Inferno - Daniel's Abydonian Diary
Inferno - Daniel's Abydonian Diary
by K. Siegfried (Niamh)
TITLE: Inferno - Daniel's Abydonian Diary
AUTHOR: K. Siegfried (Niamh)
EMAIL:sg1flygirl@yahooorksiegfried@henry.wells.edu
CATEGORY: Drama
SPOILERS: Stargate the Movie
SEASON / SEQUEL: Prior to Season 1
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: Daniel is having a tough time adjusting to the Abydos heat.
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Two words: ice cubes!
I'm so glad I'll never have to listen to another Los Angeles native moan about the city heat. There's just no comparison. Hellish just isn't the word.
Oh God, I think I'm dying.
I sound like I'm complaining, I know, but I'm not. My brains are boiling in my head during the day and I feel like I'm going to freeze to death at night, but I'm having the time of my life! Now, I'm not one to gloat, but here I am, absorbed in a pristine culture, learning to natively speak a language that's been dead over one thousand years, and have the most beautiful and loving wife any man could dream of. Wife. I still can't get over it.
Sha'uri.
I think I'm scaring the poor woman. Heat exhaustion is a terrible thing. I can't stay inside because I suffocate from the lack of air circulation, so I have to travel out into the Abydos crucible to take whatever shelter I can in the shade. I wretched once, in her presence, and I think she's afraid to let me out of her sight now. So I've spent the last few days experiencing what it's like to be an Abydonian woman. Let me tell you, grinding your own flour is not as easy as it looks! Some of these women have bigger biceps than Jack O'Neill!
"Dani-el, you not well?" she asks me, those blue eye so wide, and I love her for it.
"No Sha'uri. We don't have heat like this where I come from. It's a bit difficult to get used to." She brings me something cold to drink, which still feels like it's lukewarm, and frets over me. I'd love to know what I did to deserve such an angel to come to my rescue. In the back of my mind I'm making a list. I'll make it up to her; maybe learn to grind flour better or barter to get her a new dress. God, I just feel so bad she's waiting on me like this, and my last girlfriend, she would have let me die before lifting a finger to help me. Sha'uri does what is in her heart.
Nighttime isn't much better. Abydos is a planet of extremes. It's one-twenty degrees in the shade during the day, making it feel forty below at night. I can only beg Sha'uri to find another blanket and throw another fuel pie on the fire. I guess I was way too drugged up on adrenaline the first time around to really notice the difference, but it does get cold quickly as soon as the suns start to set. You get over the yak stench when you're freezing, I've noticed. Becomes dull and not quite so harsh when you're snuggling up in a blanket to keep warm.
Skaara stops by frequently between Sha'uri trying to get me to eat and running off for more blankets and fuel. I have never seen such curiosity in a person before. He sits himself right in front of the bed, gazes at me with those two huge brown eyes, and starts the nightly session of Q&A.
"Dani-el?"
"Yes, Skaara?" He picks at a scab on his arm, reminding me of a little kid as he opens the conversation. The only thing he's missing are the freckles, short hair, and baseball cap, or I'd be calling him Beaver.
"What are those things on your face?" This had to be about the sixth time that he's asked me about my glasses.
"Glasses." I say to him in English. "Help me see." Rolling over on my side, I prop my head up on my hand, pulling the blankets around tighter.
"May ... may I see, Dani-el?" He swallows and produces an open hand. "May I see yourglasses?" The Abydonians could definitely teach a few people I know a thing or two about manners. Reluctantly I remove them from my face and set them in his open palm. Looking upon the glasses like they were the greatest gift he had ever received, he slowly picks them up and studied, an awestruck smile crossing his lips. And as he has done every night since the first time we went through this charade, he put them on.
"Dani-el, you are blurry!" Skaara chuckles, waving his arms in front of him. I had made him promise to remain sitting since after we did this the first time when he had stumbled and almost broke them. You don't quite know panic until you see your glasses skyrocket across the room and realize that's going to be your only pair for a good sixty or seventy years.
"Dani-el see glasses." He says sketchily in English, passing them to me. Sighing with relief, I put them back on my face. In his own way, he was making me teach him English and I was glad to have such a willing pupil.
"Head?" Skaara points to his forehead and I nod. I correct him on his mispronunciations as he goes through the list that we had created together the night before, touching each body part. He's been practicing. "Nose?"
"You're doing very good, Skaara." He beams with pride.
Sha'uri's returns. She watches us, amused, a grand smile spreading over her face as she tidies up clothing, cleans dishes, et cetera, and I find myself concentrating more on her than Skaara's recital. He senses my attention is distracted and waves a hand in front of my eyes, and I blush, embarrassed. Sha'uri giggles, giving her brother a slight pull on his hair. A whistle from behind him diverts his attention and he turns toward the entryway, glancing around Sha'uri. With a nod and a smile to the both of us, he is out of the room, joining his friends, leaving us alone.
She smiles down at me as she steps closer. Cautiously she reaches out and her fingers slide through my hair.
"Feeling better, Dani-el?" With the grace of a ballerina, she lowers herself to her knees, making her face level with mine. Her hand is so warm on my skin ....
"Yes. Thank you."
I have only known her a very short time, but this feeling I have inside me is like nothing I have ever felt before. I ache when she is not near and feel intense exhilaration when she returns. I have fallen in love with her and I just hope the feeling is mutual.
Her hand comforts and I crave the warmth it provides.
I watch her through half closed eyes as she prepares for bed; placing a few more fuel bricks on the fire, combing through the large curls of her hair. She's mesmerizing to watch and to listen to as she hums out a few bars of song. I can't even tell I'm falling asleep to her lullaby.
"Dani-el?" She whispers softly, and my eyes open again, looking up at her smiling face. Sha'uri pulls my glasses from my face and sets them aside, instantly sending my sleepy heart to my throat. The smell of her so close is incapacitating ....
"Going to sleep?" She just nods, still smiling. I draw back the blankets for her and move backwards, giving her enough room to curl up in front of me.
"Goodnight Dani-el." Determined to be a gentleman until I know her better, well at least until I am able to make an attempt to, I press a gentle kiss into the pile of curls spilled before me.
"Goodnight Sha'uri." Tucking my head into my arm, I attempt sleep. She rustles beside me and slowly I can feel her breath against my cheek.
"Dani-el?" Her hand raises to my face and ... oh this is heaven. God, if you're going to kill me, please do it while I'm in this bliss.
"Yes?" I whisper, raising my hand to cover hers against my cheek. Her hesitation makes me open my eyes to look down into hers.
"Are you happy?" It is neither a weighted question nor meant for entrapment. It is sincere and honest and I have no idea what to say that won't sound staged.
"Yes. I am. I have found my home." With that, she snuggles closer, burying her head against my shoulder.
"I am also happy, my husband." I kiss her forehead and fall asleep with my wife in my arms.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to K. Siegfried (Niamh)
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