Co-written with BadgerGater.
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; all the powers that be, not me; This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended. The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent.
SPOILERS: Minor ones to Brief Candle, Demons, New Ground, Thor's Hammer. Maybe more, we don't remember.
AUTHORS'S NOTES: The setting for this fic is based on a real village in western Germany.
With special thanks to our research assistant and tour guide, Raoul. "And we're schlossing."
Also thanks to our hardworking and diligent betas, Sandra and Tanya: we agree, they're the best!
Last, special thanks to Lesley, for providing the additional pics. It makes the story look great!!! Thanks.

This story received a honorable mention at the Abydos Gate Jack contest. Thanks, for nominating and voting, it is much appreciated. (feb 2004).

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Halfway across the galaxy from the star known as Sol, the Stargate in a secluded valley surrounded by hills big enough to be considered mountains kawooshed into life and four figures emerged.
A tall, lean man stepped through first, his brown eyes darting left and right, assessing and searching warily for danger.
Behind him, a second man, less heavily armed, floppy hat shading blue eyes, stared around in wonder.
The third figure was a woman, blonde hair tucked beneath her cap, eyes first seeking out the image of the leader, then swinging left and right to take in the details of the landscape around her.
Finally, striding through unruffled but alert, the remaining traveler was a broad shouldered, strong framed, dark skinned man carrying a staff as he strode purposefully to the side of the team leader.

"All here, Sir."
"Thanks, Carter," Colonel Jack O'Neill smiled. "So, Major, which way to the wizard?"
"The UAV showed signs of human habitation that way, Sir, over that hill and through those trees," she said, pointing ahead.
"Trees," O'Neill mumbled to no one in particular as he started walking on his team's six. "Always trees. Why couldn't we get something different for once, huh?"
"And what is it you would wish for in place of trees, O'Neill?" asked Teal'c solemnly.
"I don't know, Teal'c. Something different. Unusual." He waved a hand in the air. "Something not trees."
"I see."
"No, you don't," muttered the Colonel under his breath with a grin. He marched forward, pulling closer to the team's archaeologist. "So, Daniel, what do we know about these people?"
"The UAV didn't spot many people, Sir," Carter started.
"But lots of buildings," interjected Daniel. "They appeared to be of a primitive construction, wood and stone buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, similar to what we would see in construction from the Middle Ages."
"Not those Dark Ages again, huh?" asked Jack with a shiver, recalling that planet they'd visited not so long ago, with its no-win water-test that was nearly fatal to Teal'c. Then there'd been that damned thing about drilling a hole in that poor girl's head.
"Sort of. Hard to tell until we get a better look." Daniel was striding forward eagerly. "There were also some interesting looking symbols above the doorways of the buildings."
Jack nodded. "Signs? Like Barbershop? Groceries? Tavern?"
"Could be. But they could also be warders against evil," Daniel suggested.
"Any *sign* of evil? Guns, staff weapons?"
""No, Sir," Carter answered. "Swords and bows and arrows did appear to be on some of the designs we spotted."
"But no guns, grenades, bazookas, zats or staff weapons?" O'Neill persisted.
"None, Sir."
"Well that's a good thing." O'Neill sighed with relief. "Transport?"
"Horses."
The Colonel's eyes lit up. "Horses? As in John Wayne?"
"No, Sir, more like King Arthur."
"Oh, yeah, those Knights of the Round Tablet guys," O'Neill smirked.
Carter grinned.

Two hours later, O'Neill was lying flat on the ground on the hill top, studying the scene below through his binoculars. "So, knights, swords, bows and arrows. Looks pretty primitive," he confirmed as he handed the field glasses to Carter.
"We should never judge a culture too quickly, Jack," Daniel reminded.
"Yeah, right." Jack looked around at the quiet hillside, covered with immense, ancient looking trees. Something about it was making him suddenly uncomfortable, as if they were being watched. Slowly, he let his eyes drift across the landscape, studying each patch of shadow, checking each clump of rocks and cluster of trees. Nothing moved. Birds, or something like birds, sang in the trees and flitted across the open meadow. Peaceful, it *seemed* really peaceful, but there was something... a chill, like a cold wind playing across his face. He raised his eyes to meet Teal'c's glance, and realized from the slight lines around the Jaffa's eyes that the big man felt the same.
Something was not right in this little paradise.
"Heads up, people," Jack whispered. "There's something..."
Suddenly, bursting from the trees around them, dozens of armed humans appeared and surrounded them, aiming their bows and arrows directly at the four strangers.
"Yup, that's something," muttered O'Neil, carefully climbing to his feet while raising his hands in the air.
The natives quickly surrounded SG-1, prodding them with the tips of long bows, the kind, thought the Colonel, that reminded him of Robin Hood except these guys didn't seem to be the Merry Men. They had very serious expressions on their faces; very serious, very suspicious expressions.
O'Neill turned to the team's linguist. "Ah, Daniel, speak up. Time for your little spiel."
Jackson flashed his friendliest smile at the men who surrounded them. "Hi. We're peaceful travelers from Earth."
"And who is this Earth? What Goa'uld is that?" asked one of the natives, stepping forward.
"You know of the Goa'uld?" Daniel asked, surprised. "Earth is not a Goa'uld, it's a place, the place where we're from, and the Goa'uld are our enemies."
"So you say. And you are?" asked the man suspiciously.
"I'm Daniel Jackson, she's Major Carter, he's Teal'c, and Colonel Jack O'Neill, over there, is our leader."
"Fearless leader, that's me," smirked the Colonel with a small wave at the staring group in front of them.
The man shot an appraising look at O'Neill.
Jack smiled. "Hello," he added.
The native leader strode over to stand in front of O'Neill, looking the stranger up and down carefully, noting the odd dress and the odd equipment he carried, weapons, he assumed. "What do you want?" asked the man, coming directly to the point.
"Well, first, your name would be nice," said the Colonel, pointedly.
The man glared at him. "I am Kevan, leader of the Monschau Guard."
"And just what is it you guard against?" Jack followed up.
"Strangers. Foreigners. Those who talk too much."
"Well, we know we're strangers now, but we'd like to become friends. We're really very friendly," said Daniel still trying to talk nicely to the men who had them surrounded. "We have only peaceful intentions."
The guard leader turned to stare at Jackson. "We've heard such talk before," said Kevan, receiving nods of agreement from his men. "Why are you here?"
"We seek to form alliances with those who, like us, oppose the Goa'uld."
Jack had been quietly assessing this group, and he was impressed with what he was seeing. They were observant, guarded, serious, and professional. When he simply shifted his weight from one foot to another, a dozen eyes followed his movements, glaring suspiciously. So, okay, this bunch was alert and ready for trouble. Which meant there had been trouble, and it sounded like Goa'uld trouble.
"How do we know you are not Goa'uld yourselves? He is a Jaffa," said Kevan, pointing at Teal'c's impassive face.
"He's a good Jaffa. I know that's a contradiction in terms, but it's true," Jack answered. "He's left the service of the Goa'uld, and travels with us."
"Trickery, Captain," muttered one of the men holding a weapon.
Kevan stalked over to once again look O'Neill in the eye. The Colonel did not miss the breadth of the man's shoulders, the corded muscles in the arms, the strong hands and the catlike grace with which he walked. This man was a warrior, a fighter, Jack sensed immediately. The native looked the SG-1 leader over, from head to foot, a sneer curling his lip. "I think you are pawns of the false gods and their minions. Bind them and bring them."
Before he could stop them, strong hands grasped O'Neill's arms, pinning them behind him while something was quickly wrapped around his wrists. As Jack struggled vainly, he saw the same thing happening to his team. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.
"Look, we're here as friends!" insisted Daniel.
"My Lord Alwin will decide if you are friend or foe," said Kevan, snapping his fingers. His men obeyed, prodding the captives forward with the tip of their swords.

Under other circumstances, SG-1 might have considered the planet a beautiful one. They marched over a nearby hill and down a long, steep slope. Once at the bottom of the valley, they emerged onto a well-traveled road, passing beneath a string of guard towers that watched over the approaches to the second valley. There, along a twisting stretch of river, clustered dozens of sturdy houses. On the hill, high above the town, loomed the impressive walls and towers of a medieval castle that looked like something right off of a movie set.
SG-1 and their captors walked up to the city gate, across the drawbridge that spanned a moat, and inside the city walls. Jack had seen cities that looked a lot like this, old European cities he'd visited during a tour of duty in then West Germany, he recalled.
A crowd was gathered in a large square in the middle of the town. The team was pushed up a set of stairs onto a raised platform that was surrounded by hundreds of villagers. Standing on a second platform several feet above them, a man awaited them, unmistakably the king, dressed in fancy clothes, wearing a thin band of silver around his hair. The king wasn't a young man, although he still looked vigorous and strong, and his keen eyes were appraising the captives brought before him.
The king raised his arm, and the crowd went silent. The ruler walked forward and from his higher vantage point looked down at the four members of SG-1. "Who are you?"
"Peaceful travelers from Earth..." Daniel started.
"Don't bother, Daniel. They don't think so," Jack grimaced.
Jackson shot his team leader a glare. "Well, then you think of something better."
O'Neill turned to the bewildered looking king. "Hi. I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is my team, and we're here to get to know you."
"Why?" the king inquired suspiciously.
"Because we're friendly people," the Colonel shrugged.
"And why should we believe you?"
"Because we're telling the truth."
"And how do I know that?" The king glared at the tall man in front of him, his eyes narrow.
"You don't. You just have to take our word for it."
"Why?"
"You ask a lot of questions, you know that," Jack said, a little irritated this time.
"I am responsible for the safety of my people. There are threats at every hand..."
"Well, we aren't a threat or a danger to your people. We're the good guys."
"I think you are Goa'uld."
Jack shook his head, his patience worn thin. "If we were Goa'uld our eyes would be glowing, you know? And they're not."
"The eyes of the possessed do not always glow."
"They always glow when the Goa'uld are mad. And buster, err, King, tying me up and dragging my team around like a band of criminals makes me mad."
The king stared sharply at the strangers. "I do not know who you are, and I do not think we should trust you. Throw them in the dungeon," he said, waving at Kevan.
The guard leader and his guards stepped forward.
"Hey, wait a minute. We are *not* the bad guys here, and I don't want to visit no damned dungeon, got that?" the Colonel snapped.
Kevan shoved O'Neill angrily. "You will give your respect to the king."
Jack half spun, twisting to look back at the guard commander. "My respect needs to be earned. Not given."
Kevan shoved him again.
Jack slipped awkwardly to his knees, unable to catch himself with his hands tied behind him. The fall jarred his cap loose, the familiar headgear knocked askew.
O'Neill saw Kevan's expression change instantly from one of superiority to sudden and complete shock, and dismay. Slowly, the guard Captain reached down and lifted the cap from the Colonel's head. Sunlight glinted off the silvery gray hair.
With a shocked gasp, the crowd of hundreds went suddenly stone silent. The king's face showed amazement. The guardsmen began murmuring, slowly dropping to their knees, the crowd doing the same, and then, with a look of sheer disbelief, Alwin followed their lead. Slowly he bent his knees, dropping into a kneeling position and bowing his head.
"What the hell?" Jack looked around, stunned, stumbling upright. "Daniel? What's happening?"
"I don't know." The archaeologist's eyes were opened wide, looking around at the crowd in surprise.
"I have never seen such a thing," added Teal'c.
"Hail, Protector!" someone in the crowd shouted, and others began to do the same, chanting the words like the crowd at a football game repeating the name of the hometown hero.
"Hey, you, Kevlar, what's up?" The Colonel addressed the guard commander.
Kevan, on his knees like all the others, was staring at the ground as if afraid to speak. "I am sorry, Milord. I did not recognize you, Blessed One."
"Milord? Blessed One?" repeated O'Neill in surprise.
"Oh, oh. Now we *know* they've got the wrong guy," muttered Daniel.
