Eight days had passed since Castiel made his debut in the encampment, giving the angel a reprieve when the soldiers calmed their fawning over him. Still there were some soldiers who tried to touch him any chance they got, but most greeted him with a respectful nod or handshake. Sam and Dean were grateful for the improved attention. Now they only had to worry about Ketch, who seemed to entirely disappear from the encampment after their last encounter. Perhaps the man was trying to figure out some ways to explain the sensation he had felt when holding Castiel's hand. Dean only hoped that encounter didn't bite them in the ass later. But for now, he and Sam agreed to keep their angel close and not worry about the man too much.
"Ahh." Dean sighed happily, placing his tankard back onto the table after taking a large gulp. The liquid sloshed around the lip of the container, spilling onto the table top and Sam's sleeve. Dean ignored his brother's bitch face in favor of throwing a wink Jo's way as she sauntered by their table.
"Enjoying the view?" Jo asked, twisting her upper body to look at him, while placing her hands on her hips. Dean smirked at her before taking another swig of his ale, dancing his eyebrows as he did so.
"Mmhm." He winked at her again, watching her sway her hips, which attracted the attention of the soldiers around them. With a smirk, she walked up to the table, and leaned down to place her hands on the surface to look into his eyes.
"You can look all you want, Honey. But this-" She paused to motion to her body. "-you can't have." With a grin she winked at him and sauntered away, ignoring the cat calls and whistles from the other soldiers.
Dean leaned back on the bench, taking another drink of his ale, grinning at their banter. "She likes me."
"You know, Dean. You're way out of her league." Sam leaned towards his brother as he spoke, chuckling when Dean pushed him away with an annoyed grunt. "Shut up, Bitch."
"Make me, Jerk." Sam stuck his tongue out at Dean.
Dean raised his hand to smack his brother, but turned to look when Ellen plopped down on the other side of the table, pulling Castiel down with her after he'd helped her with some of the heavy lifting and filling tankards with ale. She'd put him to work, because Castiel had asked if he could be of assistance.
"Well, boys. It's getting late. You should head back soon to get some shut eye." She looked at the setting sun through the open tent flap. "But first, I'm challenging him to a drinking contest. Want to see how much liquor an Angel can handle." She leaned forward, whispering the last part, causing Sam and Dean to give each other a curious glance before shifting their attention back to the woman and angel. Castiel tilted his head, while the sparrow rest on his shoulder.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Ellen?" Sam asked, glancing around the large tent, wanting to avoid causing suspicion.
"Relax, Sammy. You worry to much. Besides, I want to see this." Dean grinned, before taking another swig of ale. Sam rolled his eyes, lifting his hands in surrender. He knew when he was outnumbered. "Fine. Fine. But don't blame me if someone gets suspicious." He growled softly, causing Ellen and Dean to roll their own eyes.
"Sure thing, Sam." Ellen smirked, before whistling sharply to draw attention. "Joanna Beth!" She called to her daughter on the other side of the tent, who was in the process of punching a grabby drunken soldier. "Roll the hogshead over. We're having a drinking contest. Let's see how much ale a legendary Novak can handle." At her words, the soldiers in the tent cheered at the challenge, excited to see such an event.
"Sure thing, Momma." Jo smacked the soldier one more time before walking up to a large barrel. Tipping it onto its edge, she carefully twisted and rolled it towards them. When the hogshead reached them, two burly soldiers lifted the barrel onto its side atop a nearby table, making sure the cork remained intact. Jo quickly left, returning with two two pint tankards. The cork was removed, allowing ale to fill the tankards, before she smacked them onto the table in front of her mother and the angel. The liquid spilled onto the table, causing Castiel and the sparrow to look at the ale before them with curious expressions.
"Drink up, Sweetheart." Ellen smirked, taking her tankard into her hands and proceeded to drink the ale quickly. A moment later, she placed the empty mug back onto the table. The soldiers cheered at how quickly she drank it, muttering about how much she drank like a fish. She was famous for it. No soldier had beaten her yet.
Castiel picked up the tankard and sniffed at the ale before looking at Sam and Dean. Dean rolled his eyes as he leaned back. "Haven't you ever drank ale before?"
"There was no need for it...Ja-I had no desire to indulge in such spirits." Castiel replied, taking a sip of the ale before draining the mug and placing it down on the table gently. He couldn't say for sure how it tasted to the humans to make them want to drink this liquor at all times of the day; all he could taste was molecules. He had seen others in the past drink themselves into unconsciousness, and in some cases, even death. During the time he had spent with the Winchesters, and Bobby, he noticed how much ale they drank, knowing it was bad for them. He could sense their organ functions declining because of such over-indulgences, and decided that when they slept, he would secretly heal their bodies. He would do the same with Ellen, as he noticed she was beginning to grow tipsy after their fourteenth pint (seventh tankard).
