped one hand firmly on Sheppard’s shoulder. “Ah! Then come to the great hall. You have arrived just in time. The migration is in progress! Tomorrow there will be a hunt and we’ll have plenty to bargain with. Come! Come!” Bigheartedly, he shoved Sheppard down the stairs toward the other two Ekukians. “We must go where it is warm and comfortable, yes?” And he laughed loudly as he clomped close to McKay and took in his appearance. “You are a colorful one, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Sheppard put in. “That’s what we call him, the colorful one.”

“Ha ha,” was all McKay could come up with in response.

Akhiok chuckled. “You will want to be out of this chill, yes?”   He wrapped one arm around the physicist’s shoulder. In spite of McKay’s best attempts to shrug him off, the Ekukian couldn’t be shed. “Come! Come!” and he directed McKay to the stairs, laughing broadly.

The Canadian tried to give Sheppard a frantic look, but one of the other two furry figures had encompassed the Major, while the third waited for Ford and Teyla. And, the small group made their way to a big white heap – the one with the chimney. They clomped over the snow that was packed nearly as hard as a roadway.

Akhiok led the way, with McKay snuggled beneath his arm. Sheppard followed with what he assumed was Akhiok’s wife, Soldotna. The final furred person was behind them, helping Ford and Teyla with their load of trading wares.

“Red!” Akhiok spouted, laughing still. “If I could have a cloak and skins such as yours, I would be a happy man!”

“Ah, man of good tastes. It’s down-filled of course,” McKay stated, running a hand along the puffy box-quilt squares of the coat. “Ripstop nylon, water-resistant, light-weight, microfleece-lined collar, with a draw-string cinch …”

“McKay,” Sheppard growled from behind him. “He didn’t want to hear a commercial for the damn thing.”

“I’m impressed,” Akhiok responded as they approached steep side of one hill. “I would like such a thing for myself.”

“Well,” McKay replied as he crunched over the snow. “You’re out of luck because this is the only one like it in the Pegasus galaxy. The color is called… ‘Chili’! A bit of a play on words because…”

“We’ll add it to the trade negotiations,” Sheppard decided. “Fruit, vegetables and one chili jacket.”

Akhiok looked over his shoulder and smiled widely at the Major as McKay sputtered. “I think I shall be happy doing business with you!” the native declared. They’d reached the entrance to a cave. Heavy doors were swung open, and a fur or cloth covered the entrance. Akhiok pressed back the cloth, revealing a dark space. “Come,” he ordered, gesturing the way in. They shambled past the drapery that fell back into place heavily, and for a moment they were in the close darkness, away from the frigidness. Another cloth or skin was parted, and they stepped into an almost uncomfortably warm space. An air-lock, Sheppard surmised as they walked in. Oil lamps guttered along the walls, casting a warm yellow glow on everything, and they faced a hallway, dug into the hill

The first thing that Sheppard noticed was that the place stank – the closeness of people – the lack of ventilation – the burning oil – the cooked meat -- people -- the old stale odors were almost overwhelming. He coughed before regaining his composure.   The others were similarly affected – only McKay went on a bit longer, screwing up his face against the unpleasant assault.

Along the hall, tapestries hung. And between the tapestries, heads peeped out from holes in the wall. Sheppard nodded congenially at them, but at that moment, he really needed to get out of his coat.

Mufflers were untied, hats removed, toques tossed, jackets unzipped, as outerwear were shed. Soldotna, once she was free of her wrappings, proved to be a beauty, with dark-hair and eyes.   Karluk looked much like his brother, with a heavy beard, thick hair and discolored teeth. Coats were hung up on hooks near the entrance. McKay held onto his parka a little longer than needed, petting the puffy garment as if it was the last time he’d see it. Almost reluctantly, he handed it over to Soldotna, who carefully hung it among the myriad furs that decorated one wall.   She seemed intrigued by the leaf motif on his sweater, but said nothing of it.

Once they had shucked themselves from the winterwear, other citizens of the caves stepped clear from their holes. Apparently it was good manners to wait until visitors had freed themselves of their furs before you greeted them. “Welcome!” “Welcome!” voices called out as arms reached. “Come! Come to the great hall! Come! Welcome!”

The people were dressed in what appeared to be wool and skins, skillfully made – and apparently they had little regard for personal space as they crushed near. “We welcome you! We will share with you our homes.”   Hand reached out to touch the newcomers, petting them.

Rodney ducked away in horror, and Sheppard winced – doing his best to not pull away from the friendly natives. Ford threw his commanding officer unhappy glances, while Teyla put up with the ministrations with a resigned expression.

Akhiok laughed again, and ushered the guests forward, down the main shaft that burrowed straight into the heart of the hill, past holes in the hall – apparently living spaces. Sheppard eyed the tapestries that covered the dirt walls – intricate pictures that illustrated snow-covered hills, or serene summer landscapes, or fierce battles with enormous creatures. He narrowed his eyes at the hunting scenes, taking in the prey animals that resembled Wooly Mammoths. They had neither trunks nor tusks, but they couldn’t be anything other than mammoths. In the images, men in furs ran alongside the creatures, hefting ineffectual looking spears. Big fluffy white dogs were illustrated chasing down the beasts, leaping savagely toward their throats.

“You see the mammoths?” McKay asked through his teeth as they strode down the corridor.

“Seen ‘em,” Sheppard responded.

“That’s what they’ll be hunting?” McKay asked.

“Tapas!” Akhiok responded. “Yes, we’ll be hunting tapas tomorrow. They come through our land twice a year – at the beginning and end of our winter. We have already had one hunt this season, and have our larders well stocked, but another will give us goods to trade. You’ll join us on the hunt, yes?”   He reached out one arm, giving McKay a crushing embrace as they walked. “You must! You will!”

McKay staggered, hardly keeping his feet.

“You’ll love it,” Akhiok assured. “You’ll see.”

“Yeah,” Sheppard put it, chuckling as McKay struggled to keep up with their quick gait. “You’ll see.”

CHAPTER 2: KABOBS AND SLIVOVITZ

The night was spent in quiet, cheerful light. The Ekukian’s proved to be warmhearted people. The great hall filled with the citizens of the warren city, all of them eager to hear the visitors, wanting to know what was happening on the other worlds. It was a tight fit, with about seventy or eighty people in total, but nobody seemed to mind the crush – except for a couple of the temperamental visitors.

Soldotna and some of the other women had opened the crate of trading goods as soon as it had arrived in the room, and had nearly swooned over the contents – samples of the produce grown by the Athosians and some of the other trading partners. “Oopha!” Soldotna exclaimed, holding up a pear-like fruit. “Oh, how I’ve longed for it.”

A quite murmur of conversation filled the night, as women, men and well-behaved children sat together, sharing a meal.   Everyone seemed to speak in a quiet whisper that could be heard only by the closest neighbors. Thin strips of meat were served on long sticks, and seared over the fire at the central stove. A thick chimney sprouted from the top of the device, disappearing into the ceiling. From time to time, everyone would draw back and a dark brick would be added to the grate, keeping the fire going.

The cooked meat was dipped into a variety of sauces – from sweet to sour to salty to spicy. After a tepid start, McKay discovered the wonders of the Ekukian satay, and soon several of the women sat near him, tempting him with their own personal dipping sauces.

A bottle was passed around, filled with a clear liquid that could take the paint from any surface. The native people were cheery and generous. The visitors did their best to show their appreciation. Some needed more coaxing than others. And they made at least a pretext of downing gulps of the strong solution.

It made the Ekukians laugh uproariously when McKay choked on a swallow. They laughed even harder when Ford did the same. Teyla gamely took a gulp and was rather quiet afterward.

As McKay finished his last tapa-kabob, he watched a young Ekukian carefully add another brick to the fire. “What is that?” he asked, pointing with the empty stick. “Some sort of concentrated fuel source?”

“It’s a tapa-blossum,” the boy told him.

“Tapa blossom?” McKay repeated, glancing to the others.

Akhiok faltered, trying to come up with the right words, so it was Soldotna that explained, “It is the dung of the tapa. The blossom is collected from the snowfields, and stored for the cold months. We compress it and let it dry. It is a good fuel.”

McKay looked at his stick uneasily, and set it down by the fire. He exchanged a worried glance with Sheppard, who suddenly found the need end his feast. Ford lifted a lip in disgust, and edged back from the fire, while Teyla simply closed her eyes.

When the meal was finished, Akhiok brought the visitors in a huddle around him, and drew in his wife and brother. Another woman sat close to the brother, saying nothing, but clinging to the big man as only a wife should. She was introduced as Kenai, newly wed to Karluk.

The other Ekukians kept close, pressing in to hear – but not entering the conversation. They kept up a constant quiet litany with the others in the room – either repeating what they’d heard from the visitors, or offering commentary on it. It was disconcerting to the newcomers to hear their conversation echoed and interpreted almost as soon as the words had been spoken.

They were a private people, Teyla had told them earlier, who lived in a very public, tight community. They created their privacy where they could. While indoors, voices were usually kept low, but it was known that others were always nearby -- listening. Words were always overhead. One had to ignore another when one wanted to be alone. It was the pretense of privacy, and it was all that they had when winter kept them captive.

“So few visitors come our way,” Akhiok said quietly as they sat in a half-circle near the fire. “We are happy to have newcomers to enjoy our nightly feast. We are glad to trade with anyone who comes to us and we are pleased with you. It fills us with joy that you have come to trade.”

Karluk looked unhappy as he stated, “Few come anymore.”

“Can’t imagine why that is,” Sheppard stated, remembering the frying pan in the face when he stepped onto the planet.

Catching the sarcastic tint of John’s statement, McKay responded, “Oh, pooh-pooh. A little cold won’t kill you, major. When properly suited up…” he pointed to his Maple Leafs sweater, “…it’s a lovely planet.” Behind him, a woman sidled closer, peering over his shoulder – and the scientist looked lost, not knowing if he should be annoyed or gratified to have a woman pressed so close to him. Annoyance was winning out.

“Yes, yes, it’s lovely,” Akhiok went on. “Yet so few visit. It’s been a long time since we had such things.” Akhiok gestured to the fruit in his wife’s hands. “We can grow some grains in the warm months, and there are the everlast berries, but what you bring to us will be treasured.”