"Protector of our people, we could not see..." Kevan continued apologetically. The guard leader, still on his knees, nodded at one of his guardsmen who swiftly stepped forward to cut the bonds holding Jack's hands. O'Neill pulled his arms forward, kneading his chafed wrists as other guards swiftly released the rest of the team.
"What couldn't you see?" Jack asked, exasperation evident in his voice.
"Your silver crown was hidden to us, we apologize for not knowing you," said Alwin, lifting his head slowly to throw an embarrassed look in the direction of the startled man.
"Silver crown? What silver crown? I'm just wearing a cap, a plain old everyday American baseball style cap," Jack said as he picked his favorite headgear off the ground.
Carter was staring around them at the king, the guardsmen and the villagers, all of whom had doffed their hats. She saw brown hair and blonde, black and red but... "Sir, it's not your hat, it's your hair. Gray hair, silver hair. I don't see any here. None."
"Right," said Daniel.
"I wear the silver band of leadership of the People," said the king, still on his knees, "but you, you are our Protector, the Silver Knight, the one we have prayed for, waited for, the one who will aid us in this crisis."
"Oh, for crying out loud..." Jack started.
"Jack, wait," Daniel whispered. "Don't throw this opportunity away. Play along a little."
"I'm not their protector," O'Neill hissed back out of the corner of his mouth while still smiling cheekily at the king.
"Well, it did get us untied and I think it's going to keep us out of their dungeon."
O'Neill nodded. "Ah, yeah, yeah, right. Protector it is," Jack whispered. Raising his voice, he asked, "Sooo, King, just what do you know about me? Huh?"
'Way to go, Jack,' Daniel thought.
"Protector, it has been many, many years since you have come to us, to aid in repelling the invaders."
"Invaders?" O'Neill asked, tilting his head.
"The NightSpirits, soon to be unleashed again by the evil Goa'uld," the king explained.
"NightSpirits?"
"Beings of darkness, they come through the ring, lead by the glowing eyed invader, attacking our village, destroying our fields, taking away those they slay, their bodies never to be returned."
"Taken as hosts," Daniel whispered to Jack.
"I *know* that," the Colonel hissed back.
"We have prayed diligently, conducted all of the rituals, but we feared you would not come. The dark days are soon upon us and the creatures will come. We have prepared the catacombs to shelter the women and children, forged weapons and carved bows, trained our young men, done all that we could to prepare, all the while awaiting your arrival."
"Look, King, I'm just a man..." O'Neill started.
"You are the Protector, he who wears the Silver Crown, wise in the ways of war, master of many weapons, fearless leader, the Silver Knight who will lead us to victory."
"Now that's a rather big job," Jack muttered.
"We are awed by your presence, Blessed..."
"Look, just call me Jack. It's easier that way," O'Neill said, uncomfortably. "Now, everyone, just get up off your knees. King, ah, I think we have things to discuss. In private."

King Alwin slowly stood, then motioned for the crowd to rise.
"This is a day of great joy!" he called out over the rising group of men and women, his hands raised high in the air like a priest bestowing the blessings to his prayerful congregation. "Our prayers have been heard and answered! Let us all celebrate. There will be a feast tonight, in honor of the Silver Knight who has come to our aid. Please, come to the great hall tonight to drink a toast to the future, to celebrate our victory!"
The crowd shouted, elated cries of joy thundering through the small town, the sounds echoed by the small, high houses.
Turning from the crowd, King Alwin invited the four teammates from Earth to follow him. With a small wave of his hand, the ruler of Monschau led the way to his carriage which was waiting for him just on the outside of town.
While the king took his place in the carriage, Kevan had gathered four saddled horses, assigning one to each member of SG-1. They all mounted their horses and followed the king up the hill towards the castle. The team stared in fascination as they neared their destination, Jack immediately assessing the defensive possibilities of the massive structure, nodding in appreciation. This was no castle for show, but a well placed, defendable fortress, perched high atop the hillside. The castle was an impressive structure with its huge thick walls, high towers and colossal entryway. Another drawbridge, over the castle's moat, plus thick, solid hardened wooden doors suspended by metal chains were meant to seal the castle off from intruders. Four heavily armed guards on the drawbridge watched over the valley and at least three members of the team made note of the other guards watching from the castle's walls and peering out from behind the archer's loops cut into the castle wall.
"Nice place," Jack commented shortly, never letting his guard down.
The four guards stepped aside to give the group enough room to pass and they saluted crisply towards the vehicle carrying their leader.
The four visitors were stunned by the size of the inner courtyard. They couldn't have guessed by looking at the outside of the castle that the inside was so huge. The stables were located on the right side, just next to the entrance. Four young boys, maybe age twelve or thirteen O'Neill estimated, quickly approached the newcomers, gently taking the horses' reins and waiting patiently for the riders to dismount. With the horses taken care of, Kevan led the humans to the building across the inner court, opposite to the small church that was also present within the castle's walls.
The building was home to elegant quarters for King Alwin and his family: Queen Katerina, and their daughters Larissa and Wilhelmina, plus numerous guest rooms, a huge kitchen, a large ballroom to entertain the guests and, lastly, the Knights Hall, an immense room containing statues dressed in shining armor and carrying shields bearing the symbols comprising family crests.
The servants and guards of the royal family were housed in smaller buildings around the inner court, set against the castle's walls.
Each member of SG-1 was shown to one of the guest rooms, and a personal servant was assigned to go with each of them to provide them with anything they might require. The king had invited them all to that evening's celebration dinner. While waiting for the meal to be prepared, the team wandered around, investigating their surroundings.
Daniel walked through the halls, eyes glazed with excitement, murmuring the single word "wow" over and over again. "Each of these tapestries, they're not only works of art, they also tell a story of a battle. And we passed a library just stuffed with books... My God, there's a lifetime worth of study here!"
"Easy, big guy," Jack soothed mockingly. "Don't hyperventilate on me, okay?"
"It *is* incredible, Sir," Carter said, her eyes shining with excitement over the sheer beauty of the place.
"In this case… I'd love to be the man who would be king," Jack muttered.
Teal'c frowned.
"Never mind," Daniel interrupted. "Did you see the Hall of the Knights? I'd like to go check it out. I could learn a lot there about these people's history and culture."
"Let's go, kids," Jack nodded. "I'd like to see what kind of weapons they use, or used, as well."
They headed for the Knights Hall and entered, slowly, with respect, as if walking through a museum. There were two doors in this room, one closed the other standing wide, and each door was guarded by a pair of statues of armored knights, each carrying a huge lance and ornate shield. The carved figures wore helmets, with the visors closed.
Teal'c stepped in front of the one on his right side, attempting to see through the small holes in the eye-shields, and raised his brows. "I have never seen anything like this, O'Neill," the big man stated. "It does slightly resemble the Serpent Guards' clothing, but it is different."
O'Neill threw another look at the knights, then nodded. "There are some similarities, Teal'c, but these were worn generations ago on Earth by King Arthur, Sir Galahad, Ivanhoe and Lancelot. I kinda like these outfits. The snakes are just … imitations, badly overdressed imitations."
Daniel had wandered off to the left side of the room where he began reading the history of the Royal Family. "Wow," he muttered more to himself than anybody else. "The castle is at least 700 years old." Unconsciously, he stared at the ceiling, briefly wondering whether the roof would come down on him any minute, before continuing reading. "The castle was built by the Monschau family, but only about two decades later it was destroyed by fire. The family rebuilt it, then it was claimed by new rulers, the ancient ancestors of this king, who bought it for a thousand golden coins. The so-called NightSpirits destroyed it three centuries ago, and the people were forced to flee, leaving the area. Returning about fifty years later, they'd again rebuilt the immense structure, aided by drawings from the old days of how the castle had originally looked."
Daniel studied the many drawings displayed on the wall. He could easily recognize the front side of the castle as it looked exactly the same in its current incarnation. He hadn't been able to see it from the other side yet, however, and he tried to visualize the whole building and its environs.
The Colonel's attention was drawn by the weapons that were hanging on the wall opposite Daniel's position. Spears and lances in all sizes bore different kinds of banners, the intricate pattern telling who the weapons had belonged to. The wall was covered with axes and swords, bows and knives, but also larger weapons such as lances, spears and primitive flamethrowers.
Carter, meanwhile, had walked over to the center of the room. Dominating the room was a life-sized figure of a knight and his horse standing on a high platform. The armored warrior was sitting on an equally fierce looking silver-grey horse, its back higher off the ground than Carter was tall, making it some six feet at the withers. The mighty charger stood as if frozen in the act of stepping forward, just two legs bearing its apparent great weight, the right foreleg and left hind leg bent at the knee, raised nearly a foot from the floor. Gleaming silver shoes were visible on the bottoms of its dinner plate sized hooves.
The knight was dressed in shining silver armor, sitting ramrod straight, as if he were overlooking the whole room, guarding it and protecting it. Around his neck he wore a beautiful silver necklace, a series of intertwined, thick, wide, gleaming links with a single small royal blue stone set in its center. In his gauntlet covered hands, the knight held the horse's wide reins made of soft white leather. The horse's back was covered by a blanket of blue and white, interwoven with silver threads, the short fringes adding to the graceful image. Atop the blanket sat a small, high backed saddle of dark leather, carved with detailed patterns of flowers, plants and trees.
Carter was struck by the beauty of the statue and the incredible detail that made it appear so lifelike she all but expected the horse to shake itself and take a step forward. Slowly she walked around the massive creature, her eyes noting every detail, soaking in the atmosphere. She stopped in her pace in front of the horse and her eyes caught a silver sign, exposed under the horse's raised left front foot.
"Hey, guys. Come and take a look at this," she called out.
O'Neill immediately turned around and walked over to her, Teal'c followed shortly, but it took Daniel a little longer to switch his attention from the castle's history to whatever Sam called him to see. The three men each admired the handsome statue, giving it their full attention now instead of just noticing it was there as they'd done upon entering the room.
Carter pointed at the sign. "Read that," she said.
Daniel stepped forward, and read out loud what was engraved in graceful black letters on the silver sign.

~~~~~
Through fields and woods he rides
His grey horse, through the days
Fierce and forceful, brave and strong
Protector of our race
~~~
His armor gleaming oh so bright
Reflecting beams of sun
Our prayers will be heard someday
Eventually he will come
~~~
We hail him and we honor him
This strong and glorious knight
As without him we are nothing
And doomed to lose the fight
~~~
Concern thyself no more, my people
Salvation is finally here
The Silver Knight arrived today
To free us from our fear
~~~~~

"Wow," Daniel added shortly, straightening his back from his bent position.
"Beautiful, huh?" added Sam.
Jack said nothing, but kept staring at the knight on the horse.
Teal'c turned around, noticing that someone was approaching them. It was King Alwin.
"I see that you have found the statue," Monschau's ruler remarked with a proud smile. "This is who we honor, he whom we have prayed for. The Silver Knight…"
Carter turned and looked at him. "It's magnificent."
"It is, isn't it?" the king agreed. "And now our prayers have been heard."
"How is that?" Daniel asked, frowning.
The king pointed at O'Neill, who hadn't turned around, but was still examining the knight in front of him. "He arrived today, just as the verse's appearance proclaims. He *is * the Silver Knight. Whether he knows it or not."
"The verse's appearance?" SG-1's archaeologist inquired.
"The Silver Knight's verse is written under the horse's hoof. Normally, the steed stands on three legs, the verse hidden. But when the Protector is about to appear, the second hoof is suddenly raised."
"Okay, now that doesn't make sense," Daniel frowned. "How? Why...?"
"We do not understand the mysteries of the Protector, of how he knows when to come, or who sends him. The Magic of the ancient times is beyond our limited understanding. We only know that in our time of need, the Silver Knight *will* arrive, and his power, his courage and his warrior's skills will save us from the beings of darkness and their glowing eyed master."
"Who sends the knight? Where does he come from?" Daniel persisted.
"We do not know. We only know that his coming is foretold," the king pointed at the verse written upon the raised fore hoof of the giant horse.
"What's that necklace?" Jack interrupted, without looking back to the others.
