Chapter 2: A Hunter's Refusal
A hand on Dean's shoulder shook him to action.
"Dean!" shouted Rufus over the commotion. "We've got to get Sam to safety." Dean nodded and grabbed Impala's reins and swung up into the saddle and galloped into the forest closely followed by Rufus on his horse.
They couldn't take the main road, because it was already blocked by the king's guard. As they urged their horses as fast as they could go, Dean prayed that the soldiers hadn't been to their house yet. Sam, who was 21 years old, could not be made to go to the castle; he was too young and not even attracted to men. In fact, he and their neighbor, Jessica, had been courting for the past six months, and Sam had told him recently how he thought he might be falling in love with her. No, thought Dean vehemently he would die before he let the so-called royal family get a hold of his innocent brother.
"Dean!" called Rufus shaking him out of his thoughts, "How are we going to hide Sam?"
"At Bobby's!" Dean yelled back and Rufus nodded in agreement. "Rufus! When we reach the house, you take Sammy straight to Bobby's and I'll follow on foot with some provisions." Bobby's cabin deep in the forest was the perfect spot to hide given the fact that the only people who knew where Bobby lived were Dean, Sam, and Rufus not even Ellen and Jo knew where he lived.
"Sam! Sammy!" shouted Dean as he galloped into their clearing with Rufus right behind him. "Sammm!"
"What?" yelled Sam coming out of the house, "What's going on? Are you hurt?" Sam came running up beside him.
"No", said Dean hurriedly getting down, "but you need to go now. Go, with Rufus, to Bobby's."
"What?! No…I…" Sam started to protest but Dean cut him off.
"Sam, please, it will all make sense later. Just trust me. I'll be right behind you guys on foot." Dean held out the reins to Sam trying his best to imitate his little brother's puppy-eyed dog look. Sam must have sensed his desperation, so he huffed in defeat, grabbed Impala's reins, much to her annoyance who would have rather stayed with Dean but complied when her master shot her a stern look to behave, and got ready to head for Bobby's house. "Wait, Sam, one moment", said Dean grabbing two packages from his bag which contained the apples, books, and the rest of the money Dean had earned from his pelts earlier this morning. "I got ya three new books", said Dean handing the packages to Sam hoping they would cheer him up.
Sam's face lit up, his brother did know him the best after all. "Thanks Dean, see ya tomorrow", said Sam with a grin, because they both knew that Dean would not be able to reach Bobby's house on foot in one day.
"You're welcome, now get out of here", said Dean playfully smacking Impala's side and breathed a sigh of relief when his brother and Rufus disappeared into the woods.
With the immediate threat of Sam being in harm's way, out of the way, Dean first erased the horses' tracks so that the king's guard wouldn't be able to track them. Then, Dean filled up his pack with as much food and supplies and he could carry. Next, he locked up the barn and put the fire out in the house, grabbed his dagger, sword, and trusty crossbow. He had just finished locking up the house and was ready to head into the forest himself, when the king's guards came swooping out of nowhere onto the property preventing him from leaving.
Dean hesitated. Should he just play dumb and pretend that he lived alone? Figuring that it was the safest course of action at the moment, Dean put on a friendly smile and walked up to the one who seemed to be in charge who was the same nasally-voiced captain from the town square.
"Good afternoon. What can I do for you, sir?" asked Dean politely extending his hand in greeting. The captain frowned at Dean's hand and didn't take it.
"Are you aware of the king's recent proclamation?" inquired the captain.
"Yes, I happened to be in town this morning for the traders, so I heard. But I'm 25 years old, so I don't understand how it's relevant to me", replied Dean hoping that after a few questions they would leave.
"You are correct in that the proclamation does not concern you, Dean Winchester. I'm more interested in your brother, Samuel, is it?" said the captain with a leering smile. Don't panic, Dean told himself firmly.
"I think you are misinformed, sir, I did have a brother, but he died two year ago by the same illness that claimed my father", said Dean smoothly praying that this explanation would be sufficient. The captain shook his head looking amused and swung down from his horse to stand directly in front of Dean, inches from his face.
