AN: Slightly different format for this one to try and get a little different feel.
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Dean was swimming through thick ink, struggling really hard to get his head up. He needed to...oh, it was so hard to think.
His brain was sloshing back and forth in his brain, getting buried in the ink. He needed...he needed...Sammy...
But before he could figure it out, the ink swallowed him.
Sam had gotten some time to do a little more research on the qallupilluit. He learned that all angakkuq like Nukilik were honor bound to protect others from qallupilluits because the angakkuq who had created the first one had violated his oath of protection in doing so.
He also read that qallupilluit, like other supercharged spirits, could be at very least hindered by salt and iron, especially consecrated iron. But naturally, there was nothing certain about how to kill it. Then were going to bring all of their normal weapons against ghosts, and bring a ritual from Nukilik's book that they really hoped would work. Typical.
While Sam had studied, Dean had called the hospital where Bobby was and learned that, no, he hadn't been aware yet, due to an infection. They'd reassured Dean that it was nothing to worry about, but it was disappointing not to have the chance to pick their friend's brain.
Dean also left a message on Bobby's cell phone voicemail, just in case he woke up. The contents of that message made Sam smile. "Hey, Bobby. If you feel like waking your ass up, we could use some help with a squall pail...callipat...ice woman monster. We're goin' out tonight."
Next, they tackled the problem of carrying weapons while wearing heavy coats. It mostly involved loading up pockets and wearing the shotguns with the shoulder straps at maximum length. "Hey, Sam, you want this knife from Nuke's house?"
Sam was surreptitiously unwrapping his right wrist, so he turned only his head to look over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"
Dean waved a curved white knife with a matching white handle. "This was next to you after your little bird flight. I thought you nabbed it from the house. And put that back on."
Sam sighed and turned around. "It doesn't fit under my gloves. And I have no idea where that came from."
In a move that didn't surprise Sam in the slightest, Dean simply ignored Sam's protests and started to rewrap his wrist. He did spread it out, however, so it was thin enough to fit more easily under Sam's gloves. Then he looked at the knife, which was all carved out of one piece of ivory or bone. Its handle and hilt had carved depictions of whales, seals, and other animals. Dean tested the edge, gave a little grin, and stuck it in his belt.
Sam rolled his eyes at both of Dean's actions, but there was affection in the gesture. "You're such a weapons slut."
Dean stroked his shotgun obscenely, pretending he wasn't watching Sam test his range of motion with the wrap and glove. "Take care of your weapons and they'll take care of you."
A voice wanted something from him and Dean tried very hard to figure out what it was. The words jumped around and faded in and out so he couldn't follow them. But he knew the voice. It was a voice he needed to listen to.
What...did it want?
"Dean...up...please...Sammy."
Sammy? Dean's heart sped up. Why did the thought of his brother make him so anxious?
The voice said his name again and Dean sort of fuzzily realized, oh, yeah. That's Dad. It was kind of funny that he hadn't recognized it before.
Except...was it possible that Dad sounded scared? Nah.
Even amidst the snowbanks, there were plenty of out-of-the-way places to tuck the Impala, and Dean found one easily enough, in an area where the houses were few and far between. Still, they'd be navigating by moonlight, made surprisingly bright by the reflective snow. No reason to use flashlights out in the open and risk some civilians coming out to see what they were doing.
Fifty feet into the trees, they were suddenly at the edge of the oblong basin that surrounded the lake. A glacier had scooped the whole thing out and dumped the dirt miles away.
Though the men could easily see the entire icy surface of the lake, the hills and atolls around it had dips and shadows that disguised the caves they needed to find and search. All of the houses sat atop the ridges, well above flood level, leaving an awful lot of ground for them to cover.
They took a moment to survey the deceptively peaceful scene. Dean pointed at one of a number of miniature buildings that dotted the hillsides below the houses. "Why do so many people have outhouses around here? You aren't supposed to put 'em near bodies of water."
A surprised laugh burst out of Sam as he realized Dean was serious. He slapped a gloved hand over his mouth to muffle the sound, but he couldn't stop laughing. Dean's glare, no less effective than usual despite the fact that most of his face was covered by a scarf, only made him laugh harder.
"Those aren't ou-outhouses, Dean," Sam barely got out. "They're saunas. It's a heavily Nordic area, and they're very popular." Sam's eyes watered with the effort of holding back his laughter. He thought his brother might possibly stab him if he kept on.
Important, dangerous, serious hunt, Sam reminded himself. "Peg told me everyone around the lakes are keeping the power on in their saunas just in case any of the kids stumble in." Well, the thought of the missing kids sobered Sam right back up.