"That belongs to you, Blessed One. It is a symbol of the power of what you are, *who * you are and what you will be. You will wear that tonight, to the feast, so my people will know that you've finally come."
Daniel turned around, examining the chain. "That's a very nice necklace. It's made of silver, with a little stone of Lapis Lazuli. Right?"
The king nodded, eyes turning to O'Neill. "It is the 'necklace of great power'. We have watched over it for you, Protector, kept it safe until you returned to us."
"You want me to wear that tonight? What if I don't?" Jack asked, finally turning around to face the king.
Alwin gave him a faint smile. "Oh, but you will. When the time is right, Blessed One, you will know. You cannot deny your destiny." With those words, the ruler of Monschau turned on his heels and walked away.

Dinner was being served in the huge dining room, where a full to overflowing crowd was seated on both sides of the long dinner table, and a scattering of smaller but equally full tables across the room. King Alwin, of course, was seated at the head of the main table, his wife and daughters on his right hand. He specifically asked for O'Neill to take the seat of honor next to him, on the left.
An enormous roasted pig lay exposed on a silver plate with an apple stuffed in its mouth, offered up as the banquet's main course. The tables were covered with loaves of bread, plates of cheeses and bowls of many different kind of fruits as dessert. Mugs of ale and bottles of wine were in abundance on every table.
Preparations for the feast were being made on the inner courtyard, and the dining group could all hear the progress. The atmosphere was one of great excitement.
During their meal, however, Jack had fallen more and more silent, and was unaware of the frowns his teammates were throwing at him. Usually, O'Neill was one to admire a good meal, and normally one to let that be known by talking a lot. The king didn't seem to notice the Colonel's silence, but with the greatest patience kept on answering the multitude of questions Daniel was firing steadily at him.
Ignoring the plate of food and the bowl of fresh fruit in front of him, O'Neill suddenly rose, his meal barely touched, turning away from the others without excusing himself or saying anything.
"Jack? Are you all right?" Daniel asked, concern etched on his face.
"Sir? What's wrong?" Carter added, frowning deeply when the Colonel didn't respond to their questions.
Inexplicably, he turned suddenly to leave the room without acknowledging them.
Teal'c silently rose to his feet. He bowed slightly in the king's direction. "Excuse me, King Alwin. I must accompany ColonelO'Neill, to be assured he is all right."
The king smiled, nodding knowingly. "He doesn't need anyone looking out for him, but certainly, if you wish, you may go with him."
Carter and Daniel exchanged worried frowns.
"I don't like this," Daniel whispered to her.
Carter nodded her head in agreement. She addressed the king. "Sir, permission to..." she started.
The king nodded. "You, too, are excused. There is nothing to be concerned about, though, friends. He *will * save us all from the NightSpirits. He *is * the Silver Knight."
Daniel and Carter rushed out the room, following O'Neill as he strode purposefully towards the Knights Hall.

O'Neill stood in front of the statue once again as if in some sort of trance. Teal'c stood close behind him, watchful, ready to act whenever it was necessary. Carter and Daniel approached silently, watching warily, not knowing what to do.
Jack stretched out one hand, standing on his tiptoes, reaching for the necklace.
"Sir," Carter objected. "What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, Carter, it's what I'm supposed to do," the Colonel answered in a strange, emotionless voice as his fingertips caressed the gleaming silver.
"Jack," Daniel joined in. "Are you sure touching that is wise? Aren't you the one always telling *us* to leave alien artifacts alone?"
"I must have it," Jack said quietly.
"O'Neill. I do not believe you should touch that," Teal'c stepped forward, attempting to prevent his CO from taking the necklace.
"Oh, come on, kids," Jack said, shocking them all as he sounded like his usual self. "It's only a damn necklace. What could possibly happen?"
"Then, Jack, why are you here? Why do you want to have it?" Daniel reasoned.
O'Neill turned around, arching a single eyebrow. "Do I? No, I don't."
"Yes, you did. You left the dinner table and came here to take the necklace. You just told us so."
"Did not."
"Did."
"Did not."
"Yes, you did. Don't you remember?" Daniel was getting really worried now.
"Sir, I think we should leave," Carter started.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack threw his hands in the air. "What is wrong with you? There's nothing here but a room filled with giant sized dolls dressed up as knights from the Middle Ages. *That ,*" he pointed one finger at the Silver Knight's neck, "that is just a silver necklace. I am not these people's protector, or blessed dude or their guardian Silver Knight, no matter *what* color my hair has turned."
He fell silent again, his eyes once more fixed on the shining metal. For a moment, his hands were clenched into fists at his side, his fingers curling and uncurling. Unexpectedly, he grabbed the necklace, the movement so fast that Teal'c was unable to stop him.
"Jack!" Daniel shouted, stunned.
"It's just a necklace, Daniel." Jack simply put it on, his hands reaching back to snap the clasp as he slid it around his neck, demonstrating there was nothing wrong with it. "See?" He arranged it to lie across his shoulders and along his collarbone, the blue stone gleaming at the center of his chest.
There was a long moment of silence as O'Neill glared belligerently at the others.
Carter let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, relieved that nothing had happened. It was just a necklace and she'd just made a fool out of herself over nothing. "I'm sorry, Sir," she apologized. "It's just… this place is giving me the creeps, I think. I have no idea what was wrong with me."
"So am I," Daniel added, embarrassed. "Now, please, take it off and put it back where it belongs, would you?"
Jack grinned at his team's archaeologist. "Gee, now that's got to be a first. Daniel telling me to put something back," he said with a chuckle. Raising his hands to remove the chain, O'Neill reached behind his neck to grasp the necklace. He frowned when the thick silver chain refused to move. He tried again. It didn't budge.
"I can't get it off," he muttered, a sudden look of concern crossing his previously cheerful face.
Teal'c approached. "Please let me assist you, O'Neill." The Jaffa examined the gleaming links of metal, but saw nothing unusual. He tried to lift it off the Colonel's neck, but it would not move.
"Damn," cursed O'Neill, squirming, feeling an odd tingling in his skin where the silver links touched his flesh.
"Sir? Let me see," Carter insisted. She asked him to kneel so she could reach around his neck with more ease and bent closer. She fumbled and fidgeted with the lock, unwilling to admit that she couldn't open it or move it either. No stupid lock was going to stop her. This was just a plain silver chain, not some magical device.
"Err, Carter…" Jack murmured. "Not that I don't think this is nice having you breathing softly in my ear, but…"
"Shit! Stupid necklace. What is wrong with it?" Carter cursed.
In an instant, Jack's face changed, a grimace crossing it, and then he shuddered. Sam leaped backward with a strangled cry as O'Neill's hands flew upward to his neck, toward where the necklace lay across his chest. He moaned as the gleaming silver chain seemed to catch fire, to burn into his skin, and sink into his flesh and bones. Then his eyes rolled up in his head, and the Colonel fell to the floor, writhing. For an endless moment, his howl of pain reverberated through the Knights Hall, and then his body went rigid as he let out a bloodcurdling yell, and fell silent.
"Jack!"
"Colonel!"
"O'Neill!"
They all ran to where he lay on the floor, his body gone suddenly eerily quiet and still.
"Sir?" Carter knelt and reached out a hand to touch his neck, with relief found the racing pulse, and saw his chest rising and falling in time with his rapid breaths. "Colonel?"
O'Neill stirred, fingers twitching, then one leg moving restlessly, his head swinging from side to side.
"Jack? Hey, come on," Daniel pleaded.
O'Neill's brown eyes opened slowly, looking unfocussed for a moment before gazing around in surprise. "What's the matter? You guys look worried."
"Sir, you passed out."
"Passed out?"
"Yes, Sir. You put the necklace on and then suddenly you, well, screamed and passed out."
Jack started to sit up.
"I think you should stay still a moment, Sir."
"I'm fine," he answered, ignoring the fact that for a moment he did actually feel rather dizzy, and not fine at all.
"You do not appear to be 'fine,' O'Neill," said Teal'c, pointing at the Colonel's chest.
O'Neill looked down and gasped in unison with the rest of his team. The silver necklace no longer lay atop the material of the green uniform shirt he wore. The shirt was in pieces, cut wherever the silver chain had touched it, the necklace now lying tight against his skin. In sudden horrified realization, Jack's fingers reached out to touch the chain, and tried to lift it. It refused to move. A frantic look crossed his face for a fleeting instant as his fingers dug at the skin of his chest. "It's, it's... Get it off. Get if off!"
Carter's fingers were pulling at the silver links, failing to find a purchase on the slick metal, her eyes growing wider and wider. "Sir, it's, it's embedded in your skin. Like...like it's a part of you."
"Does it hurt?" Daniel asked.
Jack slowly closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, they were shining strangely. "It doesn't hurt, not now, not at all. It feels pleasant, warm, tingling, almost alive...like it was meant to be there."
A triumphant voice from the doorway startled them all. "I told you. That is exactly where the necklace belongs." The king stepped into the room, smiling at the members of SG-1. "Come now. We must get our Knight a proper shirt, and then we have a feast to attend to. The people are waiting."
Jack stood and wordlessly took a staggering step toward the king, then another and another as his team stood watching, stunned. With each step, he seemed to gather strength as he walked toward Alwin.
"Sam, what the hell just happened?" Daniel whispered to Carter as they watched Jack cross the room. He unresistingly removed the remnants of the BDU shirt and replaced it with an ornate embroidered shirt the king handed him.
"I don't know. The necklace didn't seem to be anything but an ordinary silver necklace."
"Naquadah?" Teal'c asked.
"No, no, I felt nothing. It just seemed ordinary, until it was on the Colonel, and then it seemed warm and, and alive." Carter's eyes were huge as she looked around at her teammates. "I don't like this."
"Neither do I, MajorCarter," said Teal'c.
"We need to get him home," Carter added, a worried frown furrowing her forehead as she watched the Colonel now talking calmly with the king.
"I do not think the answer to removing the necklace is back at the SGC. I believe we must find the answer here," Teal'c disagreed.
"We still need to have him checked out by Janet," Carter stated. "Teal'c, I think you should go back to the gate and request medical assistance. You could explain the situation and have Dr. Fraiser bring whatever equipment she feels necessary. Just a second, let me ask the Colonel," with that, the Major walked over to her CO and King Alwin, Daniel following on her heels. "Sir?"
"Yes, Carter?" O'Neill turned to her, seeming normal in every way, except for the calm manner in which he was acting with that alien thing wrapped around his throat.
"Colonel, could we speak in private a moment?"
"Of course," the king bowed slightly toward O'Neill and stepped away.
"What is it, Carter?"
"Sir, you are not acting like yourself, at all. I think that necklace is affecting you somehow..."
"Well, you're wrong. It's not."
"With all due respect, Sir, how do you know that?" Carter demanded.
"Major, I'd know if I was feeling oddly."
"Would you, Sir? You're definitely acting oddly. You are not at all concerned about that thing being embedded in your skin. It's certainly doing something. I'd like you to come home with us so we can have Dr. Fraiser check you over."
"No way, Major. These people are about to be attacked, and they need some military advice and assistance. One of our main goals as a first contact team is to make alliances and forge friendships, right, Daniel? Well, that's what I'm doing. Allying with these people. Help 'em out and they'll be our friends."
"Sir, I'm sorry, Sir, but you are *not* acting like yourself. Please come back with us..." she pleaded.
"Carter, I've already told you no."
"Then will you allow me to ask Janet to come and check you out? We could send Teal'c back for her..."
O'Neill ran a hand through his short, gray hair. "Sure, why not? Janet could probably help these people set up infirmaries or hospitals or whatever they'll need once the war starts."
"The war, Sir?" Carter asked, face troubled.
"The war. With the NightSpirits. Once those things start coming through the gate, there will be a war on this planet, an all out war." O'Neill waved his hand in the air. "Sure, invite Doc. Her skills will come in handy. Have her bring along a couple companies of Marines, that wouldn't be a bad idea, either, Major."
"Sir?"
"Just kidding, Carter. Now, I'm keeping the king waiting. We all are, actually. We'll send a squad of guards with Teal'c to the gate."
