I'm sorry for the long wait. Work is getting more complicated with all the COVID regulations and people missing work because of quarantining. I just haven't had time to sit down and work on it. But since I woke up really early in the morning, not able to go back to sleep, I figured it would be a good time to finish the chapter. I am working on chapter 8 as well, and will post it as soon as it is done.
I am glad that you are enjoying this story.
o0o
"Damn horse!" Dean growled, shoveling what felt like his hundredth load of poop into a small wood cart. "Damn shit!" He scooped another load into the cart, before thrusting the shovel down onto the floor and leaning on it with a sigh. Wiping his brow, he groaned in annoyance at the horse shit he felt smear across his forehead.
"Dean?" Said man turned to look over his shoulder at the angel standing behind him. "What is it, Cas?" He lowered his eyes to the shovel the ebony held at his side. "I don't need any help. I lost the race, and I'm paying the price. It's fair." Dean picked up his shovel again and scooped another heaping load of shit.
"I want to help, Dean. You would have won the race had I not given Akobel my grace." The angel smiled, standing on the other side of the cart, scooping up another shovel load and dropping it the device.
"You mean you cheated?" Dean smirked, leaning against his shovel to glare playfully at the ebony.
"Yes. Sam said I needed to 'knock you off your high horse'." Castiel replied, scooping another load into the cart, before looking up at Dean's scowl. "Damn it, Sammy." The man grumbled, before scooping another load.
With the two of them working, the stall was cleaned out and filled with fresh straw quicker than it would have been, had Dean done it all himself. "Thanks, Cas." Dean smiled, stretching happily at the beautiful stall. He turned to look at ebony with curiosity. "Why didn't you use your mojo to clean it with a snap of your fingers?" Dean asked, snapping his fingers for added measure.
"You said I was not to use my powers. I wanted to honor our agreement." Castiel smiled, stepping out of the stall and walked to Akobel's stall, where the white stallion munched happily on some hay. When the horse turned his head to the side, Castiel caught sight of something odd on the stallion's back.
"Dean." Castiel called, opening the door of the stall and walked inside to stand beside his horse. Dean followed him, carefully, to avoid upsetting the stallion.
"What is it, Cas?" Dean asked, looking at the white fur the angel was touching.
"These were not here before." Casitel observed, running his fingers gently over the bump at the stallion's shoulder. There was another bump on the other shoulder. The Winchester touched it too, feeling the solid mass, whatever it was. "That's odd. Do you think your grace did something to him?"
"Perhaps." The ebony mused, petting the stallion's neck tenderly.
"Okay, then. Don't do that again. We don't want the army thinking he's a Pegasus, or something. They'll take him away and lock him up." Dean pat Castiel on the shoulder, walking out of the stall with the ebony behind him.
"They would do that? Why?" The angel tilted his head in confusion, watching Dean's face lower towards the ground with a solemn expression. "Because, Cas...that's what the army does. We hunt creatures...monsters." The man whispered, looking at the ebony when silence stretched between them.
"...am I a...monster, Dean?" Castiel asked, his body deflating at the thought of being considered an abomination, even more so than he already was.
"What? No! Cas, you're not a monster!" Dean gaped, affronted that Castiel would think such a thing. "You're a freakin' Angel, Cas!" He growled, watching the ebony smile at his words.
"Would the army hunt me if they know what I am?"
"Yeah, Cas. But I don't think they'd want to kill you. They would probably treat you like the demons did, and use your grace to make weapons, or do creepy experiments." Dean shivered at the last part, remembering when he happened to make a wrong turn in the encampment, finding some doctors doing inhumane tests on a vampire that was captured earlier that particular week.
"But they won't figure you out. I won't let them. Neither will Sam." Dean growled, grabbing Castiel's shoulders tightly and giving the angel a firm shake. "You're a part of this family, Cas, and we won't let anyone else hurt you." He lifted his hands, cupping the ebony's neck, gently patting the skin.