“It is well known that if no one comes to you,” Teyla said helpfully, “You must travel to find the items you seek. One must, at least… try.”

Karluk leaned close to her and explained, “We used to travel when our supplies were short.”

“Rarely,” Akhiok added. “Once or twice a year, perhaps. Little more.”

“And not at all for this past year,” Soldotna added petulantly, still holding the oopha fruit as if it was a precious gem.

“It is unsafe,” Akhiok placated, resting one hand on his wife’s shoulder. “And we have been fine without travel. It is unnecessary.”

“Gate travel is perfectly safe,” McKay interjected. “We do it all the time.” And he smiled broadly. “If you want, I can maybe give a little talk on how the gate technology works. Really, if you think it would help.” His hands fluttered about as he talked. “I’d be more than happy to explain it.”

Sheppard gave him a glare, but Akhiok spoke, “We are happy for your offer, but it would be unnecessary.” He sighed. “My people are uncomfortable within other cultures. They are – strange to us. We prefer to stay near the comforts of our homes.” And he spread his arms wide to indicate the cozy room. “How could we leave?”

“Yeah,” Sheppard stated, wrinkling his nose against the strong odors, which had become stronger as Akhiok lifted his arms, “I can tell.” Behind him, one of the onlookers leaned heavily against him, jabbing an arm into his back, and Sheppard had to hold back to keep from flinging the young man away.

“But the reason we have stopped our travel, is …” Karluk started and paused, looking to his brother. “Naknek.” The people around them drew in their breaths, and Karluk waited for Akhiok to continue for him.

“Naknek?” John repeated the word to ensure that he’d heard it correctly.

Akhiok nodded, and turned toward the visitors. “Naknek would travel through the gate. He would take his family and they would barter. He knew how to bring the Ring to life. He knew where to go. He was not afraid. They went in search of fruit and new game, and never came back.”

The constant nattering around them stopped. Finally, Ford spoke. “Maybe they just ended up someplace nice and warm,” he tried. “You know. Maybe they didn’t want to come back. Could be his family just got tired of being cold.”

“It wouldn’t be like him,” Soldotna whispered.

“We tried to find him,” Karluk added. “Ugashik tried.” He nodded to one of the faces in the crowd, a boy. “Ugashik knew where he had gone and how to find him, but the Ring would not open.” Karluk sighed in defeat.

“Wouldn’t open?” McKay commented. “That doesn’t make sense. The boy got the sequence wrong. Kid, ah… Ugh-a-sick?”

“Ugashik,” Akhiok corrected congenially, and gestured the boy into their midst. McKay questioned the kid, trying to discover the address dialed, the sequence of keys pressed, but the boy couldn’t clearly describe the symbols. The boy stated that he had tested another known address and made a connection – but no matter how he tried, he could not reach the location where Naknek had disappeared.

“He probably just dialed it wrong,” McKay concluded, after hearing the boy’s wishy-washing description. “He obviously can’t tell one chevron from another. A pity. I might have been able to help you track down this Nick-nack and his family.”

“Naknek,” Akhiok gently corrected.

The evening went on –bottles were passed about and others opened. Teyla gamely tried to keep up with the natives, but her eyes were soon closing and she leaned against Sheppard. The major sighed wearily. He figured he could put up with Teyla, but he gave both Ford and McKay a sharp look, letting them know they weren’t going to be using him as a bolster any time soon.

Finally, it was time for everyone to ‘go to their skins’. Families broke off, disappearing as the conversation continued until only Akhiok and his family remained with the visitors.

“It pleases me to spend the night in talk,” Akhiok declared. “But tomorrow is the hunt, and we must sleep to refresh ourselves.”

Their host took them on a quick tour of the warren. Akhiok pointed out the tapestries as they moved past. The ornamental hangings were woven with bits of fur and wool, filled with festive and active scenes. He pointed out the elephant-sized animals again. “Tapas!” he cried joyfully and continued forward. Ford followed, half-supporting Teyla. McKay and Sheppard lingered a moment at the tapestry.

McKay pressed a finger to his lip as he squinted at the image. “We’ll be hunting those things? Wooly mammoths?”

“No trunk… no tusks,” Sheppard replied. “Can’t be that bad.”

“Well, what would you call that nose?”

“A nose,” Sheppard tried.

McKay frowned at the image – not quite a trunk – not just a simple muzzle. “Snout,” he decided as he examined the image of the long-nosed creatures. "Snoot? Snazzola?"

“Sure… fine,” Sheppard said with a yawn, not caring.

“Look at the size of them,” McKay hissed. “Look at the little people poking at them with pointed sticks. You can’t think that going on the ‘hunt’ is a good idea.”

Sheppard shrugged. “They seem to know what they’re doing,” he tried.

“Tapas…” McKay said and sighed. “You know, tapas are those little appetizers, those snacks. I used to go to this great Spanish place. They made the best tapas. Those kabob things we had weren’t half bad. They’d go pretty good with beer, wine…”

“…or whatever that stuff was that they were passing around,” Sheppard tried. “That was some stiff vodka, or was it gasoline?”

“Reminded me a more of slivovitz,” McKay commented.

“You get some of that in Russia?” Sheppard asked quietly, remembering that the physicist had been banished there for a time.

Rodney’s face twitched for a second at the mention of the place. “They had me go on vacation once. Went to Croatia.”

“Sounds like a hell of a vacation spot.”

“When compared to Siberia?”

“So, you actually drank some of that stuff they were passing around in that bottle?”

“Not so bad after you get over the initial… shock.”

The others had moved on, and it had become obvious that they’d been lagging. Akhiok called for them, and they hurried to catch up. They moved back toward the main room, past the hole-in-the-walls that lined the hallway. Within, the Ekukians were preparing for the night, stripping down to nothing and crawling into their furs.

“If you wish, you may sleep with Soldotna and myself, with our children,” Akhiok offered. “Or with Karluk and his bride, Kenai.”

Inside one hole, a pile of children filled one corner, looking messy and possibly sticky. McKay’s face grew red when looked into the other hole. The woman who’d been leaning on Karluk earlier was stripped to nothing in the dimness and was in the process of crawling beneath a set of furs with her hairy husband. The low light from the passage made her body seem to glow and the physicist stumbled into Sheppard in his haste to avert his eyes.

“How ‘bout we sleep in the great hall?” the major quickly requested.

Akhiok seemed amenable to that solution, so at least they could sleep in relative peace, and awaken for the adventure in the morning. They parted from their host and headed to the hall.

“Why don’t these people have doors?” McKay whispered as he messed with some of the furs that were left for their bedding.

“Guess they don’t have the issues that you do,” Sheppard told him. “What do you think, Teyla?” he asked the Athosian.

Teyla had found a spot along the sitting platform and wrapped herself in one of the furs. She looked at Sheppard, her eyes unfocused, her mouth pursed as if she was considering answering him.

“Go to sleep, Teyla,” John said thoughtfully.

The woman nodded, and slowly, she lay down in the fur and curled up in a ball.

“Time we all turned in,” Sheppard declared. The rest of them found spaces on the platform and tried to find someplace comfortable.

“I know I’m going to be sore in the morning,” McKay muttered as he messed about with his furs. “Probably won’t get a minute of sleep.” He looked up when both Sheppard and Ford rolled their eyes. “I’m just giving you fair warning! Don’t expect much out of me tomorrow morning,” he declared, and then turned his back to them as he tried to relax without his special-order mattress.

Ford threw his commander a grin, shaking his head – and the two of them settled in for the night as well.

CHAPTER 3: SHOTGUN ON A TAUN-TAUN

The great hall stayed warm during the night. Several times, Sheppard had been awakened as someone leaned over him to keep the fire burning. The major would open his eyes enough to see one of the residents feed the big stove with ‘blossum’. They’d move quickly and quietly and disappear again into their holes. It made sense now, why none of the little rooms had doors to close them off. The big stove at the center of the complex was the only heat available – and it kept the whole place nicely warmed.

He glanced about at his people as they slept. McKay, apparently, was wrong for a change and seemed to sleep like a log. Teyla stayed wrapped in furs as if she couldn’t get warm – but both McKay and Ford seemed overheated, too near the heat source, and were sprawled out on top of the furs. Maybe there was wisdom in sleeping in the nude here, Sheppard thought, as he too slept on top of the furs. Of course, he thanked any god that would listen that nobody on his team considered the possibility of sleeping without any clothing. Well – Teyla wouldn’t have been bad, but she was too wrapped up to make a difference.

He slipped in and out of sleep – never completely at ease in a situation like this. His P90 stayed near him, as if he expected some sort of attack in this calm place. But there was nothing here to worry about -- it was as Teyla insisted -- the Ekukians were peaceful people who were mostly left alone by the Wraith.

Probably too damn cold for the Wraith, Sheppard thought. They seem like the type of aliens who like things nice and warm. Probably too much trouble trying to get the Ekukians out of their holes. He could imagine their frustration.

That still didn’t mean that Rodney should be running around in that damn red parka! After the tapa hunt, they’d work out the trade – get rid of the ridiculous thing once and for all. Sheppard smiled, imaging McKay’s indignation at losing the jacket. Get rid of the damn sweater and the stupid hat, too -- the scarf as well. Did McKay have any idea how ridiculous he looked? If the Ekukians didn’t want the stuff – he’d see that it was disposed in some permanent way.

The genius would have to go back to Atlantis wrapped up in some of Akhiok’s favorite furs. The image of McKay striding into the Gateroom -- decked out like Nanook of the North – made Sheppard smile as he fell asleep again.

Suddenly, someone decided it was morning. The quiet halls came alive as the womenfolk shuffled out of their rooms to light the lanterns and stoke the fire. Then, they began the preparation of the morning meal.

Teyla managed to sit up, yet stayed huddled under her blanket, looking miserable. McKay stretched and groaned, saying, “See! See! I didn’t sleep a wink!”

The men appeared, and everyone gorged on a breakfast of porridge – and then, in groups, the men threw on their furs and disappeared through the doorway. “Remain here,” Akhiok told the guests. “We will call for you when we are ready for you.”

Sheppard watched the last of the men leave, feeling a bit ‘off’ by just sitting around doing nothing. But, if this was what their hosts wanted – he’d do as asked.

