Chapter 2 – Demons and Spirits

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// It combed through the memories belonging to its new body, trying to learn how it came to be in this unwilling host. The host’s defenses were strongest in his waking hours. It could do little more than but watch and occasionally prod for information. But the barriers weakened for a short time every evening. It was then when it could access the information it most desired. And it liked what it saw. For a few glorious minutes each night, it relived its handiwork. It yearned for the day it had strength and control enough to start again. //

What, Jack wondered, possessed the Goa’uld to put the Stargate *here*. The clearing was barely wide enough to accommodate the two pieces of ancient technology. Daniel had to strip off his gear just to squeeze between the dial home device and the three trees that grew around it. The thick roots of one said tree had worked its way underneath the DHD, tilting it slightly toward the Stargate. If they had wanted an inaccessible area, they found it.

Inaccessible to humans, anyway. Other creatures had no problem getting around in the dense forest, as evidenced by the dropping Jack had stepped in almost the moment he arrived on P4J943. *That* certainly wasn’t there when the MALP went through. Of course, the others had no such mishap. He caught Daniel not trying very hard to hide his amusement as he went to check on the DHD.

He, Carter and Teal'c spread out as much as they could and still keep within sight of each other. The immense trees and the tiny clearing made the initial scout difficult. The MALP had not picked any signs of human habitation within the immediate vicinity. That was neither new nor surprising. An entire civilization could hide in the tree tops alone. And the clearing was too small for the UAV to be sent through, so there was no help there.

The forest was alive with chatter. He could have sworn he heard words spoken above him. He swung his rifle up, looking for the source of the noise. A blob of brown fur chittered at him, streaked across the branch directly above and leapt for a higher one. Jack moved to get a better look and got a face full of spider web.

"Great, invisible webs," he muttered to himself, trying to pull the stuff off his face. His nose was beginning to burn. "It’s not that funny, Daniel," he grumbled at the quiet laughter behind him. He had to remove his baseball cap in order to get to the strands he felt over his eyes. "We need to get an exterminator added to this team."

Jack had his eyes squeezed shut against the stinging of the web. The last strand was moving with the wind, tickling his nose and eye lids, and also causing them to smart. "Daniel, who are you talking to?" Jack asked as he made another swipe at the errant web.

"O'Neill." Jack didn’t like Teal'c’s tone of voice. He stopped moving and squinted open his eyes.

"Where’d they come from?" He never heard them coming. Though Carter and Teal'c both had their weapons drawn, they looked equally surprised by the newcomers.

Three men surrounded Teal'c, spears pointed threateningly at various portions of his anatomy. Two more had Carter covered, and one stood just to Jack’s left, the business end of the spear at his throat. Two stood over Daniel, the pointed ends of their weapons pointed toward the sky. One had his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. All had their hands and faces painted in splotches of black and white, with a red lightning bolt for color on their cheeks. The one who had Daniel had a third bolt on his left hand. Jack’s eyes followed the hand up the spear to the three deadly prongs on top.

"My name is Daniel Jackson." Daniel slowly stood from his crouched position, leaving his gear on the ground. He kept his hands out in the open, splayed out to show they were empty.

"We’re explorers and…" Daniel paused in his usual spiel when the hand left his shoulder. For a second that seemed to stretch into minutes, nothing happened. Daniel warily asked, "What?"

"Great question," Jack said with a role of his eyes. "Do they even understand you?"

"I don’t know," Daniel muttered. Hands still up, he slowly turned to look at Jack, his eyes flicking over the others. "Uhm, we’re *peaceful* explorers," he tried again, looking pointedly at Carter’s rifle and the spears.

Carter and Teal'c glanced at Jank. Ah, what the hell, he thought glumly. He gave them a little nod. They slowly lowered their weapons, but remained ready should they be needed.

Half a beat later, and in eerie unison, the pointed ends of the spears went sky ward. The leader pointed in a direction away from the Stargate and said simply, "Come."

