AUTHOR: DebiC

EMAIL: dcole6@satx.rr.com

DATE: May 2001

STATUS: Complete

CATAGORY: Action/Adventure

SPOILERS: None

PAIRING: None

SEASON/SEQUEL INFO: Fourth season, no sequel

RATING: PG-13 Violence, some nudity.

POSTING: Heliopolis, StarGate Novel Archive

SUMMARY: SG1 finds American Indians

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate(II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copywrite infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Thanks to Madeline for beta reading.

WARNING: I am not an anthropologist, archeologist and only an amateur historian. References to the Anasazi Indians are based on personal research and may contain inadequate or erroneous information. I apologies for any incorrect information that this story may contain or if that information causes any offense to any of the readers.

THANKS: To Madeline for betaing for me and to Donnie at North Central Baptist Hospital who got me pen and paper so I could do this while enjoying their hospitality. Also, thanks to the American Indian Horse Registry just cause I can!

THE SPIRIT TRAIL

Chapter 1

Team SG-1 disembarked from the granite platform of the Stargate on Planet 3P42753. Colonel Jack O'Neill pulled off his wrap-around sunglasses and squinted up through the bright sunlight at roughly formed sides of the huge canyon that they had arrived in. It looked as if they had stepped off into one end of Monument Valley where all good cowboy movies had been made in the 40's. It was beautiful, not a tree in sight.

The rest of his team seems to be suitably impressed also. Daniel Jackson was circling with his compass in hand trying to determine true north so that he could find the pueblo-like, cliff dwellings that the MALP telemetry had discovered. Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c were already in their guard positions, with weapons up and eyes scanning the rocky niches where anyone (or thing) could be deciding to make them the evening meal or not.

Finally, Daniel glanced from his instrument on point like a good bird dog and looked back at O'Neill. "I think it's this way, Jack. That is, if true north here is the same as on earth."

O'Neill looked from him to his female Second in Command. "Carter, is it?"

The tall, attractive blond smiled over at her fellow scientist. "Yea, Daniel, it is. You're heading the right direction."

Jack O'Neill slid his glasses back up on his nose and stepped out to the front of the team, and in his best John Wayne imitation spoke. "Come on, Pilgrims. We're burning daylight."

Teal'c, the ex-Jaffa Warrior, looked confused for just a second, then recognition lightened his dark features. "Oh yes. The Duke. Cowboy movies."

Jack turned back and smiled at him over the shades. "You got it, pilgrim. Forward ho!" And led off with a good brisk pace. Jackson following behind still concentrating on his compass.

Seeing Maj. Carter smiling over at him, Teal'c nodded at her. "Colonel O'Neill has been showing me movies of your American West. They are great cultural icons of your society."

She smiled at the big man as they started off after their two teammates. "That's very true, Teal'c, especially of small boys and military types."

* * * *

After about thirty minutes into their trek through the fantastic spires of the Canyon, Maj. Carter peered up at the cliffs that had been overshadowing their journey. "Do you see any sign of recent visitors?" She asked nervously.

"No, Major Carter. I have not, but...."

"I know what you mean, it almost feels like we're being watched." She called out to their team-leader. "Colonel?"

O'Neill was several yards ahead of her, was using a weather eye out for any thing unusual while keeping track of Jackson with the other. "What Carter?"

"Sir, I feel like we're being watched. I can't explain it; I don't see anyone..."

"Yea, I know. I feel it too." He glanced up around the towering cliffs, feeling their vulnerability in this location. "Just keep your eyes peeled and let me know if you see anything funny." He scanned the rocky formations just ahead of them. "Daniel, how far away were those ruins?"

Jackson looked over at his team leader. "Ah, about three miles up this valley, Jack. They're supposed to be up and under the cliff tops, like the old pueblo ruins in the South Western United States, built into the side of the mountains."

"Pueblos, Daniel?" O'Neill asked, interested now with a point of reference.

"Well, actually, I believe they may be related to the Anasazi Indians. They disappeared from the Southwest before the Conquistadors invaded the New World from Spain. All that's ever been found of them were their ruins, pictographs, some pottery, and jewelry."