"We?" The Major's face was even more worried.
"We. The king has named me the Commander of the Monschau forces, something he'll make public in a few minutes, so I can send a couple of men along with Teal'c." The Colonel motioned to one of the pair of guards at the door and quickly told him to send three men to escort his teammate to the gate. The man saluted O'Neill, then turned crisply and left. Turning back to Carter, he ordered, "Now come on, we've got a feast to attend," and with that, O'Neill turned and left his team behind, following the king.
"That was weird," said Daniel softly, looking at Carter.
"Way too weird." She turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c..."
"I shall return to the gate as swiftly as possible, and inform GeneralHammond of the situation."
"Good. Daniel and I will stay here and keep an eye on the Colonel." As she turned to follow O'Neill back to the banquet hall, Carter paused. "Tell the General we need Janet here in a hurry."
"Yes, MajorCarter," Teal'c nodded, and left, three guards trailing in his wake.

O'Neill and the king stepped together back into the banquet hall. As they entered and walked between the long rows of tables occupied by a mix of warriors and villagers, a low rumble began to pass through the crowd. The keen eyed locals couldn't miss the necklace that gleamed on the visitor's neck, showing through the specially made, low necked shirt which allowed the necklace to be easily viewed.
"It's him!"
"The Silver Knight!"
"It's true!"
"He's here. He's here!"
Reaching the main table, which was set on a raised dais so all could see the king and their visitors, King Alwin and the Colonel stepped up and turned to the crowd.
"My people!" The king raised his hands for silence, and the crowd obeyed, the huge room with its hundreds of diners going silent. "Tonight, we praise all the Gods for bringing us the Silver Knight. He has returned as the prophecies foretold. Though the dark days are upon us, and we are threatened by the beings of evil, we shall prevail, because he will lead us to victory. I, King Alwin Leopold Hahn, ruler of all Monschau, present to you Colonel Jack O'Neill, champion of Monschau, and Commander of the Guard."
"Ah, that's a little flowery, King," O'Neill muttered in a low whisper.
"The Silver Knight is a great warrior, and a humble man," the king acknowledged O'Neill with a nod and small grin. "Tonight, we celebrate! The prophecy has been fulfilled! The Silver Knight his arrived!"
The crowd cheered.
The king raised his glass, "A toast. To the Silver Knight! To Victory!"
The crowd echoed his words, and everyone in the hall drank deeply from their glasses of wine and mugs of ale.
Carter and Daniel listened to the speech from the back of the room. "I don't like this, I don't like this at all," Carter murmured.
At a motion from the king, the two remaining members of SG-1 quietly made their way to the front of the room, and returned to their assigned places at the main table. Unlike before, when the Colonel had only toyed with his food, O'Neill now ate a hearty meal, all the while talking animatedly with the king and the guard Captain, Kevan.
Carter barely touched her food, too worried to eat. Daniel ate little as well as he tried to talk with those around him, and learn more about the people, and about the war they all seemed resigned would come at any time.
"Do you not like the food, Major Carter?" asked Kevan, when he noticed she wasn't eating.
"It's fine. I'm just a little worried, Captain, about my commanding officer," she admitted carefully.
"You should not worry. Your Colonel is the Silver Knight, and he will lead us to victory."
"Look, Kevan, I know you have this prophecy, but Colonel O'Neill is not a knight. He's not someone who wears armor or fights with swords and bows and arrows. And I don't see how effective armor and swords would be against Goa'uld weapons."
"Goa'uld power weapons will not work here."
"What?" Voices stilled around them at her loud exclamation. Staring around her, Carter lowered her voice. "Staff weapons and zats don't work here?"
"Do you mean the long staff like Teal'c carries? And the small hand weapons, you call those zats?"
Carter nodded. "Short for zatnickital."
"They do not work here, either kind. It is why the enemy sends his army of NightSpirits, swarming beings of evil who attempt to overwhelm us with sheer numbers."
"But that doesn't change the fact that Jack isn't trained as a knight, doesn't know your weapons." Daniel protested.
Kevan was still smiling. "Is it not true that O'Neill is a great warrior among your people?"
"Yes," Carter agreed.
"O'Neill is truly the Silver Knight. He will know The Way."
"How can you be so sure?"
"You came through the gate, a silver crowned warrior in the lead, as the prophecy foretold. The necklace of power accepted him, and he it. The time has come, and the rest of the prophecy will be fulfilled. So it has happened in the past, so it happens again."
"But Kevan," Daniel asked, "when I read some of your history in the Knights Hall, it seemed your people didn't win every time. They've been driven from the valley in the past. Didn't you have a Silver Knight then?"
"Yes, a Silver Knight led us then. But he died."
"He died?" Daniel's face look troubled. "I thought the Silver Knight was invincible."
"No. Some battles are lost, and we are forced to retreat. But we know in the end the Silver Knight will lead us to victory with his great skill and strength. Until then, each Silver Knight is master of his own fate."
"So Jack could die?" Daniel queried.
"Sometimes as our leader, the Silver Knight must sacrifice himself for his people. We understand."
"Ah, we don't," Daniel was staring at Kevan.
"The Silver Knight leads us in battle against the forces of darkness. It is his Destiny, his great Quest. And sometimes his Fate. Only the Gods know the outcome."
"Oh, boy," muttered Jackson.
Carter continued the questioning, still keeping one eye on O'Neill who was animatedly talking with the king as he devoured his dinner. "So what happens when the Silver Knight *does* survive?"
"Some have remained here, among our people, to be revered and honored throughout the remainder of their lives. Others have returned home."
"Other knights have come through the Stargate, then?" Daniel raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes, once, long ago, a knight came through the gate, like O'Neill."
"What happens with the, ah, necklace?" Daniel's hand waved at his own throat.
"Once the battle is won, and the power is no longer needed, the necklace will become dormant, until it is needed again."
"So Jack will just be able to take it off and put it back on the statue in the hall?" Daniel looked over at Sam, disbelieving.
"Yes," Kevan nodded.
Daniel and Sam exchanged glances. That, at least, was one less worry. They knew the necklace *could* be removed.
Kevan turned to the guests with a smile, raising his glass of ale in salute, "To the Silver Knight, O'Neill!"

Teal'c, accompanied by three of the locals, arrived at the Stargate to dial home. The three men gaped in astonishment at the blue squirming liquid that emerged after Teal'c pushed six symbols and the point of origin of the planet as the last symbol. They murmured at each other, frightened, exchanging uncertain looks, not knowing what to do. Their orders had been simple, though, and given by the Silver Knight, so they would obey.
"Come with me. There is nothing to fear," Teal'c motioned them with a slight gesture of his hand and, once he was sure the three warriors were following, stepped into the wormhole.
On Earth, the three strangers were escorted to temporary quarters as Teal'c quickly informed the General of what had occurred in Monschau. Dr. Janet Fraiser was present in the briefing room as well, along with Major Louis Ferretti, the commanding officer of SG-2.
"So, from what you've told me, the people on PX6-842 are living in circumstances comparable to the Middle Ages, with horses, swords, bows and spears. There's a king ruling the world and they have an enemy they call the NightSpirits," General Hammond summarized.
"That is correct, GeneralHammond," Teal'c nodded.
"And those NightSpirits are?" Hammond asked.
"They were called beings of darkness. They appear to be the soldiers and slaves of an as yet unknown Goa'uld. They come to this world to enforce their control on the population, as well as to seek and collect new hosts."
"You have no idea which System Lord we're dealing with here, Teal'c?" Ferretti joined in.
"I do not."
"Those people basically have nothing to fight the Goa'uld with, then," Hammond concluded. "They won't stand a chance."
"It is said that a great warrior, one they call the Silver Knight, comes to aid them in the battle and will lead them to victory, GeneralHammond," Teal'c informed the commander of the SGC.
Ferretti sniffled. "Hmpf. Whoever that is, what will he have to bring against the destructive and powerful troops of a System Lord?"
"The inhabitants of this planet have come to believe that O'Neill is their Silver Knight, MajorFerretti."
Louis' mouth fell open.
The General inhaled sharply, stammering, "What?"
"O'Neill is the only human being with silver hair. The king is convinced that O'Neill is indeed the Silver Knight of their legends, a master warrior who has come to lead them," the Jaffa tried to explain.
"These people believe the Colonel will fulfill their prophecy because of the color of his hair?" Hammond asked in astonishment.
"Yes, GeneralHammond. And O'Neill has begun acting strangely, as if he were indeed this knight of their prophecy," Teal'c added.
"What do you mean, acting strangely?" Fraiser demanded, looking questioningly at the only present member of SG-1.
"O'Neill has placed a silver chain around his neck, a necklace that belongs only to the Silver Knight. We attempted to prevent this, but were unsuccessful." The Jaffa threw an apologetic glance at General Hammond.
"So? What kind of necklace?" Ferretti asked, wondering what could possibly be so bad about that.
"The king called it the necklace of great power," Teal'c explained. "As soon as O'Neill put it on, it seemed to catch fire and sank into his flesh and bones. We were unable to remove it."
"What?" Fraiser called out, shocked. "It's sunken into his flesh and bones?"
Teal'c faced her. "I have never seen anything like it before, DoctorFraiser. O'Neill put on the necklace, then cried out in great pain and lost consciousness. The necklace now is part of him, embedded in his body. He now truly believes he is indeed Monschau's Silver Knight."
"You haven't been able to convince Colonel O'Neill that he is under the influence of some unknown device?" Hammond frowned worriedly.
"We have not."
"Sir," Janet faced the General. "I strongly recommend we bring the Colonel back to the SGC. Immediately. I need to examine him, run some tests..."
"O'Neill refuses to leave the planet, DoctorFraiser," Teal'c interrupted. "He feels the urgent need to help these people, but he agreed with MajorCarter's request that I escort you back to Monschau, along with any equipment you may need."
Janet stared at the General. "Sir? With your permission?"
"Permission to accompany the medical team as well, Sir," Ferretti joined in. "Whatever Colonel O'Neill has gotten himself into this time, I'm sure he can use our help."
Hammond nodded in approval. "All right. Doctor, prepare a small medical team for immediate offworld deployment. Doctor Warner can take over in the infirmary. Major Ferretti, I want SG-2 ready to gate out in one hour as well. Your orders are to assess the situation, assist SG-1 wherever necessary and to bring them home safely. And Major, you are to take over command from Colonel O'Neill if the need arises, is that understood?"
A grim look of determination settled onto Ferretti's face. "Yes, Sir."
"Dismissed. Good luck, people," Hammond concluded.

The festivities at Castle Monschau kept the three remaining members of SG-1 occupied until far after midnight. O'Neill hadn't talked with the others much, the king and his guards keeping him busy all night.
Daniel had been talking to many villagers, and had a pretty fair idea how these people lived and what they feared; the Goa'uld and his NightSpirits being their major threat. From the information he'd gathered, known to all through tales passed down from father to son and mother to daughter, the as yet unknown Goa'uld emerged through the Stargate on this planet, along with his army of NightSpirits. His guards were dressed in black armor, riding black horses and wearing black masks, commanding the fearsome beasts. The Goa'uld himself rode a fierce blood red horse: that was the only difference between the leader and his servants. When they came, they drove the villagers together, surrounding the people, destroying everything within their reach, setting crops, barns, shops and homes on fire. Once satisfied that the people were terrified into obedience, the troops would select dozens of the young and healthy residents from among the frightened and defeated villagers, taking them with them as they retreated to the Stargate. None of those people had ever been seen again.
The last time the NightSpirits had honored the planet with a visit had been about 40 years ago, as near as Daniel could figure. The cycle of arrivals was known, foretold by the appearance of a star constellation, and this year was the year. For over six months now, the king and villagers had been preparing for battle, and praying for the Silver Knight to arrive.
The evil black troops were expected to come through the Stargate any day now.