"Thank you, Dean." Castiel smiled, glad to feel important, even though it was by a small group of humans.
"Come on. Let's get out of here before Bobby makes us clean something." Dean laughed, wrapping an arm around the angel's shoulders, guiding them out of the stable.
When they reached the house, they found Bobby piling the wood he'd finished chopping. "Ya boys ready to get going?" Bobby leaned back, popping his back with a satisfied sigh.
"Never, Bobby. I would much rather we stay here. I think Sammy is just worried about his personal items being stolen and sold for a cheap price." Dean snickered, earning a bitch face from Sam, who just exited the house. "Very funny, Dean." The younger Winchester said dryly, dropping a canvas bag full of books, clothes, and food on the ground.
"What's all that for?" Dean asked, peeking at the contents of the large bag. "Bobby's letting us borrow some books. The clothes are for Cas, since he's going to need extra pairs. And the food is for on the way back." Sam spoke, brushing the hair from his face when he stood up.
"I appreciate the clothing, Sam. I suspect the soldiers would be curious if I wore the same clothing everyday. But I will be fine without food. Since my grace has healed a great deal, I do not require sustenance."
"You mean, you don't need to eat? Like, ever?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow and sharing a glance with Sam. Both brothers shrugged their shoulders.
"So, Bobby. When do we get to see this supernatural room of yours?" The elder Winchester turned to face the older man, remembering the mention of it days earlier.
"I'll show ya boys when you come back for another visit. Ya need to be heading out before it gets too late." Bobby gruffed, stacking the last piece of wood onto the pile. "I expect ya to come back, as well." He looked Castiel in the eyes pointedly.
"I would be honored to return." The angel smiled, touched that the old man wanted him to visit again.
"Great. Now get goin', ya idjits! I don't want the army on my ass, asking 'bout you boys." Bobby ushered them towards the stables once again. "And think of a good excuse for the angel. Don't need to have the army finding out 'bout angels existing, too."
"Yeah, yeah. We're going, Bobby." Dean grumbled, walking back towards the stables, before spinning around and grinning at Bobby. "Can I sleep in it?"
Sam rolled his eyes. Extending his arm, he grabbed the back of Dean's shirt, pulling him towards the stable. Castiel simply watched them, standing beside Bobby when they came to a stop. Bobby chewed the inside of his cheek, watching Sam and Dean banter inside the stable as they put on the armor that somehow magically appeared in the stable. Not really magic, just Garth helping them out before he left to bring a newly fixed wagon back to town. He wasn't really good with goodbyes.
"Watch over them boys, Kid. Don't let them do anything stupid." The old man turned to look at the angel, meeting the brilliant blue eyes, causing him to shiver at the depth of wisdom and age they held.
Castiel bowed his head lightly with a smile. He wasn't sure what he was going to do now that he was free of the demons, but he certainly didn't want to go back to the lonely life of wandering and keeping his head down. He was done hiding. "I will stay with them, and keep them safe, Robert."
Bobby grimaced at the use of his name. "Call me Bobby, Cas." The man smiled slightly as he placed a hand on the angel's shoulder, giving him a little shake. Removing his hand from the shoulder, he gave the ebony a light slap to the back. "Now get going."
Castiel smiled at the gruff man's words as he made his way to the brothers.
"You ready, Cas?" Dean asked, working the last leather strap of his shin guard into place. Sam, who finished donning his armor a moment ago, began preparing Ruby for the long ride.
"Of course, Dean." Castiel smiled, walking up to Akobel, gently scratching the stallion's neck. Akobel huffed softly, burying his muzzle into the dark hair, sniffing the angel's wonderful scent.
"Alright, Sweetheart. You ready to head back to the army?" Dean cooed as he stood up to his full height, stroking Baby's cheek affectionately. The mare seemed to shake her head, causing Dean to chuckle. "I know, girl. I know. I'm not looking forward to seeing that big buffoon, either."