"That sounds suspicious all right." O'Neill agreed, guardedly. "Were they good Indians or bad Indians?"

Daniel sped up to get into step with the older man. "Well, if you mean, did John Wayne ever fight them...then no, they were gone by then."

"No, Daniel." O'Neill replied patiently. "I know that John Wayne never fought them. I mean if they were gone before Tyrone Power got to Mexico in The Captain From Castile, then ...well, the Duke was too late wasn't he?"

"Yea, sure Jack." Jackson shook his head slightly lost trying to follow his friend's movie theme analogy. "Uh, as I was saying, they were primarily agricultural by nature, transitioning from the more traditional hunter/gatherer lifestyle to planting maize, potatoes, gourds and still relying on the gathering of wild berries, roots..."

"Daniel!"

"Good Indians, Jack." Jackson pushed his wire-framed glasses back up his nose and smiled at him.

"Thank you." Jack commented haughtily looking over at his friend and teammate. "Cause we just found your Pueblo dwellings." He indicated some shadowed buildings above them in the cliff tops. Jackson stepped back, tilting his head to see where O'Neill had pointed. Then the officer stepped up to his friend's side and spoke in a quiet voice. "Daniel, are you sure there were no signs of life in these ruins?"

"Well, yea Jack. That's why we called them ruins. Otherwise it would be a village." He had located the buildings and was looking at the huge rugged pillars of granite in front of them and up into the structures in the cliff. "Why?"

O'Neill signaled to Carter and Teal'c who took formation on either side of their commander and the archeologist. He pulled off his sunglasses and pointed his M50 towards a rock formation that was off to the left of them. "Cause it looks like we found the missing Anasazi Indians too."

Four dark skinned males came down from the huge rock formation that had been their viewing area they had been watching SG1 from. Obviously of American Indian descent and ranging in age from thirty to possibly forty years of age, they were clad in leather breechclouts; leggings and fringed shirts complete with thin soled moccasin shoes. The men had the typical high foreheads, broad faces; long black hair tied back in several different fashions. One had painted his face red with patterning of black and yellow dots leaving only his eyes and mouth free of the color. Two of the men were carrying single spears tipped with stone points; the fourth man had two.

Daniel stepped forward in his role of communicator, extending his empty hands out in front of him. "My name is Daniel Jackson. We're peaceful travelers from another place."

The male with the painted face stepped forward and responded in a language that was not one of Jackson's twenty-three known varieties. Daniel never one to give up easily tried again. Pointing to his chest he said "Daniel"

The other man replied. "Dan-yel."

"Hable Espanol?" Daniel tried a few more languages. No response to his attempts at Latin, old English, Egyptian, Hebrew and Abydonian. Well, time to start working on learning number twenty-four.

Jack looked at his favorite archeologist/linguist patiently. Daniel shook his head. "I can't seem to find a common language. I'll have to start from scratch." He looked at Teal'c for any sign of the big man having any familiarity with the dialect.

"No, Danieljackson. I do not recognize their language either." His teammate responded to his questioning expression.

When Teal'c spoke up, the largest 'Indian', the one carrying the two weapons, stepped forward to the side of his speaker. He talked urgently to the younger man, pointing at Teal'c and pantomiming to his own forehead. He didn't sound happy.

"What's up Daniel?" Jack watched the preceding action suspiciously.

Daniel looked back to see what the Indian had alerted on. "Well, I would guess that they have seen Jaffas before. They may not have good memories of them." He turned back to the spokesman. "No, Jaffa. Friend." Jackson motioned the four of SG1 in a group. "Friend! We're all friends!"

Unimpressed by the young man's declaration, the other two Indians stepped up and around the group, encircling them. The young spokesman with the painted face spoke quickly to his older comrade then motioned for SG1 to follow him and turned and walked back the direction that the Indians had come from. The big Indian brought up the rear behind the other two

men. The SG Team followed their new 'host' with the escort bringing up the rear. "Well, Daniel, suggestions?" O'Neill asked quietly as they accompanied the Indians around the rock formation and further down into the valley.