Jack exchanged looks with his team, and shrugged. "I guess we don’t have to ask to see their leader."

They made slow progress following the painted warriors through the woods. They were not following any trail Teal'c could make out. Yet, regardless of which painted warrior was at point, or how much backtracking they had to do due to the placement of the immense trees, SG1 was led in the same direction.

The warriors appeared and disappeared at random intervals. The only pattern Teal'c could see was a flash of hand movement at the arrival and departure of each person. They were utterly silent in their movement. Teal'c, even with his sensitive hearing, did not know they were present until they chose to make themselves known.

Compared to the warriors, the members of SG1 could not have been more noisy. Teal'c could hear his own boots connect with firm ground and forest debris. Daniel Jackson moved back and forth through the ranks, trying to engage them in conversation. Mostly he harangued the leader with questions, all of which went unanswered. Major Carter murmured her apologies as she tried to apply ointment to Colonel O'Neill’s face and walk at the same time. Her questions about the web O'Neill ran into went equally unanswered. And O'Neill grumbled loudly about spiders and webs and complaining that it was Daniel Jackson who was supposed to suffer allergies.

O'Neill’s face had turned a bright pink, as if he had been sunburned, with tiny white welts crisscrossing his face in a web pattern. His hands were equally effected. It looked painful, and O'Neill scratched at them often. The leader spoke only once to utter the admonishment of, "Do not scratch." He made the comment as if to a child who should have known better. The warriors avoided the webs, though Teal'c was not certain how they knew where to find them. He did not notice any until they had past them already.

Their spears were roughly the same shape and length as Teal'c’s staff weapon, though not as thick. The were expertly made in a polished white wood and with out decoration. Teal'c wondered if the flare at the end hampered the throwing ability or enhanced it. The point of each spear was made of some sort of metal the color of gold, though he was certain it was not nearly so soft. The only difference in the weaponry he noted was that of the leader’s. His was shaped like an activated staff weapon, minus the markings, but polished the same shade of brown. The metal tips made up the opened points. It would make a nasty, fatal wound.

Unlike Teal'c, the warriors did not use their weapons as walking sticks. The flared back end dipped no lower than the cloth of their feet, but usually hovered at their ankles. They did not even use them to push away offending branches or creatures. Such actions were left to the gloved ends of the sashes each wore.

One such glove was used to remove the web from O'Neill’s face and hands. And twice to swat at a creature who happened to be in the way. Both sash and gloves were made of the same material as their footing and leggings. Thin but strong, they did not tear on the forest debris, nor did they attract every spiked plant as SG1 did. Teal'c had to pause on more than one occasion to pull brambles from his pants and jacket.

The warrior leader stopped Daniel Jackson from removing a portion of another plant from his pants leg. He put his hand into one of the glove ends of his sash, removed the offending object and threw it out of harms way before moving on. Daniel Jackson gave him a bemused look, shrugged, then followed on, asking his questions. Every once in a while, he would absently scratch at the area of his leg where the plant had touched him through the cloth.

Trailing slightly behind the others, Teal'c watched his teammate animatedly asking every question that came to mind. Though he was getting no response from the warrior, Daniel Jackson still made comments and voiced his speculations aloud, apparently hoping the warrior would give in and tell him if he was right or not. The warrior leader, for his part, ignored Daniel Jackson as one would a small yipping dog. However, he also steered the younger man clear of any dangers. Twice, the warrior had made eye contact with Teal'c, both times Teal'c thought he saw amusement in them.

Finally they came upon a slightly less dense patch of forest, populated by huts. It was the best word Teal'c could come up with to describe the dwellings. They were not so flimsy or as short term as tents, but also not so sturdy or long term as cabins or concrete buildings. They were colored in camouflage shades of green and brown, with the exception of the largest hut, which had a bright red stylized lightning bolt on it.

