Ohh, who is the mysterious new comer?? Read and find out!! :D
Dean was on his feet in an instant, standing protectively over his unconscious younger brother. He was shivering from the icy water and the exertion of fighting the rapids but he wasn't about to let anything happen to Sam…not again. "You stay away from us…" He growled, glaring at the darkened figure.
The person ignored him and shuffled out of the trees, coming to a stop in front of Dean. All together, they stood about five feet tall with rounded shoulders and their face hidden by a dark brown, hooded cloak. "I'm here to help." The raspy voice explained, the attention shifting to Sam as they took another step forward.
"Stay the hell away from him!" Dean snapped, placing himself between the new comer and his brother. "I don't know who the hell you are but you're not coming anywhere near my brother!"
There was a low, piercing howl from deep within the surrounding forest and the hooded stranger turned to face the woods. They shifted uncomfortably and turned back. "There is no time! You must trust me!"
Dean hesitated, keeping his eyes leveled on the hooded being. He knew better than to trust a total stranger but he didn't really see a way out of it. Sam was hurt and freezing and he needed to get him some help as soon as possible. Not only that but those wolves and hunters were still stalking around somewhere in the forest and another round with them would probably end in disaster. "Fine…" He mumbled finally, crouching down next to Sam. "Hey…Sammy…" He reached out and tapped the younger man on the cheek gently, relieved when Sam moaned. "Come on kiddo, we gotta go…" Without waiting for a response, he looped Sam's arm over his shoulder and stood slowly. To his surprise, the hooded stranger appeared on the other side of his lifeless brother and looped his other arm around their neck as well. Another howl, this one a little closer, echoed throughout the trees and the air seemed to grow colder.
"We must go…" The hooded person whispered, taking a step toward the trees.
"No way!" Dean protested, pulling more of Sam's weight onto his shoulder. "We just came from there!" Going back into the woods was one of the very last things he wanted to do; it was right up there with jumping back into the river.
"You don't have a choice boy!" The stranger growled back, their voice taking on harsher, more urgent tone. "Either you trust me and allow me to help you or he dies!"
The realization stopped anymore protest Dean had as he looked to Sammy. The younger man was pale, his breathing coming shallow pants as he stood. Blood still oozed from the wound in his side and he knew that if they didn't get that arrow out soon then Sam would be in a lot more trouble than he already was. With a soft sigh, Dean nodded. "Alright…lead the way…"
Without another word, the stranger walked forward and lead them through the trees and into the darkened forest.
OOOOO
After about ten minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a tiny long-abandoned cabin hidden behind a charred, cracked tree trunk. Tiny animal bones hung from string in the surrounding trees, a few black symbols painted on the trees as well. The outside of the cabin was covered in drawings and symbols, thin fragments of glass and sharp stone forming a wide ring around the building. Smoke was rising from somewhere in the cabin and the only window glowed dimly.
"Take him inside." The hooded stranger insisted, shifting the younger man into Dean's arms and letting go of Sam, pushing open the door. Dean shrugged Sam's arm a little higher onto his shoulder and stepped inside. The tiny cabin was surprisingly warm and open, a small fire crackling in the hearth against the wall. A mattress had been pushed up against one wall and a tiny kitchen sat in the corner. There was a thick rug thrown across the floor, a table with two chairs, and small stool sitting next to the door. Decorative designs covered the walls and bowls filled with feathers and stones of all different kinds lined the window sill and floor.
"Put him near the fire. I will return soon." Their mysterious guide said, closing the door and disappearing back into the trees before Dean could say anything else. The wind ripped through the trees like an icy blade, rattling the thin window pane and tossing leaves and brush up against the edges of the cabin. However, despite the weather which was rapidly turning bad outside, the tiny, one-room cabin actually felt safe.
"Come on Sammy…let's get you warmed up, huh?" Dean half-dragged, half-carried his little brother over to the fire and carefully laid him down on the rug that covered the floor. He quickly stripped Sam of his jeans, tossing the soaked clothing across the room. Swiping a pocket knife from his own jeans, he carefully sliced through the fabric of Sam's shirt, peeling it away from his wound. The arrow was broken, still protruding from his side like a gruesome ornament. He would need help removing it and being alone without any kind of first aid kit to use at the moment he was faced with the option of just leaving it there for the time being. Time to improvise.
He carefully wadded up Sam's shirt and pressed it over the ugly wound. Sam shifted and winced, eyes fluttering slightly in pain. "Shh…it's okay Sammy…I gotcha…." Dean whispered, brushing his brother's hair from his face gently. He reached over and grabbed the blanket from the mattress on the floor, dragging it over to him. He bundled Sam in the blanket, pulling him into his lap and rubbing his arms briskly through the material. "There…better, right?"