Dean was obviously still annoyed, because as he began to make his careful way down into the basin, he said in a high-pitched voice, "They're saunas, Dean. Don't you know anything, Dean?" And yeah, Sam snickered once more.
Despite the reason they were out there, Sam was glad for the levity. The whole time they'd been preparing and driving out, Dean had been just a tiny bit distant, almost lost in thought.
There were a million things it could be. He could be missing Dad again / still, wishing he were here to tell them about their quarry and watch their backs. He could be worried about the kids, or about Bobby, or that Sam wasn't at 100%. He could be concerned that they didn't have a definitive way to kill the qallupilluit. Hell, he could just be pissed off about the cold. But none of that quite fit.
No, it was more like he was still trying to put his memories together. Sam wondered why that was so important. He mentally shook his head. Even distracted, Dean would have his back.
Dean was being carried, but he was really too big to be carried. And although the rest of him was warm, the arms that held Dean were so cold they felt like strips of ice against his back.
They were running, except he wasn't doing any work. That was kind of funny! He'd have to tell Sammy...Sammy...why couldn't he remember something important about Sammy? Frustrated, Dean let his mind drift again.
Sam was shining his flashlight into yet another shallow cave while Dean covered him when Dean's sudden indrawn breath made Sam spin around. He'd instinctively switched off the light and drawn his shotgun.
The pale, flickering form in front of them should have been hard to see against the white backdrop. Instead, the pale moonlight limned it and it seemed to glow gently.
It was a woman, solid but not large. She wore a heavy coat that went to her knees but her head was uncovered. Her features might have been considered plain, except for the warmth and kindness she radiated, even in spirit form. She could have been anywhere from 30 to 70, but her distinctly Inuit mien gave away her identity.
Sam lowered his weapon and put a hand on Dean's arm, too light to impact his aim. "Nukilik?" he asked softly.
She nodded, then pointed to a spot directly across from them. Lake Julso was a flat oval, and tapered to a very narrow end at the south side. They were near that end now, and the place she pointed to was only about 100 feet away, but across the lake and slightly up the slope, atop an outcropping.
"Is that where the children are?" asked Sam despite the tension rolling off Dean.
A smile briefly transformed the spirit's face, and she pointed again, a clear get with it.
"Sam, we don't talk to ghosts, we shoot 'em," growled Dean under his breath. "And then we torch 'em."
"She's still trying to protect," Sam argued, but mildly. Dean's own protective nature was fully engaged. "I think she already helped me by her house. And Dean, if there's any chance that she's right about the kids, we have to check it out." He could almost hear Dean grind his teeth.
"Ghosts go nuts. They attack the living. This could be a trap."
"That's why we'll be careful and watch each other's backs. Dean..."
Dean growled almost inaudibly but didn't protest when Sam stepped forward to follow the ghost.
Nukilik did, though. She held up both hands, palms out in clear negation. Then she gestured around the end of the lake, indicating they should walk around and not cross the lake. "Of course. Qallupilluits have control over the ice," Sam mumbled, embarrassed that he'd forgotten after nearly being skewered by icicles.
Nukilik's silent warning thawed Dean a little...figuratively anyway, since the temperature was still painfully low.
Dean had confused impressions of Dad talking. About green blood. And finding Sammy. And about how they'd go to the hospital then. Dean didn't like that last part. Hospitals were far from his favorite places. But then again, every motion made it feel it feel like Dean's head was going to explode, so if a hospital meant quiet and still, that would be really nice.
Then Dad was telling him to be quiet even though Dean hadn't said anything. He was pretty sure he couldn't have even if he tried. He hadn't even managed to get his eyes open yet. Then, blissfully, he stopped moving. He drifted again.
The cave opening the ghost led them to was narrow enough that they'd have to turn sideways to get in and there was no way to see what was farther in.
"Seriously?" Dean was not pleased. But their were spectral tears in Nukilik's eyes, and she put a hand over her heart and rubbed it in a circle. Please. Dean bit off a curse. "I'm gonna regret this. Stay out here until I tell you it's okay."
Sam didn't like Dean going into the cave blind but just nodded.
Dean had to point the shotgun toward the floor to get in, and his coat touched both sides of the passageway. Sam strained his ears for signs of trouble even as he kept his eyes pointed outward toward the lake.
After a moment, the sliding sounds stopped. Then Dean's voice, soft but not showing any stress other than the normal middle-of-a-hunt tension. "Okay, c'mon in."