All but three of the warriors blended into the forest as they approached the village. Several of the villagers who were out clustered before the entrance to the largest hut. One young woman among them eyed them warily. Teal'c heard her tell an older man, "The demons have returned."

The older man gave the foursome a once over, turned his attention to the warrior leader. Like the warrior leader, one of his hands was painted with the red lightning bolt, otherwise he went unadorned. The short conversation ended with the warrior nodding, saying something to the crowd which dispersed them, then leaving with his men.

The man turned his attentions to SG1. "The healer will tend to you," he said to O'Neill. "You may take him to see Anala. Turn left at that tree there," he instructed Major Carter. "She will be prepared."

He nodded to Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. "You two I will speak with before the Council meets, and it is decided weather or not you are welcome here."

"I don’t think they intent to harm us, Jack," Daniel Jackson said at O'Neill’s hesitation. He indicated the now empty ally in which they stood. "I think they’ll leave us alone until they know what to think of us."

O'Neill noted the lack of guard, the way the man giving them orders looked unafraid of the new visitors, and the general lack of people in the area. "Alright. Thank you, ah..?"

The man nodded a bow. "I am Goran, Spirit Walker for the Red Lightning Tribe. And you are welcome. Now go, spir web wounds should not go unattended for long. It will cause scarring."

O'Neill frowned and pulled his hands away from his face in an obvious effort not to scratch. "Oh, we don’t want that. Carter, you remember the way?"

"This way," Goran indicated the hut with the lightning bolt painted on it. "Here we will talk and learn."

"Thank you," Daniel Jackson started. "I’m Daniel Jackson, this is Teal'c," he started the introductions. "Our friends are Jack and Sam. We’re explorers…"

Goran led Teal'c and Daniel up the steps and into the largest of the huts. This was only a small room, just large enough for four to stand in, with one table, and a set of stairs leading to the curtains on the other side. Teal'c stopped behind Daniel Jackson, who gasped at the sudden onslaught of heat. It felt as if they had just walked into a steam room.

"You must leave your things here," Goran said, indicating the space beneath the table. "Only lightning is allowed within the spirit’s sanctuary. Your weapons must remain out here."

Daniel glanced at him, then shrugged out of his back pack. Teal'c did not like the idea of remaining unarmed amongst these people he did not know. But, as Daniel Jackson had said, they did not appear to mean them harm.

Once Goran was satisfied they were no longer armed, he handed them each a glass of water. "Ease for the spirit inside you," he muttered before quickly downing his own glass.

"Thank you." Daniel Jackson glanced at Teal'c, who looked back with a raised brow. He shrugged and downed the drink in one swig. "Thank you," he choked out, handing back the glass and trying hard to hide his dislike. Teal'c swallowed his drink and returned the cup without so much as a sour look. The water was salty, but not as unpleasant as the expression the younger man’s face said it should be.

Goran smiled his amusement and motioned them toward the curtained area. "This way."

Teal'c was not certain what he expected of the interior, but this was not it. The floor was covered in a thick layer of moist, steaming sand. The room was lit by four fire pits, one at each corner, almost buried by the sand. It was a good ten degrees hotter than the antechamber they had just left. Two of the painted warriors stood by the entrance, minus spears, appearance unaffected by the heat.

Daniel Jackson stripped to his t-shirt almost immediately. It was obvious to Teal'c he was still uncomfortable, though he did not complain. Teal'c followed him to the rug in the middle of the room, removing his own jacket as well.

Goran inclined his head. "This is the closest we can come to the spirit world, without leaving our world behind. Here the spirits speak to me, so here I will ask our questions. Are you demons, as Anala believes?"

Goran did not acknowledge the answer. He looked Teal'c in the eyes. "You carry the mark of a servant to the demons." This was said in a matter of fact tone. "Do you serve them?"

"No, he doesn’t," Daniel Jackson said at the same time Teal'c uttered, "I do not."

