Chapter 2: Teal'c

Teal'c stood with the club end of his weapon on the edge of the shallow dip that was sixteen Tau'ri feet in diameter and one Tau'ri foot deep that O'Neill had called a buffalo wallow and had to agree with the man's statement: only DanielJackson would be the one to discover and trip in such a thing in this flat landscape!

DanielJackson put on his second pair of eyeglasses, accepted the packet of medicine O'Neill was holding out and reached for the canteen at his waist. Popping out and swallowing down two of the pills, he sneezed again while screwing back on the lid of his canteen. "A buffalo wallow? You think there are bison on this prairie?"

"Buffalo, bison," O'Neill stood up from his crouch, "who cares. It was just as likely made by cows."

MajorCarter frowned as she stood too and cast a look around. "Cows Sir? We only saw them in the standing stones and near the village—you think they come this far out?"

O'Neill gave a careless shrug as he stepped out of the buffalo wallow. "Those were the tame ones; there could be migrating wild herds. See anything Teal'c?"

"I do not O'Neill," Teal'c responded as he cast another measuring look over the landscape and its blowing grasses.

"You think the bison or aurochs are around?" DanielJackson cast an anxious look around.

Teal'c observed that DanielJackson's sight was obscured as much by his still watering eyes as by the tall grasses he remained seated amongst.

O'Neill shook his head. "Doubt it. The floor of this wallow is concave and the plants aren't any different from what's around us. I think it's been abandoned."

Teal'c paid closer attention to the vegetation and discerned that O'Neill was correct; there were no plants in the wallow that he did not see growing elsewhere in the vegetation they stood within. He filed the information away and would keep an eye out for further evidence of bovine impact on the land.

DanielJackson sneezed, then held out a hand and MajorCarter assisted him to his feet. Slapping his hands on his pants to brush off the crushed grasses and seeds on the fabric he was giving O'Neill a curious look. "How do you know that? About buffalo wallows?"

"Some neighbours in Minnesota were ranchers and I used to play in their pastures as a boy," O'Neill answered shortly. "You ready to go Daniel?"

"Yeah, we can go," DanielJackson nodded, sneezed, and blew his nose. "It takes ten to fifteen minutes for the antihistamines I just took to work and standing here in the grass or walking in the grass won't make any difference."

Teal'c looked at O'Neill. He was unable to read O'Neill's face with accuracy due to the sunglasses and shadowing cap the man wore but it was easy enough to discern that O'Neill wished him to take the lead once more. Inclining his head in acknowledgement, he did so.

Striding off through the grassland again on the bearing MajorCarter had given him, he kept a more knowledgeable eye out for features that could bring further injury to his less observant companions. He could see no trails used repeatedly by animals and no signs in the grass that a large animal or human had passed this way.

All he disturbed as he walked was the grasses and the droning insects—and those he kept close and wary attention of. Before BP6-3Q1 he had concerned himself little about insect bites, confident in his prim'ta's ability to heal him of all ills and injuries. BP6-3Q1's metamorphosis insect however had taught him that the most overlooked creatures could be the deadliest threat.

Movement ahead in the grass to the left caught his attention. He swung the oval-shaped head of his weapon in that direction and switched his gaze from scanning to focused. Teal'c was unsure if the vision of DanielJackson, who was flanking his left, had recovered sufficiently yet since the additional medical treatment as the man was still sneezing.

The same movement. Then a small rodent was visible.

Pleased it was not a threat he pointed his weapon forward and watch curiously. The rodent demonstrated impressive acrobatic skills as it balanced upright between two seed heavy stalks, one hind leg on each stalk with a prehensile furred tail wrapped around one stalk for additional balance. It was busy bending one of the seed heads towards it and its nimble forelimbs stripped seeds off the stalks and then stuffed the seeds into its cheek pouches.

Then, cheek pouches full or alarmed by their approach; the rodent dropped down the stalks and disappeared into the grass.

Teal'c pointed his weapon forward and returned his gaze to scanning the grassland as the grasses bent in the wind and rippled like waves.

Studying what lay ahead, Teal'c noticed that the horizon of the grassland that met the dark green of the alpine forest on the slopes of the mountains was a grassy horizon band and not a merging with the mountainous forest. To his experienced eye that meant that the flat perception of the grassland was false. Ahead either the grassland dropped down from a plateau or it had been carved away by a river.

In either case, he hoped it did not required special equipment they did not possess to scale. It would be most inconvenient having traveled this distance, to have to return to SGC to secure what was needed.