Pulling on his boots, Ford asked, “We’re really going to go with them to hunt those big monster things?”

“Yup,” John responded. “It’d only be right.”

“I have serious reservations about that,” McKay input. “Honestly, I don’t think I should be involved. First off, after that miserable night’s sleep, I don’t think I’m up to it. Secondly, I’m not much good at… you know… spearing giant elephant creatures.”

“Won’t know until you try,” Sheppard said with a smile. “You’re a good shot with the 9mm,” John commended, knowing that Rodney took some pride in his accuracy – as he took pride in everything he did to perfection. “Bet you can handle a spear just fine.”

The praise made Rodney lift an eyebrow.

John nodded in thanks as one of the women brought him a steaming cup of … something. He sniffed at it, not sure what to make of the heady odor. Hopefully it wasn’t made out of the same stuff that stoked the fire. He tried a sip and found it almost drinkable. Still, it made his tongue shrivel a bit.

McKay muttered, “You can’t honestly expect me to join in a hunt?” He was handed a cup as well, and looked anxiously at the woman who brought it. “Coffee?” he asked, and then tried, “Café? java, joe?” He pointed at the contents intensely.

She smiled and said, “Kepke,” as she handed another to Ford.

“Any of that… tapa blossom in here?” Sheppard asked hesitantly.

All of the women within hearing distance broke off in laughter – and twittered among those that hadn’t heard. McKay looked at his mug in revulsion.

Laughing still, one of the women explained. “It’s tea. Made from leaves gathered in the summer. No tapa.” And they all laughed again. She added, “It is good for you. Will build up your bones.”

“Big bones,” McKay muttered, sniffing it, then taking a tentative sip. “Just what I need.”

Teyla took her mug when it was offered and brought it in under the blanket with her, holding it close to her face.

“Anyway,” McKay continued. “It would probably be best if I remain here. I wouldn’t want to get hurt in and everyone realizes that it would be a horrible loss to everyone in Atlantis if something were to happen to me.”

“Our hosts have asked us along,” Sheppard said evenly. “It’s only polite to accept their offer. I think Atlantis could handle that.”

Making a face, McKay stated, “I don’t think I’m athletic enough to keep up.”

“You’ll manage,” Sheppard responded, taking a sip of the brew. It wasn’t half-bad, he decided, once you got over the earthy smell.

“Really, I’d rather not have to kill something,” McKay said in a rush, he set the mug down to gesture. “I have issues with killing other living creatures. I take exception with the wraith because they’re so damn creepy, and somehow I don’t think of them as ‘living’ in the general sense. They’re not like us.   I mean, not living like you and me, or Ford or Teyla here, you know?” He gestured to the other two. Ford chuckled at the inclusion and Teyla just winced, huddling further into her blankets. “Okay, and those bug creatures. I’d be okay with killing those. Bugs, I don’t need, you know? Bugs can die.”

John made a face at the mention of the bugs. Yeah, he had to agree with Rodney on that one.

McKay continued, “Spider especially – not that they’re technically ‘bugs’ – they’re arachnids.”

“McKay,” Sheppard groaned.

“I just can’t see myself running up to one of those giant creatures, saying, ‘how-de-do,’ and then jabbing a stick through his heart.”

“You’ll manage,” Sheppard repeated.

“What if I get blood on my parka? You know isn’t coming out!”

With a shrug, Sheppard told him. “It wouldn’t show up with all that red.” Taking another draught, he gazed toward Teyla. “You okay?”

“I am fine,” Teyla answered succinctly.

“You sure?” John continued. “’Cause you don’t look so good.”

“I assure you, Major, I am well,” Teyla responded, smiling tightly. She continued to hold the mug close to her face, breathing in the steam, but not drinking from it.

“What? Is she sick?” McKay asked, alarmed. He scooted a few inches from her. “Because I am very susceptible to catching colds. I mean, if anyone in the lab sneezes…” he snapped his fingers. “I’m the next one to catch it. Just like that.”

Sheppard leaned close to the Athosian, taking in her pale features. “I’m thinkin’ you should stay behind, Teyla,” he said softly.

“Ah, yes, excellent idea,” McKay commented, picking up his mug to take a drink. He grimaced as he got a good taste of the liquid, and then choked rather dramatically. He rapped a fist against his chest as he continued magnanimously, “I’ll stay with her. Keep an eye on our young lady and ensure that she takes care of herself.”

“That is unnecessary,” Teyla said darkly, narrowing her eyes at the Canadian. “I assure you.”

“You’re staying here,” Sheppard insisted, pointing a finger at the platform that had formed their bed. He turned to McKay and added, “But you’re coming with us.” Rodney’s grin fell. Sheppard added with a glance to the Athosian, “I’m sure some time 'alone' will make you feel better in no time.”

And that made the ailing Athosian smile.

There was a bustle at the doorway and suddenly Akhiok and Karluk shuffled in, all dusted with snow. “Come, come!” Akhiok encouraged. “Our rides are ready. The others have already gone ahead of us.”

With a pained sigh, McKay was dragged to his feet and ushered toward the door by the major. Ford followed. At the doorway, they quickly suited up while Akhiok and Karluk continued through to the outdoors.

Sheppard muttered when he saw Rodney putting on that awful jacket.

“What?” McKay responded to the unhappy sound.

“Really should have left that one at home,” John declared.

“And how is this so much worse than the beige one?” McKay spouted resentfully as he plucked at the lined collar. “Honestly, that one was just as obvious when we were walking through a forest.”

“We’re not in a forest, McKay,” Sheppard grumbled. “We’ll be in snow -- white snow. Beige would have blended in a little better. You look like a giant RED cranberry!”

McKay scowled. “Okay then. I shouldn’t be going,” he declared flatly.

“McKay, you’re coming,” Sheppard responded abruptly. “You’re not getting out of this!”

In a huff, McKay zipped up his parka. “Fine. Great. So you have no right to make me the butt of your jokes if I fall on my face while trying to chase down one of these things. Probably fall on my ass.”

The major smiled broadly as he readied himself for the cold. “Oh, I didn’t say we wouldn’t laugh…”

Ford cut in with, “What do you think he meant by… ‘our rides are ready’?”

“You don’t know what ‘ride’ means?” McKay shot back.

Ford grumbled and shook his head as he secured his jacket. “You think we’re gonna be on horses or something?” He looked between the two men. “Or maybe something like those kangaroo things in Star Wars… back when the movies were good?”

McKay chuckled. “Ah, “Empire Strikes Back” – great movie. The best of the series. Well, unless you remember Leia's slave-girl outfit in "Return of the Jedi." He paused a moment, letting out a sigh. "I haven’t had a chance to check out any of the new ones. The last of them must have been released by now.” He pulled on his gloves. “Funny what you miss out on, being away from earth, huh?” He looked melancholy at that thought, then grew apprehensive. “You think we’ll have to ride something like those taun-tauns from the ice planet Hoth? Okay, I’m definitely out of this! No way! No how! I am not going to be riding on any unnatural animals! My back isn’t up to that sort of abuse!” And he tried to remove his gloves in a flourish, but couldn’t get a grip on them.

Floundering with his attempt to get out of his gloves, McKay had no protection against Sheppard who shoved him through the first layer of cloth doors and into the small chamber that kept them from the outside. McKay hopped for a moment in the dark room to catch his balance. “I don’t appreciate…”

“We’re going,” Sheppard insisted, “I don’t care if we’re ridin’ tigers or alpacas or big fluffy rabbits. We’re going!”

“No,” McKay snapped back. And then a roar filled the air. Rodney cringed, moving back toward the inner door as the noise continued.

Sheppard smiled as the sound become a purr, and pushed back the outer curtain to grin at the sight that met him.

“Halooo!” Akhiok greeted from his seat on what appeared to be a snowmobile. Beside him, Karluk was finishing filling his own machine with fuel. The bottle looked curiously similar to the one they’d imbibed from the pervious night. “Are you ready?” their host asked.

Sheppard glanced to McKay, noting that the reticence had been replaced with a look of childlike eagerness. Ford, stepping past them, shouted, “Shotgun!” as he sprinted toward the nearest of the machines. Sheppard went after.

CHAPTER 4: SKIDDING

The snowmobiles sped across the white plain. Akhiok had called the machine a ‘skid’ but Sheppard still thought of them as snowmobiles. Ford, having chosen the first skid, ended up straddling a seat behind Karluk. Sheppard, sadly, ended up sandwiched between Akhiok and McKay – not a position he relished, but he’d be damned if he’d sit on the back of the machine. It was McKay’s fault of course. He’d been last to reach the skids and had to make the choice of where to ride.

From this position, Sheppard could look around the Ekukian and watch him manipulate the vehicle and figure out how to drive the thing -- reason enough to be in the second seat. At least he didn’t have Rodney clutching him around the middle – the seats had backrests, and handgrips were cleverly placed along the sides -- making their journey a bit less embarrassing.

The machine ran remarkably well, and the engine responded happily as Akhiok gunned it. The controls were easy to understand, and Sheppard nodded to himself as Akhiok guided them over hillocks and dips.

Speaking of dips, he could hear McKay’s little exclamations every time they took air and jounced over the snowy ground. Sheppard couldn’t help but smile at the strangely happy curses.

Karluk kept up with them, sometimes riding beside them, plowing through the snow -- sometimes Karluk’s skid fell in behind.   Sheppard caught sight of Ford grinning like an idiot, sometimes laughing out loud as he glanced across at them – laughing at McKay probably. John took a glance behind him, finding McKay smirking blissfully, and clinging onto the grips as if his life depended on it.

They were going up – following trails left by the others – steadily climbing to the top of the highest hill in the area. Sheppard took a moment to adjust his sunglasses again, and wished he’d brought goggles. Akhiok had offered up a spare set, and McKay had been quick to snatch them up – crude things – made from leather and some scratched plastic that had been scavenged from a trade item, no doubt. Rodney looked like an idiot in goggles – especially with the proud smirk he’d worn upon donning them. McKay could have them, John figured. Still, he couldn’t help but be a little jealous as the ice stung at his eyes.

