Ritual, by Amaranth Traces

The Day of the Ritual

First thing in the morning, a woman entered the tent and woke Sam and Daniel. She placed a breakfast tray on the floor and turned to Sam.

“Am I correct in assuming that you wish this man to be your first?” the woman asked, gesturing to Daniel.

Sam untangled herself from Daniel's arms and sat up in bed. “Yes, I do.” She looked at Daniel, who nodded sleepily.

“Very well. Spirall has told me that on this day of celebration, you and your man are permitted to leave your hut and visit the rest of our village.”

“Thank you! That will be wonderful!”

The woman nodded graciously and left.

Happy about being able to finally see more of the village, Sam and Daniel started exploring immediately after breakfast. As they neared the prison where the rest of their team was being held, Daniel noticed a woman coming out of the building. She was carrying an armload of clothing. Piece by piece, she dropped the clothes into a fire pit.

Daniel observed the woman for a moment then nudged Sam. She looked up, and he thrust his chin in the direction of the woman he was watching. Sam turned to see what he was indicating and watched as the woman tossed a black shirt onto the fire. Her eyes widened.

“Are those...”

“I think so.”

“Oh boy.”

Sam requested permission to enter the prison building, and it was granted. They stepped inside and the women there immediately cast appreciative glances in Daniel’s direction. Sam wrapped a protective arm around Daniel’s waist, and they approached the cell that held Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c.

Sam had to choke back her laughter at the sight of her team mates. After the Colonel had made such a big deal over the ridiculous blue dress that the Shavadai had made her wear, Sam definitely felt that justice was being served.

Both Jack and Teal’c had been dressed in something that vaguely resembled a skimpy toga. A long piece of off-white fabric about eight inches wide had been wrapped a few times around each of their waists and over one shoulder. On both men, chest and back were almost completely exposed, as the narrow strip of fabric ran from the waist in the back, over the shoulder, and back down to the waist in the front. The fabric over their hips covered all of the essentials, but not much else, ending only about six inches down their thighs. Their feet, legs and arms were left completely bare.

“What the hell is going on, Carter?” the Colonel asked, his cheerful tone obviously only for the benefit of the women milling around them.

“The ritual is tonight, sir. These are uh, traditional clothing, I assume.” Sam bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“I do not want to wear this.”

“I don’t think you have much choice, sir. Daniel and I just saw them burning your BDUs outside.” Sam gave him a wicked grin. “Besides, it, uh,” Sam gave them an obvious once-over, “it kind of works for me.”

Sam could feel Daniel’s body shaking with silent laughter next to her as she repeated the words that her commanding officer had said to her upon seeing the infamous blue dress. The Colonel looked like he was about to explode.

Teal’c put a heavy hand on the agitated man’s shoulder. Colonel O’Neill closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath in through his nose.

“After this ritual we can go home?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

“I believe so, sir.” Sam had almost completely regained her composure, only a satisfied smirk remained on her face.

“Damn well better,” he muttered quietly so only she could hear.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Colonel. Daniel has helped me prepare, and I know the entire ritual by heart. You two just have to stand there. There are collars that I have to put around your necks, but otherwise you are barely involved. After the ceremony, there will be a dance and a dinner. We are permitted to dance and eat, but you can still only speak to me.”

“You'd better be right about this, Carter.”

“Don’t worry, sir.” She smiled.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the village. Daniel was fascinated by the culture of the people. In the centre of the village, a wide, shallow pit had been dug and lined with stones. It was obviously a well used fire pit, as the stones were blackened with soot and several inches of ash lay in its centre. A stone altar was also nearby, and Daniel examined the writings on it.

“I expect this is where tonight's ritual will take place,” Daniel said to Sam in hushed tones.

Sam nodded and surveyed the area. The two of them quietly went through the entire ceremony together again with the venue in mind.

As evening approached, Sam and Daniel were ushered back to their hut. Women brought in new clothing for them to wear and helped them change. They dressed Daniel in a garment similar to what Jack and Teal’c were wearing. The fabric was the colour of blueberries, and instead of having a cottony texture like that of Jack and Teal’c, Daniel’s fabric was silky.

Sam’s new outfit reminded her of something that Xena: Warrior Princess might wear. She felt very self-conscious. The form-fitting bodice was made mostly of leather. It was wrapped with pieces of metal that seemed to be included for both decoration and armour. A short skirt made of strips of leather and high boots completed the outfit.

After the women took their BDUs and left them alone in their hut, Daniel was able to get his first look at what Sam was wearing.

“Wow,” was all he could say.

She rolled her eyes and turned to face him. “Don’t start,” she said as she got her first look at him.

Daniel felt her eyes roam over his body, and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

Her lips turned up at the corners. “You know, you pull that look off a lot better than the Colonel.”

He laughed shyly as Sam trailed her fingers lightly across his exposed chest and she looked up at him with a grin. “Very nice,” she murmured.

