Blood Challenge. Ritual, by Teaphile
Apr. 29th, 2005 01:50 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
teaphile.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sga_flashficTitle: Ritual
Author: Teaphile
Category: Gen
Rating: G
Summary: "I was just remembering something a friend and I did." Teyla and Elizabeth and severe weather.
Ritual
There were reasons Dr. Weir didn’t go on missions through the Stargate, and Teyla was just now realizing how valid those reasons were. When even the known world, their new home, could attack them so violently, how dangerous could any of the planets outside her experience be? She ducked behind the rock wall again, half-sheltering Weir with her own body as the hail pelted down around them.
“Teyla,” Dr. Weir shouted through the ever-increasing noise. “We need to move. Now!”
“No!” Teyla covered both their heads with her bare arms, though they stung sharp and hot from the ice, and angled her mouth to Weir’s ear. “We cannot make it to shelter.”
“You’re going to…,” Weir gasped as a ball of ice the size of Teyla’s fist bounced off her unprotected hip. “Well, we can’t stay here. You’re going to be hurt.”
“Better me than you.” Then suddenly Teyla was off-balance and rolling to one side. Dr. Weir had caught her off-guard with a move Teyla hadn’t suspected she knew.
Weir stood over her, jacket tented above her head as she glared down. Teyla quickly covered her own head. “Don’t you ever think that way,” Weir snapped out, just loudly enough that Teyla could hear her. “You are not less important, and I am not more important, than anyone else on Atlantis.”
Teyla started to stand to face her but a large pellet knocked her down again, slicing open her skin and leaving a streak of blood along her left arm. Weir covered them both with her jacket this time, taking up position over Teyla the way Teyla had previously sheltered her.
Clutching at her arm to stem the blood, Teyla turned so she could see her companion. “You misunderstand me. I only meant that I am stronger than you. More accustomed to pain and faster to heal.”
Weir smiled then, but her arms were beginning to tremble from the strain of holding her jacket over them. “My apologies.”
“Accepted.” The hail started to slow, leaving gaps between showers. “However, I do not believe your people would follow me the way they follow you.”
Weir craned her head to look at the grey sky. “You may be right. But I know that without you my people would still be blundering through this galaxy making enemies of all your friends.” The hail stopped completely and the world was silent in comparison. “We’d probably be starving by now.”
Teyla stood carefully, still holding her arm. She gazed around at the fields they’d come to inspect. “That may still be a possibility. The crops are destroyed.”
“We can only hope the hail shower cut a narrow path, and that the other fields are still standing.” Weir started along the wall again, back to the village.
Teyla followed, picking her way carefully between the ice stones. She wondered how long they would take to melt, and how often they came. She had never experienced such weather before, and hoped never to again.
A quick movement ahead startled her, and before she could react Weir had fallen, catching herself with one hand against the rock wall. She was laughing, however, so Teyla felt no alarm. She simply held out her right hand, pulling as Weir released the wall to grasp it. Her hand felt slick, and once Weir was on her feet again Teyla inspected it. The nearly-dried smears of her own blood mingled with fresh.
Dr. Weir was looking at her own hand, brushing bits of stone and dirt from the shallow cut. She wore an introspective smile.
“Something amuses you,” Teyla asked.
Weir directed the smile at her, then. “I was just remembering something a friend and I did. I think we were about eight, and I don’t remember where I got the idea, but we decided to prick our fingers and mingle our blood. It was supposed to make us sisters—closer than sisters, actually—to share a blood bond.”
Teyla glanced at her own hand, then smiled back. “Then that is what we have done here, if that is acceptable to you.”
“It’s perfectly acceptable, Teyla. Kinship formed of trial is often more solid than kinship borne of genetics.”
They started walking again, silent and together, back to their home and the rest of their kin.
END
Author: Teaphile
Category: Gen
Rating: G
Summary: "I was just remembering something a friend and I did." Teyla and Elizabeth and severe weather.
Ritual
There were reasons Dr. Weir didn’t go on missions through the Stargate, and Teyla was just now realizing how valid those reasons were. When even the known world, their new home, could attack them so violently, how dangerous could any of the planets outside her experience be? She ducked behind the rock wall again, half-sheltering Weir with her own body as the hail pelted down around them.
“Teyla,” Dr. Weir shouted through the ever-increasing noise. “We need to move. Now!”
“No!” Teyla covered both their heads with her bare arms, though they stung sharp and hot from the ice, and angled her mouth to Weir’s ear. “We cannot make it to shelter.”