"He's not that bad, Dean." Sam interjected, trying to give the angel at least a good thought about the man. He and Ketch would sometimes play chess and have interesting conversations on various topics. The man was quite knowledgeable on some topics other than armament.
"Then you two can braid each other's hair and sing songs together, but Cas and I have better things to do than waste our time with that weasel." Dean scowled at his brother, watching Sam role his eyes.
"What better things do we have to do, Dean?" Castiel asked curiously, watching Dean shrug his shoulders. "I don't know, Cas. We'll figure something out."
Sam huffed in annoyance. "If you actually gave yourself the chance to get to know him, Dean, you might like him."
"Nope. Not a chance in Hell."
"This Ketch sounds interesting. I should like to meet him." Castiel smiled at Dean's gawk, walking up to Sam to place a hand on his shoulder, ignoring Dean's mumbled, "Traitor." Sam returned the gesture, before shaking the hair from his face.
"Meet you outside." Sam grinned, winking at his brother's pout, leading Ruby outside and ready to go. Castiel moved to stand beside Akobel, stroking the stallion's back, before snapping his fingers. In the blink of an eye, Akobel neighed happily, donned in his gear and ready to go. He nuzzled Castiel's dark hair affectionately as he followed the angel outside of the stall.
"Would you like some help, Dean?" The angel asked, watching Dean work the barding in place. "Sure. Thanks, Cas." Dean wiped the sweat from his brow, chuckling when Baby was all ready to go with a snap of Castiel's fingers.
"You know, Cas. I'm going to kind of miss seeing your angel mojo back at camp." Dean grinned, patting Cas on the shoulder as he passed him with Baby in tow.
"You're welcome, Dean." The ebony smiled, walking outside with his friend. There, they spotted Bobby helping Sam strap the large sack of things onto the back of the saddle. Ruby huffed in annoyance at the added weight, but stopped when Sam gave her a treat.
Bobby slapped Sam on the shoulder in farewell, but the younger Winchester spun around and pulled him into a tight embrace. "See you later, Bobby. Thanks for letting us stay." Sam sighed, sad that it was time to leave. Bobby just grunted with a nod, patting him on the back as Sam turned to mount the saddle.
"Goodbye, Bobby." Dean mumbled as he embraced the older man, unhappy that he had to leave. He would have preferred the army thought them dead, but his brother was right. It would be nice to see the shocked looks on their faces. "We'll visit again soon."
"You better." Bobby growled, sad to see them go. When the embrace ended, Dean quickly mounted his saddle, subtly wiping a few tears from his eyes.
"It was good to meet you, Bobby. Thank you for allowing me to stay here." Castiel extended his hand out to shake Bobby's, tilting his head when Bobby shook his head at him.
Bobby grabbed the angel's shoulder and yanked him into an embrace, holding the ebony close. "None of that formal crap, Cas. You're family now, and family don't end in blood." The older man sighed in contentedness at the comforting feeling of the angel's power surrounding him. "You better come back to visit with the boys." He growled while pushing the ebony back and towards the white stallion.
"Thank you, Bobby." Castiel smiled, feeling joy at the knowledge that he was cared for. Mounting his saddle, he gave one last nod to the man, before following Dean and Sam back towards the encampment.
o0o
The journey had been long, traveling for four days rather than three, but it was certainly more enjoyable than their last with Ketch and his goons. They had taken their time, enjoying the scenery and prolonging their arrival, purposely of course. Once they were sure they would arrive at their destination within the hour, the Winchester brothers knew they needed to discuss certain matters with their angel.
"Hey, Cas?" Sam asked, riding alongside the ebony, looking at the angel with a curious expression.
"What is it, Sam?" Castiel asked, turning to look at the younger brother. Sam took a deep breath while scratching his neck. Dean rode on the other side of Castiel, silently observing the two, wondering if his brother was thinking the same thing he was.