Goran paused, looked from one to the other and back again. "You carry a demon with in you and yet you claim you do not serve them."

Goran’s tone of voice had not changed, yet Teal'c was certain he was accusing them of lying. "No," Daniel Jackson started before Teal'c could answer. "He doesn’t have a choice in the matter. The Goa’uld larva serves as his immune system. Without it, he will die. But he does not *serve* them. He’s fighting against them."

"I fight for my people." Teal'c said nothing about not knowing just who these ‘spirits’ were.

Goran considered this a moment. Then he smiled. "I believe you," he said, the smile echoeing in his voice. Apparently they had just passed some form of test. "And the spirit inside me believes you. I will say as much to the council when they hold the meeting. Meanwhile, until the council makes it official, I say welcome. It is a long time indeed since we have had visitors such as you."

"Oh." It would be pleasant if it were as simple as that for once. "What did you mean, visitors such as us?"

Goran stood and crossed to one of the tables, talking as he went. "From the Gateway, of course. It has been a long time since the demons fled this place. The Red Lightning is here to guard the Gateway against their return, and to spread the news should the spirits send more to us. Still, you took us by surprise. Spirits only know, we didn’t actually *believe* the Gateway would ever be used again."

He returned to the carpet with large glasses and handed one to each of them. "The spirits might like this environment, but the body needs help."

It was fresh water this time, and cold. Daniel Jackson took a cautious sip, then several deep gulps when he found it was saltless.

Goran smiled over his glass. "You gave my warriors quite a scare there. The last time anyone has seen skin as fair as yours," he nodded to Daniel, "that person was possessed by a demon, and was the last to be beaten back. Molan nearly gave the order to attack the moment he saw you," a nod to Teal'c, "but he noticed the glass over your eyes. No demon would ever need help seeing. And the other one. Jaag?"

"Jackg." Goran repeated. Daniel Jackson’s eyes sparkled at the pronunciation. No doubt he was planning on teasing O'Neill about it. "Yes. Your Jackg was affected by the empty spir web. A demon would have healed quite quickly, or so all the stories say."

"The Goa’uld. Uh, I mean, the demons? How long has it been since they’ve been here?"

"Centuries. But the Spirit Walkers keep the memory alive. Those who wish to join the Tribe of the Red Lightning must learn more. They must in order to fight the demons should they return."

"We prayed for intervention, and the spirits came." They asked more questions about the Goa’uld defeat. Goran’s answers remained just as vague. Teal'c could not tell if this was done on purpose, to hide information, or if Goran simply did not know.

Daniel Jackson finally gave in to his curiosity and asked permission to study the artifacts on the tables lining the walls of the room. Goran was more than happy to explain the displays as Daniel Jackson paused at each table. "Teal'c?" Daniel Jackson said, stopping at one of the tables, staring. Teal'c joined him, his brows riaising at the sight. "It is a staff weapon," he said unnessarily.

"It does not work," Goran assured. "The spirits would not allow an active weapon in their sanctuary."

Daniel Jackson gave Teal'c a questioning glance, and shrugged. He moved on to the next table. Most held pieces of cloth of varying sizes with writing on them.

"This is Goa’uld." Teal'c pointed out a folded blue cloth with the all too familiar writing in white.

"It looks like battle plans." Daniel Jackson leaned closer to scrutinize the portion of the writing showing. He held his hands behind his back, trying not to touch.

Goran gave them both a surprised look. "A reproduction of orders given by the demons shortly after the spirits came."

Daniel Jackson nodded and moved on to the next table. "Long before the spirits came, when we were still slaves and servants ourselves, the demons outlawed writing. I do not know what it says. No one does, unfortunately. Very little of the lost language exists anymore. It is a copy of the writing found in the remains of the first city. And this one," he pointed to the rolled up cloth next to it, "decorates the walls of the city the Tribe does most of its trading with."