Jackson looked at O'Neill and shrugged. "They haven't been hostile. We're being taken to their home. What more do we want?"

"I want Tonto here to put down his weapons and smoke the peace pipe." O'Neill looked over his shoulder at the large warrior behind Teal'c and Carter.

"Jack, we're probably the first non Goa'uld they've seen since they left Earth. They're just being cautious."

Teal'c spoke slowly and in a low tone so as to not cause any alarm on the part of their escorts. "They have not threatened me, O'Neill. He has just recognized me as a possible danger. I understand his caution."

O'Neill sighed. "OK, I just hope he's careful. I'd hate to be the victim of a misunderstanding."

* * * * * *

After an hour's hike, the narrow path started leading upward to a mesa formation in the distance. The team could see what appeared to be a good-sized village on the tabletop mountain. People were beginning to gather at the edge to watch the arrival of their new 'visitors'. Once they entered the village proper, Jackson was hard pressed not to visibly ping. He turned to O'Neill in his excitement. "Jack, this is tremendous. A Stone Age village that has remained virtually untouched. It's incredible! This is such an opportunity to study what other people can only dream..."

"Calm down, Daniel." Jack hushed the young linguist. "First let's make nice and become friends before you want to immerse yourself in the culture." O'Neill was still tense and alert, waiting for the other shoe to fall on this too good to be true scenario. "Didn't ancient Americans practice human sacrifice and such?"

Jackson caught himself up short on that idea. "Well, yea. The Mayans and the Incas did, but we have no proof on the Anasazi. Besides there's no big temple...." As the group entered the center of the village and turned the last corner of what had rapidly become a wide thoroughfare from a narrow path, they could see the step sided pyramid shape looming in the outskirts of the community.

"Ya, think! Danny, that looks like a temple to me." O'Neill retorted as he raised his eyes to look up at the top of the mammoth structure.

"Ah, yea. That would be a temple, okay." Daniel agreed, looking up at its peak, watching the evening sun approach the top most point of the pyramid.

The team continued walking, finally coming to a stop at a much smaller dwelling. Its construction appeared to be of Adobe bricks built up into the classic beehive pattern. The doorway was an arched aperture with a colorful blanket stretched across its lintel area.

The man with the painted red face paused before the doorway and scratched on the side of the opening. He then said something in a low singsong voice then stepped back away from the building. After a few minutes an elderly man came out and stood up straight as he cleared the short opening. The man stood about 5 ft 9 in tall, just a bit taller than Carter. His skin was the color and texture of old well-tanned leather. His hair a pure silver white of great age, but his bearing and his eyes belied that fact. The old man stepped out with a slow but firm stride and approached the four strangers to his village. The painted faced man stayed at his elder's side, but the old man ignored his presence.

The old 'Chief' as Jack dubbed him in his mind approached the strangers fearlessly. He walked up to Jack peering up into the taller man's eyes. The elder looked deeply into them; Jack stood his ground returning the gaze fully. Then the old chief turned his attention to Daniel Jackson who likewise returned his look. But when he noticed that Daniel's blue eyes, the old man made a remark to the waiting crowd that had followed, surrounding the newcomers. The group comprised of men, women and children started talking excitedly among themselves and to their escorts. Daniel calmly waited for the elder to return his attention to him, then returned gaze for gaze. Samantha Carter, in her turn, also caused much commentary, not only for her blue eyes but also for her short blond hair. This elicited a touch and stroke, light and tentative with trembling hand of the old chief, as if the man was caressing a bird. Teal'c also came in for his share of attention. His baldpate was stroked and patted by the same gentle hand, and obviously a description of the sensation was passed back and forth to the crowd of onlookers. The large Indian from the 'welcome party' became very vocal when the forehead symbol was examined. But the grandfather quieted him with a word. As the elder stepped back from the huge warrior, Teal'c bowed his head slightly in regard to the old man. This brought a smile from the elder.

After the initial examination was performed the old Chief turned to O'Neill as the obvious leader of their group and spoke, in a familiar sounding dialect, Goa'uld. "How do you come to us strangers? It has been a long time since anyone came from out of the God's Mouth."

