They didn't move their camp far, just far enough to take advantage of some favourable grazing areas and some birch woodlands for making bows and arrows more easily. Sam was now a pro at yurt assembly and they had it up quickly, which was good because there was a wintry storm sweeping in again. The heavy flakes of snow had started to fall from the sky as Sam and Yeorle stamped the last of the pegs into the ground and they hurried into the shelter. Sam blew onto her hands and shook some circulation back into them before helping Yeorle and Chotaic to light the sheep dung fire that would banish the chill from the air in the yurt.

Before long the boys were drifting back in as if attracted by the smell of dinner and chattering about their exploits. Sam was pouring the tea when there was a knock at the door of the yurt. Tachiun ran to open it and an embarrassed looking Kartuic stepped in with his Father.

Sam welcomed them into her yurt and poured tea for them as well. Kartuic's father flinched at her doing a woman's job, but Sam ignored him.

'What can I help you with?' Sam asked.

'Kartuic is interested in courting your daughter,' his Father said, straight to the point.

Sam nodded, 'What is the process of courting anyway?'

'They would be betrothed for a season and then they will marry.'

Sam nodded, 'I agree to the betrothal. Though I'd like a word with Kartuic first, if you don't mind?'

Kartuic's father looked unhappy with this, but he did leave the yurt. Sam beckoned to Kartuic and stepped to the side of the yurt.

'Do you want to marry my daughter?'

He nodded earnestly.

Sam fixed him with a look, 'You must swear to me that you will never raise a hand to her.'

Kartuic looked confused.

'Chotaic will not be beaten by your hand. I will be gone before you are married, but I am powerful. You will not beat your wife, whatever she has done, whatever law she might have broken. There are other ways to resolve disagreements. Understand?'

Kartuic nodded and looked terrified.

'Now get out of here boy,' Sam told him and the young man left. She returned to her dinner.

'Does that meet your approval Chotaic?' Sam asked the girl, who'd kept her head studiously down.

'Yes, except the bit where you threatened him,' Chotaic complained, getting a look from her mother for it.

'No daughter of mine will be beaten,' Sam said simply.

XXXX

The next day Chinua summoned together all the men of the tribe to discuss the events that had occurred before the move. Qadan's nose had swelled since Sam had punched him and it was a lovely purple colour. Sam would have felt triumphant, except she hadn't seen Orbai recently.

Chinua outlined the nature of Sam's dispute again for all to hear. He made it clear that Sam's dispute with Qadan wasn't legitimate, but that they needed to settle Sam's dispute with the tribe first. He asked to speak to certain men around the tribe, older ones mostly, but including the Shaman and the bard.

Sam sat off to the side and fidgeted as the court carried on.

Eventually Chinua stood up to speak.

'I propose changing the laws. We all know the laws that, if broken, would require a woman to be beaten or executed. Those laws will remain unchanged,' he glanced at Sam for a fraction of second. 'However, I am bringing in a new law that makes it forbidden for a man to beat a woman outside of those laws already mentioned. Also a man must also bring his complaint with his wife before the chief before he beats her.'

There was a grumbling around the gathered men, but not much and Sam let out a sigh of relief.

'However, there is still the issue of the challenge. Carter made a challenge against Qadan before this new law existed. That challenge is not upheld. Carter is ordered to pay Qadan six sheep.'

Sam nodded, accepting the verdict and feeling quietly triumphant at the slight progress made. It was worth half a dozen sheep.

XXXX

The storm settled in over the next few days. Sam did her turn supervising the herds with the other men, but by and large most of the tribe remained inside and waited for the worst of the weather to pass.

When it did there was a foot of snow on the ground outside the circle of the camp and it didn't melt. It made travelling far beyond the camp impractical, but there was still plenty to be done nearby.

Sam learned how to select the best branches from the birch trees for bows and arrows. She worked with Tharsar on turning what ore they had to make more armour and arrow heads. She treated other's injuries with the purer airag and, more importantly, Yeorle passed on the advice and slowly the idea of 'disinfecting' crept into the camp's daily practice. She practised and trained with the men, drove wolves from their herds with deadly accurate arrows (Yeorle skinned one of the wolves and used the fur. Sam tried not to watch while she did it, which made the woman laugh) and always watched to the north for the sign that the weather was breaking.