Daniel Jackson frowned at the writing. "Looks like a creation myth, if I’m reading it right," he mumbled, squinting at the characters.

"Sort of. I could translate it for you, if I can have a copy to take back with me. I’m not very familiar with the language, I’d have to do some research to be certain, but I think it’s…"

"The spirits have sent you to teach us, once more." Goran beamed at them. "As soon as the council approves, I’ll have copies of everything made for you." This news delighted Daniel Jackson.

At another table, they came upon scrolls written in a third language. Teal'c looked at the writing and frowned. "I have seen these symbols before."

Daniel Jackson frowned, looking as confused as Teal'c felt. "They do look familiar," he allowed. "But they’re definitely alien."

"The first spirit walker set those words down shortly after he arrived. It is the spirit language, and the spirits do not share its meaning. We know a little bit of what they are supposed to be about, but…"

"That’s a Stargate address!" Daniel Jackson cut in excitedly. He motioned toward a scroll that had seven symbols set apart from the rest of the script. They were not the same symbols as on the Stargate, however.

Goran nodded. "It is said to depict the spirit world. And this," he pointed to another piece of cloth, "is said to be where we were created before the demons brought us to this world."

"Earth?" Daniel Jackson wondered out loud. "They must have replaced each of the symbols with their own lettering. Like numbers, maybe. I wonder if they left any notes?" He took a closer look at the scrolls on the table.

Teal'c found what he was looking for on the next table over. "Here, Daniel Jackson." There were two pictures, one of the Stargate, the other of the DHD. The alien letters replaced every symbol on both depictions, with one of the original symbols printed above each.

"It’s a starting point," Daniel Jackson said, engrossed in the find. "The point of origin. Makes sense, it would be the only unique symbol there. But I wonder why they replaced them at all? Maybe…"

"Spirit Walker Goran," a young woman interrupted at the doorway. It was the same woman Teal'c heard tell Goran they were demons.

"Ah, Healer Anala," Goran introduced to his visitors, "my apprentice. Have you finished helping their Jackg?"

"Yes Goran." She did not sound very pleased. "The Council holds its meeting now. They request your presence."

"Of course." Goran turned back to his guest. "You will excuse me. You may look around if you wish." This last, Teal'c noted, was said more to the gueards than to them. "I will send for your people. The meeting should not take long."

"They are the demons returned," Anala said when it was finally her turn to speak. "The marked one and the other two are warriors, the servants of the possessed one."

"They are warriors, yes," Goran said. "I wouldn’t go so far as servants. And the scholar is not possessed. I do not believe them to be the demons of our history."

"The marked one carries the stick of thunder and fire," Molan pointed out, thrusting out his spear for emphasis.

"The warriors follow the scholar’s lead," Anala returned to her original argument. "Protect him as the servants would a demon."

"Because he is not a warrior himself," Molan said. "I’ve never heard of a demon who asks so many questions. In the stories they always demanded and ordered. He is not the leader of this group."

"He and the marked one know the language of the demons. Does that not say something of them?"

"Touched," one of the council memebers snorted. "They do not remember any of the teachings, then."

"The first spirit walker did not remember when the spirit left him," Goran reminded the council. "When the spirit tried to teach others directly, no one remembered. Not till they guided us to the spirit water."

"I think they are explorers just as they claim. I believe the spirits sent them to teach us, as they sent the first spirit walker. They know much of the demons we have forgotten. The one, at least, knows of the forgotten words. He and the marked one both recognize the spirit language. Those are words we hold sacred, yet have no meaning since the first spirit walker put them down."

"If they are not demons, as you say, Spirit Walker Goran," another began, "then we will indeed have much to learn from them. However, like healer Anala, I am not yet convinced."

"The sanctuary?" The first council member asked, her voice raising in worry. "Is that wise, Spirit Walker?"

Goran inclined his head. "It is the safest place I could think of. No tribe member would enter the sanctuary with the intent of harm. They are unarmed, and they can not harm anyone while there, the spirits would not allow it."