Sam, meanwhile, had been unable to pull her attention away from her Commanding Officer, worried as she was about his well-being. It bothered her that on the one hand he seemed so incredibly in control, but on the other hand he was not acting at all like his usual self. Normally, the Colonel would be the most suspicious of them all when it came to any kind of alien technology, yet the necklace that had nestled itself around his neck didn't seem to bother him.
It bothered her.
The Colonel acted as if he *was* this Silver Knight in person, the king was convinced he was and the more she observed her CO's behavior, the more Sam, too, believed that the necklace somehow had transformed him into the Legend she'd been told about.
How on Earth was that possible? Okay, right, she wasn't on Earth obviously, but there was no explanation for this, none at all. Magic? She was a scientist and she didn't believe in magic. Sure, as a kid she'd read The Lord of the Rings and other fanciful tales of magical beings, wizards, warlocks, and the battle between good and evil. Fun to read, but totally impossible. 'Then again,' she reminded herself, 'any rational person wouldn't believe what you do for a living, Sam, traveling to other planets, battling glowing eyed monsters with powers that would appear to be magical at first glance...' Carter shivered. She hated things she couldn't explain from the rational viewpoint of science. And this, this was totally irrational and unexplainable.

Colonel O'Neill had been discussing tactical maneuvers with the king and Kevan, strategies to defend the town and plans to get as many people as possible to safety when the NightSpirits finally arrived. Only now and then catching a few words of that conversation, Carter was stunned to hear her commanding officer use terms and tactics unknown to her and the military they belonged to, yet appropriate for the situation and circumstances they were dealing with here. Where had the Colonel learned that? How did he know?
It had to be the necklace of great power. It somehow influenced the person who was wearing it, yet Sam was certain it wouldn't have had the same effect if either Teal'c or Daniel had put it on. If only Teal'c came back soon with Janet and some of her staff. Maybe they could run some tests, determine the necklace's abilities, figure out what it was doing to the Colonel, and most importantly, how to get if off.

At last, the crowd started to leave as the grand celebration came to its end and everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. A few who had overindulged staggered out, assisted by some of the other villagers. The hall was emptying rapidly, and it was only then when Sam's face lit up. Teal'c had returned and he had Janet, three nurses and Major Ferretti's SG-2 with him. Relief overwhelmed her as she walked up to them.
"Teal'c, you're back. Thank goodness," she greeted the Jaffa. "Janet, I know it's really late but I want you to examine Colonel O'Neill before we all turn in for the night."
Dr. Fraiser's eyes were already scanning the area and she soon found the gray haired Colonel, although he looked different in that embroidered shirt and without his cap. O'Neill had spotted the new arrivals as well and his eyes met hers briefly. He said a few words to the man sitting next to him, then rose and approached her.
"Hi, Doc. Glad you could make it. I need you to set up your stuff over there, along the castle's walls," he waved a hand at the spot. "We really can use your help." He turned to SG-2, placing a friendly hand on Ferretti's lean shoulder. "Louis, my man. Couldn't resist a good fight, now could you? Happy to have you join us. They'll be plenty for us to do soon. Daniel..." O'Neill looked around until his eyes locked on the archaeologist. "Daniel, take SG-2 to the guestrooms and make sure they're settled in, okay?"
Fraiser exchanged looks with Sam, after visually inspecting the silver chains that appeared to be part of O'Neill's body. "Colonel?" she approached him, her outstretched hand ready to cautiously touch the necklace.
O'Neill turned. "What? Oh, I'll call some of the local healers. They can help you get started."
"No, Sir. I need to examine you first."
"Oh, for crying out loud, Doc. I'm fine," he protested.
"I insist, Colonel," Janet stated firmly.
O'Neill sighed. "Why did I agree to getting you over here?" he complained. "All right, but make it quick. I've got things to do."

Despite O'Neill's continuing protests that he didn't have time for the doctor, Janet managed to keep him corralled for two hours, running every test she could perform in this primitive situation. Every one of the Colonel's vital signs, test results and reactions was normal, right in line with what she knew to expect.
Shaking her head in a combination of relief and worry, she finally gave in to his demands to be allowed to get back to work, and watched him hurry away from the corner of the great hall that she and her team had commandeered as the makeshift medical center.
The moment O'Neill left, Carter was at Fraiser's side. "Janet, what did you find out?"
"Nothing."
Sam's worried frown didn't ease. "Nothing? How could you find nothing? He's got that alien necklace wrapped around his neck, and he doesn't even seem to care!"
"Well, okay," Fraiser conceded, "he does have that silver chain around his neck, and from what I can tell, it's embedded clear into his collarbones and ribcage. Nothing I know of short of major surgery would remove it. And I'm not even sure *that* would be sufficient. I tried to scrape a bit of the metal off one of the links of the chain, for analysis, and I couldn't even make a scratch on it."
Carter was pacing in front of the diminutive doctor. "Two hours and that's all you found out?"
"Look, Sam, I could only bring limited equipment with me, whatever was small enough to carry, and that will run off batteries. The best tests, like an MRI or a cat scan, are impossible here. So there's a lot more that I *don't* know than what little I *do* know. All I can say is that every test I ran gave absolutely, right on the mark normal results for the Colonel, if anything, a little better than usual. He certainly acted like his usual self, and he knew the answers to every question I slipped into the conversation. I did take some blood and tissue samples, though, and I'll need someone to send back through the gate, but I found *no* indication of anything abnormal, except for that necklace he's wearing..."
"But Janet..." Sam protested.
"I don't know anything else. Except that he's adamant that he won't leave. There's no way we could get him to give up this mission and leave this planet except by sedating him and carrying him back through the gate. And frankly, from what I've seen around here in only the past couple of hours, the reverence these people hold for him and their absolute belief that he'll save them, I can't imagine that they would let us take him back."
"No," Sam nodded in agreement. "So?"
"So, for now, we wait. And watch." And worry, Fraiser added silently.

Lou Ferretti was worried too.
The Major had worked with Colonel O'Neill before, hell, they'd been on that fateful, nearly fatal, first Stargate mission together. Ferretti knew O'Neill was one damn fine officer, the best CO he'd ever had the privilege to work with, an officer he'd tried to pattern himself after, to live up to O'Neill's high standards.
Today, he was scared.
It was too weird, the way O'Neill had just fit himself into this primitive society, the man's complete disregard for the gleaming silver chain around his neck. The Colonel distrusted alien technology, so why had he put that damn necklace on? Why didn't he see how it was affecting him? He should be freaked about the damn thing, but instead he was calmly planning the defense of a castle. It was all too much, like being in the middle of some movie set, a castle and horses and Jack O'Neill as the conquering knight in shining armor.

The Colonel and Kevan, after consuming a hasty breakfast of something like oatmeal, headed for the armory. Jack hadn't slept all night, yet he didn't feel tired, not at all. In fact, he felt full of energy. Hell, his knees didn't even ache, and he'd been on his feet for what, 36 hours straight now? Wasn't that odd, some inner voice questioned? Quickly, he dismissed the worry. He had a job to do, a thousand jobs to do if he was going to save these people from the NightSpirits.
Arriving at the armory, a large room off the courtyard of the castle, O'Neill stopped to hear the report of the sergeant at arms before proceeding to inspect the weapons room. The place was packed full of swords, daggers, staffs, crossbows, longbows and thousands and thousands of arrows of wood and steel. Row after shining row of gleaming metal, sharp tipped iron and steel hung neatly on the racks and walls.
"You've done a great job," the Colonel told the armorer.
"Thank you, Protector," said the native, bowing, beaming at praise from the Silver Knight. "Now, Sir Knight, we must get you outfitted. I have prepared your weapons and armor."
Jack followed the man into a small alcove, and there, laid out on a table, were the Silver Knight's armor and weapons. The armor was much lighter what he remembered reading about on Earth, O'Neill noted as he picked up one of the gleaming gauntlets. Hadn't a knight's armor on Earth looked much like this but weighed hundreds of pounds? This was lightweight, like aluminum, but strong. Trinium, perhaps? He made a mental note to ask Carter. She'd know.
Returning his attention to the weapons, he examined a pair of finely crafted, yet deadly daggers; a blunt short sword; and a shield that fit perfectly over his left forearm. O'Neill, however, was immediately drawn to the massive sword. The hands of a 21st century modern warrior of their own accord seemed to know what to do, knew just how to grasp the handle. He was surprised at the light weight of the huge thing as he raised its four foot length. Gazing at the gleaming silver steel, noting the intricate carvings decorating the blade, he hefted it experimentally. The leather wrapped hilt seemed to fit his hand, his long fingers wrapping around the grip as if they'd performed that task a thousand times. A grim smile cross his lips as he realized how right, how natural this weapon felt in his hand. It belonged there, he thought with amazement.
The guard Captain walked in, a small smile playing across his face at the sight of O'Neill surveying the Silver Knight's equipment. "Perhaps, Sir Knight, you would like to practice with your weapons?" suggested Kevan.
O'Neill nodded, hands still gripping the sword. The Captain of the guards smiled and signaled for one of the young pages to bring the other weapons.
Not knowing how he knew, yet so confident he did not wait for the others, O'Neill left the armory, turning unerringly left and down a long corridor, then through a doorway to the right, emerging into a small hidden courtyard. At his appearance, the clatter of ringing steel as sword clashed against sword on the practice ground stopped suddenly, a hush gripping the small collection of knights who now paused in their training. All eyes were turned to the man with the short cropped silver hair.
"I will be your training partner, My Lord," offered Kevan, emerging from the doorway behind O'Neill.
The Colonel grinned. "Sure, but just call me Colonel or O'Neill."
"Yes, Sir Colonel," said the guard Captain, selecting a weapon from a rack of swords along the courtyard wall as O'Neill removed his jacket and the long sleeved tunic. Slowly, Kevan walked out to the middle of the training yard, facing O'Neill, their feet shuffling across the sandy soil as they slowly circled, each sizing up his opponent. "I shall start easily, my... Colonel," Kevan offered.
A grin crossed Jack's face. "That's nice. I'm a little out of practice," he stated, his sure movement contradicting his statement as he expertly swung the blade upward to parry Kevan's first tentative strike. The Captain pulled back, assessing his opponent, then thrust the blade forward again. The Colonel easily countered the blow, his sword ringing loudly as it made contact with the Captain's weapon. O'Neill spun, making a second strike and a third, so quick that Kevan was forced to his knees, the tip of Jack's blade at his throat.
O'Neill, with a grin, backed away.
The guard Captain climbed to his feet, warily eying the unlikely knight who stood before him. Truly, this man who said he had never carried a blade before must have within him the power and knowledge of the legend, because in just three strokes he had defeated the best swordsman in Monschau as easily as if his opponent was an untrained, green boy.
The dozens of knights watched in amazement as O'Neill bested their champion again and again.
Atop the castle wall, unseen by the Colonel as he worked up a sweat in mock battle after mock battle, Major Carter looked on in stunned disbelief as O'Neill defeated them all, one challenger after another, giving advice and encouragement to the knights he bested.
Finally, Sam left her vantage point and went to find Dr. Jackson. After a lengthy search, she finally discovered him in a book-lined room deep within the castle, engrossed in reading, his fingers trailing swiftly across the page, his lips moving in concentration as he studied the unfamiliar script.
"Daniel?" Sam paused at the door, peering into the dimly lit room.
"Oh. Hi, Sam," he barely lifted his head from the book he was studying. "This is fascinating. It's the history of Monschau, telling of previous raids by the Goa'ulds, dating back hundreds if not thousands of years," he explained, waving a hand around him at the stacks of books.
"Daniel, I was just watching the Colonel..."
Jackson lifted his head this time to meet his teammate's gaze, something in her tone worrying him, her expression worrying him even more. "What? Did something happen to Jack?"
"No. Well, sort of. I mean, he's down in the courtyard, training with the knights. Defeating them."
"Yeah, he's good at hand to hand combat. I've seen him take down guys twice his size and half his age," answered the archaeologist with a shake of his head. "And he's certainly teaching them moves they've never seen on this planet before."
Carter ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Actually, Daniel, he's not fighting hand to hand. He's sword fighting."