O'Neill looked to Daniel who stepped up with excitement. At last, communication! "Honored One, we come from out of the God's Mouth as peaceful travelers seeking knowledge."

When Daniel started the conversation, the elder's eyes lit up in triumph. "Do you come from the false god who has taken the people from their true home or do you come as one from the Great Spirit with truth on your tongue?"

"We come from the Great Spirit with truth, Grandfather." Daniel smiled and nodded at Jack in relief. "We are enemies of the False Gods. We come seeking wisdom with which to defeat them."

"Ho, this is a good thing for The People." The old man smiled and clapped Daniel on the shoulder. "But you have traveled a long distance I think, and a good tale is always told best on a full belly. Come tonight and we will eat together, smoke the pipe of truth and tell our tales to each other when the Mother Moon is high." The old one looked back at O'Neill who was watching the proceeding with interest. "Tell your Chief that I am called Grey Badger, because I fight from a hole in the ground." The tribe laughed at the elder statesman's comment but they quieted at his look. "You are welcome at my fire."

"Thank you Grey Badger. I am Daniel; my chief's name is Jack. I will tell him of your kindness to strangers at your fire." He turned to O'Neill who was standing, waiting impatiently for Jackson to finish. "Jack, this is wonderful. He is the tribal elder. His name means Grey Badger in their language. He asked me if we were from the false god or the Great Spirit. Jack. These people know that the Goa'ulds are false gods already. We may have found allies here."

"Yea, Daniel. Calm down, will ya." O'Neill tried to slow his friend down. "We're going way to fast here." When Jackson had stopped and taken a deep breath, Jack smiled at him. "So what's the plan so far?"

"Well," Jackson replied, more calmly. "We're invited to stay for the evening meal, smoke the pipe of truth and tell him our story."

O'Neill looked back over at the old man and smiled nodding. "Works for me. Ask him where we can set up our camp and we'll meet him back for a late dinner."

* * * * * *

After Daniel made their needs known to the friendly people of the tribe, Painted Face escorted them to a small clearing next to a stream just outside the village proper. When their guide noticed that each member of the team had their own tent, he remarked to Daniel in a friendly tone about Carter being alone. Jack's attention was caught by the interest paid to his second in command and looked over at the linguist. "What'd he say about Carter?"

Jackson looked back over where O'Neill was pitching his tent next to their female teammate. "Well, he is just surprised that you don't share your tent with her. He thinks she's your wife."

"What should we tell him, Daniel?" Sam asked the question before her CO could.

Daniel thought a moment. "Either way, I think there's a history of special women, medicine women who are powerful spirit figures." He glanced over to the patiently waiting man. "He thinks you and I are brother and sister because we both have blue eyes, so he's assuming that you're Jack's woman, uh wife unless I tell him different."

"You think? Don't you know?" O'Neill demanded of the younger man.

"Jack, I'm an Egyptologist. I'm a little far west of my area of expertise." /the archeologist replied. " But yes, I do think I'm right."

"OK. Leave it alone for now, Daniel." Jack looked over at Carter then back to Jackson. "Don't lie to him outright, but I don't want Carter to be open to any compromises here." He smiled in her direction. "Sorry."

She smiled back at her Colonel without saying a word and went back to pitching her tent.

Daniel thought quickly then went for the middle road. "My sister is a Medicine Woman, so she comes with us on our journey. She has not chosen a man. My chief has great respect for her but she has not accepted him yet. So she sleeps alone."

Painted Face seemed satisfied with the answer. "It is good for a woman, even a Medicine Woman to be chaste. So as her brother, you are her protector?"

Daniel looked over at her, thinking of the times Sam Carter had saved his life. "Yes, I am her protector, when she lets me be."

The man smiled back at him. "I understand. I have a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law and three daughters living in my house." He laughed then. "A strong woman is a blessing from the Great Spirit, but sometimes the blessing is hidden."

Daniel laughed along with him. The man turned to leave then stopped. "The meal will be held by the fire circle of Grey Badger's lodge with the setting sun. It is polite to be early in this clan."

"Thank you. We will be there before the sun goes down."