"When we get to camp, I don't think we should call you Cas, or Castiel. It might bring too much suspicion, especially without a surname." Sam spoke, watching the angel mull over the words. Dean sighed in relief, glad he and his brother were on the same track.
"I understand your concern, Sam. Perhaps it would be wise for me to use the guise of this vessel in the presence of others. You may call me James Novak when you deem it necessary." Castiel smiled, watching both brothers relax.
"Great idea, Cas." Dean grinned.
"Yeah, thanks, Cas." Sam smiled.
"You are welcome." Castiel nodded, another smile gracing his lips as he listened to the sounds of nature, the vibrations of life in each living thing they passed. He tuned out the ensuing banter between Sam and Dean, loving this last bit of freedom before he'd have to watch his every move to keep suspicions away from him. With a flick of his fingers, he pushed a little of his grace into the dying flowers around him, watching their colors become vibrant and beautiful once again. Humming softly to himself, he turned his head to look at the little brown sparrow that landed on his shoulder, chirping happily at him.
"Hello, little friend." Castiel greeted the bird with a little bow, placing his finger at the bird's belly and allowing the sparrow to hop onto his finger. The bird tilted its head at him, with Castiel mirroring the motion, and sang its song to him. Then it flitted onto his head, nestling down into his messy dark hair. Looking up towards the bird, the angel and fowl sang and hummed together in a sort of deep and high melody. Akobel soon joined in, whinnying happily along as he pranced between the mares. Baby pranced along too, snorting and adding a whinny here and there. Ruby shook her head, but added one whinny before remaining silent for the rest of the time.
Sam and Dean watched the exchange silently. Sam 'awwing' at how adorable it was, storing the memory into his mind to jot down later. Dean rolled his eyes, but enjoyed it as well. He even hummed along, petting Baby's neck affectionately.
The hour passed quickly. Too quickly for Dean's taste. They had just exited the sea of trees they had been in for roughly thirty minutes, noticing the dark red canvas tents two miles away. Sam and Dean sighed tiredly, knowing they were heading back into the pit of despair. Castiel was intrigued by the sheer amount of tents appearing like a sea of red. And as they drew nearer, he could see the small figures of soldiers and horses making their way about the encampment.
The little brown sparrow, still nestled in the angel's hair, chirped at the sight up ahead. "Yes, little one. We are going down there." Castiel smiled up at the bird, watching as it hopped off his head and onto his open palm. It chirped at him, hopping in his hand before puffing its chest out, causing Castiel to chuckle and brush the bird's breast lightly.
"I thank you, little one. I appreciate your spirit." The angel bowed down to the bird. The brothers eyes widened when the bird returned the gesture. "Cas? What did the bird tell you?" Sam asked, watching with rapt attention. Dean was curious as well, watching the two.
"The little one here, has volunteered to be my protector down there. He does not want me to get hurt." Castiel smiled, watching the bird puff its little chest out proudly once more with a nod.
"Psh! That little bird's going to protect you?" Dean laughed, waving his had at the sparrow. He growled and swatted his hands about when the bird flew at him, screaming when the bird began relentlessly pecking at his head with angry chirps. Sam howled in laughter beside them, holding his gut as it began hurting. "Serves you right, you jerk!"
"Don't be such a bitch, Sammy!" Dean growled, hiding under his arms and watching as the bird flew back to land in Castiel's tussled hair. "Do not judge one's strength by size alone, Dean. I have seen many mighty giants fall at the hands of smaller opponents." The angel chuckled, gently reaching his hand up, running a finger along the bird's feathery back, eliciting a happy chirp from the fowl.
"Traitor. Siding with that little shit." Dean mumbled, leaning his head back in surprise when the bird seemed to glare at him. "Sorry." He found himself apologizing to the bird. He then looked down at his mare, who huffed heartily as if she were laughing. "Shut up, Baby."