"I thought he said the meeting wasn’t going to take long?" Jack grumbled. Sweat was making the coating Anala had put on his hands and face crack. The areas where it cracked started to itch again. At this point he’d be happy to never see another spider web again.

Over by one of the tables, Daniel stifled another yawn. "He’s trying to convince them we’re not Goa’uld."

Daniel shrugged. Jack knew he was only half paying attention to the conversation. Daniel was more interested in the tables lining the room. He was taking notes in his notebook, and muttering to himself. He had tried asking the guard questions, but they refused to say anything. They merely stood by the entrance, at attention, acting as if they never heard they were in a sauna.

"I don’t know," Daniel mumbled. "It’s been a while since anyone’s use their Stargate. They might not remember what a Goa’uld looks like. Or how to tell if we are one. But they do remember they exist. They’re the ‘Demon’s of this culture."

Jack stood and stretched. "Okay, okay. So they couldn’t at least give us someplace a little less hot?" So he was in a complaining mood, he’d be the first to admit it.

Jack jumped. It was Goran, standing at the curtained entrance. The man was as silent in his movement as the warriors.

"I have come to inform you the council has agreed you are welcome here. One of the huts will be cleared for your use. Come. We must leave the spirits in peace for the evening. The night is their domain. Besides, it is past time for the evening meal."

They followed Goran from the steam of the ‘sanctuary’ to the chill of dusk. Even the guards followed them out, taking up post outside, leaving the inside free for the ‘spirits’.

When they left Earth, it had been early morning. There it was still only early afternoon. Here, it was dark already. It was one of the more disconcerting effects of traveling through the Stargate. Jetlag on a galactic scale. Daniel described it as ‘gatelag’, once. It appeared Daniel was now experiencing it.

It was too early, as far as Jack was concerned. The cool air was starting to invorgorate him. But Daniel had spent more time in that energy zapping heat than he had. Besides, he didn’t want to leave the younger man alone. "We all should hit the sack," he suggested.

"I don’t need a baby-sitter, Jack," Daniel said defensively. Probably not, Jack silently agreed. But it would make him feel better to have someone there.

"I will accompany Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. He looked at Daniel, added, "I must perform kel no’reem. I would prefer to do so in private." Daniel looked at him for a moment, then nodded. Leave it to Teal'c to watch over the young man without appearing to be doing so. Jack nodded his agreement.

"Anala will show you to your accommodations," Goran said, throwing Anala a warning look.

Goran smiled. "No. She’s strong willed, speaks her mind freely, and fights for that which she believes in. The spirit within her is strong. All reasons I chose her as my apprentice. But she has not yet learned how to argue to the council."

"Fortunately for us, I take it?" Carter asked, following behind as they started for the dinner Goran promised.

Goran chuckled. "She has much to learn yet. Good thing. I am not yet ready to cede my place to her. I have a few more years left to me as Spirit Walker to the Tribe."

Teal'c was having a difficult time meditating. His thoughts kept returning to the symbols Daniel Jackson had pointed out earlier. How they had looked so familiar, and yet he could not recall ever seeing them before. And there was something about that ‘spirit room’ they were in that was also eerily familiar.

The scream broke any concentration he had left. Daniel Jackson’s dreams, Teal'c noted with some dismay, came early this night. The young man usually slept for an hour before the night terrors occurred. Daniel Jackson had only said good night fifteen minutes ago.

Teal'c found him standing in the middle of the partitioned off portion of the hut Daniel Jackson had chosen as his sleeping quarters. He slowly backed away from a spot Teal'c could not see, shaking his head, muttering denials about the reality of the vision.

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c cautiously approached the young man, not wanting to startle him. He was completely unaware of Teal'c’s presence. Teal'c placed himself in front of his friend, in a vain and not entirely conscious effort to shield Daniel from the visions plaguing him.