Chapter 2

That night at the evening meal, SG1 was feasted as a new ally. Obviously the Anasazi knew that there was something momentous about to occur. Jackson's questioning about the Tribe's oral history had revealed that a 'False God' had come to earth many ages ago and brought this small nation of American Indians through a Stargate. Hence the pyramid/temple's existence. The Indians soon realized that they had made a bad bargain and were successful in defeating and running the Goa'ulds off from this new place. However, every so many years, a Goa'uld force would enter through the Stargate and try to take back their old slaves. Usually, through 'a Vision from the Great Spirit' they would be forewarned and could drive the evil intruders back into the 'God's Mouth' thus preserving their way of life. It was coming time for this to happen again. It had been over twenty winters (two hands twice) since the last incursion. And the signs were beginning to be indicative of a repetition occurring soon. The Medicine Oaks didn't have acorns, the birth of a white Big Hump in the main herd. (American bison evidently made the trip with them.) and the women were giving birth to more warriors (male babies). All of these things sounded pretty circumstantial to O'Neill but as Jackson said. "If it works Jack, don't complain".

And by all appearances it was working. This was a thriving, living community of stone age primitives who had by skill, luck and the blessing of their Great Spirit managed to not only rebel against a superior high tech civilization but to maintain their freedom and re-establish a way of life long lost on their home world.

The main tribal leaders and clan members were all identified by names that fit their personality and character. Painted Face was easily figured out with his scarlet face paint and decorative black and yellow dots. Grey Badger had explained his by his fighting style, from an easily defensible fortification. The second Chief, or War Leader, was his eldest son, Two Spears. He was known by his cautious habit of carrying two weapons on a hunt after a wild pig had turned and gored him as a teenager. Crow Woman was a Grey Badger's old wife who apparently had a fast tongue and not shy to use it but a large heart. Moon Woman, his young wife, was a large jovial girl of about twenty-three (and obviously pregnant). There were various other descriptive names such as One Eye, who described the incident of its loss in great and gory detail. Little Bird was Painted Face's toddler daughter who had attached herself to O'Neill in a proprietary manner. Young Deer was the older teen-aged son of Two Spears who sat quietly and listened to all the stories with unabashed interest.

Conversing with Grey Badger, Painted Face and somewhat with Two Spears in an ancient Egyptian (read Goa'uld) dialect, Daniel learned that they had also been given call names. O'Neill was 'Grey Chief', Carter was called 'Medicine Woman' since it was considered unusual for a woman to travel with a hunting party, Daniel was 'Yellow Shaman' due to his fair skin and Teal'c was universally called 'Large Warrior or The Really Big Guy'.

After a large meal of roasted meat, squash, corn and some unknown variety of fruit, Grey Badger pushed Painted Face to tell the story of the tribe's trip here under the guidance of Chief Stupid Nose, so called because he couldn't smell the danger to his tribe. How the great warrior Big Bear grasped and killed many of the Evil Gods warriors by ripping their false heads off and in the process taking their real ones too. And the stories of finding some few of their own tribesmen being used as skin-walkers by the False Gods. People obviously being used as hosts.

SG1's storyteller, Daniel Jackson was up to full linguistic fluency as he explained in cultural context of how he and Grey Chief went through the God's Mouth in search of knowledge. How they found the Evil Gods and other tribes of people suffering their wrath. He briefly touched on his staying behind with his new wife and O'Neill returning with the great news to their Big Chief. How when the Evil Gods threatened O'Neill's tribe and The Big Chief Hammond sent Grey Chief and Medicine Woman back to get the knowledge from Yellow Shaman; and then the tragedy of his wife's being turned into a skin walker. How when Large Warrior saw the wrongness in following the orders of the Evil God, that he stood against the false god and left his tribe to fight with this new tribe to help end the Evil God's reign.

By now the time was late and the stars clearly seen in the night sky. Everyone was well fed and had enjoyed the evening's festivities immensely. SG1 was just about to head back to their campsite when a young boy of about nine years came running into the camp and up to the little knot of leaders. He spoke quickly to Gray Badger and Two Spears pointing back the way he had come.

