Stargate Atlantis: Emerald Isle

Chapter 7 - Rescue

They had lit the beacon that night.

When the men of the Hill saw the raiders' ships come sailing out of the east in the early evening, they knew they must warn the Island. They set light to the tall stack of wood and it blazed bright and sparking into the night sky. Then they followed the ships' progress as far as they could see until they were obscured by the southern hills. But when the ships emerged off the west coast, barely to be seen in the failing light, there was one fewer. And when darkness fully cloaked the land there had come a strange rattling noise out of the south like nothing the Hill-dwellers had ever heard before.

Had the ship landed with some new, fearsome weapon? Were they coming overland to attack the Hill? It appeared not. A sharp-eyed sentry spotted tiny pin-pricks of dwindling torchlight diminishing to nothing as the ship sailed away, back into the east.

This warranted investigation, especially following the incident with the strange bird that had also come from the south. Accordingly, Chieftain Coll organised and led a small party of warriors that set out as soon as the sun breached the eastern horizon. They would head for Breck Bay, named for the small, mottled black and silver fish which were always plentiful in those waters.

They made good time and the air still held some of the chill of the night when they approached Breck Bay from the northeast, coming down off the heather-clad hills and entering the woodland. The first thing they noticed was a path, obviously made by men. Then they spotted a place where a kill had been made and dragged away. And there was the scent of woodsmoke on the air.

Who were these people who lived by the shore in defiance of the raiders? Did they not know the risk they took? Had they not heard of the men, women and children who had been carried off by ship, disappearing into the east to who knew what fate? They must be brave warriors indeed.

They came to the end of the woodland and Chieftain Coll motioned to his men to be silent and remain hidden. It paid to be cautious with strangers; they could be unpredictable.

Coll crept slowly forward, spear at the ready. He looked out from the shadow of the trees. A man was sitting on a rock on the beach. He wore only strangely designed leggings and very sturdy looking boots and he was shakily stitching a wound in his upper arm. It looked like an axe wound. Well, if he'd taken on a whole crew of raiders, he'd got off lightly.

The man was obviously a warrior, judging by the numerous scars on his body. He was slim, but well-muscled and looked like he could run all day and then fight a battle, at least if he didn't have an axe wound. He had short hair and no warrior's braids, but perhaps they weren't the custom where he came from. He had finished stitching his arm and was fastening a strange bandage over the wound, then he picked up a garment from the ground and struggled into it. Coll's men had gradually moved up around him and they shifted and nudged each other meaningfully: the short-sleeved garment was as black as the blackest night and the weave, even seen from this distance, was as fine as Coll had ever seen. Such fine cloth, dyed so dark! The man must be a high caste warrior indeed! Coll and his men watched, fascinated. Then they heard a voice calling in a strange tongue. Their eyes followed the warrior as he moved to a cave in the cliff and went inside. He must have a companion, possibly also wounded, if the weakness of the voice was any indication.

Coll gestured to his men to move further back among the trees and then to come in close as a group.

"I would parley with this warrior," he said. "What say you?"

They nodded and said, "Aye, parley," and Nollan, who always had wise counsel said, "He could be a great ally against the raiders."

They crept to the treeline again. The man had returned and was trying to fashion a fine white piece of cloth into a sling for his arm. He was struggling and obviously in a lot of pain, his face pale and his eyes shadowed. He uttered something which sounded like a curse.

Coll indicated to his men that he would go alone. He held his spear horizontally in front of him and hoped the strange warrior would recognise this as a sign of peace. Then he moved slowly out of the trees into the brightness of the sun. The strange warrior leapt to his feet, his left hand going awkwardly to a pouch on his right thigh and drawing out a small black implement, as if it were a weapon. Coll slowly stooped and laid his spear on the ground, then backed away, his hands outstretched to emphasize that he was unarmed.

The warrior's arm dropped to his side, though he still held his weapon. He swayed slightly and spoke, but the words were unintelligible.

Coll pointed to himself and said his name. The man copied, pointing to himself and saying something that sounded like it might have been a Chieftain's title. Then he said simply, "John."

Coll wondered how to proceed. He really wanted to know about the raiders and what had happened. He looked around and then picked up a stick of driftwood. He moved toward a smooth patch of sand further down the beach. The warrior stepped back, warily, his hand tightening on his weapon. Coll smiled and gestured. He crouched down on the sand and drew a simple representation of one of the raiders' ships and some figures next to it. He looked questioningly at John.

John knelt down on the sand. He reached out and Coll handed him the stick. He drew a figure and then pointed at himself, then he drew a couple of figures running towards the ship, looked at them thoughtfully and then drew in round screaming mouths and hair standing on end. Coll chuckled and John grinned back at him. Coll held out his hand for the stick and drew in a sword in the sand-John's hand. John shook his head and altered the drawing, but Coll couldn't make it out. John said something which sounded like "Peeneyentee," and smiled and nodded when Coll repeated the odd syllables.

At this point the voice called from the cave again and John called back. He said something to Coll and rose to his feet, but staggered and would have fallen if Coll hadn't caught him and lowered him to sit on the sand. Coll could feel the heat in John's skin and knew he needed help. Coll picked up the stick once more. He drew a curve in the shape of the Hill and sketched in the fortifications. He pointed at John, at the cave and at his picture. John shook his head, but Coll pointed again, also pointing at John's wounded arm. Coll hoped he would understand. He rose and returned to his spear, putting his hand on it and then moving back, palms facing up, trying to show his offer of friendship.

He spoke to his warriors, telling them to come forward slowly and lay their spears on the ground as he had. John looked alarmed at the sight of the group but relaxed when they put their spears down and merely stood, the younger ones shifting from one foot to another and looking a bit embarrassed. Coll then went back to John, helped him up and gestured toward the cave. John nodded and they crossed the beach together, John calling to his companion and receiving a weak reply.

Coll was surprised when he entered the cave. The other man did not look like a warrior, and had even shorter hair than John with no beard at all, but he too wore the costly black clothing. He was lying down and looked pale and sick, his head bandaged. There were various items lying around the cave. John stooped and picked up one, saying the odd collection of syllables again. Suddenly he swayed and leant against the cave wall and his companion spoke to him worriedly. John slid down the wall and sat, shivering slightly.

Coll acted decisively. He stepped outside and ordered his men to make two litters using their spears and capes. He called to the two young ones, Jed and Mal, to help him bring the two strangers outside. Coll knelt next to John's companion and introduced himself. The man replied, "Rodney," weakly and then closed his eyes tightly and put a hand to his head. Coll looked around the cave. He picked up a couple of discarded garments and John held out his hands for them and began to take his arm out of the sling to put them on. Coll helped him, though the fastenings were unfamiliar. Coll was fascinated by the outer garment that both men wore which was heavy and covered in odd pouches.

Coll reached out to pick up John's 'peeneyentee' for him, but John spoke a sharp word and Coll sat back and raised his hands as if in surrender; if this was like a great sword to John then he would not touch it. John fastened it onto his clothing somehow then sagged against the wall again.

Jed and Mal helped the two strangers out of the cave and onto the two litters that had been quickly and efficiently put together.

Coll looked at his men and spoke: "We will carry these new allies back to the Hill for they have won a great victory against the raiders and are deserving of our honour and our aid!" His men roared approvingly and raised their spears.

They set off for the Hill.