XXXX

Watching the Stargate fail to dial P3X-593 became an increasingly miserable daily ritual for SG1 and this morning was no exception for Jack. He arrived at the briefing room early to watch and found Teal'c already waiting. They exchanged a silent look and the Jack wandered over to the glass as the gate started to dial.

'How're you doing Teal'c?' Jack asked.

'I am well O'Neill. However, I am to brief the team on a phenomenon I know very little about and a planet I know even less about. I think it will be a brief briefing.'

Jack frowned at him, suspecting a pun, but Teal'c's face was as stoic as ever.

'Yeah, we'll be off hunting those invisible birds before we know it,' Jack went on. He watched the sixth chevron lock and waited for the inevitable fail of the seventh one.

It didn't come. The Stargate engaged and Jack didn't need to hear the Technician's delighted voice over the PA; he was already running towards General Hammonds' office.

'General Hammond permission to....' Jack started.

'Yes, yes. Go!' General Hammond ordered him.

Half an hour later they sent the MALP through. It showed forest covered in a thin layer of snow, a very large fallen tree that seemed to have been recently dragged away from the Stargate and most importantly a group of people who appeared to be waiting nearby. They were gathered around a camp fire and one of them waved at the MALP.

An hour later SG1 and SG3, kitted out in all their cold weather gear, stepped through the Stargate to the Mongol world.

SG3 secured the gate, but SG1 made a beeline for the group of Mongols. One of them stepped forward to meet them and waved again as they cross the fifty yards or so from the DHD to them.

'Hi Guys,' Carter said brightly, pulling down the front of her coat and pushing her hat back so that they could see her face. It was impossible not to notice the scarring on it, but it seemed irrelevant compared to the broad grin she was also sporting.

Jack looked around the group of fierce looking men who were in return regarding them carefully without concealing his amusement.

'Sam!' Daniel said with open delight and then faltered slightly, 'It's good to see you.'

'You too.'

'We were worried about you,' Daniel went on.

'I was fine,' Carter said.

'I knew you would be,' Jack said and ignored the looks he got from Daniel, Teal'c and Carter, damn them all. He coughed slightly, 'Ready to go home?'

'Yes Sir, one minute,' She said and walked over to one of the horses. She took a bag and a bow from a horse and handed the reins to a serious looking boy standing holding another horse. After exchanging a few words with him she clapped him solidly on the shoulder and then turned from him to speak briefly to some of the other men in the group.

'Ready, Sir,' she declared eventually, slinging the bag up over her shoulder and tucking the bow under her arm.

'Let's go then,' Jack said, turning back to the gate.

'Who're they?' Daniel asked, looking at the men.

'Chinua sent them as an honour guard.'

'Whose Chinua?'

'The new leader who took over after I killed Turghan.'

'You really killed Turghan?' Daniel asked.

'He started a fight with me.'

Daniel was stunned for a moment as he processed this. Jack smiled to himself and gestured to the DHD for Daniel to dial.

'Let's go boys,' Jack said to the SG3 marines who hadn't had to do anything.

'So, are women running the entire planet now Carter?' He couldn't resist asking.

'Not quite,' Carter said, 'but I think things will get better. Oh wait,' Carter turned and looked at the group of men who were standing watching silently.

'Hey, Kartuic!' She called. 'Remember what I said!'

'Who is Kartuic?' Teal'c asked, saving Jack the task of rising to the bait.

'My future son in law,' Carter explained. 'He's betrothed to my daughter.'

This caused another pause and Daniel stopped with his hand over the seventh symbol. He shook his head and pressed it.

'You gained a daughter?' Jack asked incredulously. 'You weren't gone that long.'

'Yeah, I had a wife and two sons as well. Chinua is going to take my wife as his second wife. She's older than him, but he said that he could do with more wisdom around his yurt.'

There was yet more silence from them as the Stargate kawooshed. Jack entered the GDO code and shook his head.

'So, what did you guys get up to?' Sam asked.

'Jack turned into a caveman and got shot,' Daniel said.

Jack scowled, 'General Hammond tried to replace you, but they didn't last long.'

'We were about to embark on a hunt for creatures with the power of invisibility Captain Carter.'

'Oh, I can't wait,' Sam said as they stepped towards the event horizon.