He curled up as small as he could in the corner, away from the flickering torchlight in the hall. A night fog had rolled in and coated the stone walls with mist and if he’d angled his face right, he would have seen that his breath clouded before him in the cold. Instead he was sweating, his tunic sticking to his chest and back as he rubbed his head against the wall until he belatedly realized what he was doing. He sighed and closed his eyes, pulling his legs up closer, only dully noting the pain from his side as he did so.

He’d been in the corner for hours. Rashid’s men had come in to set down a bowl of stew and a bowl of water, but after drinking the water he couldn’t find room in his empty stomach to hold the food. He’d only been back in his cell a few minutes before he knew that his resistance to his fever was as useless as his resistance to Dannella. There was no use in trying to keep it at bay any longer. He couldn’t fight anymore. He was decaying flesh hinged on bone. He was unworthy of the rank breath that filled his lungs. He didn’t ever want to see Teyla again.

He had betrayed her. He had let her down in so many ways... he fervently hoped that if she had survived the uprising, as Rashid claimed the slaves did, that she would believe him dead. How could she ever meet his gaze? Ronon the Runner who couldn’t flee for help. Ronon the warrior who couldn’t fight alongside her in the rebellion. Ronon the lover who couldn’t be faithful. He dug his fingers into his curls, yanking as he gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear off his own fetid flesh.

He screamed and flung his arm, as if throwing something away from him, whimpering as the cell tilted and rocked as if he were on a ship, causing him to brace himself against the wall as he waited for everything to stop moving. Nothing stopped moving. He shivered, blinking, momentarily distracted by his sense of rolling in the sea until the pitter patter of rain beginning to fall grounded him once more.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the wall, waiting for the spinning to stop. He tried to focus his mind, to overpower the memory of Dannella’s long-nailed fingers digging into his wound. He saw a meadow. He let out a deep breath and the image expanded to include a stream. Then a house on the fringe of the forest, built from rough hewn timber. There was a porch and a henhouse, a stable and a barn in the distance. And barking... barking... what was her name... Sniffer. He smiled a little. Good ole Sniffer. And little Isabeau playing chase with Sanura. Brianna smiling shyly at him while Curtis chuckled, whittling. Liliana smiled warmly, reaching out a hand to pull him into a hug. He reached for her, as well, but couldn’t feel the brush of her fingers. When he opened his eyes he thought he could still see her before him, reaching for him...

“Liliana...” He leaned onto his knees, reaching further, but she faded away and all he saw was his cell door. He looked around, trying to find where she went, his heart beginning to race as he realized she’d never been there at all. She’d called him a slave. Curtis had hurt him. She’d let those men take him away. She knew he was disgusting. She knew.

He clenched his jaw and screeched in an attempt to rid his breast and head of the broiling, itching thoughts that whispered and laughed as they danced just out of reach, teasing him with jabs to the heart. It felt as if a fire were kindled in his skin and spreading from the back of his neck. He was so hot... he had to go underwater. He had to drown.

There was a steady rain outside and some was trickling in from the window, slithering down the wall. Ronon shakily rose, scraping his fingernails against the stones, stumbling towards the water and pressing his lips against the rocks, a wild thirst suddenly awakening as he kissed the wall, trying to drink. The tang of mildew in his mouth reminded him of Dannella’s tongue and he pulled his away from the wall, sliding onto his knees as his legs gave out, pressing his cheek and temple against the cooling trickle. The slime that scraped onto his cheek made him feel clean.

McKay stared at Isabeau and she stared back, mimicking his slouched position with his arms over his chest in the passenger’s chair. She furrowed her brow a little and he narrowed his eyes. “What?”

Her blonde brows rose. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You made a face.”

“I’m bored.”

“Yeah? Well that makes two of us. The last thing I thought I’d be doing on this mission is babysitting. Why’d you have to disobey your parents anyway?”