"I'm glad you will be joining us, little sparrow." Sam smiled at the bird, bowing to it respectfully as Castiel had done, earning a bow in return.
"How do you know what kind of bird it is?" Dean glanced at Sam, earning a bitch face from his brother. "Because I read, Dean. It might help you to read more about the world than just demonology and those 'Busty Beauties' scrolls." Sam griped in reply, earning a curious head tilt from both the angel and the sparrow.
"What are busty beauty scrolls?" The angel asked, watching Sam's eyes grow wide in fright, while Dean grinned.
"Only the best creation of-" Dean began excitedly, turning a sour glare to his brother when Sam yanked Ruby to run up to Baby before he lunged forward and slapped a hand over Dean's mouth. Ruby huffed in annoyance at the treatment.
"Not something you need to know about, Cas." The younger Winchester waved his other hand about awkwardly. Castiel glanced between the Winchesters, before nodding. "Alright."
"Good. Now that that's settled, we can discuss your power, Cas." Sam began, backing away from a glaring Dean, muttering an 'ow' when the elder brother punched his arm. He looked back to the angel before continuing. "Do you have it under the radar, so no one can feel it? We don't want anyone figuring out you're not human." He asked, rubbing his sore arm.
Castiel nodded, appreciating the younger man's concern. "Yes, Sam." He answered, concentrating on the grace coursing through his body and putting it into a more dormant-like state. "It is done. They will not feel my power unless they directly touch this vessel for longer than ten minutes."
"Ten minutes? That's all, Cas?" Dean asked, furrowing his brow, watching the ebony nod his head. "Yes, Dean. That is what I can manage with my grace at the moment. But once my wings are fully healed, I should be able to keep it dormant for much longer."
"How much longer do you think your wings need?" Sam asked, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of them when they are fully healed. "I would say no more than another week at the most."
"That soon?" Dean wondered, grinning at the idea of seeing an angel's wings. He groaned in annoyance when deep bellowing horns sounded, signaling their arrival.
"This reminds me of a time James and I traveled to ancient kingdoms guarded by fortress walls and fearsome weapons. They too blew deep calls from their horns." Castiel smiled, thinking back to the olden days. The brothers' eyes widened in wonder, wanting to hear those stories at some point. (Imagine something like the Horn of Helm Hammerhand from LOTR)
"Might as well get this over with." Dean grumbled, signaling for Baby to gallop ahead, and was soon followed by Sam and Castiel. The little sparrow took flight, keeping pace with them.
The three men raced forward, Sam and Dean betting each other's deserts they would get from Lady Harvelle. She was one of the only three people they liked in the camp. Castiel let Akobel run at his own pace, not being concerned with winning, like Sam and Dean were. And much to Dean's surprise, Ruby took the lead until they all stopped just outside the main entrance, where many soldiers stood gawking at them. The sparrow once again took residence in Castiel's hair.
"Damn it, Sammy. I can't possibly part with a piece of Ellen's pie!" Dean groaned, pouting at losing the race, but smirked at the shocked looks on the soldiers' faces. "What's the matter? You never expected to see us again?" He grinned as they walked through the path the men created for them. Sam nodded to the soldiers, enjoying the expressions. They obviously didn't expect them to come back.
As they continued to walk their horses between the walls of soldiers, Dean noticed the hushed whispers and glances towards Castiel, but the angel wasn't phased by the attention. He seemed at ease, as if he had been in this kind of situation before, and knowing how long he'd been on the Earth, he probably had...several times. Perhaps they were also looking at the little bird, who stood proud on the angel's head. Or the fact that Akobel had his head and tail raised proudly as he trotted elegantly.
"How did you escape? Sir Ketch said you guys were killed by demons!" One soldier shouted, followed by overwhelming questions from many of the others.