Becoming aware of his surroundings again, he didn't realize how much he zoned out, now being surrounded by the cheers and shouts of the soldiers around them. Dean's shouts were mingled among the many others as him placed bets with the other soldiers, who were astounded at how much the angel drank so far without a hint of inebriation. Looking to Sam next, he was aware of how the younger brother scanned the area, but kept a close eye on him. He was grateful for Sam's concern.
Placing the tankard down after his latest refill, he was beginning to notice something creeping inside his body. Something wanting to take over his mind and make it feel numb. Castiel sat up straight with a slight grin. "I think I'm starting to feel something."
At his words, the soldiers' shouts increased tenfold, followed quickly by hands that slapped his shoulders and back, or ruffled his hair. He was aware the bird was no longer on his shoulder, but a quick glance to Sam stilled his curious mind, for the sparrow was nestled securely in the locks of the younger Winchester's hair.
Ellen slammed her eight tankard to the table, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glossy as she glared at the angel playfully. "Not drunk enough yet?" She chuckled with a smirk. Castiel grew worried about the effects of so much ale in her body at one time, and wanted nothing more than to heal her, but knew now was not the time to display his 'angel mojo', as Dean liked to call it.
Feeling his mind beginning to grow more clouded, Castiel decided maybe it was time to call it a night. His only desire at the moment was to make sure Ellen was safe, and away from the dangers of alcohol poisoning.
Putting the tankard down after the last round, making that the ninth mug, or eighteenth pint, he slumped onto the table, his head hitting the surface with a loud smack. He remembered that being a signal to end the contest. Silence immediately filled the tavern, the sounds of the crickets outside was the only indication that time had not stopped.
He could sense Sam and Dean's anxiety, feeling the younger man's hand feel around his neck for a pulse. Peeking through cracked eyes, he saw that Ellen too had fallen to the table, where Dean checked her vitals.
The silence remained, allowing Castiel to clearly hear the light patter of the sparrow's feet as it hopped along the table beside his head, gently nudging against his brow with a small chirp. He could feel the warm little body, the fast little heartbeat against his skin.
"Cas?" Sam's soft whisper filled his ears as the taller man leaned over him, gently shaking his shoulders. Figuring it was useless to pretend he had passed out, the ebony sat up quickly, causing pandemonium as everyone in the tavern shouted in joy or frustration, depending on how they placed their bets. The chanting of "Novak. Novak. Novak", filled the tent because someone finally beat Ellen in a drinking game.
Ignoring the chants, cheers, and hands congratulating him by slapping him again and ruffling his hair, Castiel subtly reached out to grasp Ellen's hand beside him. Closing his eyes, he made sure that no one could see the blue grace in his eyes swirling about as he pushed enough grace into her body to heal the effects of the ale. But he allowed her to remain sleeping to avoid curiosity.
"Alright, you guys! Get out of here! Game's over!" Jo shouted as she pushed the laughing soldiers towards the tent flap, where the torches lit up the area outside. Sam stood from the table, helping her usher the soldiers out, then closed the flap and tied it shut.
"Well done, Cas." Dean grinned, jingling his money pouch, which sounded more full than it had been the previous week. Sam just rolled his eyes with a smile, then looked at Ellen's slumbering form. "Is she?" He asked, looking into the angel's eyes to see Castiel smiling back with a nod.
"Yes, Sam. She is sleeping. I removed any adverse effects." The angel replied, turning to look at his side when a soft hand fell upon his shoulder. "Thanks, Cas." Jo smiled, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before she went about cleaning the many dirty tables.
"Hey, Cas. You think you could..." Dean whispered, snapping his fingers while looking at the ebony. Castiel understood his silent request, lifting his hand he snapped his fingers. An instant later, he heard Jo gasp and turned to see her staring at the tables in awe. Not a spot of ale or dirt could be seen. All the dirty tankards were neatly stacked in a corner of the tent, clean. "Wow." She mumbled, scratching her head. With a grin, she threw the cleaning cloth onto her shoulder and did a happy dance on her way over to the boys.
Turning his attention back to the brothers, Castiel smiled at their approved nods. When Jo wrapped her arms around his neck, he smiled as she whispered into his ear. "Can we hire you to do the cleaning every night?" She pressed a kiss to his cheek, before letting him go and hefted her mother from the seat with Sam's help.