O'Neill motioned to Jackson back to the group of Indians to listen in with a jerk of his head. Daniel went back to the group. After a few minutes he returned to his 'tribe'. "Well," O'Neill demanded. "What's going on?"

"The boy, Little Fox, says the God's Mouth is grumbling and making light like a bad bellyache is about to happen." Daniel reported, translating the wording exactly. "They think that this is a signal for a new invasion."

"Sounds like the Stargate is being test powered by someone." Carter agreed with a nod of her head. "We know it works so it's not SGC."

"Perhaps, whoever is attempting to open it received such a strong reception last time that he is testing it now." Teal'c considered. "It would be a cautious move on their part."

O'Neill nodded, grimly. "Are they going to keep monitoring it or are they going to take action tonight?" He glanced back to the knot of the chiefs and their shaman.

Daniel looked back at the growing cluster of warriors gathering around the tribal leaders. "Gray Badger is sending a group of warriors to stay there tonight. Tomorrow Painted Face will take his Spirit Journey and seek wisdom from the Great Spirit on how they are to fight the Evil God this time."

"Do they want our help?" O'Neill looked over towards the knot of tribal leaders who were still discussing the occurrence.

"Well, uh, actually yes" Daniel looked down and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "It's more expected than to be offered."

"What do they want us to do exactly Daniel?" O'Neill asked. He liked these people; he wanted to help them, if they could.

"Well, the first thing," Daniel started, wrapping his arms around his torso. Jack went on nerve alert, Daniel's self hug was not a good sign. "They, uh, want me to go on a Spirit Quest along with Painted Face."

"So you're going on this 'Spirit Vision Quest Thing' along with him...?" Jack pressed the younger man.

"Well, actually...I'm doing my own Vision Quest at the same time." The younger man almost looked embarrassed at this announcement. "They think that two shamans communing with the Great Spirit has twice the luck of getting the right answer."

Jack continued to look expectantly at his friend. "And that means what, exactly?"

"Well, ah..." Daniel ran his hand through his hair. "Actually, Jack. I'm not really sure." He crossed his arms in front of his torso again and rocked back on his heels. "Most Amerindians used a combination of meditation and pharmacological means of attaining their instructional visions. Usually, involving fasting and the use of native herbal stimulants such as.... Peyote buttons, mushrooms...you know.... like that."

"Meditation and...herbal stimulants." Jack made a face and sighed. "Danny, that sounds like a really bad trip waiting to happen." He shook his head. "I don't think this is a good idea." O'Neill thought a split second longer and then raised his hand; index finger pointed up into the air. "No, wait! I'm sure it's not a good idea. In fact I'm so sure that the idea is off." He turned and started to stalk back to the camp.

"But Jack..." Daniel followed him determinedly. "Jack," He caught up with the Colonel and grabbed his sleeve, turning his friend and team leader back to face him. "Jack, this isn't a 'Just Say No' situation. If I don't do this, it could cause us to lose face with these people." He stood his ground as Jack turned back to face him.

"Danny, just tell them, just tell them that this isn't your way." O'Neill shook his head and ran his hand back behind his neck. "I've never known you to do anything, like this, before." He looked into Daniel's blue eyes. "This is too much. I know that you love to immerse yourself in the culture that we're dealing with, but you've never even done anything like this have you?" He demanded.

Jackson met his gaze for a moment then dropped his eyes. "Actually, Jack. No I haven't. But I've known people who have tried this...."

O'Neill raised his hand to stop him. "I thought not. Look Daniel, I appreciate your willingness to go the distance for the team but I have known people who have done these 'herbal stimulants'. I grew up in the sixties remember, and some of the side effects can be pretty nasty." The Colonel shook his head. "I do know that they can bring up buried memories, that they can intensify your emotions. Hell, they can blow you into another dimension on a one way ride. This stuff is nothing to fool with and you;" He stopped dropped his hand back to his side. "You, my friend are a cheap drunk."

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. "But Jack..."