The ride was … great, god-damn fucking great, Sheppard decided. A little snow was falling, just tiny, rice-sized bits, floating calmly to the ground. The wind was cold on his face – numbing his cheeks, but he was rather comfortable, all things considered. It was like someone’s dream of winter – cold and white – snow everywhere.    The landscape was Christmas Card gorgeous. God, he loved this!   He grinned until his teeth showed. It had been ages since he’d been able to get out and just have fun. How long had it been? Hell, even during his years in Antarctica he’d rarely been able to get outside.

Akhiok took another mogul, and the machine was airborne for a moment – and a ‘whoop’ escaped Sheppard.

Maybe Ford was right – Ekuk was a winter wonderland. Sheppard remembered a Christmas vacation spent with friends at a cabin, right before they shipped out. They were just a bunch of punk kids, full of themselves and ready to take on the world. They’d acted like asses – it was a wonder that they hadn’t all gotten themselves killed with their adventures. Damn, that was fun.   Then, he’d spent a weekend with a girl at a winter resort – another kind of fun. More time had been spent indoors that time, but the outside hot tub was pretty damn nice – with snow falling all around them.

Behind him McKay grunted, and fell forward, his head clunking on Sheppard’s shoulder as the skid came down hard.

“I almost bit my tongue!” McKay cried in his ear.

John gave his shoulder a harsh shake and McKay jumped back in a hurry, and they continued to speed along.

They plowed up and over another hummock, landing with a ‘whump’, and a squeak from McKay, and suddenly they had reached the top of the world – and caught up with the rest of their group.

The others in their party stood a short distance from them. They raised their arms in greeting, and great shouts of camaraderie went up. Akhiok jumped from his seat, and clomped to his friends, greeting them with bear hugs.

The group huddled together. They patted each other on the backs, talking quietly, probably discussing the hunt, maybe commenting on the squealing of certain passengers. Several held weapons -- not simple, pointed sticks, but something closer to harpoon guns. Around them, dogs lounged on the snow – big white dogs that seemed to be built like Irish Wolfhounds, but with the fluffy fur of Malamutes.

“Sure are an expressive bunch,” McKay muttered. He struggled to shove the goggles up, as more hugging took place with the bunch. The bulky gloves and the fleecy cap didn’t help him with his action, but he managed it after a fashion. Stiffly, he tried to get off the back of the machine, but just couldn’t get his leg lifted over the seat.

Sheppard sighed, realizing that there was no sense waiting for McKay to get out of the way, and quickly disembarked from the skid, leaving Rodney to struggle.

Sheppard gazed off into the distance, to where the ground dropped away and the white world went on beyond that. It was gorgeous, he decided. Just as pretty as anything. They were quite a ways up. The snow still fell, slow and mesmerizing, like a dance in the wind. Trees, half buried, stood out in the white.   Something brown – maybe rocks of various brown hues – cluttered the valley. Little else broke the cool snowy cover.

Ford joined them as Rodney finally got to his feet. The lieutenant was grinning like a madman. “Okay,” he uttered. “That was cool!”

“Cool,” Sheppard repeated with a nod. “Yup.”

“Think they’ll let us give it a try?” Ford asked excitedly.

John gave him a smile as he dipped his head. “We’ll see what we can arrange. Don’t know if we should let McKay at the controls. We know how he tends to weave when he’s driving.” He made a ‘fish-tailing’ gesture with one hand, and turned to the scientist with a grin.

Rodney gave him an annoyed look. “At least I’d be able to get us home,” he responded sharply.

“Hey!” Sheppard responded sharply. “I was paying attention to where we were going! The Gate is…” he took a moment to get his bearings. “That way!” and he pointed.

With a shake of the head, Rodney crossed his arms over his puffy red chest and tsked.

Sheppard scowled. “I’ll prove it,” he growled and strode closer to the edge of the cliff that separated them from the valley. He squinted when he reached a safe distance from the end.   His finger still pointed, but at nothing. Okay, the Ring of the Ancients wasn’t where he expected it to be. “So, I’m off a bit. Bet it’s just behind that big brown rock.”

“You sure that’s a rock, Major?” Ford asked. "Because it's kinda moving."

He cocked his head at the big thing when he saw it move. He waited a moment to be sure. Far down below, it shambled, kicking up snow and tossing its big head about. A big, furry, moving rock.   “Okay…okay… that’s a big freaking tapa.”

“We’re hunting those things?” McKay cried. “Oh, God. There’s six of them down there. How do they expect us to…”

“Friends!” Akhiok shouted as he clomped toward them. “Friends, we have spotted our quarry!” He gestured toward the beasts that they’d already seen. “Unfortunately they are poorly placed.” He sighed. “We would have preferred to find them on the other side of Big Snowy.”   He pointed to his feet to indicated the snowy mound beneath them.

“Why would you want to find them over there?” Ford asked.

“Ah, because it would have been easier to make the kill,” Akhiok explained. “We would have simply herded them up the sloped side of the hill and…” He made a gesture with his hand, like pushing something toward the cliff. “…we’d run the entire herd right off the edge.”

McKay gulped and leaned forward to get a good look at the descent. “That hardly seems sporting!” he declared as he edged back. “It’s barbaric!”

“Such a kill would supply us with enough meat to trade for whatever we wanted,” Akhiok quickly countered. “And would be quickly done with little danger to our people. You do want to barter for meat?”

“Yeah, McKay,” Sheppard added. “You seemed to like those kabobs from last night. You know, meat doesn’t grow on trees.”

Rodney put his hands on his hips – making him look even puffier. “Well, yes, I know. But I, like most rational people, would rather not have to deal with messy steps involved.”

“You think poking them with sticks is any less messy?” Ford asked.

“Just seems to give them a fighting chance, that’s all,” Rodney added. The goggles started to slip into his eyes and he shoved them back up onto his cap again, sighing with frustration.

“True, true,” the Ekukian responded. “But we won’t be using the hard fall. They’re in the wrong place. But we know where they are and can plan our strategy. Now, we will need to return to the valley and surround the tapas.” He held out his arms, as if to encircle the creatures he was talking about. He paused to look up at the others. “We shall use our skids and our itnas to chase them down.”

“Ah… dare I ask…?” McKay started, “What is an itna?”

“Itnas?” Akhiok repeated, his grin filling his face. He turned toward the other Ekukians and whistled sharply. The big white dogs came to attention. Akhiok whistled again, changing the tone, and about three of the smallish ones started toward him at a happy trot. The rest, the bigger ones, were restrained on ropes and seemed annoyed that they couldn’t join the loose ones.

Sheppard frowned, watching the dogs move. There was something damn familiar about them. Maybe it was just a memory of home, and he smiled slightly as the doggies jogged toward them. It was rather nice, he thought, to have something as normal as dogs in this world. But his smile dropped when he heard a strange, strangled, “Oh, God,” come from beside him.

Sheppard turned to see Rodney’s red back as he took off, trying to run through the thick snow back to the snow-skids. “McKay?” John called. “What the hell are you doing?”

The dogs, trotting toward their master, hesitated, looking at the big red target in movement. They gazed a moment at the running man, their tongues lolling as if they were sharing a joke, and then changed direction.

Akhiok let out an exasperated sigh as the dogs chased after the scientist. He whistled again, but the animals didn’t stop – instead they picked up their pace. “They are not always as responsive as I’d like,” Akhiok admitted, chagrinned. “They hunt by sight and will chase down anything that moves.”

“McKay!” Sheppard shouted at the evading Canadian. “If you just stop running around like an ass, they’ll leave you alone!”

The rest of the Ekukians had stopped their conversation and were watching the itnas’ behavior in silence. Rodney had made it to the closest snowmobile, and the animals separated to circle around and contain him. The dogs leaped and dodged, bowing and wagging their tails furiously at the game. Rodney stopped, looked around frantically and jumped onto the running board of the skid.

Sheppard shook his head with a smirk, finding some amusement at his teammate’s antics, until he got a good look at the man. “Rodney?” McKay’s eyes were wide, and his face drawn in terror as he stumbled, trying to get away.

Surrounded from behind, Rodney frantically crawled over the top of the machine, half tripping over it as he leaped to the other side, and took off in a new direction, as fast as he could manage in the snow. “Oh God,” he cried pitiably. “No! No…”

“Call them off,” Sheppard demanded. “Call them off, now!” As Akhiok whistled again, John stepped forward. “Rodney!” he shouted, concerned. “Just stop moving and they’ll leave you alone. They’re just playing!” He tried to get closer, but the group’s erratic movements brought them further away from him, following the hilltop.

“Yeah, Dr. McKay,” Ford added. “They’re just having some fun.” And he chuckled a bit at the scientist’s predicament.

Akhiok whistled again. He laughed at the obvious fun of the animals, then shouted a command. The dogs hesitated a moment, seeming to think over whether or not they should obey. They looked to their man, mouths open, showing off their teeth. Only one of the three came to Akhiok. The other two continued their torment of McKay.

Rodney kept running, dodging and feinting, trying to get away, muttering and mumbling.

“McKay!” Sheppard shouted. “Stop moving! Your just encouraging them!” He made a step in their direction as Rodney darted through the snow, with the dogs right behind him – they skipped and played with him, trying to herd him in one direction. Rodney, seeming scared out of his mind, had no choice but to run where they dictated.

“Damn it,” Sheppard muttered. “Stop!”

But Rodney wouldn’t stop running about, and the dogs wouldn’t leave him alone.

“McKay!” Sheppard tried again, his face growing red as he shouted.

The animals kept after Rodney – yipping, calling and then they started uttering an uncanny, guttural laugh.

The sound brought Sheppard up short. Oh God… he turned toward Ford, who hadn't moved far. The dogs made the sound again -- that familiar horrible chuckle of the devil dogs. A new chill found him – he felt cold to the bone.

Ford went a little pale as his eyes widened in recognition. “Oh shit…” was all Aiden could say.

Sheppard spun about, spotting the one itna that had obeyed Akhiok. It lay on its stomach at the Ekukian’s feet, gazing up at him with strangely blue eyes, gibbering quietly as it stretched out its neck in submission. “Good boy,” Akhiok crooned at the animal. “You’re my special one, aren’t you?”