Soon enough, the grassy horizon band began to break up with rolls and dips as the grasslands rolled down into a river valley.

Teal'c stood on a grass capped hill of the river valley with his companions and surveyed the vista before him. The grassy hill sloped gently downwards, merging with the trees, shrubs, and other plants full of bird life along the banks of the river that ran east to west. The river lay directly across the path they were on.

Directing his gaze to the other side of the river, the thick plant life along the river petered out along the rising slope of the river valley to grasslands once again. Beyond the grassy edge, the land south of the river and its valley began from the grassland to rise gently into alpine forested hills that covered the skirts of the mountains.

"That river looks pretty deep from up here," DanielJackson peered downward.

"I concur," Teal'c agreed.

"Well, as long as it doesn't take us too far off our bearing," MajorCarter said, "we can probably cross where ever it looks best to do so."

"Teal'c?" O'Neill prompted.

Teal'c looked along the river, searching for what appeared to be a suitable crossing point. After some consideration he inclined his head to the right. "There appears to be a shallower stretch of river to the west O'Neill."

"Westward-ho!" O'Neill waved a hand to the right.

Angling to the right, Teal'c took the lead again with his companions in their previous formation behind him. They cut down and across the gentle slope and encroached into the river valley, the grasses of the prairie giving way to trees and shrubs that blocked their view of the river once they were amongst the taller woody vegetation.

Navigate the tall trees with trunks of smooth pale bark marked with black as the spire-like branches adorned with leaves trembled with every breeze was easy. More effort was needed to push through the denser growing trees with narrow lance-shaped leaves as tall as he and lower shrubs growing closer to the riverbank requiring he hold his weapon close to his body to avoid it snagging on any of the reaching plants and branches.

Emerging at the edge of the river Teal'c carefully examined both sides of the river. Unfortunately the river was deeper than he had judged, as indicated by its deeply cut banks. The clarity of the water had deceived him as viewed from the distant hilly top of the river valley.

"Well, if this is shallower I hate to see what's deep," O'Neill quipped as he peered into the clear deep waters of the river. "Hey, careful there Carter. Don't you think you could wait to do that?"

Teal'c swiftly checked on the woman in question. He found her perched precariously on the edge of the bank with laboratory glassware in one hand about to dip the receptacle into the river water and field pack on the ground beside.

Holding her precarious pose MajorCarter tilted her head so that her face was not shadowed by her cap as she answered, "I figured Sir, while you decide if we're going upstream or downstream it was an opportune time to get a water sample."

"What about when we're actually crossing the river? Couldn't you do it then?"

"I could but then we'd be busy crossing and contamination would be more likely."

O'Neill huffed and waved a hand. "Fine, fine, you get your water sample now."

MajorCarter flashed a smile and dipped the laboratory glassware and her fingertips into the water and then yanked it about out with a yelp, "Ah!"

Teal'c immediately raised his weapon, as did O'Neill, in response to her alarm. Had she been attacked by an aquatic creature or was the water dangerous: perhaps acidic?

"Sam, what is it?" DanielJackson took some quick steps to where MajorCarter was crouched on the riverbank.

"Sorry, didn't mean to alarm you," MajorCarter looked sheepish as she shook her hand out with a grimace after placing a small bung in the mouth of the laboratory glassware, "it's just darn, that water's cold."

Teal'c took his alertness level down a notch, the oval-shaped head of his weapon dipping downward, upon learning that it had been a yelp of surprise at the water temperature.

Stowing the tube into her pack she looked up at O'Neill and said, "Sir, find a very, very shallow place to cross. If this river isn't glacier fed, it's definitely snow fed."

"It's really that cold?" DanielJackson wondered as he leaned over the bank to look into the river.

MajorCarter's sheepish look faded and she said with a touch of irritation, "Test it for yourself."

DanielJackson did just so, crouching down and sticking his hand into the water and then yanked it out with a loud, "Whoa! That's not cold Sam, that's icy!"

Looking vindicated MajorCarter snapped her pack back on and standing up, turned her gaze to O'Neill once again. "So Sir?"

"Well, as you two seem to be vetoing the ice bath today," O'Neill teased lightly, "I guess we'll have to find a shallow enough place to ford. Carter, you with me and we'll go upstream. Teal'c, you and Daniel go downstream. One klick max in either direction—and if someone doesn't find a good place before then, we'll confer about crossing where we can. Radio every three minutes or when you've found the spot."