“I wanted to help Ronon.” She glared. “He’s my best friend. I wanted to sneak out and find him before everyone else did then sneak back and surprise everyone.”

McKay blinked and leaned back. “Well, that’s a very well-thought out plan.”

She smiled a little, wiggling in the seat to get comfortable.

McKay looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he checked to make sure his radio was functioning properly. “That was a joke, you know.”

“What was?”

“What I just said.”

“That wasn’t funny.”

“No, it’s not that kind of humor, it’s called sarcasm – look, just, never mind.”

Bo sighed. “When are they gonna be back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you ask?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because they might be in the middle of something important.”

“But they might not be.”

“Oh for the love of – can’t you just entertain yourself?”

“How about you stay here and I go look for Ronon?”

McKay arched a brow. “How long did it take you to think that one up?”

Isabeau leaned forward. “Pleeease?”

“Absolutely not. You’re a little girl!”

“Momma would let me do it.”

“No, she would not. That’s why she asked me to stay here with you. To make sure you behave this time.”

“No. Col. Sheppard asked me to stay here to watch you.”

“He was joking when he said that.”

Bo studied him for a moment then slowly smirked. McKay warily eyed her smile until he realized that she’d just gotten sarcasm for the first time and he smirked back.

Sheppard, Teyla, Curtis and Liliana stayed together, each couple paired, heading in through the gates to the fight ring. Teyla was looking about for any clue as to where the slaves were kept, wincing as a man in a stall next to her bellowed out his verbal advertisement for placing bets through him. She stepped closer to Sheppard, able to tell by the deepened lines of his expression that this place worried him as much as it did her. They found their way to a quieter corner and Sheppard un-tucked the handheld device from his tunic. Ronon’s signal was coming from below them. “All right,” he whispered. “Let’s split up – try to find a way downstairs.”

Liliana and Curtis nodded. “We’ll meet you back here in a half hour.”

Sheppard inclined his head. “Right.”

Curtis and Liliana departed in one direction and Sheppard and Teyla in another. Teyla couldn’t keep her eyes from scanning the face of every man they passed, channeling her focus into her vision to quickly discriminate each passerby. She then noticed a set of iron gates off to the side. “There.”

Sheppard glanced to them then to his device. “Let’s check it out.”

The two casually strolled over to the gates as the crowd began to trickle down the hall in the opposite direction, towards the stands. They slipped through the gates and down a flight of stairs and Teyla’s heart raced as they ended in a corridor. She quickened her step, heading for the gate at the end of the hall. Sheppard’s voice was quietly excited as he looked to his device again. “He’s right there.”

She yanked open the gates, trotting inside, glancing left and right at the cells, gasping for a moment at the stench of human filth festering underground. The cells on either side of her were empty and her pulse stole her breath as she hurried forward, pausing by each cell with a human being within it. One man was startled by her, another was trying to sleep, another furrowed his brow, one was lying on the floor, another was –

She doubled back, walking slowly as the broad shoulders, narrow waist and brown curls screamed for her to look again. The man was curled up with his back to the cell door, an untouched bowl of stew, crawling with flies lethargic from the rainy weather, sitting next to the door. She grabbed onto the bars of the cell, pressing her forehead against the metal, her heart skipping a beat then hammering painfully as she recognized his long legs. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Ronon...”

Sheppard caught up with her, glancing wildly from his device to the shivering form on the cell’s filthy floor. He blinked, trying to reconcile what was before him with the image in his head of what he’d half-expected: Ronon seemingly waiting for them at the door of his cell.

Teyla swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes and she blinked to clear her vision, strengthening her voice. “Ronon.” He didn’t move. She called louder. “Ronon.”

“He’s breathing,” Sheppard whispered.

Teyla shook her head, a tear escaping. “He is not well. Ronon!”

There was a clank as the door opened and a tall man entered, furrowing his brow at seeing the two. “Hey!”

Sheppard tugged on Teyla’s arm and she jerked it away, refusing to tear her gaze from Ronon.