"Well, as you know, Ketch is an ass monkey. We are the roaches of this world, and nothing can kill us or keep us dead for long." Dean barked in laughter, earning an eye roll from Sam and a head tilt from Castiel, while the soldiers cheered excitedly.
"Brothers' Winchester! The Commander wishes to see you!" One of the commander's personal lap dogs spoke up, quieting the crowd.
"Allow me to take your horses to the stables." Another soldier shouted, holding his hands out for the reins. Sam nodded as he dismounted, handing the soldier the reins. Dean followed suit with a grumbled warning, and Castiel, who thanked the man with a smile, handed the reins over. When he turned to follow the brothers, Akobel nudged his back, huffing at his departure.
"Do not worry, my friend. I will visit you soon." Castiel pressed his brow to the stallion's, gently petting Akobel's cheek. "Keep the mares out of trouble." He smiled as he lifted his head, watching as Akobel nodded his head and sniffed at the sparrow, and nudged at the angel's face with a snort. Akobel then turned back to the mares, walking beside them as if were their protector, biting at anyone who got too close.
The soldiers watched in awe at the behavior between man and horse, their whispers following Castiel as he turned back to the Winchesters. He was happy to see them waiting further ahead for him to catch up. When he reached them, Dean threw an arm around Castiel's shoulders, leading him to the Commander's tent. Dean quickly glanced up at the bird, looking at him with a warning look. He shook his head with a chuckle as they traveled the paths between tents until they reached the biggest one.
"The Commander wishes to speak to you only." The lap dog looked pointedly at Sam and Dean, then glanced at Castiel and the sparrow with a sneer. Dean snarled at him, stepping in front of Castiel in a protective manner, stopping only when the angel's hand touched his shoulder gently.
"If the Commander wants to speak with us, then our friend will join us. Or we are going straight to our quarters." Dean growled, grabbing Castiel's elbow and turned to leave. Sam was ready to follow them. And the sparrow chirped angrily at the man, fluffing its feathers to look bigger.
With a sigh, the man brushed the hair from his brow, glaring at each of them. He then pulled open the tent flap, motioning for them to enter.
"Ah! The Brothers' Winchester. I was delighted to hear of your arrival, and you've brought a friend. Good. Good." The older man vigorously shook their hands, before taking a seat at the table with a few others, motioning for them to take a seat. "Tell me...have you retrieved what I asked of you?" The Commander asked, trying not to divulge any details with Castiel in the room, though he eyed the little bird hopping on the table in front of the ebony curiously.
"No, Sir. We were unsuccessful in getting hold of the weapon. We were close, and we could feel its amazingly strong power." At the words, the Commander and others looked pleased at their description. "But the demons used it against us when we tried to take it. That's where we met James, here. He was searching for the weapon as well, but was unlucky enough to get caught by the hell spawn. We managed to aide him before the demons tried to kill us all." Sam spoke with a professional air that Dean would never hope to possess, lying right out of his ass. The brothers gave a quick fist bump under the table.
The Commander's expression turned grim, before his attention focused on Castiel. "It is not often the Winchesters bring back another person...or creature." He paused, looking at the bird for a moment, before his gaze met the ebony's again. "You must be of some importance."
"I am indebted to these brothers for saving my life. I will aid them until my debt has been repaid." Castiel spoke with an authoritative air, and Sam and Dean watched as the Commander, and other men, seemed to shrink back at his tone.
"This is James Novak, and he will be staying with us for a time." Sam spoke, lifting his hand in introduction towards the angel. Hushed whispers filled the tent at Sam's words, confusing the brothers.
"Novak, huh? I've heard of the Novak name. A strong bloodline, filled with legendary warriors passed down through the ages. I can see why the demons were so keen on capturing you, such a fine specimen. It would be an honor to have such a man in my camp. You are welcome here as long as you like." The Commander puffed up his chest, delighted with the news, while the other men observed the angel as if he were some new invention, passing hushed comments around them. Sam and Dean both inched closer to the angel, scowling at the term 'specimen' like he was some kind of research project.