That announcement brought Daniel's abrupt gaze upward, eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Sword fighting? Jack?"
"Yes. He's defeated every champion they've got."
"But where did Jack learn how to use a sword?"
"That's just it, Daniel. I don't know," Carter paced worriedly. "I mean, he's a natural athlete, and he's good with all kinds of weapons, Special Forces teaches the use of all sorts of weapons, anything that might be available in any situation, but a medieval broad sword? No way." She shivered. "But he's down there, swinging that sword like he carries one every day. Defeating warriors who *do* carry one every day."
"Look, Sam, there's got to be some reasonable explanation..."
"I know that, but I haven't seen one." Her eyes met his. "Have you found anything here? About this Silver Knight?"
Jackson nodded. "Oh yeah. Lots. One appears about every 40 years or so, at the same time the Goa'uld stage their great raids. I don't know why they'd time things like that..."
"Actually, there is a reason for that," Carter jumped in, glad to find something about this place that had a logical scientific explanation. "This planet has a unique extended orbit. It takes a really long time to make one complete revolution around its sun. Now, you know on Earth, a year is based on one revolution of our planet around the sun, or 365 days. A 'year' here is something over 14,000 days or equal to about 40 Earth years. During most of those years, roughly 39 out of the 40, the Stargate can't be used. It's like K'tau, where we had to override the gate protocols to connect..."
"But we didn't do that this time..."
"No, but only because we made contact during the right part of the planet's cycle, when the Stargate here is accessible. In fact, we tried dialing this address before, a couple of years ago, and couldn't get through. So I put the coordinates into the cold dialing program, and it was only a month or so ago that we got a hit..."
"Like Bedrosia. "
"Exactly," Carter beamed. "So, if most of the time we can't connect with this gate, then neither can this Goa'uld."
"Okay, he couldn't come through the gate, why didn't he come in a ship?" Daniel inquired.
Sam shook her head. "There's a heavy radiation belt in this solar system. Unless he's got a mother ship, and as a minor lord he probably doesn't have one, he wouldn't want to try flying in this system."
Daniel nodded, absorbing the information, his gaze dropping once again to the scattering of books on the table. "So, if what I'm reading here is true, the same Goa'uld has been raiding these people for hundreds of years?"
"Well, we do know that some of them are hundreds of years old. With the sarcophagus, and a steady supply of new hosts, we don't know how long one actually could live, under the right conditions." Sam's eyes were bright with excitement. "Certainly hundreds of years, maybe even thousands. Who knows?"
"So this one, whoever he is, returns every 40 years, harvests a new crop of hosts for himself or to barter to other Goa'ulds, and then goes back to wherever it is he comes from?"
Carter nodded in agreement. "That would seem logical. But," she cocked her head as another question occurred to her, "why haven't these people just, well, closed the gate? Or buried it? They seem to be pretty intelligent."
"Ah, actually, Sam, they have. Or they tried. It took them a while to figure out where the glowing eyed ones were coming from," Daniel explained, leafing through one of the old handwritten books. "And then they tried to block the gate, but used only dirt and small rocks. They had no way to test it, because there's so many years between activations. And, of course, a simple earthen barrier won't stop a connection. It gets vaporized by the plasma jet when the gate's activated. The people thought it was magic. They were afraid to try again. Many years later, they attempted to leave guards. They were all killed, again probably vaporized if they were lucky, taken as hosts if they weren't," Jackson explained with a shudder. "Either way, their attempts to block the gate didn't work. It held more 'magic' than they had the ability to overcome."
"So where did the Knight come from?" Sam asked.
"I haven't found that out yet," Daniel waved a hand around the room. "There are so many books. Some are so old the writings have grown faint, others were damaged when the castle was destroyed hundreds of years ago. The answer is in here, somewhere, but I don't know where." He pulled the glasses from his face, pinching his nose between two fingers, his eyes already tired from squinting at the tiny, faint writings on hundreds of pages. "So what do *you* think?"
"The people believe it's magic."
"Well, I know you don't buy that."
"No, I don't. But I don't have a theory. Yet. I'll find an answer," Carter promised. "If we have enough time."

The morning's training session was over. Jack O'Neill had spent three hours swinging the mighty silver sword, and he'd found the workout refreshing. Hell, he'd taken on every one of the knights of the guard, defeated all of them, and he *still* wasn't tired. He knew that should worry him, and yet, he pushed aside the strange thought. He was ravenously hungry, however, all that exercise giving him a huge appetite, so he found his way to the kitchen and charmed the cook out of the makings of a super sized sandwich. He wolfed down the concoction of bread, cheese and sliced pork, washing it down with half a pitcher of cold milk.
After lunch, he spent several hours with the king, going over the list of stores to be sure the fortress held adequate supplies of food for the people, fodder for the horses and cows, and weapons for the warriors. A spring beneath the castle provided a steady supply of fresh water. The walls of the castle were thick and sturdy. Ferretti's team was working with local stone masons to repair one area that might be weak, but otherwise, the defenses were ready. The king and Kevan had even planned a serious of barriers or breastworks along the valley floor to slow the invaders.
"You've planned well, Sir," O'Neill told the king as they concluded their meeting.
"Thank you, Protector. My people have, sadly, had much practice in preparing for battle." Alwin waved the Colonel to the door. "Now, I believe Kevan is waiting. He wishes to take you riding before supper."

The stables were tucked up against one side of the castle wall near the gate. Kevan stood waiting, holding the reins of a tall, sturdy, roan warhorse. O'Neill looked around, wondering where his mount was, figuring perhaps a page was going to bring him a horse. However, when the Colonel approached, the Captain of the guard handed the reins of his horse to a stable boy, and walked towards O'Neill.
"We must get your steed, Sir Colonel," Kevan explained, turning toward the Great Hall.
"What, you keep some horses in there?" Jack asked in astonishment.
"Only one, my lo--, Colonel," the native answered cryptically, leading the way through the large banquet room and into the Knights Hall. Kevan turned expectantly to O'Neill. "Claim your steed, Sir."
"Ah, I don't see any horses..." Jack looked around in confusion, and then understood. He didn't know where the knowledge came from, only that he suddenly knew exactly what he needed to do. He walked to the center of the hall, to the spot where the Silver Knight's horse stood. The horse no longer bore its rider, the armor and the statue of the knight removed now from its back, but the saddle, bridle and trappings were all still in place.
Without hesitation, O'Neill stepped up onto the stone platform next to the mighty beast and raised his hand to stroke the underside of the horse's jaw. The form, surprisingly, began to warm, like real flesh. "It's time to awaken, mighty Eagle. The Silver Knight calls," he whispered into the horse's ear.
He saw a tiny shiver waver through what he had thought was a statue of a horse, a small shudder. As he watched in astonishment, the two raised feet sank slowly to land upon the platform with the ringing sound of steel shod hooves striking stone. The great brown eyes blinked, and slowly the head turned, as if the animal was appraising him. A silken soft muzzle reached out to touch his outstretched hand, the mighty creature blowing a gentle breath across O'Neill's skin, drawing in a great lungful of air as if inhaling the scent of its master. With a whicker of recognition, the velvet muzzle dropped again to nuzzle the Colonel's hand.
"He knows his master," said Kevan softly from across the room, a smile lighting his face. "I did not think to ever see this in my lifetime, to see the great horse come to life. I thought it was only a tale told to entertain children. The Silver Knight himself comes but rarely, and not all can awaken the great horse."
O'Neill stepped off the platform, the huge horse following meekly behind him like an oversized dog, Jack thought with a smile. Each step of the steel shod hooves rang across the stone floor as the animal paced majestically beside its master, out of the Knights Hall, through the banquet room, and out into the courtyard.
The castle and its hundreds of inhabitants were silent as they watched the scene, disbelieving. At the sound of the ringing hoof beats, everyone had left his or her work, from the king himself to the knights, the blacksmiths, the stable boys, even the cooks. No one here had ever before seen the great horse come to life.
Oblivious to the watching throng, O'Neill walked back toward the stable and waited while Kevan reclaimed his own mount. With the lithe grace of someone who rode everyday, the Colonel jumped up into the stirrup and swung aboard the mighty warhorse. Only then did he look around and see the silent gathering, watching. "Nice horse," he commented with a smile, and lifted the reins, cantering out through the gate, over the moat and into the village.
O'Neill and the guard Captain spent the remainder of the afternoon and the early evening reconnoitering the approaches to the castle, the village streets, the roads leading to the village, and especially, the road from the Stargate to the village, the route the attackers would follow. The Colonel stopped often to assess the terrain, to consider how best to use the natural landscape to aid in defending Monschau, and to gain an understanding of this area that would all too soon become a battlefield.

In mid-afternoon, a courier entered the main hall of the castle. Spotting the unusual clothing of the alien healers, the young man jogged across the hall, and saluted a small woman dressed in green cloth. "I have a message for the Healer, Doctor Fraiser," he stated with a bow.
"That would be me, soldier," Janet told him.
The young man handed her a package, saluted and left again.
Janet took the packet and headed back to the makeshift hospital ward she and her staff had spent the day preparing. With the help of a contingent of local women, they had set up beds and rolled bandages, and well, truthfully, not much else, other than arranging the few supplies she'd been able to bring with her, and a second shipment of medicines that had come through the gate in mid-morning. She'd sent the Colonel's test results and blood and tissue samples back through the gate for analysis then, too, and this should be the results.
Opening the folder, the doctor read through the results once, and then again. Normal, all normal, except for a moderate elevation in O'Neill's adrenaline levels. These were the most routine test results she could expect, even under optimal conditions. Baffled, Fraiser read the report once more, hoping there was something she'd missed, but she found nothing.

An hour before supper, SG-1 minus its CO, SG-2 and Dr. Fraiser gathered for a meeting in the Knights Hall.
"Where's the Colonel?" Ferretti asked.
"He's still riding, with Kevan, inspecting the defenses I guess," Carter explained.
"Riding? I didn't know the Colonel liked horses."
Carter shrugged. "Well, that one liked him," she pointed at the empty platform.
Ferretti stared. "But, but wasn't that a statue?"
"I guess not," Dr. Jackson interjected.
"So the Colonel's out riding that fancy horse?"
"Yup," Daniel added. "Didn't you see him go? I thought everyone in the whole castle was there to watch."
"No. My team and I along with Teal'c spent the day helping repair that weak spot in the castle wall, along the riverbank," Ferretti explained. "Damn dirty job. But we got things shored up, thanks to Menzen, here. Pretty good engineer for a geologist."
Capt. Menzen shrugged. "Changed my major halfway through college, Sir. And stone is stone, even here. I think the repairs should hold."
"Good, I'm sure the Colonel will be pleased to hear it," Carter seemed uncertain.
Ferretti looked around at the SG personnel. "So, what did we learn today people? Dr. Fraiser?"
Janet reported on her efforts to set up the infirmary; Daniel briefed the others on what he'd read of the history of Monschau; and Carter informed the team of her findings on the planets' odd orbit and why the gate worked only sporadically during the 40 year long Monschau 'year.'
"I discovered something else, today, too," she added. "Unlike the medieval armor of Earth, the weapons here are extremely lightweight. They're a mixture of trinium and a local ore I've never seen before. The bottom line is, knights here aren't helpless off their horses. It's incredible. There could be hundreds of uses for this in our own weapons and technology."
"What about the story you heard, Major, that the Goa'uld power weapons don't work here?" Ferretti inquired.
"I haven't got an answer to that, yet, Sir, but I sensed an unusual amount of naquadah around the gate." Carter turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, is it possible that there could be a device on or around the gate that would somehow damage or deplete naquadah powered weapons?"
"That is possible, MajorCarter. Remember, in the cave on Cimmeria, my weapon would not work."
"Because of Thor's Hammer!! Right." Carter's brain was already whirling with ideas.
"Is this an Asgard protected planet, then?" Lou asked.
"It might be. I'll keep working on this, Sir," Carter promised Ferretti.

