ooOoo

The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

Thanks to Winter Gray for rescuing me from the depths. This chapter might never have been completed without her help.

The Fae Prince

Chapter 7

The Wendigo Hunt

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,

An abbot on an ambling pad,

Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad

Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad,

Goes by to tower'd Camelot.

And sometimes thro' the mirror blue

The knights come riding two and two.

She hath no loyal knight and true,

The Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

Sam sat and watched the human world whirl by outside the windows of the Impala. He felt like he was flying. The landscape arrived with speed, never pausing for a moment. It whipped past and receded, lost behind the humming car.

It was such a different world from that of the Fae. Here was constant movement, fleeing from place to place. It reminded him of the flight of bees. The movement of insects apparently random to the casual glance, was in fact motivated and highly organized. They had a goal, a purpose to fulfill. Dean, like the flying insect, also had a goal. His path was predetermined. Bobby Singer had ordered them to go and they went with all possible speed.

Sam focused on the passing scene and mouthed the strange names of places; Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado. They swept southwest over flattened golden prairies, always moving closer to the mountains. He knew that when the peaks began to rise over the edge of the horizon they were ever closer to the journey's end.

During the long ride Dean and he spoke of many things. Dean spoke of this hunt for a Wendigo and of other hunts. Dean and his father had traveled through many landscapes in pursuit of monsters. Sam recognized some of the creatures. The werewolves he knew as magic beings made of man and wolf. In Sam's world they were natural creatures, born not made. In the human world they appeared to be perverse abnormalities, created with violence.

Ghosts, spirits, wendigos, werewolves and perhaps even the vampires appeared to Sam to be perversions of creatures from his own world. He wondered if they were all attributable to the Unseelie Court or if the simple leak of magic into the human world caused the power to sour and turn foul.

As Dean spoke of horrors and pain, the consequences of the Hunters battles, Sam in turn spoke of his world. He described festivals and rituals; of the beauty of gathered fields of Fae, mounted on dancing horses, caparisoned with glittering cloth and shining, jeweled tack, riding through the summer fields to evening parties illuminated by the Fae Lanterns.

Sam spoke hesitantly of the Fae Courts' wars and of the deaths inflicted on either side. The death of a Fae Warrior was marked by the splintering of their magic. Magic that burst out as shards of light, lost forever in the dark; a tribute to Tartarus and a diminution of the Fae world. Sam kept silent on the ancient legend of the Fallen.

Dean pressed and asked a hundred questions. How did they survive, who controlled their world? If Sam was a Prince, how was that determined? Did the Fae fight for a rite of succession or was Sam simply born into the position? Sam laughed and smiled and answered those questions that he felt were safe.

Dean knew nothing of the Legends of the Sons of God or the creation of the Nephilim. The young Hunter knew nothing of the Book of Enoch nor made mention of the Grigori, the Watchers. Sam did not reference these ancient relatives, he kept that to himself. But knew he would be explaining those skeletons of the Fae closet to Bobby Singer in the future if he wanted this relationship to thrive.

That night on the road Dean had simply pulled off and parked under some trees and gone to sleep, wrapped in a blanket from the trunk. He had offered one to Sam who waited for the Hunter's breath to slow. Sam had kissed those pouting lips and then gone out to stand under the stars. He rode the rushing earth like a wave and watched the movement of the moon.

In the early afternoon of the following day they arrived in Lost Creek, Colorado, a small town devoted to serving the campers and hikers attracted by the wild lands. They found the local Ranger's station and a room loaded with maps and 'Things to Do' brochures. Sam was immediately entranced by an in-scale relief model of the Black Water Ridge area.

"Dean, come see this map." Sam said. "This is fascinating. Look, this Black Water Ridge is very remote. It is cut off by these canyons, the land is rough, the forest is dense and these little holes are marked 'abandoned mine' and there are a lot of them."

"Sam, " Dean called, "Man, look at the size of this friggin' bear." Dean was looking at a framed photo of a dead bear. A man was in the picture too and he looked small next to the immense animal.

Sam came over to see what Dean was staring at in amazement. "Dean, the sign says that the area contains a dozen or more grizzly bears. This is no nature hike, that's for sure."

"You guys aren't heading for Black Water Ridge, are you?" They turned to see who was talking and found a Park Ranger behind them. The middle aged man looked tough and weathered, as if he really did spend most of his time outdoors.

"No, sir," Dean smoothly lied. "We're environmental science majors from UC Boulder. We're just working on a paper." To complete his cover he pumped his arm and crowed "Recycle, man."

The Ranger didn't fall for it. "Balls, you're with that Haley girl, right?