Castiel simply nodded his head respectfully to the Commander, petting the little bird that vibrated in agitation. "Thank you, Sir."
"Is that all you wanted to know?" Dean asked, growing annoyed at the attention his friend was receiving.
"Why, yes. Forgive me for holding you here. You boys must be tired after your journey back." The Commander stood up, ready to let them leave, but stopped with a thought. "How did you escape? Sir Ketch said your location was filled with the white light and a piercing sound, and nothing was left standing."
"You know what? We'd like to know that, too." Dean leaned forward in his seat, looking the Commander straight in the eyes.
"We saw the light and heard the sound, but then we woke up somewhere else. And we were completely unharmed." Sam interjected, pulling Dean back down when the elder brother tried to stand up.
"Interesting." The Commander thought aloud, before slapping his hands on the table, startling the men beside him. "I will acknowledge this failed attempt, and we will try to locate the demons. Perhaps they have more of such power stored elsewhere. Go on, boys. You did your best, now get some rest."
Dean immediately stood up with a grin, muttering, "finally", and was quickly followed by Sam and Castiel.
"Oh, and boys?" The commander called after them, raising his hand to stop them from leaving through the opened flap. He waited until they turned to look at him before continuing. "Go find Sir Ketch, and do tell me his reaction when he sees you still alive." He smiled, while the men around him laughed.
Dean just winked at the man, then grabbed Castiel's elbow and pulled him out of the tent, with Sam close behind.
"Did the Commander seem a little too leniant? I mean, that was a big quest. Why would he just let it slide so easily?" Sam wondered softly, as they led Castiel toward their quarters through the crowded maze of people and tents.
"Maybe he finally got some hanky panky from that one bar wench always giving those winks, but never gets too close. Or maybe he got his hands on some Busty scrolls." Dean chuckled, scratching his jaw, earning a bitch face and a slap from Sam. "Okay, okay. I don't know, Sam. He did seem a little off. Maybe he's just happy that we survived?"
The angel looked around at the many soldiers huddled together, casting lots, eating vittles, sleeping outside their tents, or just wandering the maze. He remembered when he was with James, wandering the Ancient Roman, Spartan, Sumerian, Persian and many more camps. Soldiers uniforms had changed much over the centuries. He shared glances with some of the soldiers eyeing him curiously, while others sized him up to see if he might be a threat. The little sparrow chirping happily in his mess of dark hair led most of them to believe he wasn't a rough and tough soldier, though many of them appreciated the sculpted muscles they could see through the tunic.
Castiel couldn't help the slight feeling of apprehension at being surrounded by so many people without the full use of his grace. In the past, he had James to keep him company and could disappear in the blink of an eye when he felt threatened. But now without his wings, he felt almost useless, staying only to be with the brothers that cared for him as a friend.
He felt a slight shiver run down his spine when some of the soldiers looked upon him in a way the demons had when he was captured, no longer having the shocked expressions from earlier. Even the Commander and the other men stared at him in a similar fashion. Closing his eyes, he felt the safety of the amulet hiding him from the demons. Though he couldn't help but wonder, just how much of him it hid. He was an angel after all, and the amulet was designed to hide humans. He would need to figure out a way to completely hide himself from the demons, feeling another shiver rush down his back at Alistair's grin flashing through his mind.
He was grateful for the little sparrow that fluttered down to his shoulder and snuggled up against his neck comfortingly, the soft feathers feeling warm against his skin. Lifting his hand, he gently brushed his fingers over the little creature, feeling the quick heartbeat beneath his finger tips. "Thank you, little one." He smiled gently, whispering to the bird, but kept his eyes focused on Sam and Dean who quietly bantered back and forth in front of him. With a deep breath, he ignored the watching soldiers and walked to stand between Sam and Dean, happy when both brothers wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He was glad to not be alone anymore after so long.