Sheppard gave her a frustrated glance and turned to face the approaching man with a smile. “How’s it going?”

“What is the meaning of this?” The man brushed past them and peered into the cell to check on his stock before looking back to them. “You are not supposed to be down here.”

“Oh, sorry... we’re new around here...” Sheppard held out his hand while Teyla turned her face to wipe at her tears. “John Sheppard.”

The tall man eyed him beneath a furrowed brow then looked to his hand.

Sheppard smiled crookedly and half-shrugged before pulling his hand back. “Just a custom of ours.”

“I am Rashid. You are trespassing on my property.”

Sheppard’s brows shot up. “Oh, you’re Rashid.” He glanced over his shoulder at Teyla. “Honey, we found him.”

Teyla turned back to them, smiling briefly.

Rashid studied the two with narrowed eyes.

“You’re a tough man to track down,” Sheppard continued the charade. “But I hear you’re the best.”

Rashid sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sheppard bit his lip. “We’re in the market for some fighters.”

“I see.”

“I’ll pay you big money for this one.” Sheppard gestured to Ronon.

Rashid followed his gaze then narrowed his eyes. “That one is my prize fighter. He is not for sale.”

“Well, that’s why we want him. We... saw him fight a little while ago.”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot help you.” Rashid glanced over his shoulder as the gate opened again and Dannella entered, striding over to her husband. He held out his hand and she took his, stopping by his side.

“Well, we’d be doing you a favor,” Sheppard continued, gesturing to Ronon. “He looks like he’s on his deathbed. No big loss for you.”

“He is sick,” Rashid replied, enunciating. “My physician neglected to inform me of his condition. He shall rest for several days to regain his strength.”

Teyla bit her lip as she studied Ronon once more while the men talked and tears began to pool in her eyes again. She blinked fiercely, fighting them away before they fell, then looked back over to the others only to notice the other woman studying her intently with her kohl-lined eyes. Teyla’s brows twitched together and the other woman gave her a teasing smirk, glancing to Ronon then back to Teyla before returning her attention to her husband and Sheppard. Teyla’s spine straightened.

“You are not familiar to me,” Rashid was saying. “You own a fight ring?”

“Yeah...”

“What is it called?”

“It’s... called... Barnum & Bailey’s... Greatest Show on Earth.”

Rashid narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Sheppard grimaced. “Like I said, we’re not from around here.”

“So I see.” Rashid studied him for a few moments longer then shook his head a little. “I am sorry, but he is not for sale. Perhaps after the show I could interest you in some of my other stock?”

“Yeah,” Sheppard sighed with a nod. “I’d appreciate that.”

Rashid grinned. “Excellent.” He held out his elbow and Dannella wrapped her arm around it. “Please, let us escort you out.”

Sheppard reluctantly nodded and held out his arm for Teyla, who hesitated before stepping away from the cell. Rashid and Dannella had turned their backs to them and were headed for the metal gate as Teyla reached behind her back for her pistol. Sheppard noticed her movement and stilled her, jerking his head at a contingent of what looked to be guards approaching from the other end to ready the fighters. She scowled but did as he silently asked.

“Lord Rashid!”

Rashid turned to look over his shoulder and smiled, slipping past Sheppard and Teyla. He looked to Sheppard as he passed. “Please, continue. I will see you after the fight.”

Sheppard reluctantly nodded, continuing with Teyla. Dannella walked past them to catch up with her husband.

Teyla leaned close to Sheppard once they were back upstairs. “We cannot just leave him there.”

“We’re not going to.”

She looked over her shoulder at the stairs then back to Sheppard, her nostrils flaring with frustration. “I have come so far – ”

“I know.” He sighed, glancing about for the Espens. “They’ll be distracted during the fight. We’ll get him out then.”

“How?”

“I’m working on it.” He noticed Liliana and walked over, Teyla reluctantly trailing behind, stepping further away from Ronon.

Branded Heart

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