O'Neill took a deep breath and reached his hand up to put it on Daniel's shoulder. "Look let's quit fighting in front of the nosey neighbors." He turned back towards the campsite, bringing his friend with him. "Let's go back to camp now. We'll figure out what we can do to help these people and exactly how to do it." O'Neill looked back at Carter and Teal'c, indicating they should follow. "Come one, let's go. We need some team think time."

* * * * * *

Later that evening O'Neill and Jackson were sitting at the campfire over two cups of Air Force Instant coffee. Carter and Teal'c had already turned in, preparing for their guard mounts later that night. The Colonel was still trying to dissuade his friend while they were alone, but not very successfully.

"Daniel, You don't have to do this you know." Jack repeated, sitting across the fire from his friend. "This isn't something that's a big deal."

The younger man thought he sensed a weakness in Jack's armor and leaned forward towards his team chief. "Actually, Jack, it is. This is an golden opportunity for me, as an archeologist to really experience..."

"Daniel." Jack raised his hand. "Stop. Please. You don't know what will happen when you do this. You only have what American Indians do, not what Px42753 Indians do. Besides, what value is this in our present circumstances? " O'Neill shook his head. "It's not going to help us fight the Gould's. It's not going to help us in the battle later on, whenever it comes." He turned and looked directly at his friend. "In fact, it may hurt you, take a man out of the fight." He looked down into his coffee cup. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

Jackson thought a moment to find a way to explain this need, this requirement to his friend. He knew that Jack was worried about the effect the ceremony would have on him. And he couldn't truthfully say what good it would do, he just knew in the long run it would be valuable. "Jack," He started. "I have thought about this. It will make a difference. Not only to the Anasazi, but also to me."

"Damnit, Daniel. You aren't Anasazi. Hell, you're no more Indian than I am, and you certainly are not a Shaman." O'Neill wouldn't let up on the point he was trying to make. "Look, I admit I played around with some of that stuff back in the sixties. There were lots of people were hurt by it, physically and mentally. Daniel you don't need any more grief in your life."

"Jack, I'm not dropping LSD, for Pete's sake. It's only peyote buttons."

"Yea, only the most hallucinogenic of the herbs." He leaned over and laid a hand on Daniel's arm. "I can order you not to do this, you know."

"I'd really like you not to do that Jack." Daniel dropped his eyes and stared into the flames.

"Yea, well I'd really like not to have to do that Danny." Jack was not very happy with the way this conversation was going.

Daniel sat for a moment, then looked at his friend. "I'm going to do it Jack."

O'Neill let his hand fall back to his side and looked sadly at the younger man. "I was afraid of that, but I don't know why."

"Because it's the right thing to do."

Jack looked up again across the flames. "Are you so sure? You know you already have enough crap in your subconscious to drop a bull elephant. Do you really want to see it, maybe have to live it, all over again?"

"Maybe that won't happen." Daniel met his eyes with a look of his own. "Maybe it will show me a way out of my nightmares."

O'Neill stood up and looked down at his friend. "God, I hope so Danny. I'm just afraid that you may find more bad trips than good answers out there." He turned to go to his tent.

Danny spoke without looking up. "Jack, I can take a 'watcher', a guardian to stay with me. Will you do it?"

The Colonel paused at the flap door of his tent, his back still to Jackson. "If that's what you want."

"Yes, it is." His friend replied softly.

"Then I will be there for you, Danny. You know that, don't you?" He turned back to look at the younger man.

"Yea, I do." Jackson smiled shyly at him. "I guess I just wanted to hear you say it."

* * * * * *

The next morning, Painted Face came to the campsite and politely called out a greeting in his language. Jack was sitting back on 'his' log, nursing his second cup of morning coffee. Carter was still abed as she had pulled late watch and Teal'c had gone on to the Stargate to see if anything else had happened during the night, so O'Neill was alone. He waived the young Indian into the fire circle and offered him a cracker from the MRE he had opened earlier. The young man accepted it and a cup of water and sat down comfortably. They could hear Jackson still in his tent rummaging around, looking for something. The Shaman nodded to O'Neill, got up and went over to the tent opening. He scratched on the flap. "Dan-yel, are you ready?"