The last time Sheppard had seen animals of this sort, the creatures were starved, nearly bald, and burned by the sun. They’d been wild and savage. The last time he’d come across them, they’d nearly killed McKay – had almost torn him to pieces.

“Call them off!” Sheppard demanded, striding toward Akhiok. “Now! This isn’t funny! Call them back, NOW!” He pulled his berretta from its holster. “Stop them, now, or I’ll do it myself!”

The two animals kept chasing as McKay galumphed through the snow. He flapped his arms at them, trying to get them off.   His goggles had fallen down over his eyes, and he should have looked ridiculous as he moved about, panicked, with doggies leaping at him, yipping at him, snapping.

At the sight of the weapon, Akhiok’s eyes went wide. “It’s only play,” he insisted. “He won’t be harmed. They’re playful pups.” He pointed to the one at his feet, that rolled onto it’s back, exposing its belly. “They don’t always listen to commands, but they are good animals.”

But they didn’t seem playful anymore as they tugged at Rodney’s coat – they seemed absolutely determined to bring him down.

Nightmares of their time on the island world returned to Sheppard – devil dogs, with their pink skin and blue eyes, their awful laughing. They'd torn into McKay. He remembered Rodney ripped up and bleeding, almost dying. Vividly, Sheppard remembered how one of the cruel things tried to drag McKay into the undergrowth to finish him.

Sheppard leveled his weapon at the nearest one as it pranced and played, biting onto McKay’s flailing sleeves and trying to yank him down.   Rodney managed to fling the animal off, and spun about to get away from the other. The major drew a bead on it as it clamped onto that stupid red jacket– and he sucked in his breath in disbelief as man and animal simply disappeared.

McKay made only a started sound – something like a ‘yipe!’ that was quickly carried away.

John lowered the weapon, astonished, as everyone around him shouted, putting up a tremendous ruckus. The last pursuing dog cocked its head, looking about in confusion for its playmates. The major spun toward Ford, demanding answers. The young lieutenant yelled frantically as he ran, “He went over the cliff! He went over the edge!”

Oh, since I didn't mention it earlier, this is a sequel to my story, Paradise. Figured I had to keep it from you until now.

CHAPTER 5: OVER THE EDGE

“Rodney!” John’s voice was low as he ran, slowing as he reached the edge. He gripped the weapon in his hand, holding it against his leg, even though it wasn’t particularly useful anymore. McKay had disappeared so quickly – only a startled cry and then nothing. Sheppard listened, yearning to hear more. Below him and hidden from view he could hear a muffled thudding of something sliding viciously through snow. The sound grew fainter and further away.

The remaining itna pranced about, snapping. All of the dogs were keyed up now, yowling and crying. Behind him, the Ekukians tried to calm the unhappy animals. They’d damn well better, Sheppard thought, because if any of the creatures got in his way, he’d shoot it down. “Rodney!”

He huffed out a breath, moving quickly yet being careful as he neared the edge, seeing where the snow had broken away. The major leaned, his heart pounding. “Rodney…” almost a whisper.

The snow had built up at the lip of the cliff, giving it a false-edge. A platform of unsupported snow jetted out about two or three feet from where the cliff actually ended, and a gapping hole was left where McKay had stepped through it.

John stilled his breath, stretching to see, wanting to scream out, but memories of mountain adventure movies plagued him and he wasn’t about to bring an avalanche down by calling too loudly. He grimaced as the damn dog kept running about, yipping and snapping, not heeding the half-hearted commands of his owners.

Squinting against the glare of the snow, Sheppard looked to a ledge about ten feet below. A few rocks shown through, and a white form curled there – the itna that had taken down McKay. It lay, splayed, among the rocks.

“McKay,” he tried again, his voice level. He reached for his radio, thumbing the controls and called again, “McKay. McKay, respond, now! McKay!” You stupid son of a bitch, just answer me!

No response – nothing. Even the quiet sound of tumbling snow had stopped.

“Major!” Ford hissed, obviously struck by the same avalanche fear. “You see anything?”

Sheppard breathed in slowly, seeing where the channel in the snow continued, over the lip of that ledge. And nothing else -- Rodney was gone. Damn… damn… damn…

He stepped back, edging from the cliff, then in a quick movement, came about and took a quick stride toward Akhiok.

The man met him with hands up, as if in surrender. “They’re playful creatures,” the Ekukian tried to explain. “Sometimes they do not know their own strength.   One shouldn’t encourage them. It’s difficult to control itnas once they’ve…”

“I need a rope!” Sheppard growled.

Karluk had gone to see where the physicist had fallen. He came back, and said softly to his brother, “He went beyond the first ledge.” He glanced to Sheppard and shook his head.

Akhiok sucked at his teeth.

“A rope!” Sheppard repeated, his voice low. “Get me a goddamn rope so I can go after my man!”

Looking conciliatory, Akhiok explained quickly, “If he went beyond the first ledge, then he would have continued to the bottom of the hill.”

“It drops straight off?” Ford asked, his voice tight.

“No,” Akhiok quickly assured. “But it is very steep. It is like a…” and he made a sweeping motion with one arm, “…a chute. It will drop him down to the valley.” He nodded, trying to look hopefully. “It is possible that he is well. It has happened before. Once, during a chase, a hunter went over with the quarry.” He smiled. “He was drunk at the time, which explains his lack of common sense, but was fine when he reached the bottom.” Akhiok clapped Sheppard on the arm, finding him stiff as stone. “Your friend is lucky that he didn’t go over with a herd of tapas.”

“The fall killed the damn dog!” Sheppard snarled. “Who’s to say Rodney didn’t get knocked around in those rocks, too?”

The man in fur stepped back from the major and crinkled his nose. “We shall see. Naknek was not killed.”

“The same idiot that got himself stuck on that island and got all his people killed?” Sheppard barked back at him. “Let his people get trapped and killed by his own dogs?”

Akhiok gave him a stunned look. “Naknek?” he tried.

Sheppard stormed on. “I’m going after my man!” A white dog kept running around the group, snipping at them, making everyone jump. Further away, near the rest of the hunters, the other itnas strained at their tethers.

Sheppard turned to the cliff, his eyes on the break in the snow where McKay fell through. “Damn it, McKay,” he growled. He wanted to follow him over the edge of the cliff, wanted to try rappelling. He remembered how long it had taken to drive up the hill – it’d take forever to reach the valley floor. He had no false aspirations – it was an awful long way down.

Damn it, McKay.

Beneath him, the cold of the snow seemed to seep into him – chilling him – freezing him bit by bit.

God, he was wasting time. He had to go – now!

There was a pip and a roar. Sheppard turned to find Ford had started up one of the skids, and was revving the engine. Setting his mouth in a thin line, the major pushed past Akhiok and the others to stride toward the snowmobile that Ford had claimed. When that itna ran at him, baring its teeth, he shot it and kept walking.

CHAPTER 6: A QUIET CALL

Teyla lifted her head from her arms and glanced around at the great hall. The women had finished their morning preparations and had settled in to wait for the return of the men. They sat in little groups, working at tapestries, and speaking in quiet tones. They huddled together, wearing bright head coverings, looking cozy and warm. Hushed little children sat with them, either sewing with their mothers, or playing quietly with simple toys.

The Athosian blinked, wondering what was wrong.

Soldotna lifted her gaze from her work, and noted that Teyla had awakened. The Ekukian smiled. “Good day,” she said softly, setting down her work. “Are you feeling better?”

Teyla squinted, her head still throbbing. But a new ache had descended on her – something different from before. She listened, but the room was quiet, save for the quiet ‘tick’ of needles against bone thimbles, and the whisk of thread being pulled through fabric.

“Is everything well?” Teyla asked.

The women looked amongst themselves, and Soldotna replied, “It’s quiet. Soon, we will begin preparations for the hunters to return. Then we shall be busy, very busy. We are enjoying this moment of peace.”

Sitting up, Teyla continued to glance around the room, unable to shake the unsettled feeling that had awakened her. She felt for her radio, but the earpiece had fallen to her chest. She was almost certain she’d heard a cry, but it couldn’t have come from the radio because there’d been nothing but static since the men left – and in the calm room, certainly, a nearby shout for help wouldn’t have gone unheard. It was a dream – undoubtedly a dream. Yes, she convinced herself, an unpleasant dream. She should be happy that she’d awakened from it.

Most of the women continued their work, sewing the elaborate tapestries – winter work – meant to keep hands busy during the months of stillness. The cloth they charted was mostly bare – the season was only beginning. Soldotna stood and filled a cup with their rich tea. Wordlessly, she brought it to Teyla and sat beside her. With a warm expression she gave it to her guest, holding the mug in both hands.

Teyla sipped at the brew, and nodded her thanks to the woman. A moment passed, as the other women worked and Soldotna sat in silence by her side.

Continuing to listen, Teyla heard nothing that would have explained what had awakened her. A yelp…she strained, trying to remember the cry exactly – it was almost like a…. ‘yipe’. Realizing how vivid the sound had been, she reached for her radio and adjusted it. It was possible that she’d heard something from the dislodged earpiece. She’d kept the connection open, wanting to listen in on the boys even if she couldn’t be with them, but she’d been unable to get a connection to them.

She fiddled with the controls, trying again. “Major Sheppard,” she called. “Lt. Ford? Dr. McKay?” and nothing.

Discouraged, Teyla sipped again at the mug. “All is well here?” she asked softly.

“Yes,” Soldotna assured.

“How long have they been gone?”

“It’s still morning,” Soldotna told her. “We don’t expect their return until mid-day. They will bring us the game and we shall prepare it as it comes.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you think something has gone wrong?”

“Perhaps,” Teyla returned after a pause. “I would like to confirm that nothing is wrong,” she said as she touched her radio’s controls again. “Major Sheppard,” she tried, and only static was returned. She turned a questioning eye on Soldotna, who returned the look with puzzlement. “It is a device for communicating with people over distance,” the Athosian explained.

Soldotna nodded. “Yes, visitors have brought such in the past. They don’t appear to work well here,” she explained. “Perhaps it’s the cold?”

Teyla doubted that ‘cold’ would affect their technology. She tried once more without result, then asked, “Is there a way to follow the others? To ensure that nothing has happened, without causing undo alarm?”