"Get to bed, boys. I'll be seeing you tomorrow night." She winked at Castiel, then turned towards the back end of the tent, where their quarters were located.
"Come on, Cas." Dean slapped the angel on the shoulder, breaking the ebony's focus from watching Jo carry her mother out of sight. Castiel nodded, turning to face the brothers and watched as Sam stretched his arms above his head with a deep yawn. He silently followed them out of the tavern and into the empty pathways, smiling when Sam and Dean huddled closer to him, shivering from the cool night air.
The moment they reached their quarters, Dean promptly dropped onto his cot with a heavy sigh. A moment later he was sleeping
with a soft snore escaping his open mouth, causing drool to seep into his pillow. Sam shook his head with a fond smile as he watched his brother sleep. He then focused on the angel, who held his hand out in front of him. With a tickle to his scalp, Sam felt the sparrow hop from his head and flit to the ebony's hand, perching on the angel's fingers.
As another yawn escaped him, Sam walked over to his own cot, fluffing the pillow and straw filled canvas. "Would you like to take my bed, Cas? I can sleep elsewhere." He yawned again, feeling his body slowing down. When he looked at Castiel, he watched as the angel shook his head. "That is not necessary, Sam. I am healed enough that I do not require sleep. You take the bed."
"Are you sure?" The young Winchester asked, wanting to make sure. At Castiel's nod, he pulled back the blanket and lay down to make himself comfortable. Before shutting his eyes, he shifted his head to look at the ebony. "Could you blow out the light, Cas?" He asked, watching the ebony walk to the lantern and blew out the flame, covering the interior of the tent in darkness. The only light remaining came from the torches outside the tent, casting a dull light enough for Castiel to see the darkened contents of the tent.
"Thanks, Cas. Get some sleep if you get tired. We'll change your bandages in the morning." Sam yawned again, this time allowing sleep to pull him into the darkness.
Castiel listened to the crackling of the torches outside as he moved to sit in the chair at the table. The bird's wings fluttered softly as it flew onto the ebony hair and nestled down to sleep with a soft chirp. With a smile, Castiel gently brushed his finger along the sparrow's soft feathers, humming a gentle tune until he sensed the tiny creature was asleep.
Sitting in the darkness, he observed the sleeping silhouettes of the brothers as their soft snores filled his ears. He wondered if Dean would be alright if he went to check on Akobel and the mares, worrying that Dean might have a nightmare while he was away.
As if Dean heard his thoughts, the elder Winchester began groaning and grumbling in his sleep. His body shifted as he changed position on the bed. "...Mom...no...no...Sammy..." The words were soft spoken, but Castiel heard them clearly.
Standing up from the chair, the angel quietly walked over to the cot, sitting on the edge beside Dean's back. Reaching forward, he gently placed two fingers to Dean's brow, pushing a small amount of grace to ease the man's fitful dream. Dean immediately relaxed and grabbed Castiel's arm lightly. "Thanks, Cas." He mumbled sleepily as he turned over to face the ebony, cracking an eye open to peek at the angel in the darkness.
"You are welcome, Dean. Now go back to sleep." Castiel smiled, brushing some hair from Dean's brow before standing up to leave, stopping when the man's hand tightened around his wrist. "...stay..." Dean whispered, his eyes closing as sleep pulled him towards the darkness again, his grip loosening on the ebony's wrist.
"I will stay." Castiel whispered, sitting back down and placed his hand over the scar on the Dean's shoulder. "Sleep." He whispered again, pushing more grace into the man, causing Dean to yawn and completely relax as he was pulled into slumber once again.
Castiel stayed beside Dean for several hours, keeping watch to make sure the nightmare would not return. When the morning light was beginning to peek over the horizon, Castiel decided it was time to visit his stallion friend and the mares.
He quietly sat up, gently removing Dean's hand from his wrist and reached up to carefully lift the sleeping sparrow from his hair. He then placed the slumbering bird on the pillow near Dean's head. With a quick glance at Sam, the angel deemed it time to silently exit the tent. He would return shortly.
o0o
When Castiel entered the stables, he was pleased to find it vacated of humans, giving him a desirable silence. As he wandered the stables, he pet the many horses he passed, smiling when they greeted him cheerfully. They each begged for a turn to be pet, sensing his grace. He chuckled when Akobel whinnied in frustration and huffed in annoyance at the other equines hogging his friend's attention.
"Good morning, Akobel. I hope you slept well, my friend." Castiel smiled, gently scratching the stallion's neck when he finally reached him. Akobel huffed in contentment, playfully biting at the ebony hair.