Dean immediately took advantage of the opening offered. "Yes, yes we are, Ranger ah….Wilkinson." Dean read the Ranger's name tag.

Ranger Wilkinson went on. "I'll tell you exactly what I told her. Her brother filled out a back county permit saying he wouldn't be back from Black Water until the 24th so he's not exactly a missing person. Tell that girl to stop worrying. I'm sure her brother is just fine."

The Ranger turned, as if to leave. Dean once again threw out some bait. "That Haley girl, she's quite a pistol, isn't she?"

Wilkinson responded. "That's putting It mildly."

Dean went on. "Actually, you know what would help, if I could show her a copy of that back county permit so she could see for herself her brother's return date."

Sam said not a word during the entire exchange but smiled at Dean's smooth and practiced extraction of facts from a witness who never felt pressured to release information to a couple of strangers. This was a skill Sam hesitated to think he would ever learn. He had little practice pretending to be anything other than what he was. He could conceal and confuse but was not confident that he could build himself a new persona in the blink of an eye. He thought that he would leave the acting to Dean.

XXXXXXX

Half an hour later they were parked in front of the cabin rented to the Collins family. Pretending that they were park rangers sent by Ranger Wilkinson they were invited into the cabin by the curly-haired, pretty Haley who was just serving up dinner to her younger brother, Ben.

She explained to Dean why she was convinced that something had happened to her brother and played for them the last video that she had received from Tommy. Sam sat in front of the screen and watched carefully, learning how to manipulate the device. Haley went on talking to Dean about how close the children had become after the death of their parents. She insisted that Tommy would never leave her and Ben out of the loop for three days. She further explained that the next morning she was going out to Black Water Ridge with a guide she had hired to look for Tommy herself.

"Well, maybe we'll see you there," Dean said. Sam stood up and pulled Dean aside for a moment.

'Ah, Haley," Dean said after listening to Sam. "Could you send a copy of that video to me? Mr. Shy Guy here wants to take a closer look."

Haley glanced up at Sam and smiled. "Sure, no problem." Sam wondered if he would have time tonight to teach Dean some manners, impossible as the task appeared.

They returned to their own cabin and Dean introduced Sam to the joys of the human internet. Sam could see the pulsing currents of power passing through the devices and again was impressed with human ingenuity. With no instinctive understand of the power of the invisible world humans had learned to harness and use it. Sam was beginning to think that the human thirst for knowledge of the unseen might have powered their society forward while that of the Fae, who had such knowledge as a birthright, stagnated.

Sam showed Dean what he had seen at Haley's cabin. By slowing the fleeting pictures Sam measured the speed of the shadow passing behind the fabric of Tommy's tent. He was growing more and more certain that the assembled facts were pointing directly at the monster that Dean called a Wendigo.

XXXXXXXX

Sam passed another night outside. This forest he could not ignore. The trees called him. The whole place sang of both light and dark and Sam wandered under their branches learning of the past. Life teemed; birds and deer and burrowing rodents, insects flashing jewel tone wings; all these things whispered word of his home. He even found locked doors in ancient trees. When the sun rose he returned to their room.

Standing quietly and looking down at Dean Sam realized that he had made a choice. These nightly wanderings searching for a touch of the Fae were self-indulgent. He had chosen the human world now and he would have to live with it. He ran his fingers down the Hunter's face and traced the arch of his brow with a gentle fingertip.

Dean's eyes flicked open and he stared up a Sam. "Good morning sunshine." he smiled. "Something you want?"

Sam smiled back and leaned down. Sliding a hand behind Dean's head he lifted the young Hunter's lips to meet his own. "I am beginning to believe that you know exactly what I want." His breath ghosted over Dean's lips and then sealed the deal. As the Fae effortlessly explored and claimed the Hunter's lips, Dean's arms locked around Sam's neck. He reached up to be enfolded in Sam's embrace.

Sam pulled and lifted the young Hunter onto his lap, dragging the sheet with him. Sam ran his hands all over Dean's body, exploring every part while Dean clung to him. After a very through exploration Sm stood up and put Dean on his feet. Pulling out of the kiss he whispered "If we are going to catch Haley's group you better start getting ready. Or we could stay here and forget about the Wendigo."

Dean stepped back, holding the sheet in false modesty. "I'll hit the shower. Can you give me five minutes? We can pick up breakfast on the way."

"It's your decision. We can go with them or not. I'll do whatever you want." Sam abdicated his heart to the younger man. The Fae knew he could take Dean's heart hostage in exchange, he had years of experience in love's game. It was an uneven match.