Daniel silently shook his head. Teal'c would have taken the gesture to be a denial to the words he had just said, if it weren’t for the way he was intesingly staring *through* Teal'c. Teal'c inwardly sighed and tried again.

"Wake up," called, putting his hands on the other man’s shoulders. "Daniel Jackson, wake up. We are safe." His words fell on deaf ears. Daniel Jackson refused to let anyone console him in these states. His body might relax marginally when either Major Carter or O'Neill was there, but he would still be lost to them in whatever nightmare had him in its grip.

Teal'c was glad he did not seem to be the cause of Daniel Jackson’s distress. It was O'Neill or Major Carter he called for when he spoke anyone’s name at all. Even they were powerless to bring him out of his dreams.

"How’d I ever let him talk me into this?" Jack asked the universe in general when he heard the familiar scream. He and Carter both were on their feet in a flash, their meal forgotten in their haste to be with their friend.

"Still another week," Carter pointed out. That’s how Daniel talked Jack into letting him come on this mission. The sleep disorder place would not schedule him in until the end of the week, and that was with some string pulling. So it was either leave Daniel to drive everyone at the SGC to distraction, or let him return to duty for this mission and drive his team mates crazy. At least they knew what to expect.

Jack found the hut with little problem. He rushed in, Carter, Goran and Anala on his heals.

"Teal'c, is he…" Jack stopped just inside the curtains. "Whoa, what’s going on?" He took in the scene, Teal'c standing between Daniel and three of the warriors, Molan, the warrior leader, apparently advancing on Teal'c. It didn’t take much imagination to see how they could come to the wrong conclusions.

"Major Carter," Teal'c said, his eyes never leaving Molan. "Daniel Jackson called out for you."

She glanced at Jack, who nodded. The Tribe’s guards didn’t appear to be worried about anyone other than Teal'c. She cautiously approached Teal'c, avoiding the warriors as much as possible. No one made a move to stop her.

"A nightmare," Jack said gruffly. "He’s not a threat." Jack pushed the nearest spear down. He put himself between Teal'c and Molan. "It’s just a nightmare. Can we give the guy some privacy?" He asked, making shooing motions to the whole lot. "Please."

"Yes, of course,"’ Goran at least had the decency to sound embarrassed. "Molan, stand down."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Jack muttered. This was ridiculous. "Out!" he shouted.

"Yes," Goran agreed, despite Anala’s protests. "Molan." Molan nodded once and stalked out, his guard close behind.

"We will discuss this outside," Goran told Anala. Jack and Teal'c followed , leaving Carter to try to console Daniel.

Anala stopped just outside the entrance to the hut. "He is possessed. This is proof."

Jack rolled his eyes. "It’s a nightmare," Jack tried to explain again. "Everyone gets them sometimes." Though not on a nightly basis. And not dreams he couldn’t remember.

Anala ignored Jack. "The demon has him, Spirit Walker. He is lost. There is only one cure, and you know it."

"Daniel is not Goa’uld." Jack placed himself before the entrance to the hut. "Believe me, we would know."

Jack turned to see Daniel squinting at them from the doorway. "They’re talking about you."

"Your dream," Jack grumbled. He didn’t know who he was angrier at, Anala and her demons, himself for letting Daniel come on this mission in the first place, or Daniel for having the dreams to begin with.

Daniel’s face darkened, weather at Jack’s tone of voice, or the fact the dreams he tried to deny Jack didn’t know.

Goran studied the young man. "The healer is wrong, you are not a demon. But she may be right you are possessed."

"What? It was a nightmare, Goran. Where do you people get this ‘possession’ crap?"

"Perhaps I was wrong," Goran said quietly. "Maybe the spirits didn’t send you here to teach us. Perhaps they sent you here so we may help you. I must interrupt their peace and consult with the spirits on this matter. Anala, you and Molan will stay until they have given me their answer."