O'Neill and Kevan returned to the castle as dusk was descending over the hills to the west, the sunset painting the sky in vivid bands of orange and gold. The Colonel led his mount into the stable himself, seeing to it that the extraordinary horse had a large and comfortable stall and was offered the finest hay and grain. Only after Eagle's needs were seen to did O'Neill leave the stable.
They were too late for supper, the others having already eaten, but once again, feeling intense hunger as if he'd eaten nothing all day, the Colonel charmed the cooks into providing him with a large plate of leftovers from the evening meal. He devoured them like a starving man.
That's where Major Carter found him, sitting alone at one of the long tables in the banquet hall. "Hello, Sir."
"Hey, Carter. How was your day?" he asked brightly between mouthfuls of warm bread slathered in butter.
"Ah, fine, Sir. And yours?"
"Rather extra-ordinary, really," he smirked. "A little sword fighting, a little horseback riding..."
"I didn't know you were expert in either of those, Sir."
A strange look crossed his face, then disappeared so quickly Carter wasn't sure she'd really seen it. "Ah, neither did I, in fact," Jack chewed diligently on another huge bite of bread and cheese.
"I was watching the knights, when you were training with them. You're very good, Colonel. Sir, where *did* you learn to handle a sword?"
Again, the slightly puzzled frown flitted across the lips, then was gone. "Don't know, Carter. Does it matter? I just know what I know. Picked it up somewhere along the way, I imagine..."
"Sir..."
"Major, look, I've had enough of worried frowns and furtive glances for one day between you, Fraiser, Ferretti, even Daniel. You look at me like you don't even know me."
"I'm not sure we do, Sir."
"And what does that mean?" he glared.
"It means that none of us are sure what that thing has done to you!" she answered, pointing to the silver chain across his chest.
"It's done nothing," he answered softly.
"Sir, that thing is exerting some kind of influence over you, the swords, the horse, it's bizarre, Sir. We'd like you to go home with us..."
"Doctor Fraiser cleared me."
"No, Sir, she didn't," Carter insisted. "She checked you out, as much as she could here, but her tests aren't complete. And while your test results were nearly normal, Colonel, quite frankly you ought to be freaking out over that piece of alien technology imbedded in your chest," she finished with a shiver.
"It's not alien technology, Carter, it's just a symbol."
"Sir, I know better, and so do you." Sam stood, casting one last worried glance back at O'Neill, and left.
Jack stared after her for long moments, thinking. He knew this whole thing was odd, knew he was doing things he shouldn't by all rights be doing, knew that he somehow knew things he couldn't possibly know, and yet, he also knew, deep inside, that what he was doing was right. He was protecting these people. He was a warrior, a military man; he'd had spent his whole life preparing for this test. He would not fail these people. They were counting on him.

Carter hurried through the maze of hallways to the guest quarters, knocking on the door to SG-2's suite. "Major Ferretti?" she called impatiently.
He opened the door and waved her in. SG-2, Teal'c, Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Jackson were sitting on cushions scattered around the large room. "What did you find out, Carter?"
She slumped against the wall, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "He wouldn't listen to reason. It's like he's there, but he's not really *there*. He's ignoring the obvious. Like with Kinthia, back on Argos."
"Maybe the necklace is drugging him somehow?" Daniel looked over at Janet.
"If it is, it didn't show up on any of the tests," the doctor answered "The only anomaly I found was a moderate elevation in his adrenaline levels. Even that could be considered normal under the stressful conditions here, preparing for battle against the Goa'uld."
Ferretti looked around the room at the worried faces of SG-1, and took a deep breath. "General Hammond authorized me to take command if the Colonel refused to follow his orders to return to the SGC. I'd guess the time has come."
"So what are we going to do, Major?" Carter wanted to know.
"We forcibly take him home."
"How?" Teal'c's voice was as solemn as ever. "O'Neill will not go willingly, nor will these people allow us to take him away."
Ferretti looked around the room, making eye contact with each of the worried faces. "We'll move tonight. Doctor, you'll have to sedate him. We carry him to the gate and take him home."
"There are Monschau guards stationed at the Stargate," Teal'c reminded.
"Watching for incoming travelers. I don't think they'll try to stop us, as long as we don't let them see it's the Colonel with us." Ferretti once again glanced at each worried face. "We'll get the Colonel home and straighten out this mess. We go at 0100. Meet here."

At 0100 the SG-team members reassembled in SG-2's quarters. Ferretti quietly explained his plan. "Carter, Teal'c, Delgado, you're with me and the Doc. The rest of you wait for us at the castle gate, by the moat. We grab the Colonel, meet you there, and hike it for the Stargate. Keep quiet. If these folks find out we're kidnapping their hero, we're in trouble. Got it?"
Heads nodded. The two groups silently left their quarters, separating in the hallway.
Ferretti's team slipped down the hall toward O'Neill's quarters. With dismay, Lou saw light under the door. Shrugging, making a finger in front of his lips shssing motion at the others, he tapped softly on the door. "Colonel?" he whispered.
The door opened, O'Neill peering out. "Ferretti?" he said quietly. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."
Ferretti covered his surprise. "I, ah, saw your light. Wondered why you were still up, if you needed some help, Sir."
"No, Lou. Just couldn't sleep. Working on things," he answered, turning back into the room, waving a hand at the table littered with plans, drawings of the roads, village streets, and castle defenses. "I've got a lot to do."
Ferretti followed him into the room, Fraiser on his heels. Just as she reached forward, needle in hand, O'Neill caught the flicker of motion and started to turn. The doctor jabbed the needle into the Colonel's shoulder, quickly injecting the sedative.
"What the hell?" His eyes glared angrily at her, then rolled up in his head, and he slid toward the floor, Teal'c's quick hands saving O'Neill from hitting hard.
The men nodded silently at one another, Teal'c and Lt. Delgado hefting the Colonel's unconscious body, following Carter out the door and down the hallway. Quickly, they were out of the living quarters, moving to the castle gate through the quiet, cloaking darkness. The rest of the teammates were waiting, and they all moved quickly away from the castle, through the town and toward the gate.
They traveled for hours through the darkness, meeting no one, their optimism growing by the minute. O'Neill had not yet been missed in the castle. Their plan was working, Ferretti thought with sudden optimism.
Approaching the gate at last, Ferretti called a halt to check on the whereabouts of the guards. Teal'c and Delgado set the Colonel's limp body down on the grass beside the road. Hastily, Doc pulled out her stethoscope and checked O'Neill, nodding.
"Everything okay, Doc?" Ferretti asked.
"He's fine. But I had to give him a pretty big dose of sedatives to be sure he'd go down, and in a hurry. I just needed to reassure myself. He should be out for three or four more hours at least." Fraiser stood, tucking the stethoscope back into her pocket. "We can go on anytime, Major," she turned back to Ferretti.
"There are just four guards at the gate, MajorFerretti," Teal'c reported.
"Good, we'll just walk..." Ferretti started.
In that instant, O'Neill was on his feet, backing away from the others. "What the hell were you doing?" he shouted. "Drugging me?"
Fraiser was stunned. There was no way the Colonel should be awake, much less on his feet, considering the dose of sedatives he'd been given. "Colonel..." she took a step towards him, still stunned over his sudden revival. He must have been faking it, pretending he was still unconscious, waiting for a chance to make his break. But he *shouldn't* have been awake. No way, not with the hefty dose of medicines she'd injected. "Sir, please..."
"Doc, stay back." There was warning in his rough voice.
"Colonel, Sir, this is for your own good," Carter tried to explain, hoping to keep O'Neill talking long enough that the others could encircle him.
"Drugging me is supposed to help me?"
"Jack, you are not yourself," Daniel soothed.
"I sure the hell am."
"No, Sir," Ferretti stated.
"Back off, Lou," the Colonel ordered. Raising his voice, he shouted, "Guards? Over here!"
Just as the guards turned to respond to O'Neill's call, something else happened.
With the clank of metal on metal, the inner ring of the gate began to move.
A single chevron locked, and glowed amber in the darkness.
O'Neill and the SG-team members all stopped, staring at the gate.
The Colonel turned to Teal'c. "Was anyone from the SGC coming?"
"No, O'Neill, GeneralHammond would allow no one else to come here until we had ascertained your status and whether there was danger to others. He would send no one, even if we were to fail to return."
"Damn, then, that means they're here!" the Colonel cursed. "Guard!"
One of the gate guards raced up to O'Neill and saluted.
"Sound the alarm," the Colonel ordered. "Awaken the knights. The NightSpirits are coming."
The wailing tone of a horn sounded, echoing down the valley. Within seconds, the watch fire atop the first hill flared into life, and seconds later, before the gate had even stopped dialing, the second erupted into orange flame, and then the third as well.
"The signal has been sent, Sir Knight. The guard will come."
O'Neill looked around in dismay. "How long, soldier?"
"We had not anticipated their arrival so soon," the man stammered. "It will take an hour for the first defenders to arrive."
"Well, your first defenders are already here." O'Neill looked around, picked the youngest of the gate guards. "You, son, back to the village as fast as you can. Be sure the word is spread. Evacuate the village into the castle. Be sure the defenders follow my plan. I'll keep my team here as the rear guard. Tell Kevan to hurry." The Colonel patted the young man on the back, watching as he raced for the horses, leaped aboard, and galloped away toward the town.
"Sir..." Carter started.
"Not now, Carter. We've got a war to fight." Jack looked over his small band of defenders. "Daniel, take Doc and get back to the castle..."
"But.."
"No buts. She'll be needed there. There will be casualties. Go. Now. That's an order." Turning away from the civilian and the doctor, he added, "SG-2, Teal'c, Carter, we set up a skirmish line here. We may have an initial advantage, they won't be expecting modern weapons fire. Guards," the three remaining guardsmen had retrieved their bows, "join the line." He watched, making sure everyone was in position.
"No one fires until I do," he warned.

The gate kawooshed, a loud noise in the quiet darkness of the woods. O'Neill fervently wished for a pair of night goggles to help him see, but with his eyes adjusted to the darkness, aided by the small light of a crescent moon, he could actually see more than he expected.
For long seconds nothing happened. Jack could hear the harsh breathing of the men and woman clustered behind the stone wall the defenders had erected weeks ago in the shadow of the trees. O'Neill heard shuffling feet, a quiet cough, then something was pressed into his hand. A gun, Ferretti's 9mm, was there on his palm, and his vest, the pockets stuffed with ammo. Shit, he hadn't even remembered he was unarmed.
The silence lengthened, and then something came through the gate.
Something not human.
In the darkness a hundred yards behind them, the guards' horses snorted in fear at the unfamiliar smell.
Even the humans could pick up the scent, something stale, something that smelled musty, damp and old, like death and dying.
The gate rippled again, and another 'thing' stepped through. Short, dark, a moving lump of coal black the size of a large dog. Then something taller, erect, human or at least human-like, a Jaffa possibly, armor glinting in the faint light.
The defenders held their breath, afraid any sound would betray them.
The Jaffa said something in deep, guttural tones, and then the dark creatures at his feet emitted something like a cross between a howl and a shriek and surged forward.
One of the bowmen fired, impaling one of the black lump things with an accurately aimed arrow. The creature emitted a high pitched wailing shriek, echoed by the others, more coming through the gate now in a steady stream, dozens of them, until the air was nearly unbreathable with the smell and their high pitched chatter assaulted the ears.
Once again, they surged forward. O'Neill held his fire another long moment, but more and more of the grotesque creatures marched from the gate. He aimed at one of the dark lumps and fired. It crumpled, a half dozen or more appendages flailing madly as it howled. A volley of shots echoed his. The charge faltered, retreated, then surged forward. "Keep firing!" he ordered, as the valley reverberated to the sound of gunfire and shrieking, dying alien creatures.

Janet Fraiser stopped at the sound of gunfire behind them. Pausing, hands on knees, bent over at the waist to draw in breath, she felt her heart hammer.