The women all shook their heads, creating a vision of a field of flowers waving in the breeze. “It is a big hunt, and visitors are attending,” Soldotna declared. “We have no extra working vehicles.”

Kenai stated slyly, “Now if my husband would get busy with those that need repair, we’d have extras for such use.”

With a grimace, Teyla stood and paced, clutching the mug to her chest.

“You are worried about your friends?” Soldotna asked.

Teyla tried to look confident. “Certainly they are fine. They are competent men.”

One of the younger women, Nenana, looked up with a worried exclamation. “The one who wears the leaf,” she started. “Certainly, he is well.”

“Doctor McKay,” Teyla helpfully filled in.

“Ah yes,” Hoonah, another of the young women, stated. And she looked to Nenana with a smile. “He is handsome.”

Nenana, blushed, and returned her attention to the work.

When Teyla looked a question, Soldotna filled in, “The leaf is a sign if vitality and virility for our people.”

Nenana and Hoonah giggled explosively. Teyla could only shake her head in response.

CHAPTER 7: DOWNHILL

Ford voiced no complaint when Sheppard took the driver’s seat. He quickly settled into the second position. Akhiok looked as if he wanted to tell them something, but following a fierce look from Sheppard, the Ekukian scuttled back, resigned to taking a seat behind brother.

Once he was settled, Sheppard gunned the engine and was gone. He took the lead, until Karluk came around him, shouting that he’d show him the best way down – and so the major fell in behind as they sped down the hill.

John just hoped to God that someone had gone back to the compound for help. He rather doubted that the Ekukians were doing anything to find McKay – and he gripped the controls tightly, trying not to think about how long this was taking. Behind him he could hear Ford attempting to reach Teyla via radio.

“Can’t reach her!” Ford shouted into his ear.

“Great,” was all Sheppard could say.

“Wonder why the radio isn’t working right,” Ford questioned.

Sheppard had no idea. McKay would know. Damn it, McKay…

He didn’t even called out for help, Sheppard realized. When the animals were attacking – McKay never sought assistance. Why not? Damn it! Why didn’t he shoot the damn things! He had his sidearm!   If he’d just …

The skids roared down the hillside, descending quickly, skipping over the whiteness. The lead skid threw up a curtain of snow and Sheppard tried to protect his eyes against it by ducking his head, determined to get to the bottom of the hill and get across to find McKay. Were they still going in the wrong direction, getting further from the spot where McKay fell?

“We’re going the wrong way,” he stated, wishing that McKay were there to offer up misgivings regarding a certain Major’s directional sensibilities.

Instead of speculation, he heard a “Yes, sir,” from behind him.

We should be turning soon, Sheppard considered. We’re getting further away and we’ll have to go around this whole damn hill once we’re off of it. They were getting nowhere fast.

Sheppard found his frustration growing as he followed Karluk. More than once, he’d nearly ridden up over the back end of the lead skid, as the brother slowed too often.

Fed up, Sheppard came alongside, shouting across, “What’s your problem?”

It was Akhiok who called back, “We can’t risk the engines!”

“Fuck that!” Sheppard barked back, ready to pass the man and take his chances on finding his way through the trails.

“Wait!” Akhiok yelled across. “You must follow us! If you go too far to the left, you’ll find the way too steep.”

Sheppard turned his attention to the trail in front of him as he swerved around a tree and came back into position alongside the other skid. “But he’s over there!” and he jerked his head to the left.

“Yes, but…” Akhiok grimaced within his hood. “It’s unsafe! Too steep! Follow us! We’ll be down from the hill soon and then we’ll…”

Sheppard growled, glaring at the Ekukian, who looked pretty darn worthless. He gave the controls a jerk and took the skid through a break in the trees, heading toward the left, to where the way grew steeper, but closer to where McKay had fallen.

CHAPTER 8: WHITE

White – everything was white. It had come at him – white. A wall of white – flying at him like a cannon ball – a great white cannon ball – but as wide as the world. He vaguely remembered hitting it – slamming into it – harder than any white should allow.    Something had fallen with him – white again.

He rolled through it – seeing white white and white, and fell again.

He landed hard and it’d knocked the wind out of him. He rolled and turned, tossing over the white – aware of nothing but the whiteness of it – he was dizzy with it. He fought to stop, but laws of gravity and motion were pissed off at him, and he was at their mercy.

It hurt. Goddamn it, it hurt. He slammed into something – and fell, he tossed, he turned, over and over again -- from the white of the ground to the white of the sky, the white that seemed to go to powder-white all around him, and white again as he fell, unable to do a thing to stop it. It all spun past him so quickly, he had no way of discerning anything – nothing outside of the white.

He fell, and kept spinning, and impacting, and fell again, plummeting to crash once more, to land on his side in the white.

Pooofff

Then stillness.

His mind seemed to go white for a while – just a great white openness where nothing existed.

Slowly he began to differentiate one form of white from another -- the white yawning emptiness of his consciousness – the cold cold whiteness around him. He blinked. One eye was dark – the other light. From the light eye, he saw snow crystals caked in his lashes.

He stared at the ice, fascinated with the way the white shown like jewels. There were colors in that crystal. All the colors of the rainbow – and for a moment he focused only on those colors – the colors that played through the ice – rainbows -- a property of light.

White light holds all the colors of the rainbow, and can be easily differentiated when properly refracted.

Light. There was light. He tried to twist his head toward it, but pain ratcheted through him and he stilled. Light… light and white – it was all he could see.

Except – one eye was dark – dark and light and white.

Time passed. He tried to move, but felt encompassed by the whiteness, as if it contained him, as if it had swallowed him up. He couldn’t escape. He felt so tired. It would be so easy to just relax into the white, to sleep in the white, to become the white.

White… he let himself drift into it…. So much easier to just drift. White… he remembered white. He saw white. Everything was white.

White – a white creature – snapping and yipping and laughing.

Oh God… he remembered… he remembered the white… the white dogs that turned pink in the sun…They’d come at him … they’d come at him again.

Again…

Oh God!

And he threw up an arm, trying to turn, to get away, and the white overcame him again.

White.

CHAPTER 9: RED

“Red!” Ford shouted at the same moment that Sheppard had seen the flash. Red – for a moment the color had shown in the distance, below them, in the empty white expanse of the valley floor.

“Thank God,” Sheppard breathed out as he gunned the engine. The skid came down the steep hillside, skittering one way and then the other in a loosy-goosy gyration. “Keep an eye on him!” Sheppard ordered.

Ford’s gaze tried to stay on that point in the snow where he’d seen the momentary red flag. The snowmobile went this way and that as Sheppard fought to keep control of it on the too steep terrain.

Thank God, Sheppard repeated to himself. Thank God for pig-headed Canadians that want to wear their damn red jackets on a white planet. God, I love that jacket!

He half-stood as he tried to keep control of the machine, careening toward the bottom of the mountain, keeping an eye on that spot in the snow. If it hadn’t been for that jacket…

Jerking the controls, John narrowly missed a stump, spinning the machine about and ducking it down again. There’d been no sign of Akhiok and Karluk. If they’d followed – they were far behind. Somehow, Sheppard figured those two had kept on their original course – damn them! For people known as hunters, the Ekukians were downright timid.

“See him?” Sheppard called as he steered sharply again, nearly running into a tree. The skid handled relatively well, all things considered – a little adjustment here and there and it might run like a dream. “Any sign?”

“I haven’t… uff… seen anything,” Ford responded, his focus on the distance, looking out into the white snowfield. “Come on, Doc. Do it again…”

Their rear whacked a tree as the major turned sharply again and kept going. He lifted his eyes, to gaze off into that whiteness, hoping for red. The snowmobile skittered, and he fought to keep it on course as it took another downward dive. “Oh crap…” Sheppard hissed as the world went out from beneath them, and he faced a drop that was far too steep this time. “Hang on!” he shouted, as the vehicle went almost vertical, slamming hard on its nose.

Ford fell forward onto Sheppard’s seatback as the skid stayed upright for a moment, then twisted sideways.

Sheppard closed his eyes, preparing for impact as he clutched at the handles and the engine roared. He slammed down on his side, whumping into the snow. His sunglasses had disappeared, and for a second, he was still, feeling the machine’s vibration as he lay half in a snow bank, yet still straddling the skid’s seat – catching his breath.

“Ford?” he twisted, trying to find the lieutenant, but was pressed too deeply into the snow by the weight of the skid.    The engine was racing uselessly, and he quickly killed it, to at least rid himself of the constant noise.

And suddenly, everything was silent – the kind of silence that only comes with snow. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised to find no one behind him, and before he could shout out again, he found Aiden standing beside him.

“Major?” the lieutenant called. “Are you all right, sir?”

“How’d you…?” Sheppard started, glancing up at the young man. “How’d you get out from under it?”

“I jumped,” Aiden said with a smile, brushing at the snow that covered him. “You okay, sir?”

“Yeah, fine,” John answered quickly. And he pressed against the toppled machine that pinned him. “Get this off of me!”

The snow had taken the impact, molding around his leg and the skid. It took some effort, but Ford was able to lift the cocooned machine with some help from his CO. As soon as the weight was removed, Sheppard scuttled out from under the thing, and Ford let it fall back into position.

Huffing as he stood, Sheppard tested his leg. He glared at the wreck. The front rails were twisted from the awkward collision. “Son of a bitch,” he growled, kicking the thing with his booted foot, and wincing as his knee told him it wasn’t quite as sound as it had been this morning.

“It’ll never go straight again,” Ford muttered as he took in the sight. “Not without a trip to the shop. Figure they got one handy?”

“Great…” Sheppard groaned, and then stepped around the thing. “How far?”

Pointing, Ford showed the way. “That way,” he said. “Not sure about the distance, but it shouldn’t be too bad now.”

“Grab our packs,” Sheppard called. “We’re going.”

Ford drew back and rooted around the skid a moment. “Ah, sir,” he said resignedly, “I hate to say this… but…” He paused as if dreading what he had to say. “We got on the wrong snow-skid.”

“What?” Sheppard shot back.

“I don’t think it belongs to Karluk. I left my pack with his.” Ford sounded resigned and apologetic. “Didn’t look at which one I grabbed.   Thought it was his. Yours and Dr. McKay’s packs are with Akhiok’s?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Sheppard strode to the vehicle and grimaced. Damn it to hell! Why’d Ford have to steal some other yahoo’s snowmobile? “We got nothing?” Sheppard asked, irritated.

