Stargate Atlantis: Emerald Isle

Chapter 18 - The Wedding

It was about a week until the next full moon and John was worried.  If the raiders came this month he would struggle to play his part.  The bruising on his ribs was fading and would probably be OK but his arm had never really recovered from the axe wound. John knew he would struggle to fire his P90 for any length of time and if it came to hand-to-hand combat he could be in trouble; adrenaline would only carry him so far.

He began a program of mobility and strengthening exercises and had himself rowed over to the beach each morning to swim, trying to increase the distance he swam each day.  This also had the advantage that he got to know some of the farmers and to check out the lie of the land to plan possible defensive strategies.  There was a large area of sand dunes, prickly with tough grasses and thistle-like plants between the beach and the farmland.  They could provide good cover, but could also potentially hide the enemy.  There were several stands of trees and low bushes behind the dunes and then the farm huts themselves began, and various animal enclosures.

From his experience in Breck Bay John knew that the raiders would anchor their boats in shallow water and then wade the rest of the way to the shore. They couldn't sail up the river to attack the farmland from higher up because the river simply wasn't deep enough; it would probably make a good harbour if properly dredged, John thought.  The swimmers with their C4 would need to start from further along the beach, out of sight of the ships and come at them from the deeper water, in order to avoid being seen by enemy lookouts.

As John returned to the fort after his swim each day, he wondered, will they come?  Will this be the month?

But they didn't. The night the full moon rose over the hills the whole fort listened out for the cry of the lookout.  But no cry came.  The relief was palpable and John was thankful that he would have another month to regain his strength; in another month he was determined he would be ready.

The way was now clear for Vorra and Kerran's wedding celebrations and the fort became a hive of activity, extra food being brought in from the farms and more fishing boats going out each day.

Rodney and John smartened themselves up for the occasion, Rodney lending John his shaving kit, although the razors were getting a bit blunt and neither ended up as clean-shaven as they would have liked.  John's hair, as usual, stuck up no matter what he did. 

The ceremony itself was very simple.  The island occupants stood in a circle in the central clearing around the bride and bridegroom.  Orrin led the proceedings, speaking a few solemn words and then passing the couple a two-handled cup from which they both drank.

"Mead," whispered Rodney to John.  "Maybe we'll get some later."

Then the couple faced each other and their hands were bound together with yellow and red strips of cloth in symbolic union.

"How are they meant to get out of that?" whispered John to Rodney.  Rodney shrugged.

Then the couple walked all around the circle of the crowd followed by cheers and congratulations and led everyone into the longhouse to sit at the head of the room in the chairs usually reserved for Orrin and Aylish.  They were apparently allowed to release themselves from their handfasting bonds at this point, John was relieved to see.

The feast that followed provided enough food even for Rodney's appetite.  As well as fish, bread and cheese, there were green cabbage and chard-like vegetables collected from the seashore.  There was even roasted meat, which was a rarity for most of the inhabitants.  Rodney's favourites were the honey cakes, which were plentiful, the honey bees having had a good summer so far.  John watched Rodney, honey dripping down his chin, conversing animatedly, if not entirely intelligibly with one of the carpenters, who was sitting next to him.