Sam's shivering didn't lessen at all and his lips had taken on an odd blue-ish tint to them in the flickering light of the fire. Dean was shivering as well and knew that the quickest and easiest way to get both of them warm was to share body heat. He groaned quietly in frustration. He'd been avoiding the other option like the plague but right now he didn't seem to have much of a choice. "God dammit Sam…if you ever tell anyone about this I'm going to murder you…" He grumbled, stripping off his clothes as well, careful not to move Sam too much, until he was clad in the same attire as his brother. He unwrapped the blanket from around his shivering brother and pulled the younger man to his chest, wrapping both his arms and the blanket back around him. Almost instantly, the shivering lessened and Sam began to relax against his brother's shoulder.
Dean sighed, relaxing a little as well. He was violently opposed to any kind of chick-flick moment but if it would keep Sam warm he was willing to try just about anything. He shifted a little, pressing his back against one of the closer walls and leaned back, cradling Sam in his arms. "Sorry kiddo…I'm trying to make this as non-gay as possible…" He muttered as Sam moaned weakly at the sudden, jostling movement. He kept the shredded t-shirt pressed against the wound and listened carefully to the sound of Sam's breathing. It was harsh and labored from pain and he couldn't do anything to offer the younger man any comfort.
"I gotcha Sammy…" He whispered again, rocking the younger man gently. "It's okay kiddo…I gotcha…" Sam's shivering finally lessened after a few more minutes and he relaxed completely against Dean's shoulder, face buried in the crook of his neck.
The wind whipped through the trees outside, a low whistling noise accompanying the gusts. Dark clouds had filled the afternoon sky and it looked like rain was imminent. The temperature had dropped to at least 35 degrees since they'd left the campsite that morning and it didn't seem to be getting any warmer anytime soon. Looks like they were stuck here for a while.
The door pushed open and the same hooded figure shuffled inside, dragging a heavy canvas bag inside as well. "This is yours." It wasn't a question, more a statement really. The person turned back toward the door and shoved a large stone against it, effectively blocking the entrance. Dean couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. When the person turned back toward him, the cloak fell away and he realized it was an old woman.
She must have been close to eighty with dark, leathery skin and sharp black eyes that seemed wise with age. The cloak hung around her like a drape, blending in perfectly with the falling shadows outside. She walked in a shuffling motion and came to a stop next to Dean, kneeling slowly. "Why did you come here?" She asked in the same raspy voice, dark eyes searching his face. "What could have possibly brought you to this forest?"
Dean was slightly surprised by the question, unsure of how to answer. Their father had always taught them not to reveal their true profession unless absolutely necessary but he really wasn't sure he could lie his way past the woman. She seemed to be immune to the normal bullshit most people bought. "My brother and I are hunters…" He said finally, unconsciously tightening his hold on Sam. "We came here to investigate the disappearance of a few hikers."
The old woman said nothing for several minutes, her eyes taking in his features as she decided whether or not he was telling the truth. There was a low howl beyond the cabin and Dean clenched his teeth tightly. "What the hell are they?" He asked, glancing to the window.
"Spirits." She answered simply, looking to the window as well. "They're the spirits of a tribe that was massacred in these woods several hundred years ago. They're restless, angry. They have been disturbed and are now taking their vengence on anyone unfortunate enough to cross them." She leveled her dark gaze on him, her mouth forming a tight line. "The hikers you speak of, the ones who disappeared? " She glanced toward the window again. "The spirits took them…just as they are trying to take your brother."
Dean felt his eyes widen and he blinked. "What?! What the hell did Sam do?! Why do they want him?!"
The woman reached out silently and took Sam's hand in her own, turning it and revealing the cut on his palm. Dean felt his stomach drop; it was the cut Sam had gotten when he fell through the hole and found the bodies. The woman frowned, fingers brushing over the raw wound. "His blood has been spilled on their lands…they have chosen him for their next sacrifice…"
"What?!" Dean demanded, eyes widening. "No…No no no! There has to be some other way. Those…things out there can't have my brother!"
The woman looked down sadly, her eyes resting on Sam's sleeping features. "The spirits will never stop hunting him…I'm sorry but you and your brother should never have come here. Death is the only thing you will find…and that is the fate he has now been cursed with."
Ack!! So sorry about the cliffhanger!! I'm moving to a new apartment this week and wanted to update before things got too crazy but I've left it at a horrible place O.o I'm so sorry!! I'll update again soon!! Hope you all liked it!! :D