“You’re going to…,” Weir gasped as a ball of ice the size of Teyla’s fist bounced off her unprotected hip. “Well, we can’t stay here. You’re going to be hurt.”
“Better me than you.” Then suddenly Teyla was off-balance and rolling to one side. Dr. Weir had caught her off-guard with a move Teyla hadn’t suspected she knew.
Weir stood over her, jacket tented above her head as she glared down. Teyla quickly covered her own head. “Don’t you ever think that way,” Weir snapped out, just loudly enough that Teyla could hear her. “You are not less important, and I am not more important, than anyone else on Atlantis.”
Teyla started to stand to face her but a large pellet knocked her down again, slicing open her skin and leaving a streak of blood along her left arm. Weir covered them both with her jacket this time, taking up position over Teyla the way Teyla had previously sheltered her.
Clutching at her arm to stem the blood, Teyla turned so she could see her companion. “You misunderstand me. I only meant that I am stronger than you. More accustomed to pain and faster to heal.”
Weir smiled then, but her arms were beginning to tremble from the strain of holding her jacket over them. “My apologies.”
“Accepted.” The hail started to slow, leaving gaps between showers. “However, I do not believe your people would follow me the way they follow you.”
Weir craned her head to look at the grey sky. “You may be right. But I know that without you my people would still be blundering through this galaxy making enemies of all your friends.” The hail stopped completely and the world was silent in comparison. “We’d probably be starving by now.”
Teyla stood carefully, still holding her arm. She gazed around at the fields they’d come to inspect. “That may still be a possibility. The crops are destroyed.”
“We can only hope the hail shower cut a narrow path, and that the other fields are still standing.” Weir started along the wall again, back to the village.
Teyla followed, picking her way carefully between the ice stones. She wondered how long they would take to melt, and how often they came. She had never experienced such weather before, and hoped never to again.
A quick movement ahead startled her, and before she could react Weir had fallen, catching herself with one hand against the rock wall. She was laughing, however, so Teyla felt no alarm. She simply held out her right hand, pulling as Weir released the wall to grasp it. Her hand felt slick, and once Weir was on her feet again Teyla inspected it. The nearly-dried smears of her own blood mingled with fresh.
Dr. Weir was looking at her own hand, brushing bits of stone and dirt from the shallow cut. She wore an introspective smile.
“Something amuses you,” Teyla asked.
Weir directed the smile at her, then. “I was just remembering something a friend and I did. I think we were about eight, and I don’t remember where I got the idea, but we decided to prick our fingers and mingle our blood. It was supposed to make us sisters—closer than sisters, actually—to share a blood bond.”
Teyla glanced at her own hand, then smiled back. “Then that is what we have done here, if that is acceptable to you.”
“It’s perfectly acceptable, Teyla. Kinship formed of trial is often more solid than kinship borne of genetics.”
They started walking again, silent and together, back to their home and the rest of their kin.
END
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 01:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 09:13 pm (UTC)Heh. I like it too. I get the feeling Teyla doesn't quite know how to react to a leader who can't defend herself.
Thank you.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 02:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 09:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 06:25 pm (UTC)Great job!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 09:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-29 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-01 06:28 am (UTC)That is always nice to know.
Elizabeth needs to get out more.
She really does. They could do so much with her.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-30 03:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-01 06:29 am (UTC)I'm glad that came through. Thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-01 02:52 am (UTC)This fic is badass. Yay for bloodsisters! I wish their friendship would be explored more in fandom. They *are* similar in many ways, and have much more to learn about each other, methinks.
in any case, this was a lovely read. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-01 06:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-02 02:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-02 08:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-03 07:01 am (UTC)Really excellent 'fic -- thanks for sharing!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-03 08:14 pm (UTC)Oh, they really could. Thanks for commenting.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-26 01:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-26 02:15 am (UTC)Thank you so much for the feedback. It means a lot to me to hear that.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-20 09:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-20 09:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-21 02:39 pm (UTC)I really liked this. Your Weir and your Teyla are both competent, sensible individuals, and their dialogue sounds spot-on to me. And I like the little exchange about "importance". It's a real shame they don't get much screen-time together, because their interactions are always good to watch.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-21 05:23 pm (UTC)It's a real shame they don't get much screen-time together, because their interactions are always good to watch.
It is a shame. If there's one thing the producers really fall down on it's writing friendships between women. That's partly what motivated this story.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 04:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-31 02:30 am (UTC)