Daniel allowed himself to take a closer look at her attire. He ran his hands down her sides to her hips, fingers moving over the textures of the metal and leather that covered her torso.

He lowered his face towards hers for a kiss, but before their lips met, they were interrupted as Spirall swept magnificently into the hut.

The village leader looked approvingly at Sam and Daniel. “The ceremony is about to begin. Please, come.”

They followed her back to the centre of the village, where a great fire was burning in a pit. Many women were there as well as several men. They were the first men that Sam had seen in the village. All of them wore similar toga-style robes and they all had metal bands around their necks.

Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c were brought from the prison and handed over into Sam’s custody. The Colonel was obviously amused at her warrior’s garb but thankfully said nothing.

As the sun started to set, the ritual began. Spirall stood behind an altar and motioned for Sam and her men to step forward. Sam repeated the lengthy vows that she had memorized, promising to obey the laws of her new tribe and to take responsibility for the actions of her men. She rang a bell three times then drank from a goblet of wine.

Sam handed the goblet to Daniel, who also drank, and Sam placed the wine on the altar before ringing the bell twice more.

Spirall handed Sam a metal band then watched as Sam fitted it around Daniel’s neck and passed a stone over the seam. Sam’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw the metal seam disappear and the collar became a solid ring around Daniel’s neck. Her studying hadn’t prepared her for that. She looked at him, alarmed, but he seemed unharmed. In fact, he was smiling at her lovingly.

Daniel picked up one of the wreaths of flowers from the altar and placed it on Sam’s head. Sam took the other wreath and placed it on Daniel’s head. They smiled at each other.

Spirall nodded her head in approval, and Sam took the two last metal bands that were offered. She repeated the process of fitting and sealing the collars around the necks of both Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c. She nodded at them both and stepped back next to Daniel.

Spirall raised her hands to the sky. “This is a joyous day. Welcome our new sister!”

A cheer rose from the village women gathered around the fire and Sam, Daniel, Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c were guided from the altar to around the fire. Music started playing, a feast of food was brought out and they ate and danced for hours.

--

Exhausted, Sam and her team walked back to the hut where Sam and Daniel had been living for the last several days. They stepped inside, and Sam was surprised to see that two new small beds had been placed at the opposite end of the hut from the large bed.

After checking that they were finally alone, Colonel O’Neill looked around the room and sat down heavily on the large bed. “Okay, I’ve been bunking with Teal’c for the last several nights and, quite frankly, I’m tired of his snoring. You’re sleeping at the other end of this hut tonight, big guy.”

Teal’c raised an eyebrow, “I do not believe that it is possible for me to snore during my Kel’no’reem, O’Neill.”

Daniel didn’t want Jack to alter their sleeping arrangements. He wanted at least one more night next to Sam, but he didn’t know how she felt about it. Daniel looked at her, his eyes silently asking the question. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she turned to her commanding officer.

“Actually, sir, that’s my bed.”

“Awfully big for just you, isn’t it?”

“Yes sir,” she said slowly, exchanging another glance with Daniel.

Colonel O’Neill raised an eyebrow, doing a fine impression of Teal’c. “What’s going on here?”

“Jack, the ceremony that got you two off death row tonight was one in which these tribes-people accepted Sam into their family. She has taken responsibility for your crimes and vowed that you would never offend these people again. Sam saved all of our lives by claiming that she owned us. And now, after the ceremony tonight, she does. At least in the eyes of these people.”

“That’s what these are for?” Colonel O’Neill tugged at the metal collar around his neck.

“The collar indicates that the man wearing it is owned, yes.”

“Uh-huh. And how come you got a hat?” He pointed at wreath of flowers still on Daniel’s head.

“Well sir,” Sam joined in the explanation. “The ritual was a bonding ceremony in which I took Daniel as my ‘first’ and you and Teal’c as secondary men. It was the only way to get you released.”

“Your ‘first’?”

“Her husband, Jack,” Daniel clarified.

“You two are married? Oh, for cryin’ out loud.” He threw his hands in the air, frustrated.

“Jack look,” said Daniel, “It’s not like there’s a lock on the door okay? If they have even the slightest inclination that Sam doesn’t own us then there could be hell to pay. We’re leaving tomorrow, and we can deal with everything then. But for now we need to keep things the way they appear.” He wrapped his arm around Sam’s shoulder and pulled her against him. She snaked her arm around his waist.

Colonel O’Neill narrowed his eyes at the two scientists. “Alright,” he grudgingly agreed. “But no funny stuff!”

Sam and Daniel laughed.

“Yes sir.” “Yes, Jack.” They said at the same time.

Sam and Daniel readopted the professional distance they had abandoned two nights ago, falling asleep on opposite edges of the bed. Jack dropped quickly to sleep, happy now that he at least had a relatively comfortable bed. Teal’c settled down to Kel’no’reem.

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