Chagrinned, Ford responded, “Just what we have on us.”

“Great,” Sheppard ground out again. He started moving, and the snow collapsing beneath his step. He went halfway up to his calf as his foot plunged through the top layer. “Crap,” he muttered, taking another step and finding the same result. “Let me guess, whoever owned this thing didn’t keep any snowshoes with it, did he?”

“No sir,” Ford responded, coming alongside. “I figure we have to make do. He can’t be far.”

“Fall in behind me,” Sheppard directed. “I’ll blaze the trail.” And they worked their way through the white to the red.

CHAPTER 10: WILE E COYOTE

They plunged onward. The hillside they descended became radically steeper as they trudged along. John kept his eyes forward, looking for that color in the cold. Behind him, Ford tried to reach Teyla again, getting nothing. He tried McKay as well for good measure – no result.

They followed the hillside. Far off, the huge tapas shuffled about. The major kept his gaze on them, glad that there were some distance away.

It was hard work, forcing his way through the snow, but Sheppard wasn’t slowing. His knee twinged, telling him that he should give up the lead to Ford, but he had no plan on slowing just yet. Beckett would tell him a thing or two when they got back.

The hillside flanking them grew ever steeper as they moved alongside. It was early in the winter, Sheppard remembered. There was hardly any snowpack, but even so, he didn’t want to see any of this coming down on them. They said little, and when they spoke it was in hushed voices.

“He should be just about there,” Ford announced from behind.

Sheppard was glad Ford knew that, because everything looked similar here in this damn white world. Where are you, McKay? Where the hell are you?

Then, as if in answer, he spotted it. Red… Red against the white, and he increased his speed, his knee giving him hell. Ford stayed right behind him. The snow squeaked as they plowed through it.

“McKay,” he called softly, “McKay!” High-stepping through the drifts, he could see the red jacket clearer now, bright as day against the white. “Hang on, Rodney.” There, yes, obviously a man lying in the snow.

The man had been driven in deeply. God, they would have never found him if not for that red. It took several long moments to cross the distance, and when he did, John fell on his knees, cringing as he bent the right one too far. “Rodney,” he said softly, “Rodney!”

The physicist was on his side, half curled in the snow, partially covered in it. He’d impacted into it – reminding Sheppard a little too much of Wile E Coyote in a Roadrunner cartoon. He hadn’t reached the ground though – there was snow still under him.

Only Rodney's right arm was easily seen – red against the snow. He’d lost his gloves. The blue fleece hat with the ridiculous tie-on strap had remained on – exactly as it should have. The goggles had fallen half-off, only covering his left eye – the other lens was down around his cheek.

“Rodney,” Sheppard hissed, sweeping away the snow. “Come on, McKay.” He pulled off one of his gloves, using his teeth, and grasped the man’s wrist to feel for a pulse.

The scientist didn’t move. In this still, cold world, McKay was just as still – just as cold – still and cold as death. Sheppard grimaced, unable to feel anything in the frigid wrist. Carefully, he rested Rodney’s cold hand on his own leg, and moved to McKay’s neck, stealing his hand under the scarf that had somehow remained tucked within his jacket’s collar. With a sigh, he found some warmth, and a steady beat.

Watching, John could see the curl of vapor that came with each breath through Rodney’s parted lips – slow shallow breaths. Thank you.

“Major?” Ford asked expectantly.

“He’s alive,” Sheppard responded. He removed his hand, careful to pull the scarf tight again, to seal in any remaining heat. He remembered how he’d laughed at the doctor’s get up. Didn’t seem so foolish now. The puffy red jacket seemed to have survived the fall marvelously, maybe even cushioned him. He worked at removing some of the snow from the man.

Softly he patted Rodney’s exposed cheek. “McKay? McKay, wake up!” God he was cold.

There was no response to his urging. They had no emergency blankets, no food, no hand-warmers, nothing – and Rodney was lying with his face in the snow. Damn it. With a grimace, he unzipped his hood, and pulled it from his jacket collar. “Help me with his head,” Sheppard told his 2IC. “Lift him really carefully, just enough so I can get this under it.”

Ford nodded, leaning in closely and carefully working his hands under the doctor’s head, his gloved fingers easily working through the snow. Patiently, slowly, Sheppard moved the hood until Rodney could keep his cold face out of the snow, and Ford gently settled him on top of the white material. John considered giving up his coat, too, but wondered if it would help.

He blew out a breath, realizing that he would need his wits about him – and allowing himself to freeze wouldn’t help Rodney at all. He glanced to Aiden. Ford looked toward the ledge above them – about seven feet up. Sheppard squinted at it, figuring that Rodney must have sailed right over it, to plunge into the cushion of snow. Sheppard brushed again at Rodney’s clothing, trying to get off the caked on snow. There was no telling what was wrong though, why he wasn’t waking up.

“Come on, McKay. Wake up. I need you to wake up.”

Something creaked. Something groaned. The major and the lieutenant looked upward, watching the snow that dribbled down over the ledge. Neither spoke for a moment.

“Think it’ll come down?” Ford finally whispered, his eyes fastened on what hung above them, like misbalanced plates at the edge of a table.

“McKay didn’t bring it down with him,” Sheppard responded. “I think it’s planning to stay.”

“Doesn’t sound like it wants to stay,” Ford uttered, listening to the creaking.

“I know I’ll be a hell of a lot happier if we were out from under it.”

“Do we move him?” Ford asked. “He may have… broken something.”

Sheppard’s hand still rested against Rodney’s cheek. McKay felt so cold. Ice had formed in his hair and eyelashes.   He brushed at the snow that fringed his hair. “We got to get him out of the snow.”

Ford went on, “We should get a backboard, and something to keep his neck still.”

John drew back his hand. He clenched it, feeling the cold biting into him. His ears were getting numb too – and his nose. He blew on his fingers, then tugged on McKay’s cap, carefully pulling it to cover more of his face. “Rodney,” he repeated, “McKay!”

The icy lashes moved slightly.

Ford glanced back the way they’d come. “I could break up the snow-skid a bit. Find something we could put him on. It’ll take a while to get back and forth though and I don’t…”

Impatient, John rapped on Rodney’s face with the back of his hand. “McKay, wake up! Now!” he barked.

Suddenly, McKay’s eyes shot open, and one arm flailed. “No!” he cried, trying to shove back the intruder. “No… no…!”

“Rodney, Rodney!” Sheppard captured the arm easily.

“No… get back… get back…” McKay called, his voice quiet and his actions almost resigned. One arm feebly fought against Sheppard, the other, trapped beneath him, tried to lever himself upright. He stopped almost instantly with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes squeezed shut in pain.

“Stop! Stop moving! Knock it off!” Sheppard demanded, forcing him back down. “It’s me! It’s Sheppard! It’s John!”

“Get them off me!” McKay cried.

Aiden was at Rodney’s back, doing what he could to keep the doctor still. “Come on, Doc. It’s me and the major. It’s okay.”

“They’re gone! Rodney, they’re gone!” Sheppard said distinctly. “Those damn dogs are gone!”

One vivid blue eye sought him out and blinked, looking terribly lost. “Oh,” he said, and settled back into the hood with a miserable sigh. “Oh.” The eye closed and for a moment, Sheppard and Ford stared at each other.

It became evident that Rodney had drifted off. Sheppard let out a slow breath, and tried again. “Come on, Rodney, wake up. Nobody’s here but me and Ford.”

“Doc?” Aiden tried, laying a hand on McKay’s exposed shoulder. “Come on. Try again.”

But McKay didn’t move. Shaking his head, Sheppard told him, “I’m not screwing around! Wake up, I need you to stay awake!”

“You…need,” McKay said softly, his one visible eye cracking open. “Why?” Rodney’s gaze faltered until he was staring into the snow that surrounded him. The doctor let out a low, miserable sigh. Then, he jerked his head to look about, letting it drop almost instantly.

“Keep still!” Sheppard demanded.

“They’re gone?” Rodney whispered. “You’re sure?”

“None of the damn things are here,” John insisted.

“I … I don’t like them,” Rodney admitted in a low voice.

“Me neither,” Sheppard told him. “Look, McKay, no more foolin’ around. You have to stay awake, okay?” he explained.

Rodney’s gaze tracked upward again. He blinked tiredly. Softly, he said, “I… my eye… I can’t see out of … one’s all dark… I…can’t…see …”

“That’s ‘cause your goggles are half-cocked. You got the lens over only one of your eyes,” Sheppard explained trying to sound amused, hoping to God that’s all it was.

With a half-hearted scowl, McKay tried to move his arm. It came stiffly, and was quickly captured by Sheppard.

“Don’t move,” Sheppard told him. Carefully, he tugged at the goggles, bringing them down until they were under Rodney’s chin. The Canadian sighed with relief as the vision in his occluded eye came clear.

“Better?” Sheppard asked.

McKay didn’t respond. He continued to blink at the snow in front of his nose. Dutifully, Sheppard worked to dig some of it out of the way.   “This has got to be a bit better,” Sheppard went on.

“I want… I want…to get up,” McKay started. “I’m cold.”

“I know,” Sheppard replied. “But you’re not going to be moving for a bit.”

“I’m so cold.”

Ford exchanged a worried look with his CO – damn, McKay wasn’t sounding good – not sounding like himself at all!

“First things first, McKay,” Sheppard tried. “I need you to move your feet. Can you try? I mean, without moving around too much?”

“Move them without moving?” McKay grumbled, looking at Sheppard as if he was insane.

“Try to move your toes,” Ford supplied helpfully.

“I…” McKay startled at Ford’s voice, trying to turn to see who was behind him.

“It’s just me, doc,” Ford assured. “It’s Aiden.”

McKay grumbled, “Of course, I know that.”

“McKay,” Sheppard went on. “Try to move your toes.”

Looking into the snow that surrounded him, Rodney remained still. With a grimace, he snapped, “I have boots on. Tight snow boots. My toes are frozen. I couldn’t move my toes if I tried. Can I get up now? Can we get someplace warm?”

