Lost and Alone: The Torres Chronicles

1st Chapter: First night...

The Elder kept the small female tucked under his arm while he traveled through the dimly lit halls, of this strange place. Amelia tried not to be grateful, for his, silently offered, assistance. She was exhausted, and his slow pace allowed her to lean against his towering structure for support. The female cling onto the Wraith's leather jacket, until the looming beast finally stopped, in an odd-looking room.

The door closed after they passed through it, leaving two other open thresholds available. It was too dark to see, what was beyond them. The Elder released the female and left her standing, just inside the sparsely decorated room. There was a table, littered with random objects, to her right. The Wraith, however, didn't give her much time, to inspect her new surroundings.

Her newly acquired captor stepped forward, then immediately turned around to visually inspect Amelia's timid form. The girl was looking at the floor like a worshiper. If she was from Earth, she lacked the distinctive fight, all the Atlanteans carried with them.

Sheppard, the only true human ally the Elder Wraith processed. Gave him detailed descriptions of several missing crewman, sometime ago. This girl's distinctive blue eyes matched one of them, perfectly. The Wraith had already decided what to do with her, when he stepped into the room. After he had spent most the evening, silently weighing his available options.

The Elder never intended any of this, he was well known for never taking a human Companion or Concubine. He didn't need to, the old male was a favored mate, among the Queen's. The well-known Wraith came here on a whim, to trade with this reclusive faction. However, when he noticed random bits of Atlantean technology lying about one of the culling table's, he remembered Sheppard's message clearly.

Several weeks ago, possibly months, the Elder wasn't sure of the exact date. The human city contacted Todd the Wraith, asking for his help. Regrettably, the Elder had nothing to give the human's, at that time.

"There is no trace of our missing team, but we think they were culled by Wraith. The attackers didn't leave any witnesses, everyone was taken. We found evidence of Wraith weapon's fire around the village, that's why we think you might be able to help. Whoever took them, has gate knowledge. They manage to erase the logs, so we can't track where they took our people." Sheppard's voice had a way of haunting the Elder thoughts.

This secluded outpost was the first place he thought of looking, for information about the missing humans, and the last place he hoped to find it. Due to the long traumatic history surrounding the Challik mine's, this faction of Wraith was separate from all others. They culled through the Ancestral ring, leaving no evidence of their presence behind. They were disgustingly ritualistic, stupidly possessive and fearlessly ruthless in battle. This human female could easily be a ploy, to undermine the Elder's authority here.

There was something about the female's blue eyes, that caught the Wraiths attention. They didn't fit the battered and filthy form that stood shivering before him. Her appearance and demeanor made her seem more like a lost and frail infant, then fully-grown Worshiper or an overly-energetic Atlantean. This creature wasn't the first dark-haired and blue-eyed human, the Wraith had ever seen. But the pairing was fairly uncommon, to his profound knowledge.

Despite his curiosity the Elder deemed the risk to his life, far too great. Especially, with the scene made during the female's choosing. If his alliance with Atlantis was revealed, even inadvertently, to this faction of Wraith. He had no doubt, they would execute him for treachery, without hesitation.

"L-o-o-k, a-t, m-e." The Wraith requested softly, after they entered his quarter's. "Look at me, h-u-m-a-n." He repeated the request in a firmer tone, when Amelia refused to acknowledge him. "Do you, r-e-c-o-g-n-i-z-e, me?" The whispered words escaped his lip's, without thought, when the human's dim eyes reach out to him, in silent agony.