Dean grabbed his duffel and disappeared behind the bathroom door. Sam got ready to go.

Half an hour later they were pulling up beside a camper truck and Haley's little group appeared to already be taking off down a forest trail. Out in front was Haley's hired guide. Dean and Sam exited the Impala. Dean was out in front and Sam followed carrying their weapons duffle.

"You got room for two more?" Dean called out in a cheerful voice.

Roy, the guide turned to Haley. "Who are these guys?"

Haley sniffed, "This is all the forest service could come up with by way of a rescue party." She grimaced at Dean's cheerful face.

"You going hiking in biker boots and blue jeans?" she sneered at him.

"Hey, honey. I don't do shorts." Dean carped right back at her.

They all set off down the trail with Roy out in front. Dean could feel Sam behind him, watching, observing and feeling his way into the woods. Dean thought he perhaps should keep an eye on Sam. The Fae could get easily distracted by the feeling of home that forests evidently exerted on him and Dean didn't feel like looking for both Haley's brother and Sam at the same time.

They walked for miles until finally Roy signaled that they had reached the coordinates that Tommy had e-mailed to Haley. It only took a few minutes to find the destroyed and bloodied campsite.

There was the sense of being watched and Sam put a hand on Dean's arm. He could feel something out behind the trees and if felt very wrong indeed. There was rustling in the brush and a voice cred out. "Help me, help me, please" it screamed.

Sam held on to Dean's arm but Roy fired several random shots at the shaking brush and then ran after the sound of a wounded animal. Sam cried out "Roy, no. it's a trick!" But Roy ignored him and charged into the woods.

Sam lowered his head and whispered to Dean, "Keep them safe." and sprinted after Roy.

The guide was dashing from tree to tree, chasing the sound of a creature crashing through the undergrowth. Just as Sam caught up to the man he saw the Wendigo swing down from a tree branch, intent on grabbing Roy. Sam pulled the guide out of the creature's reach and looked up into its eyes. The Wendigo screamed at him, furious at losing its prize and Sam hissed back at the filthy, skeletal monster with its bald head, big ears and boney clawed hands.

The Wendigo coiled back in surprise. It could feel the power of the man below it. It seemed to recognize, on some level, that whatever Sam was he wasn't prey. It felt danger and climbed back up the tree in a cowardly retreat. Sam followed its path with his eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Roy quavered behind him. "I've never seen something like that out here." The guide was shaking so badly he was in danger of dropping the loaded rifle so Sam took it from him and barked, "Back to the others. Let's go."

The guide tried to reassert himself but he was shaken and simply followed Sam as the Fae threaded the shortest path back to the others. Breaking into the clearing Sam started issuing orders. "Dean, draw the circle of Anasazi symbols. Protect them all." He turned and watched the brush, sure that the creature would soon get over its shock and would return to its instinctive hunt for meat.

Again Roy tried to take control. As the apparently oldest and the supposed expert guide he felt that it was required that he lead. The tall, kid seemed to know what he was doing but Roy was not prepared to yield command.

"What was that thing?" he snapped at Sam. Sam retreated behind Dean and poked at the young Hunter's back. Dean relinquished his drawing stick to Sam and stood.

"That was what we were trying to protect you from, you idiot. When Sam says No! pay attention. You might have a chance at getting out of here alive."

Roy snatched at his rifle. "And what's Sam doing now? Playing in the dirt?" he grumbled.

"He's drawing a protective circle. Stay inside it and the Wendigo will not cross. You'll be safe inside." Dean tried to explain.

Haley got to her feet. "What about Tommy? Is he dead? Did that thing kill him?'

Sam stood and looked at Dean. "You aren't going to like it." Dean answered her. "These things were once men, men who during a long winter ran out of supplies and turned to cannibalism to survive, eating his hunting partners or his tribe. Over years he began to change into this sub-human thing. Many legends claim that eating human flesh will give you unbelievable strength and even immortality but you're always hungry, always hunting. "

Roy snorted at the story. "No one likes a skeptic, Ray." Dean said. "You were almost lunch yourself. Of all of us, you should understand."

"What about my brother?" Haley asked again.

"The Wendigo will store his victims alive to preserve the food source as long as possible. If your brother is alive he's some place dark and safe. We have to find him before it's Wendigo dinner time.

"How?" she asked.

"Well, you and Ben are going to stay here in the circle and Sam and Roy and I are going to go look for the Wendigo's larder. If your brother is alive we'll bring him back to you."

XXXXXXX

Sam and Dean set out to find Haley's brother, Roy following behind. Dean was confident that Sam would be able to lead him to the Wendigo's lair but Roy was not so convinced. The man kept darting off from side to side and Dean was getting very annoyed. "Stay close, you idiot. We can't help you if it comes after you again if you're by yourself. And be sure that it will come after you again. Stay with us."

