(Disclaimer: Don't own anything but this)

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The Crone.

Chapter Fourteen.

Sam's eyes snapped open as he gasped for breath, the freezing water lapping at his mouth as he fought for air. He started to panic as his head slumped under the water again. His hands were tangled in something and he couldn't get them free. He fought his way to the surface again, took a deep, ragged breath as he slipped beneath the water once more. He pulled at his hands, trying to free them, but whatever it was, was caught around his hands, tangled in his fingers. He tore at them as the air slowly left his lungs and spots started to form behind his eyes. He ripped at his binds and as the blackness started to over-take him, he pulled free of the tangles and shot to the surface, his lungs burning as he sucked in the frigid air.

He lay on his back, floating, as he tried to regain control of his breathing and his heart-beat. It took a long time. He finally kicked slowly back to the river-bank, calming himself. He rolled over when he was close, put his feet on the bottom of the river and rose, finally looking at his hands. He fell to his knees…a low scream building in his throat as he looked at the blonde-hair tangled round his fingers…the bloodied, flesh-covered ends sticking to his hands. He tore at them furiously, trying to dislodge them, wiping them on the coarse sand of the riverbank until the last traces of them were gone. He turned and sat, slowly raising his head to the water in front of him…closing his eyes as the body of a woman floated down the river…a shadow of blood following her.

It watched the man, watch the river, seeing the body of his victim float away and he laughed malevolently. This was working out better than he'd hoped…better than SHE would hope. He needed to make peace with HER. He'd failed in his attempt to kill the Ancient one…but one of his 'brothers' had …had killed the Ancient before the portal had been closed, closed before his head had been returned home. So he had been stuck, stuck between the realms, stuck for over two hundred years, waiting for someone…someone who was susceptible to their kind. Who had a glimpse into their world and this one had that and more. The man had opened a doorway into himself without realising it and he'd slipped quietly into his mind. He had seen the memories of the man and knew he was important. SHE was coming and he would use the man as a bargaining tool to return to his home, to his brothers and sisters…back to being one of HER soldiers. Back to what he was created to do. Back to what he lived for. He laughed again, but first…he was going to have some fun….and begin the process of turning him into one of them.

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Dean stared at Finn, what the hell did she mean, only and Ancient could hold the swords? He wasn't an Ancient…but these were his swords. He knew it. Deep-down-inside knew it. "Aaah, hate to burst your little bubble, but I'm not an Ancient"

Finn laughed derisively "No shit"

Dean looked at her "You know what? Fuck you! Who the hell died and made you boss, huh?" he regretted the words the minute he'd spoken them.

She got to her feet, knocking her chair over and he thought she was going punch him again but she reached down, picked up her swords and stormed out. He turned to Gideon, the man was pissed "That came out wrong"

"Really? I'd never have guessed" he sighed "Look. I understand she has a temper…but she wasn't always like that and now with Baba Yaga coming…"

"She said something to Eli about him promising her he'd be here for it" said Dean.

Gideon nodded "Elijah and Finn grew up together, were always close" he smiled "They were terrors, the two of them…they were perfect for each other. He knew of her destiny and promised her he would see her through it, that he would make sure she beat Baba Yaga, that that was his destiny"

"And he was killed by a 'Wrong One'…two hundred years ago?"

Gideon nodded "Two hundred and fourteen years ago. The portal that was opened was a big one, there was supposed to be another Ancient with him…but he never showed and Eli battled alone. He killed four that came through and as he was closing the portal…one reached through and…" he shook his head.

"And the Ancient that was a no-show?" asked Dean.

Gideon's jaw set "Drunk"

"Fucking hell…" he looked at Gideon "she beat the shit out of him?" Gideon said nothing "She killed him?"

"Wouldn't you?" asked Gideon "And if she hadn't, I would have"

They looked up as the sound of swords started up outside. They rose and went to the window. Finn was outside, surrounded by six men in military uniform, her swords swinging as she took out her anger. Dean couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sam had said she was good but this? She instinctively knew when and where each strike was coming from the men and he could tell they were trying to confuse her. They couldn't. She blocked every strike at her, swinging and striking, blocking and parrying with perfect precision. They didn't get close to her. He could see the anger in her face, the tension in her muscles as she worked out her frustrations on the men around her.

"Fuck me…"

Gideon laughed "She'll teach you, Dean"

Dean laughed "Aaah, yeah…okay. You know she hates me right?"

Gideon smiled "She doesn't hate you. She just …doesn't take easily to people and you…" he shook his head "Sit down, I need to explain something else to you"

"Alright, not liking the sound of that, but what the hell" he sat and poured drinks for the both of them "Alright, hit me with it"

"The swords, Finn said only and Ancient can hold them" Dean nodded "Well that's true. Our swords are powerful and cannot fall into the wrong hands so they have protections over them. But…"

"There's always a but…" muttered Dean.

Gideon smiled 'Yes, Dean" he paused "You want to hear your prophecy?"

"Why the fuck not" he threw back his drink and poured another.

Gideon picked up the book and flicked to the page he needed "Many will come that claim to be the new Leader, but only one will be the true salvation of our race. He will not be borne of us but he will hold the blood of our people in his veins…his mother a distant heir; her blood rekindled in her son to allow his ascension. He will be awakened in a time of darkness for our people, a time when we are at a cross-roads, a time when our race is in disarray, betrayed by one within. Forced to take sides, our race will be divided and it is he who holds the swords of the 'Dragon Slayer' that will reunite us, empower our race, and with his beloved, bring our people into the light"

Dean took the book from Gideon and read the passage again and again before looking up at the man "I hate to tell you this, dude. But my Mom was from Kansas"

"You hold the swords" said Gideon.

