The pair tumbled onto the forest floor with a resounding thud. Castiel groaned as his hip slammed into the ground while he and Dean battered each other with sharp elbows and knees.
Dean reacted quickly, leaping into a crouch and pulling the gun from his waistband.
Cas caught sight of the movement. "You brought a gun into my shop?!" he shouted.
"Shut the fuck up," Dean hissed. He shoved Cas toward the dirt. "And stay down."
Dean saw Cas begrudgingly obey out of the corner of his eye. If their loud landing hadn't alerted anyone to their presence, the shop owner's shouting would have done it.
He could hear movement in the brush to his left. Someone was moving toward them slowly and not bothering to be quiet. He wasn't sure if that should comfort or frighten him.
He clicked the safety off his gun and brought the weapon around as a figure stepped into the small clearing.
It was a woman. She stood about average height and was dressed in simple jeans with a fitted dark green tank top. Her raven hair was gathered into a high ponytail that lay over her shoulder. Dove gray eyes watched him beneath dark lashes set against pale skin.
"Hello," she said, carefully setting her own weapon to the ground and raising her hands. "I mean you no harm."
Dean didn't reply. He braced his feet and cocked his head in case she'd brought backup.
She seemed content to watch him, waiting for him to make the next move.
Castiel huffed from his position on the ground. "For God's sake, she put her gun down."
"She may have backup waiting for me to lower mine." Dean didn't take his eyes off of hers.
She only nodded. "You're a hunter."
Dean startled. "What's it to you?"
She extended her arms out to her sides. "My men are waiting for my say and will not advance without it. You have my word."
"No offense, lady. I don't know you so your word means nothing here," Dean snapped.
"Fair enough," she said, nodding again. She used her foot to kick her own gun into Castiel's space. She turned in a slow circle, pulling her shirt up to reveal an empty waistband as she did. When she faced Dean again she nodded at the gun still on the ground. "You now hold the advantage."
Dean clicked the safety back on and lowered the gun but did not put it away. "Where are we?"
"You're in Everland."
"Like Peter Pan?" Dean asked.
"That's Neverland," the woman interjected. "We're neighbors."
"How did we get here?" Castiel asked.
The woman opened her mouth to answer when Dean responded. "Magic mirror."
"Don't be absurd, Dean." Cas stood and brushed himself off.
Dean growled his frustration. "I'm sorry. What part of falling into that fucking mirror did you miss?"
"There's no such thing as magic," Cas said calmly.
The woman placed her hands on her hips. "I can see why you're here. The Mirror doesn't like that sort of talk."
"The Mirror doesn't like. . . what are you on?" Cas ran his hands through his hair. "I'm surrounded by crazy people." He'd hit his head when they fell. That was it. Or inhaled too many cleaning fumes in the small, poorly ventilated room. Or they'd crashed into the mirror and shards of glass had ripped them to pieces and he was currently in hell.
"No, you're surrounded by forest where we were once in Mrs. A's shop. If we're crazy you're right there with us, bucko." Dean picked up the woman's gun, checked the safety was engaged, and shoved it in the back of his pants.
"Mrs. A?" the woman inquired. Her musical voice caressed along Dean's fragile nerves in a way that made him feel more at ease.
"Annie," Cas answered absentmindedly. "Annabelle Novak. She's my grandmother."
The woman's expression brightened. "You're friends of Annabelle? Why didn't you say so?"
"You know Mrs. A?" Dean asked.
She nodded. "We're old friends."
Dean turned to Cas. "Is that possible?"
Cas shrugged. "Grew up in the system remember? I've only known her for a few years now."
"You have her eyes," the woman said softly to Cas.
He turned and blinked. "I do?"
"They're close, anyway. There's something missing. . ." she trailed off and shook her head. "It's no matter. Please come with us back to my home. Any friend of Annabelle's is welcome."
Dean watched her for a moment before nodding. He didn't sense any ill will from the woman and he considered himself a good judge of character.
"Wonderful." She clapped her hands before letting out a shrill whistle.
Men appeared from all around them. Dean realized just how surrounded they were as a dozen men dressed in black and green peeled out of the trees in absolute silence.
"Dean. . ." Cas murmured as he moved closer.
"Well I'll be damned," Dean whispered.
The woman raised her hands to get attention before announcing, "These men are friends of Annabelle and to be treated with respect."
In unison, the men lowered their weapons and placed the firearms in a neutral position. Dean decided to do the same, making a show of placing the gun in his waistband at his hip.
"What are you doing in the woods with an army?" Dean asked.
"I'm a hunter as well," the woman answered with a smile. "There has been word of attacks in the area and we're checking it out."
"Heart removed?" Dean asked.
The woman nodded, a twinkle in her eye showing approval at his line of questioning. "Among other things."
"Werewolf was our guess but the attacks continued beyond the full moon," one of the men interjected.
Dean pursed his lips in thought. "Atypical werewolves are uncommon but not impossible. More likely you're dealing with a wendigo or rougaru."
Castiel's head whipped from person to person as the conversation continued around him. "Are you kidding me?"
The men shifted uncomfortably.
Dean grinned. "Cas here doesn't believe in magic so he probably doesn't believe in supernatural creatures either."
Cas spun to face Dean. "Because they aren't real."
"Not for nothin' but the last time someone looked at me like that, I got laid." Dean smirked and stepped closer into Castiel's space.
Cas shivered but didn't back down. "You're insane."
"Then there's no harm in going to the nice lady's house and having a hot shower, right? Because if this is all in your head you should at least be clean."
Cas narrowed his eyes. "Fine."
"There should be room in Ivan's truck for the two of you. The road is right up this way." With that, the woman hiked past the two men and into the expanse of trees, following a small trail Dean hadn't noticed previously.
The men moved as a trained unit, not waiting for Dean and Cas to follow. Dean was almost offended that they felt he was so little a threat they were comfortable putting him at their back.
Dean gestured for Cas to follow first, wanting to bring up the rear to watch for anything that may have been lurking.
The group hiked in silence. Footfalls and breathing the only sound breaking through the general din of forest life.
Dean heard a twig snap at his back and spun, pulling his gun as he did.
He was joined by two of the other men, each flanking a side. The trio stared into the woods, barely breathing.
Dean could feel Castiel press up behind him. "What is it?"
"Shh," Dean hissed.
He felt, rather than heard, the woman slink up to his side. "What do we have?"
Dean jerked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes at the expanse of trees to indicate he'd heard something but was unaware of the origin.
"Close ranks. Protect the civilian. We're unlikely to face an attack as a group." The man closest to her nodded and turned to repeat the instructions to the rest of the group.
"I take it I'm the civilian that requires protection?" Castiel asked.
Dean's response was to roll his eyes and huff a sigh. He placed a gentle hand at Castiel's back and pushed him down the trail.
They made it the rest of the way without incident but Dean never shook the feeling that they were being stalked.
His intuition was usually correct.
Three black SUVs waited along the side of the road. The woman walked up to the lead car and turned.
"I never got your names," she said.
"I'm Dean. This is Castiel."
She nodded at each of them and turned back to her vehicle.
"Can we get yours?" Dean called out as they were herded to the rear car.
"Of course," she giggled, a girlish sound at odds with her warrior appearance. "I apologize."
She took down her ponytail, shaking her thick black hair so it draped around her shoulders in thick waves. With a smile and an eyebrow raise she dropped a small curtsy.
"My name is Snow." She stood and winked directly at Castiel. "Snow White."