Sam ignored the bickering behind him and felt for wounds in the wood. This creature was full of evil and made his skin crawl. He didn't want near it but understood that it was possible Tommy Collins was alive. Until they knew for sure, Sam was not going to abandon the boy to his fate.

He had seen the claw marks in the trees and to his eyes, where ever the Wendigo touched glowed, slightly brushed with a black ichor. He could even smell it. It was a putrid trail to follow but it leads him to a spot in the woods where the ground under his feet sprang back when he stepped on it. He held his arms out and stepped back but Roy, of course, rushed forward. As soon as the man's heavy feet hit the spot he disappeared and the ground fell in with him.

Sam and Dean fell to their knees and peered into the cavern revealed by Roy's hasty action. They could see the guide below and the smell that wafted up out of the hole was heavy with rotten meat. The Fae Prince recoiled and Dean turned his head away but they knew they had to go down and check for Tommy and to retrieve the idiot.

Sam went first. He held to the firmest slats he could find and swing into the blackness. Dean tossed down a flashlight when Sam found his feet and started to lower himself down. Just as he slid into the hole a noise alerted him and he looked up to find Haley and Ben stepping into view from the trail.

Sam helped him land in the stinking darkness and he looked up to see Haley's head outlined by the sky. "What the hell are you doing here?" he growled at her.

He was immediately distracted from her face by two sounds. First he was aware of the hooming, hooting noise of the Wendigo's growl and secondly someone else whimpered in the dark. Sam pulled Roy to his feet and pointed to a body suspended from the roof. "Cut him down." Sam ordered the guide and then turned to confront the looming monster.

The Wendigo screamed at the perceived escape of his prizes. Sam turned to Dean and grabbed his arms. Dean understood what Sam wanted and allowed the Fae to pull him up. He planted a foot on Sam's thigh and Sam literally tossed him up out of the hole. Roy was uselessly but bravely firing at the Wendigo, which only served to piss the monster off.

Roy had just seen Sam thrown a two hundred pound guy up out of the cavern so he wasn't that surprised to feel Sam's hands grab his arms. The bullets had caused the Windigo to back up in confusion and during the pause Roy pulled the same move that Dean had and the next thing he knew he was up top and out of the dark.

Dean steadied Roy's landing and lay back down on his belly shouting at Sam. "Send the victim up when you can, Sam!" Roy lay down opposite Dean over the hole and Ben and Halley hovered behind the men.

Dean yelled at the girl. "Stop snotting up and try to find long smooth branches lying around. Your brother's alive but he won't be in any shape to walk. Move it! Go hunt. We're waiting for Sam."

Haley and Ben rush off to look for some branches and now only Roy remained as a possible witness to what was going on below. In a moment Sam passed Tommy's bound and bleeding form up to the two men and Dean handed the boy off to Roy. "See what you can do for him, Roy. I'm waiting for my partner." Dean ordered.

Now only Dean could see the potential confrontation between Sam and the Wendigo. Dean had told Sam during the drive to Colorado that Wendigo had to be burned. It was the only thing they feared and the only thing that killed their icy hearts so they could not return.

He watched as the ugly creature approached the Fae Prince and Dean was the only one that could see Sam change forms. The Prince shed his disguise and became a glowing, transparent being, alive with light. The Wendigo stopped and could not think well enough to retreat from the shining creature in front of it. There was not enough brain left in that skull to understand that its doom was upon it. Sam reached out a long, slender hand and poured energy into the creature's chest. The heat of the Fae power caused the Wendigo's skin to burst into flames and Dean watched as its body went up like a torch. The Wendigo screamed and flailed but finally fell to its knees and then fell forward, completely consumed by flame.

Sam reached up with his glowing hand and pulled himself out of the mine. Along the way his fingers caught the wooden roof on fire and he and Dean both backed away from the suddenly flaming ground. Sam spun once and returned to his human form before Roy could see him and the smoke poured up, obscuring the change.

San smiled at Dean, pleased with himself. "Pretty good for my first hunt, right?"

Dean slapped Sam on his, now human, thank god, arm. "Don't get too cocky, bitch. We still have a long way to go."

They turned to find Tommy Collins on his feet, waving his arms around, trying to get the blood circulating again. Dean knew that had to hurt like hell but the guy was in better shape than anyone had any right to expect. Maybe they wouldn't have to drag him out of the woods on a travois after all.

The small group of humans and almost human set out to hike back to the cars.