"Dean, Dean, Dean. Why do I find your story hard to believe?"
Dean smirked, "I guess you're just not a very trusting guy", he shot back. He paid dearly for that remark when an unknown soldier's fist flew into his gut causing him to double over from the pain. In a flash, two others grabbed his arms and hauled Dean upright, all pretense of being friendly gone. The captain meanwhile surveyed Dean and smiled coldly at him.
"Where are my manners, Dean? I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Alistair, Commander of His Majesty's Cavalry Force and Chief Interrogator. How do you do?"
"I was pretty peachy until you decided to show your ugly face", spat Dean immediately getting hit in the face for his insolence.
"Now, now none of that", taunted Alistair, "let's just all save us some time Dean and tell me where the kid is." Dean simply glared back at him.
"Search the house, barn, everywhere!" shouted Alistair to the rest of his guards. "He has to be around here somewhere." Inwardly, Dean breathed a sigh of relief; they wouldn't find Sammy now all he had to do was remain strong. Alistair turned back to Dean with a smirk, "Of course, you could make this easier on everyone and just tell me where little Sammy is."
Not a chance, thought Dean, as he continued to glare back at the captain. He refused to let this man intimidate him.
Alistair narrowed his eyes at Dean's defiance and gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, no matter, we'll find him soon enough." And with a nod from their captain, the guards restraining Dean began to go to work on him. Dean grunted and moaned as they seemed to hit every part of his body. And just when he thought, he couldn't take anymore they stopped and he fell to the ground in a heap.
His body felt like one gigantic bruise, his ribs were on fire, and his head pounded. Miraculously though no bones seemed to be broken. Not yet anyway. After all, they probably were just getting warmed up, Dean reminded himself. In order to take his mind off his aching body, he tried to listen to what was being said around him.
"I'm telling you…not here…boy must have hid him somewhere else."
"That was fast…trapdoors…hidden passages?"
"Yes! There is nothing."
"The king will not be happy."
"Who says he has to know."
"You want to lose your head?!"
"Get him up!"
Dean groaned as he was roughly forced to his feet. Alistair's smugness was gone and was replaced with rage. Dean gulped. This wouldn't turn out well for him. Alistair grabbed the front of Dean's shirt and pulled him close to him. Dean almost gagged; the captain's breath was awful. Then, Alistair tugged Dean's hair painfully so that he was forced to look into his fugly face.
"Now you listen to me, boy", snarled Alistair as he gave another sharp pull to Dean's hair. "I have a schedule to keep and I do not appreciate any obstacles. Even if they are rather pretty", smirked Alistair as his hand touched Dean's cheek in a mock caress.
Crap! Thought Dean, anything but that and was relieved when Alistair removed him hand.
"So, you will tell me right now where your brother is or so help me you will be arrested for obstructing the king's law, thrown into the deepest part of the king's dungeon where I will torture your mind and body in every conceivable way known to man. And then you will die a slow and painful death."
Dean closed his eyes. He couldn't deny that he was frightened. However, thoughts of Sam being caged in a castle, being forced to serve the spoiled little crown prince for the rest of his life, heart-broken knowing he would never see his true love, Jess, ever again. These thoughts filled him with righteous anger and gathering his courage Dean opened his eyes, spit right into Alistair's face and growled, "Go to hell."
With an eerie calm, Alistair wiped the spit from his face and then with a flash he backhanded Dean across the face, causing his lip to split open and him to fall once more to the ground with a thud. Sneering, Alistair commanded that Dean's wrists be tied and tethered to his horse and gave the order to return to the king's castle.
Dean shuddered as he was dragged to a standing position. The castle was a five days ride from here and he was supposed to run or walk there in his condition. As they tied his wrists tightly together, Dean thought it would be a miracle if he even made it alive to the castle. But he would try, he thought grimly, for Sammy's sake.
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