The irritated demeanor made Sheppard feel a hell of a lot better, but Rodney’s lack of movement wasn’t encouraging.

“Okay, then. Since you can’t handle that simple job, you’re going to have to keep still for a bit, McKay,” Sheppard told him. He took a surreptitious glance at the hanging snow over their head. “We’ll get something to carry you out on and…”

“Yes, well, yes.” McKay’s arm fished around, and his hand finally grasped onto the sleeve of Sheppard’s white jacket.   “Can you… hurry it up?”

Ford cut in, “I’ll go back to the skid and find something.” He stood quickly, observing as the major leaned protectively over the man in the snow. “I’ll hurry.”

“Yes, do,” McKay responded. He tried to turn his head, but stopped immediately with a wince.

“Don’t move!” Sheppard chided, poking a finger against the doctor’s head. “I mean it! Just wait a couple minutes and Ford will be back.”

McKay huffed out a breath. “I don’t feel so good.” The one hand continued to clasp at Sheppard’s sleeve, twisting into the white material. “Don’t know if I can…”

“You’ll manage,” Sheppard assured, and then looked up at Ford. “Go!” he ordered, and Ford took off through the snow, loping through the trail that they’d blazed earlier. “Hurry,” he whispered.

CHAPTER 11: BEES

McKay’s eyes darted about, as John shoveled more snow away from his head, using his one gloved hand. The other hand, he made into a fist. Already, his exposed fingers hurt. His head felt as if it was starting to freeze up.

“I’m cold,” McKay said again, pathetically.

“Aren’t we all?” Sheppard responded. He grabbed his free glove and worked it onto McKay’s hand, then took off his other one and had to unclasp McKay’s hand from his sleeve to get the glove situated. “That any better?” he asked.

McKay said nothing, flexing his hands inside the gloves. He looked up to Sheppard, trepidation filling his glance. “Where’s your hood?”

“Gave it up.”

“Oh… oh…” McKay said nothing, staring at his gloved hands, then, with a trouble look, he told Sheppard. “I tried to move my toes.”

“I know. Tight boots. Cold toes.”

“I tried…I couldn’t. I can’t. I can’t move my legs at all. I can’t feel them,” McKay got out, talking in a rush. “Maybe they’re just cold, huh? That would explain it. So numb I can’t sense them.”

“Probably just the cold. Ford will be back in a minute,” Sheppard told him, keeping his voice even, as he rubbed his hands together, ducking his head into his collar.

McKay scowled and rocked his head forward, resting his face against the material of the hood. “I don’t want to be here.”

“Me neither.”

“Get me out.”

“You have to be patient,” Sheppard told him, feeling his nerves on edge. He stood, staggering a minute, to get a better view of Ford. The kid was running, trying to make good time in the snow, but he was still a long way from the skid. He was disappearing into the white – his jacket indistinguishable from the snow. Above them, a threat of avalanche still seemed too possible. Damn it, Sheppard thought, hating all the snow adventure movies he’d seen. “Just stay awake for a while, okay? Awake and still. He’ll be right back,” Sheppard insisted, his eyes on Ford, willing him to hurry. “Behave yourself until he gets here.”

“I know…” McKay started slowly. “I know I shouldn’t have… I couldn’t help it.”

“Shouldn’t have what?” Sheppard responded, watching Ford run.

“The dogs. I don’t know why I reacted… They were coming at me and I …”

“Perfectly reasonable.”

“Irrational. I was… hysterical. I tend to freak out about things.”

“You, freak out?”

“I was swarmed by bees once.”

“That’s reason to freak out.”

“Okay, it was only five bees or so, but I’m allergic. I ran, knocked over a kid while I was trying to get away.”

Sheppard was quiet, his arms folded over his legs. “Figure you had reason,” he finally commented.

“A kid, just knocked him down. I was scared to death.”

“When did this happen.”

“I was in school. I’d been stung a year before. Ended up in the hospital.”

“How old were you?”

“When I freaked out and knocked over the kid? I don’t know. Ten.” McKay looked up at him beseechingly. “The kid was younger though -- six or so.”

“Ended up in the hospital the first time? I’d freak out, too,” Sheppard said convincingly. “Hell, as soon as I figured out that those were those damn devil dogs, I was pretty damn worked up about it, too.”

He heaved a breath. “Stupid of me… stupid.”

“Yeah, you and stupid. Can’t really see those words going together.”

McKay let out a shuddering breath, shivering in the snow.

“Ford will be right back,” Sheppard assured. He couldn’t see the lieutenant anymore. “Right back.” He looked down. “McKay?” he let out a breath when Rodney failed to answer him. With a sigh, he carefully knelt down in the snow again, not hiding his groan of pain as he moved his knee. His companion’s eyes were shut, and he was terribly still.

“Rodney,” Sheppard called softly. “Rodney, I need you to wake up. Rodney, come on.” Again, he gently slapped the chilled face. Getting no reaction, he frowned, grasping the face at both sides and squishing in the cheeks – making fish lips. “Come on!” he growled. “Wake up.” And nothing. Damn.

White vapor still came from those lips – not dead – not yet.

“Rodney,” Sheppard sighed, as he worked at the hood, getting it wrapped around his head. “Don’t leave me here.” He pulled it tight, getting the bottom of it tucked under McKay’s scarf.

That done, he felt along Rodney’s arms. The puffy down jacket seemed to be keeping his heat in. That was one good thing! He continued his work, looking for trouble along McKay’s unmoving legs. He couldn’t find a break. With an exhale of steam, he sat back in the snow and said, “Just don’t leave me here, okay?”

And a soft snow started falling again.

CHAPTER 12: MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH

“You should sit,” Soldotna encouraged. Kenai moved alongside her sister-in-law, trying to help her calm down their guest. “There will be some time before the men return. It is our time to relax.”

Kenai grinned, showing her straight, white teeth. “It is our only time of quiet, when the men are at their hunt. All winter long, we must be with them within these walls. It’s nice to be without them for a while. Let us enjoy our quiet.”

Teyla looked between Soldotna and Kenai, a grimace of annoyance crossing her. “You would prefer to remain quiet at your home instead of participating in the hunt?”

“Yes,” Soldotna responded. “We are only women, after all.”

Kenai nodded. “Even our men find the hunt difficult. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

With a disgusted snort, Teyla turned from them. She didn’t like these people. She’d never understood cultures that treated their women like lesser creatures, but the Ekukians truly annoyed her. The Wraith left them alone for the most part, because the Ekukians spent most of their lives in their warm little holes, in their warm little worlds, while all around them the world froze. Maybe the Wraith were disgusted with them, too? They liked spirited prey – maybe the Ekukians tasted flavorless to them.

Teyla paced about, having lost her chill. The community, she decided, was too close, too warm, and she needed to get away from it.

“I need some air,” Teyla said curtly and made her way to the door. Kenai and Soldotna came with her and frittered around, trying to dissuade her. When they realized that they couldn’t change her mind, they helped with her coat and winter-wear, ensuring that she was well dressed. By time Teyla was suited up, she was nearly hyperventilating with the need to be free of them.

“Thank you,” she curtly declared, and pressed back the first curtain. “I shall return shortly.” And she moved on. She stood for a moment in the foyer, happy even to be this far from them. Then, she drew in a breath and pushed past the second curtain, into the biting cold. It brought her up short as it stung her – she’d forgotten how cold it had been – or perhaps she’d told herself that it wasn’t as cold as she recalled from the day before.

She couldn’t let the mere chill stop her. In fact, it was almost agreeable after being closed in for so long.

Bracing herself, she moved onward, crunching through the snow needing to move and be away from that too tight indoor world. Out here, the air was clean and clear. She breathed in deeply, feeling the chill all through her nose and down her throat. Much better, she decided, much better than being ‘in there’.

She moved about to keep herself warm, following a path that had been packed into the snow, glad to be doing something physical. Better, much better. She agilely moved over the white, appreciating the sensation of movement. Maybe this world wasn’t so bad, she decided. A winter wonderland could be inviting in the right circumstances.

She passed another doorway and cocked her head, wondering what was beyond that series of curtains. Another community? A storage area? Perhaps it was where they kept their damaged snow-skids? Maybe one might be usable. She had stepped toward the curtained doorway, but stopped when she heard a noise.

It was a strange sound. It didn’t strike her as something to be wary of. She gauged the situation, but let her curiosity win out and continued forward. The noise was soft – a grunting, muffled. She pressed her hand to the curtain and said softly, “I do not mean to disturb you. I am Teyla. Would it be agreeable if I enter?” And the noise stopped.   Interesting.

“I will enter,” she declared. She pressed back the first curtain and was assaulted by a scent – different from the smell of the living quarters – quite different. This smell had an animal quality to it. She wrinkled her nose, and cautiously stepped forward. “I mean you no harm,” she said, her voice calm and light. Her ears remained pricked for any sound of danger. Animals, she knew, could be easily calmed with the right tone – and obviously pets or livestock of some sort were kept within.

She pressed open the second curtain and found a room dimly lit from a window. There were stalls along the walls of the crude room. The smell became more oppressive and she narrowed her eyes. There were quiet squeaking whimpers, and something made a low growl. Her gaze sought the source, and, in the dimness, she found an animal, white and fluffy, curled up on one side. Tiny white, fluffy creatures nursed as the bigger animal looked up at her and growled again, then submissively thumped her tail against the ground. Nervously, it licked its lips.

A dog – she remembered the word the Atlanteans used to describe this sort of animal. She’d seen the depictions in the tapestries, and realized that she’d discovered the Ekukian’s kennel.

The pups looked up at her with curious blue eyes. Some of the braver ones lifted onto their stubby feet and waddled closer to her. The greedier pups continued to suckle.

She knew better than to disturb a nursing mother. “I mean you no harm,” she repeated softly as she backed to the door. “You are a good mother,” she cooed, not turning her back on the creature that continued to growl softly, then thump her tail. “I will leave you now.”

She was almost to the door when the growl changed to a gibbering laugh. She froze, her hand clutching the curtain, as she remembered – as she remembered it all so clearly.

No…

She stared at the creature, seeing those familiar blue eyes. Then, almost without thinking, she backed through the first door, and then the other – and once outside – took off at a run, knowing where she had to go.

CONTINUE to SECTION 2

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