"Oh, damn," said Daniel in the darkness beside her, turning to look back at the way they'd come, wishing he was back there to help. His teammates, his friends, were back there facing whatever those things were. He'd seen drawings in some of the books in the musty old library, but he hadn't been sure if the crude pictures had been true to life depictions of some terrifying unknown beasts, or simply fanciful depictions of the hellish natures of the creatures. Either way, he was worried about his friends. He felt for the pistol he carried, checking to be sure it was there, and loaded, an instinctive movement that Jack had drilled into his head.
The gunfire continued at a steady, controlled pace. No panic. None of them would, they were all good soldiers, experienced, and Jack was there to lead them. Even if he wasn't quite acting like himself, there was no one who would be calmer, steadier.
"Come on, Janet, we better move," Daniel said after a couple of minutes.
Fraiser cast one last worried glance behind her, then hurried up the road after Jackson.

They didn't stop coming.
Wave after wave of the otherworldly dog-like creatures tumbled out of the Stargate. They reminded O'Neill of the replicators, except these weren't mechanical horrors, they were grotesque biological ones, like dogs crossbred with gargoyles, something straight out of some horror movie.
The invaders didn't seem to be reacting to the unexpected resistance. Maybe they weren't so unexpected then, Jack thought, keeping a watchful eye on his small band of defenders.
The bowmen were running out of arrows. He tapped the first on the shoulder. "Retreat to the next barrier. We'll join you there," he ordered, and the man accepted gratefully, taking the other guards with him.
Now it was only the seven from Earth, firing in a steady, unhurried rhythm, keeping the creatures at bay.
Jack checked his watch, the faintly luminous dial bright in the darkness. Twenty minutes? That was all? It would be a long time before reinforcements arrived, too long at this rate. He didn't want to give up this first line of defense, but knew he had to retreat in order to save his small band of defenders.
"Pull back, to the next barrier, back at the curve in the road," he told them, making sure each knew their destination. They worked an orderly retreat, pulling back in stages, covering each other until they safely reached the next set of breastworks, crouching behind the stacked logs on either side of the road.
"Lou?" O'Neill asked SG-2's leader.
"Ammo will be a problem in a bit, Sir. I'm down by half."
"Damn," O'Neill cursed. "Carter?"
"Same here, Sir."
"Conserve what you can, then. Short bursts or single fire only. We need to hold them off as long as we can," the Colonel ordered.
The gate was still spewing aliens. There were more Jaffa emerging now, too, joining the attack wave. Shit, this was not good, Jack mused. While a single, well aimed bullet could kill one of the small creatures, a lone bullet rarely stopped an armored Jaffa. These were coming through in full battle gear, helmets included, most carrying swords, some toting odd, sharp tipped staff weapons that didn't fire, but were used like pikes. Multiple bursts of gunfire were needed to take down each one of the Jaffa.
"Sir, they're flanking us!" shouted SG-2's Lt. Delgado.
O'Neill didn't want to issue this order, either, but again, he knew he had to. This was just a delaying skirmish, not a full blown battle. The goal was to slow the enemy until reinforcements arrived. Choking back his dislike for another retreat, but knowing it was necessary, he again called for a withdrawal. "Okay, then, retreat, half-mile, back to the creek. Go! Go!"
Another orderly retreat, another half mile of ground lost already. O'Neill swore, but could do nothing to stop the alien horde.
However, this time, at this bulwark, there was good news. Within moments of reaching the barriers at the stream O'Neill heard, above the sounds of battle, the distinctive rumble of a multitude of shod hooves. Kevan and his knights had arrived, a hundred veteran soldiers.
"Hold your fire," O'Neill shouted as the knights thundered past his exhausted team, charging into the terrifying throng of aliens and Jaffa. Swords lifted and swung, reflecting the moonlight. Warhorses reared and kicked, crushing the enemy. Even without the gunfire, the sound was deafening-- the shrieking, howling aliens; the shouts of the knights; the whinnying horses; and the clatter of steel striking steel.
One of the pages galloped up to Jack, handing him the Silver Knight's sword and shield and the reins of the grey stallion. His weariness suddenly gone, O'Neill threw himself into Eagle's saddle, sword in one hand, shield in the other, and joined the knights in the midst of the wild melee. He knew what to do. Guiding the warhorse with knee pressure, he attacked a Jaffa, one mighty swipe of the sword cutting through armor and nearly severing the alien's head. Jack jerked the weapon free and went after another and another.
Pausing to wipe the sweat on his forehead that threatened to trickle down and block his vision, he spotted a cluster of aliens that had pulled a knight from his horse. With a cry of rage he pushed Eagle into the throng of creatures, slashing alien flesh with every sweep of the steel blade. One of the gargoyle/dog thingies leaped onto his horse's back, but O'Neill crushed its skull with a swat of the shield. He fought his way forward to the other knight, dropping his shield to reach down and pull the guard up onto the safety of Eagle's broad back.
Jack suddenly realized he could see better now. Dawn was beginning to color the sky to the east, pale streaks of light that illuminated the road where the guard's fierce charge was pushing back the enemy. The aliens were retreating, the knights following them, advancing as far as the next set of breastworks, the line of downed trees where SG-1 and SG-2 had been unable to hold them a half-mile from the gate.
There, Kevan called a halt, pulling his men in behind the defenses, then turning to O'Neill with a triumphant grin. "We've stopped them, Sir!"
"For now," O'Neill answered grimly. "They will be back, and more. But for now, we have held our own." He let a small smile soften his face as he raised his voice to address the warriors. "Good work, guardsmen," the Colonel praised them. "You have shown your courage and dedication. We have won our first victory, but we will need many more to win this war." Extending a hand to the knight who rode behind him, O'Neill helped the wounded man down to the ground. Reinforcements had arrived now, more knights and bowmen and medical personnel. All around them, the tired fighters were dismounting from horses that had run themselves to near exhaustion to reach the battle in time.
Looking out of place amid the throng of natives, Ferretti and the other SG team members stood watching O'Neill and the guards. The Major pushed his cap well back on his forehead. "Well, boys and girls, we've just landed ourselves smack dab in the middle of a war."

Daniel and Janet reached the castle early in the morning. They were stunned by the activities they found there. The action was hasty but not frantic; things were moving rapidly in an orderly fashion that amazed the visitors from Earth. There was a slow but steadily moving line of women and children hiking from the town up towards the hill, aided by a group of soldiers, their destination being the safe surroundings of the fierce castle walls. A team of sturdy horses pulled a wagon carrying the elderly and any villagers unable to walk. Once inside, another group awaited them and made sure everyone found a place to stay while at the same time ensuring that the villagers wouldn't be in the way of the warriors responsible for defending the immense structure.
Another line of transportation was set up with the purpose of moving vital supplies of food, blankets, and other necessities from the town to the castle. Huge bags of flour, containers of cooking oil, wooden boxes filled to overflowing with vegetables, tools, blankets, small chairs, cooking pots and dozens of other items were being handed from one person to the next, the human chain effectively moving the heavy containers upwards to the safety of the castle.
As Daniel and Janet finally reached the castle walls, they found the king awaiting them.
"Come," Alwin motioned. "The local healers need you, Dr. Fraiser." He pointed her in the direction of the primitive medical outpost. "And you, Dr. Jackson, I have something to show you that I think you will find of great interest." The king then guided Daniel back inside the main castle.
They headed straight to the Knights Hall. Even though Daniel had been in the room since the disappearance of the statue of the Silver Knight and his horse, he was still shocked by the emptiness of the platform where the statue once had stood, dominating the room.
"Come," the king rushed him, as the archaeologist held back for a brief second.
Jackson stepped forward. The black stone with silver handwriting etched into it was the only thing remaining. Daniel frowned when he read the verse, realizing it had somehow changed.

~~~~
Prepare thyself, my people
Salvation is finally here
The Silver Knight has come to us
And will free us from our fear
~~~
The Silver Knight is leading us
That is why he has come
Follow him and fight with him
The battle has begun
~~~
Evil comes in its true form
Dark creatures of the night
To challenge us and challenge him
Is he our one true Knight?
~~~
Hopeless as it might become
Good always defeats the bad
The Silver Knight will find the path
Or so the foretell said
~~~
Glowing eyes of hate
Enclosed by beams of white
Can be defeated by no-one
Except the Silver Knight
~~~~

"What is that?" Daniel required, lost in his thoughts.
"We've never seen this, Sir Daniel," King Alwin confessed. "It was suddenly there."
"It's like it's following the events of the battle. Like a game or something?" Daniel asked, amazed by the inscription's sudden appearance. Sort of like those Goa'uld page changing devices, he realized suddenly, the ones they'd found in Mac hello's horde of wonders. Turning his thoughts back to the wording, the scholar muttered the words aloud. "Dark creatures of the night... that would be what you call the NightSpirits, right?" He looked briefly over his shoulder, taking in the king's nods of agreement.
"Hopeless as it might become... uh, oh," sighed the linguist. "That doesn't sound reassuring."
"Good always defeats bad," Alwin pointed out.
"Well, yeah. But will it in this case?" Daniel scratched his head, thinking. "It says something of a path, do you have any idea what that means?"
"No," the king responded briefly.
"Glowing eyes, gee, that one I know." A shiver crawled over Daniel's spine, all the way up to his neck.
"You know of the Goa'uld? You have met them?" the king demanded.
"Oh yeah. The Goa'uld," Daniel mumbled. "We've encountered a few of them on other planets. A little too closely. You don't want to get to know them personally, Sir, believe me. They *are* as nasty as the legends say." Daniel again studied the inscription. "Beams of white... could that be their energy fields? I thought Kevan said stuff like that didn't work on this planet..."
"The Silver Knight will find a way," the king said positively. "I know he will. It is his destiny."
"Mom," mumbled Daniel. "We've defeated Goa'ulds before, although they're extremely hard to kill. I think I will go back to the library, see if I can come up with anything helpful from the ancient records."
"You do that, Sir Daniel. We shall need everyone's assistance in this battle." With that, the king marched out of the room, leaving Daniel to work in silence.

With the first signs of sunrise, the flow of alien creatures and their Jaffa masters suddenly ceased pouring out of the gate. An eerie silence fell, the alien monstrosities going quiet. Just moments later the wormhole shut down abruptly. The bunches of creatures still alive after the long night of battle retreated until they were surrounding the gate, guarded by the remaining Jaffa.
O'Neill was lying flat on his stomach on a small hill close to the human's first line of defense. With his binoculars, he methodically surveyed the enemy forces arrayed across the wide valley leading to the enormous naquada ring.
"Teal'c, do you recognize these guys?" the Colonel asked, waving a hand at the invading Jaffa who were dressed in unfamiliar armor. Their helmets were gargoyle like grotesque images, distorted creatures like the NightSpirits themselves.
"I have not seen such designs before, O'Neill, but I have heard of a Goa'uld Lord who trades in hosts and hideous beasts. His name is Mordred."
Jack swung around to stare intently at the Jaffa. "Mordred?"
"Yes. Do you know of such a Goa'uld, O'Neill?"
"Well, it's more in Daniel's line, but there's an ancient legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table..."
"Yes, I have read of that, and watched the movies as well," Teal'c interjected.
O'Neill had returned to his prone position, eyes once again fixed to the binoculars with which he was studying the alien army. "Yup. It's been a long time since I saw the movie but I think Mordred was the name of the bad guy who defeated good King Arthur."
Teal'c nodded. "I know nothing more of this Mordred than his name."
"That's okay, Teal'c. I know he's a Goa'uld, and that's all I need to know."
Sending Teal'c back to check on the weapons supply, the Colonel and the Monschau Guard Captain continued to study the enemy forces, and plan for the next phase of the battle.
"They will attack again tonight," O'Neill told Kevan, who was lying next to his new leader, observing the same scene.
"Then we will hold them back again," Kevan said confidently.
"At least as long as we can. We need enough time for all the villagers and outlying farmers to evacuate safely," O'Neill said. Rising to his feet and turning, he looked over the campsite behind them. The hundreds of warriors and knights had settled down to rest, healers were treating the injured and volunteers from the village were setting up camp and feeding the tired fighters. Others stood on guard. O'Neill nodded in satisfaction. These men were