Author's Notes: Information on 'redcaps' courtesy of the web site: 'Gareth Long's Encyclopedia of Monsters, Mythical Creatures and Fabulous Beasts (or, the encyclopedia of monsters etc.)' http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/monsters.htm
DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
God, she was tired. They'd run for an eternity already, and Sam thought her lungs would burst if she didn't stop soon; she definitely knew her legs would give way. The pretty major prided herself on keeping in top physical condition, but this run had stretched her to her limits and beyond. Her peripheral vision told her that the loyal Jaffa was still slightly behind her. 'Holy Hannah, he's protecting me.' Years of independence spurred a momentary indignation in her military soul, and her resentment warred with gratitude for control of her feelings.
Her intelligence and good sense quickly snuffed out the indignation. They were a team, but all teams have their strengths and weaknesses, and Teal'c was the strength regardless of whom he was paired with. She knew without a doubt that Teal'c would have assumed that position regardless of whom he was with.
A flash of light directly in front of her caught her attention, and she realized with a combination of relief and dread that the Euloean village was now visible. At least the walls were. Approximately twelve feet high, they obscured the dwellings from view. The gate was oddly placed; off to one side butting up against one of the corners on what was obviously the sundown side of the village. The light had apparently come from one of the four watch towers extending a good ten feet above the top of the wall. A second flash pinpointed the location as the tower above the gate. 'The welcome wagon awaits.'
God, she was tired, and her legs ached almost unbearably. She hadn't hurt this much since her boot camp training. The first of the Euloeans had slipped past the barely open gate, and she forced herself to increase her stride, smiling slightly as the Jaffa increased his own pace. She knew instinctively that she and Teal'c must be ahead of the last Euloean warrior or risk being abandoned to the Redcaps. 'Why do I have an image of irate bellboys?'
The snarls and growls in the growing shadows bore no resemblance to any belligerent porter she'd ever run into. What if by chance these creatures were the same as the ones Teal'c had read about? A form of goblin. Sam searched the inner depths of her mind, hoping for a tidbit of information on the mythological creatures. All she found were fairy tales meant to entertain, and frighten, small children around the camp fire. God, she was tired.
"D..Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Did you hear something ... scream?"
Now what? Lie? It was never a good idea lying to Jack O'Neill, but maybe, just this once. The idea was discarded as extremely stupid and foolish without even giving it a second thought. "Uh, yes, Jack, I did."
"Prisoners?"
"No, Jack. We're on PRS905, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. I fell?"
'Man, did you ever fall.' "Yes, Jack."
"Sweet."
Daniel had to grin at the familiar catch phrase. The rising moon was casting eerie shadows in the cellar, but he was grateful for the dim light. Between the moon and the firelight, he should be able to save the batteries in his flashlight. The bulb in Jack's had been destroyed when he landed.
He couldn't quite suppress a flinch as another unholy scream filled the night. As much as he'd bemoaned the silence of the dusk hours, they beat the hell out of the sounds that were growing more and more frequent as the moon began its climb.
"Daniel?"
"Hmmm?"
"You called Carter?"
"Yes."
"Did they find the U.A.V.?"
"I don't know."
"Didn't ask, right?"
"Had a few other things on my mind, Jack."
"Right. How'd you get down here?"
"This isn't a pit ... it's a cellar. Found the stairs. In the sarcophagus."
"Thought I told you to stay away from that thing."
Daniel grinned broadly. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that."
"It's okay ... this time."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Got enough firewood?"
"Yes, Jack."
"Did you lay it like I've shown you?"
"Yes, Jack."
"How bad's my leg?"
"Without X-rays, I can't be sure, but I think it's a simple, clean break."
"Shoulder - dislocated or broken?"
"Not dislocated. Think it's your collarbone."
"Wonderful. That'll make using crutches hell."
"I'm sure Janet'll have a solution."
"Not back at SGC, here."
"Oh. Not to worry. I'm sure Sam will bring half of Janet's staff with her, along with a stretcher."
"Terrific." Another scream sounded in the distance. "Daniel, you got your weapon?"
"Yes. I hear the screams, too, ya know."
"I know. Get me mine. I can't seem to reach it."
"Jack, you're hurting. On morphine. I don't think..."
"Daniel..."
Sighing in resignation, Daniel put Jack's handgun within his reach.
"Thanks."
"Rifle?"
"Stays with me. I don't think you can shoot it with that shoulder."
Jack was silent for a long moment, silently acknowledging the truth of Daniel's assertion. Another scream pierced the night air, closer this time.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack."
"Sam and Teal'c are overdue, aren't they?" The morphine had dulled Jack's pain, but not his commander's instincts.
Daniel hesitated briefly before responding. "Yes."
"Okay. If they're not here by dawn, we get the hell out of here."
The young archaeologist decided against asking how; he'd just have to humor the older man. "Fine with me."
"Daniel, don't humor me. We leave at dawn."
"Yes, Jack. You better get some rest." Another scream caused Daniel to glance warily around their temporary quarters.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Ya sure you got enough firewood?"
A sideways glance at the woman running near him caused the Jaffa to once again adjust his pace so as not to outdistance her. He well knew she would keep pace until she dropped, too exhausted to go on. If that happened, he would simply carry her. That was the simple issue. More difficult was the issue of her protection if their pursuers somehow overtook them.
The situation was not good. What had the reference material said about 'Redcaps'? Goblins with red hats and red eyes. That was right, and something about the caps. Oh, yes, the 'red' came from human blood. And talons. They had talons similar to one of the Tau'ri birds of prey. But which one? Eagles. Yes, that was right. But the creatures were apparently easy to ward off. Holy words sent them running into the darkness. Teal'c frowned as he mentally reviewed the information he'd gleaned from his friend's resource materials, recalling that Daniel Jackson's explanation of 'holy words' had taken the better part of an hour.
Few at the SGC realized how truly intelligent the Jaffa was. Given a standard Tau'ri education on the home world, Teal'c would have been the mental equal of any of the 'think-tank' denizens belonging to the underworld society that made up Stargate Command. As it was, he more than held his own in an environment which his early upbringing had left him ill-prepared to handle.
Teal'c's native intelligence had combined with incredible natural instincts to serve him well on more than one occasion. And while he seriously doubted the Euloean version of 'Redcaps' bore any resemblance to the ones described in the textbooks, the sounds they made tickled something in the back of his mind. One of Master Bratac's teachings, perhaps? He was really uncertain. That fact alone unsettled him and left him unusually sensitive to the sounds of their pursuers.
So deep was he immersed in his thoughts, that he almost missed Sam's sudden burst of speed. Startled, he followed her line of sight, and allowed himself a moment of relief as he spied the village walls. The height of the walls in comparison to the height of the residents was unusual and Teal'c switched mental gears for a moment to study the wall and its towers. An unusually loud scream nearby jolted his subconscious into action.
The Kul-Da-Poir. By the Gods. The Goa'uld had unleashed the Kul-Da-Poir on this world. Somehow, he did not believe that 'holy words' would be of any use in this place. And O'Neill and an injured Daniel Jackson were somewhere to the south. Alone, and unprotected. No, this was not good at all.