Beside Akobel's stall, Baby popped her head over and snorted happily at the angel as she munched on some hay. "Good morning, Baby." Castiel pet her soft muzzle with his other hand. He remained there for several minutes, before a presence caught Castiel's attention. Turning his head in the direction he'd sensed, he noticed Ketch standing nearby with a questioning expression.
Castiel opened his mouth to greet the man, but stopped when Ketch strode forward and grabbed the front of his tunic, yanking it down to reveal the amulet resting against his chest. "Why do you wear this?" The man asked, looking upon the amulet resting against the angel's flesh.
"It was a gift." Castiel simply replied, watching Ketch's eyes narrow. "It was not theirs to give. I lent the two amulets to them for the quest, but I expect to have them returned. These are difficult to make and I would hate to lose them." Ketch's fingers brushed over the amulet, feeling Castiel shiver slightly when the fingers touched his skin.
"I understand your concern. I will return it to you when I am able to find a worthy replacement." Castiel spoke with confidence, staring into Ketch's eyes and watched the man back away a bit.
"Why do you hide from the demons? The legends of your clan speak of fierce warriors without fear. Why do you fear them?" Ketch asked, removing his fingers from the amulet to let his hand fall back to his side.
"I was injured when the demons captured me, therefore I am not yet at my full strength." Castiel replied, feeling Akobel gently push against his back with his soft muzzle.
"You do not appear injured, James Novak. I have watched you from afar this past week, observing you since the day we met. There is something strange about you, and I intend to find out what it is. Perhaps you are hiding more than just your presence from the demons." The man stared into the angel's eyes with a knowing look, before he glanced at the tunic that once again covered the amulet. Taking a step backwards, he bowed respectfully before turning and exiting the stables. Stopping at the entrance, Ketch kept his back facing the angel and spoke loud enough for Castiel to hear. "You have three days to return the amulet or I will expose what you really are." With that, Ketch walked out of the stables, leaving Castiel to stare at the place he once stood.
With a deep sigh, Castiel turned back to the horses, gently petting them once again. This was one of the very reasons he avoided humans for as long as he did. It always annoyed him how much certain ones tried to seem bigger than they were and would always try to prove his immortality simply because he was different. Though, he was grateful to have met Sam and Dean, Bobby, Garth, Ellen and Jo. They seemed kind enough.
With another sigh, he supposed he should return to the Winchesters and relay the news, knowing Dean wouldn't take it well. Turning to head back, he was happily surprised when the little sparrow flitted into the stables and perched on the door of Akobel's stall. The white stallion sniffed at the bird, gently nudging it with his muzzle. Baby soon joined in, snorting at the creature.
Not a moment later, Sam and Dean charged into the stables, nearly falling over when they stopped to catch their breath. Castiel was surprised he didn't sense their presence, but perhaps part of that was from getting lost in his thoughts.
"What the hell, man! I thought we told you not to go anywhere by yourself!" Dean growled with worry as he stood up with huffing breaths. "What if Ketch found you?"
"He did." Castiel simply replied, watching the brothers stand straight and tall. "WHAT!?" They both shouted, their eyes wide as they looked in every direction hoping to catch sight of the man.
"He is no longer here, Dean. Sam." Castiel spoke softly, returning his hand to Akobel's snout, gently running his palm and fingers along the soft fur.
"Good riddance." Dean huffed, walking up to Castiel and drawing the angel's attention to him. With a serious look in his eyes, he asked the same question Sam was thinking. "What did he say? What did he want?" They watched silently as Castiel lifted the chain from his neck, removing the amulet from under the tunic. Their eyes grew wide at the silent revelation, causing them to worry.
"That bastard!" Dean growled, turning to leave the stables in hopes of finding the ebony and smacking him. "Can't he just make another one?" Sam shook his head at his brother's response.
"Dean. It's his amulet. We were only borrowing it for the quest. He has a right to want it back. We just need to find something else to take it's place." Sam replied calmly, ignoring Dean's glare.
"Sam is right. It will be returned to him. I can sense the power inside this amulet. This fetish* is indeed difficult to craft." At his words, Dean's anger appeared to quell. Relaxing his shoulders, the elder Winchester leaned forward and grabbed Castiel's shoulders. "Then let's get out of here before he comes back." He stepped away from the angel, grabbing Baby's tack to get ready for a ride.
"Are you thinking of-" Sam asked, an apprehensive expression on his face as he took a step backwards.
"Oh yeah." Dean grinned, winking at his brother's growing pout, before turning to face Castiel. "Get your royal ass ready. We're going to see a specialist."
o0o
Can you guess who is this specialist is? You probably already know.
* Fetish- an object believed to contain magical powers or a spirit. Dictionary . com.