"They were Eli's swords and he was an Ancient"

Gideon shook his head slowly "Eli was found at 'The Crossing' as a baby…"

"The Crossing?"

"Where Finn bought you through. Not all Ancients live in Larten Vola, there are many living amongst you…bearing children…"

Dean shook his head "No"

"Yes, Dean. I would say your mother was the child of a child of a child, her blood mostly mortal but you would not have been able to pick up the swords unless you held Ancient blood. There is no doubt"

Dean read the passage again "'Awakened in a time of darkness'…" he looked at Gideon "Baba Yaga?" Gideon nodded as Dean read the passage again "A new Leader? Aren't you the leader of the Ancients?"

Gideon nodded "There will be a traitor amongst us, so my time draws near"

"Shit, dude. You can't be buying into all of this. I mean…are you just gonna sit back and wait for someone to off you? I don't know you from jack, but you don't strike me as the kind"

Gideon smiled "I'm not. But sometimes…" he shrugged "our fate is out of our hands. And now that you are here…and you hold the swords, Dean"

"Yeah, okay…but they were Eli's swords and I'm sure Finn always believed that Eli was the one…" Dean stopped and shook his head "oh, hang on…na-ah and no way in hell is that right!"

Gideon laughed "Now you understand why she's pissed"

Dean grinned "Hey! I'm a catch"

Gideon rolled his eyes "I'm sure" he looked up as Finn walked in "You feeling better now?" she nodded "Good. Take Dean down and get him outfitted"

"You take him. I'm not supposed to be here remember?"

"Neither is he…but you take him and you get him outfitted and when it's done, you go back to the cabin and you train him"

"Is that an order, Supreme Royal?"

"Do you want it to be, Griffinn?"

They stared at each other before Finn turned to Dean "Put your sword and coat on" and she turned and left the room.

"Go, Dean. And try not to piss her off"

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Dean found her waiting at the bottom of the stairs, she had a coat covering her swords and he hurriedly put his on and followed her out of the castle. The walked through a courtyard and out sentried-gates (to more salutes) and down a cobble-stoned street that was lined with different coloured sandstone stores. He noticed that most of the stores dealt with the military or healing. But as they turned into another street, he was hit by the smells of food and beverages and his mouth started to water. They walked past a small red-stoned store that had barrels out the front full of fruits he'd never seen before and the smell of coffee and pastries was so strong he stopped.

Finn looked back at him and he grinned at her "Pleeeease?"

"On the way back. We get this done first"

"You promise? Cause you hear that? That ain't thunder, that's my stomach. I'm starving""

She gave him a small smile "I promise, now move your arse" and he fell into step with her.

She pushed open a door a few stores down and a bell tinkled above his head as they entered. He looked around... leather. Leather everywhere. He grinned, kinky. He looked up as an old man walked out from the back of the store.

"Hey, Barnabas"

The man smiled warmly at her "Pri…Finn. It's been too long" he squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Been a bit busy of late" she paused "I need you to outfit him and I need it today…as soon as you can please"

The man looked at Dean "He is smaller than what we're used to…but …give me a couple of hours"

"Aaah, outfitted for what?" Dean asked.

Finn looked at him "Battle leathers"

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They sat in the coffee-shop at one of the back booths, away from the other customers as Finn watched Dean eat his way through plate after plate of food and sucking back coffee like there was no tomorrow.

He looked up from his plate "Fuck me, this is good food. Everything tastes better here" she sipped at her coffee not saying anything. He sat back in the booth and looked at her "Gideon read me my prophecy" he watched for her reaction, there was a slight change in her eyes but that was it, she played everything close to her chest "Eli was supposed to be the one, not me"

"Yeah, he was" she rubbed absentmindedly at the scar on her jaw.

He cocked his head "If you can heal yourself, Finn. Why do you have the scar?"

"As a reminder"

"Reminder?"

She sighed "That things don't always go the way you want them to"

"How'd you get it? I've seen you fight and…"

"That's what happens when you fight without thinking…when your emotions get the better of you" she looked at him "I'll train you not to do that"

"I'm not an Ancient, Finn"

"You carry our blood, Dean. There's no denying it. Your mother carried it, she passed it to you"

"How do you know it wasn't my father?"

"Because when our blood is…diluted, I guess is the best word…it only carries through the women. It was your mother" she paused "Is she still alive?"

Finn saw a darkness come into his eyes as he shook his head so she didn't press the issue. "Look, I've read the prophecy…I don't want it to come into play for more reasons than it says you and I…" she shook her head "Someone is coming for my brother and if, and I mean if, that someone kills him, then my people are gonna turn on themselves" she said in a hushed whisper. She shook her head again "If that happens then there'll be no-one battling the 'Wrong Ones' …they'll come through and then we're all fucked"

"What the hell are those things anyway?" he asked.

"They used to be people"

"Yeah, I kinda saw that. How did they turn into…them?"

"They were corrupted. The 'Wrong Ones' are like a disease, a plague. If a portal isn't closed properly then part of them, the corrupted part stays…until it finds a host, one susceptible to them. Then…they poison that mind…turn it into one of them"

"But…the way they look…I mean…"

She nodded "They take on the thing the person fears most…they turn into their darkest fear and then wreak havoc"

"They're Baba Yaga's soldiers you said"

She nodded again "They fear her magic. She controls them that way. They see the depths of her evil and even they fear it"

Shit, thought Dean. Those huge, powerful, scary looking bastards feared an old witch. How fucking scary, how evil was this bitch? And the woman sitting opposite him was supposed to be the one to stop her.

He looked at Finn "So how do we put this bitch down?"

She laughed softly and looked at him "I don't have a fucking clue, Dean"

To be continued…