He poked his head out of the tent flap. "Uh, hello." Jack waived at him from the campfire. Daniel hurried out of his tent, still putting his Desert Camo Shirt on. "I thought the ceremony was tonight?"

"The ceremony is tonight, Dan-yel. Now we must go to purify ourselves and make ready to receive the Sacred Visions the Great Spirit will send."

O'Neill had watched the exchange warily and when Jackson had translated the words to Jack, he asked concernedly. "What does he mean 'purify' and all that stuff'? Suspicion

coloring his tone. Jackson was fully out of the tent now, pulling on his DCU Fatigue shirt. He looked at the Indian standing at their fire. "I'm not sure Jack, I'll ask."

The Shaman looked at O'Neill, then spoke. "Your Chief does not approve of your taking the Spirit Trail." It was a statement, not a question.

"My Chief doesn't understand the ways of your people. He is worried that I may be hurt by the peyote." Daniel shrugged. "I have never done this before. How do I purify myself for the ceremony?"

"How do you seek wisdom to know how to advise him in his actions if you haven't taken a spirit journey?" The young Shaman asked confused.

"We study the wisdom of our ancestors by reading the writings and drawings they have left us. I read them and tell him what their wisdom says, and then he makes the choice of what we will do." Jackson was trying to explain, but it sounded lame to him too when he had to actually say it.

Painted Face frowned. "That sounds very difficult. You must guess what your ancestors would want. Our ways are better. When the spirits speak to me, I am sure I can give Grey Badger the truth."

"That is why I want to do this thing." Jackson replied to the young Shaman. "To see the truth through your eyes."

"It is a good thing you do to bring our people together. But I understand your Chief also. Two Spears doesn't like me to do this either." He shrugged. "I think they are much alike. They do not like their clansmen to go with dangers they cannot protect them from."

Jackson looked over at where O'Neill was staring into the fire. He had been listening to the language that he didn't comprehend, trying to understand. Daniel smiled back at Painted Face. "Yes, this is so." Then he changed the subject back. "How do we prepare for the ceremony?"

"First we will go down to the river and bathe in the cold water, then we will go to the mineral springs to bathe in the hot water, then the Kivas and bathe in the hot dry smoke. There we will have the ceremony tonight and we will eat the sacred peyote. Then we will go to the mountain, me to my place and you to yours, and wait for the Great Spirit to come to us. Our watchers will protect us from enemies and animals. We will not speak unless the spirit tells us to." He shrugged. "Usually, I do not speak until after. But Old Tree, before me, would cry out and speak in the old language. It depends on the seeker. That is why we take the watchers. Before Old Tree, who was my teacher in the way, the old Shaman Long Bow fell from the mountain and he went under too early. That is why we lost that battle to the false gods that time. We didn't have the truth from the Great Spirit to guide us. It was a very bad time. We nearly lost our place."

"So what must I do now?" Daniel asked.

"Now we go to the river to wash off the dirt, then to the sacred spring," He pointed towards the mountains. "It is a gift of hot waters from the Great Spirit. It is medicinal for the old and sick. For us it will relax our bodies and make us more receptive to the visions."

"I understand. I will tell my chief, then we can go." Danny turned to Jack to fill him in. "Right now, I get to go to a mineral pool and soak for a while. Later we'll go to the Kivas, and then have the ceremony. The Spirit Quest will be tonight. That's when I need you to stay with me." He smiled and shrugged at Jack. "Evidently an old Shaman fell off the mountain and died during a vision. It's strictly precautionary."

Jack rolled his eyes at Jackson and grunted. "Ya think? Geez Danny, the things you do to yourself are beyond belief." He stood up and threw what was left of his coffee on the embers of their campfire. "OK, you go soak your head and I'll go into the village and see what I can do to help there." He pitched his shirt jacket back into his tent. Too warm for this climate and some hard work would be good for his mind. "Just be careful, OK?"

"OK, Jack. I won't drown myself in the pool." Jackson called back as he followed Painted Face up the trail towards the Village.

O'Neill watched the two men as they walked off towards the river. Then he poured Carter a cup of hot coffee and went to wake her.