"Why only one klick?" DanielJackson questioned.

"Because, depending which group finds the shallowest place the other group will have to walk double the distance to get there," O'Neill explained. "Nor do we want to be at this all day."

"Oh, right. Well, come on Teal'c," DanielJackson turned to the right and began heading downstream, "let's get moving."

Teal'c gave O'Neill a brisk nod and then fell into step behind DanielJackson who began to noisily push through the underbrush and plants along the riverbank. They found nowhere along the river that seemed fortuitous for a safe and shallow crossing. By means of the radio checks with O'Neill and MajorCarter they knew that the search upstream was also without positive results.

Their fortune turned however near the maximum distance O'Neill had allotted for travel. The river water lapped up the banks instead of undercutting it and multitude of rocks were visible in the clear water, some breaking the surface and had the water running with a merry sound.

"It appears we have found a place to ford DanielJackson," Teal'c observed the stretch of river with approval. Its deepest point appeared to reach the bottom of his knee.

DanielJackson's head bobbed in agreement as he lifted a hand to the radio on his vest and radioed their find to their other teammates. Discovery and message passed along, the archaeologist dropped his hand from the radio. "Well then, I guess we wait until they get here. Jack said it should take them fourteen or more minutes."

"Indeed," Teal'c inclined his head as he looked at the river that burbled happily as it ran over the rocks of the shallow stretch, the profusion of green plants and birds that flew about, and even the glimmer of fish in the crystal clear water. It was a pleasant place to wait.

Teal'c heard the approach of O'Neill and MajorCarter before they pushed through the trees and underbrush to join himself and DanielJackson. He had spent the time waiting on his feet in a relaxed state of alertness, surveying the surroundings for anything unusual or untoward but enjoying its tranquility. To pass the time DanielJackson had plopped himself down on the ground and started writing away in one of his many field journals; the scholar now packed the writing material away and climbed to his feet.

O'Neill gave an approving nod as he surveyed the shallow ford. "Good find guys. Definitely better than the waist-wader Carter and I found."

"Who shall proceed across first O'Neill?" Teal'c inquired.

"I'll go first," O'Neill announced and then took a step forward into the river with a loud splash splosh, water running over the top of his combat boot. "Well, here's to hoping this water's got no leeches."

Teal'c was in agreement with O'Neill on that matter. He had no desire to encounter or deal with the segmented worms that fed on the blood of other beings.

"Leeches shouldn't be a problem Sir with your clothes," MajorCarter called after O'Neill as the man forded forward.

"So you're telling me there are leeches in here?" O'Neill called back over his shoulder as he carefully progressed further into the river, the water now running over the top of the man's boots and soaking his pant legs. "Oy, you weren't kidding about the water being cold Carter. Now I'm really glad we didn't have to swim across!"

Teal'c observed MajorCarter and DanielJackson exchanged amused, and somewhat triumphant, looks because after all O'Neill had just affirmed their judgement of the river water's temperature.

"No Sir, Daniel and I weren't kidding. As for the leeches, I don't know Sir, but it's a possibility as they primarily live in freshwater on Earth, although they have been found in marine and terrestrial environments. Besides I thought you liked leeches."

"Like leeches?" O'Neill sounded incredulous as he reached the middle of the sparkling clear river, the water just at his knees. "Now where Carter, did you get a crazy idea like that?"

Teal'c cast an inquiring look at MajorCarter himself in reaction to that statement, and saw that DanielJackson was doing the same.

"Well, you like fishing don't you Sir?"

"Carter, what sort of stupid question is that?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow skyward as he remembered his recent excursion to O'Neill's forested retreat in the north of the man's country and engaging in the activity of fishing which seemed more to be acting as bait for blood drinking bugs than procuring fish. It was, as O'Neill's crass but succinct retort revealed, a redundant inquiry on the part of MajorCarter. Looking at the woman however who had her head lowered slightly with the brim of her cap acting as a shield, he could see a teasing smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, you like fishing so I figure you liked leeches for bait Sir."

"Night crawlers and worms only Major," O'Neill raised his voice to be heard over the distance as he stepped onto the far southern bank and turned to face them across the river. "I have to deal with enough blood suckers at work and those ones push needles! You next Carter!"

Teal'c already had an eye on MajorCarter and saw the subtle movements that betrayed the fact she squared her shoulders before stepping into the river with a light splash splosh. Her shorter height meant that at the deepest point of the ford the water rose over her knees and following almost exactly in the path that O'Neill had taken, she was able to ford the river at a quicker pace in comparison to their leader.

He watched MajorCarter join O'Neill on the southern riverbank and they held a brief conversation, too low to be heard over the distance and happily bubbling water of the ford, before O'Neill turned his attention back across the river.

"Okay Daniel, your turn!" O'Neill called out.

As the scholar crossed the ford Teal'c raised an eyebrow upwards again at the quick, hopping actions of DanielJackson accompanied by loud splash splosh noises; the man hopped forward and almost seemed to stand on one leg before hoping forward again. It was a most peculiar way to cross the river.

"What's the rush Daniel?" O'Neill asked.

"It's cold!" DanielJackson hopped forward quickly again.

"I know it is, but slow down and walk!" O'Neill said exasperated. "You keep hopping about and you're going to put your foot down wrong and take a dunking!"

"But it's c-cold!" DanielJackson protested again, a knee lifted high of the water as he stood briefly on one leg.

"Walk Daniel!" O'Neill ordered.

It was the commanding tone, the wobble that Teal'c observed as DanielJackson stood on one leg in the knee deep water, or both that had the scholar stop trying to hop across the river and walk the remaining distance to the south shore.

Teal'c hefted his weapon and stepped into the water as DanielJackson stepped onto the far bank. Even forewarned by the words and antics of his companions, when he stepped far enough into the river that the water was over the top of his combat boots, the icy bite of the water was painful against the skin of his legs as it soaked through his pants.

A second step and he canted his head to the side and looked upstream curiously. Did his ears deceive him? The water rushing through the ford and over the outcropping rocks sounded louder.

Two steps more and Teal'c knew without a doubt the river, dirty now and not sparkling clear, was running faster and was also running higher as the water surged to below his knees. He was not even a quarter across and the increasing current tugged strongly at his legs.

Looking to his companions on the far bank who looked at him with faces of worried realisation as a low roar was heard further upstream he had only moments to decide: risk joining them or retreat back to the north bank.

Something in his face must have betrayed him to O'Neill when he made his decision and took his first step knowing he had seconds, or less, to escape the flash flood that was bearing down on him.

"Damnit Teal'c! Get back!" O'Neill shouted.

Teal'c moved forward; fighting to keep his balance in the rushing icy water as it climbed up his legs. Another fighting step and the current nearly swept him off his feet and downstream, dirty water now above his waist. As the force began pummelling his abdominal pouch his prim'ta began to undulate unsettlingly.

He ignored the sensation and continued to fight his way across the flooding ford. In the centre of the river the water level was midway up his chest and a misstep now would be disastrous.

"Teal'c! Grab hold!"

Looking up at O'Neill's order, he saw MajorCarter tossing one of the ropes they carried off to his left to let the rushing water carry it to his side. Once it reached him, he wrapped the length of twisted fibres firmly around his left forearm and elbow. "I have the rope O'Neill!"

"Good!" O'Neill shouted.

The three humans on the southern bank took up the slack and working in concert with Teal'c's walking, began to reel him to the safety as he determinedly forded the flooded river. One last yank and he reached the riverbank. The hands of O'Neill and DanielJackson clamped onto his shoulders and he was hauled up the shore and out of the raging floodwaters to land on his hands and knees.

"Wow Teal'c, I'm surprised you didn't lose your staff weapon!" DanielJackson exclaimed.

His lungs heaving from exertion and his body dealing with the adrenaline cocktail in his bloodstream he felt no need to reply. He would be a very poor Jaffa if he let nothing less than death pry his ma'tok from his grip.

In his pouch his prim'ta was still undulating with agitation, its movements still invoking a nauseous sensation in his belly. Forcing down the nausea with swallows of air, he caught his breath and looked up into the angry and relieved face of his commander—sunglasses absent—and found brown eyes furiously boring into his gaze.

"Teal'c," O'Neill sucked in a breath of air, "you pull a stupid stunt like that again," the man sucked in another breath, "and I'll throw you back in myself!"

"I believe O'Neill; I shall save you the trouble and throw myself in," Teal'c declared staunchly.

O'Neill gave a weak laugh, more a sound of relief than amusement, as he slapped Teal'c's shoulder. "C'mon, let's get you into dry clothes and clean your gear off."

Teal'c nodded his agreement with that pleasant course of action and accepted the hand O'Neill held out to him, to assist him from all fours to stand upright.