Sam slid in after his brother. It wasn't tight, but there wasn't any extra room either. He was immensely grateful that the ceiling was plenty high. After a moment, the passage abruptly opened up. Dean was waiting there, flashlight out to show a natural tunnel a good eight feet wide and a dozen feet tall.
Nukilik was there too, pointing farther down the passage. Naturally. Dean led the way again, and they didn't speak, walking as silently as they could. The cave narrowed a little and curved down and to the right.
Something pinged Sam's awareness. It felt warmer here, and not just because they were out of the meager wind. He tugged down his scarf. There was a heavy mineral smell. Ahead of him, Dean froze. Then Sam heard it...the soft sound of water. And above it, a tiny, tentative voice. "White lady? Did you come back?"
Sam's heart leaped in his chest, and he hurried after Dean around the tight bend. It was the terminus of the cave, almost a little room. On the right, water trickled out of the wall and disappeared into a crack in the floor. And on the left were huddled the four missing children. They were filthy, shivering, blinking in the light of the flashlight, and alive.
Dean crouched immediately, to be less intimidating, and Sam mirrored him. "I'm Dean and this is Sam," Dean said softly, pulling down his scarf. "The police asked us to find you. We're getting you out of here. Is anybody hurt?"
All but the youngest shook their heads. Then a dark haired boy in Sesame Street pajamas said, "We are very hungry."
"I bet," nodded Dean. "Let's get you out of here, huh? Zach, right?"
Talking quietly all of time about going some place warm, Dean tugged off his coat and took all of the weapons out of the pockets. He wrapped the parka around two of the children, then traded the bundled ones for Sam's coat and did the same for the other two.
Sam backed out of the small room with his burdens, feeling the heat from the wall with the water. Hot springs. "The gween lady put me in the dawk cave," confided Zach, cuddling into Sam's shoulder. "Then the white lady showed me where it was warm, where the ovver kids were." It made sense; it was a steep climb through heavy snow to the nearest house. The kids never would have made it, even if the qallupilluit had allowed them to go. Nukilik had led them to warmth and had saved their lives.
Sam looked at the woman who hadn't stopped looking after her town, even after death, but the ghost was fading as if her power were spent. He nodded on thanks and hoped she understood.
Sam met Dean's troubled eyes. They had to get the kids out of there and to medical care ASAP, but they didn't know where the monster was. And they could hardly defend themselves carrying the kids. But there was no cell service in the basin. They'd just have to get the kids out of the cave and to the lip of the basin. And hopefully not freeze to death on the way.
"Let me carry all of the kids," offered Sam, shifting so Zach and Missy (who he recognized from pictures) were both in his left arm. "You can cover us."
Dean considered, then gave a short nod. He preferred to lead, to cover Sam. "It gets too much, you tell me and we'll switch."
That decided, they made their way cautiously back through the cave without incident, with a lot of commentary from Zach and one hesitant comment from a girl about Zach's size who confessed that her neighbor had a cat named James Dean and inquired if that was Dean's "long name" too.
Despite the exertion of carrying an extra 150 lbs, Sam was shivering by the time they reached the narrow part of the cave. His still sensitive hands ached. He knew it had to be much worse for Dean without the extra bodies holding in some heat.
"I'll have to bring the kids through one at a time," said Dean unhappily. "I'm gonna take a quick peek around outside first. He was gone before Sam could catch his breath to answer. He didn't like it, but he didn't have a better option.
If one of them ran for help, the other would have to defend the kids alone if the qallupilluit returned. And the kids would wait longer for help...he wasn't sure how long the smaller boy had. He'd been silent and lethargic this whole time.
Dean popped back out and uncurled Zach and one of the parkas from Sam's arms. A hard shiver went through Dean as he did, and Sam winced knowing the cold had to exacerbate the soreness of muscles that he could tell still ached from the trap on Nukilik's book.
It was a tight squeeze for Dean, and he kept his arms wrapped firmly around the child to protect him from the sharp rock walls. Then Dean was back, and Sam could see the bloody rents in the sleeves over his forearms. To get Zach through, Dean had gotten his arms torn up, and Sam had no doubts his back was too.
"Dammit! Dean, let me --"
"No time." Dean was already working his way out with Missy. And though Sam hated it, he was right. Zach was alone and vulnerable and cold. Switching places would take up unnecessary time.
In no time, Dean was making his third trip, his forearms getting bloodier each time.
Then there was a tiny, tapping, knocking noise that wasn't coming from Dean's movements. The hair on the back of Sam's neck rose. It was coming from deeper in the cave. There must another entrance.
Not waiting for Dean, Sam wrapped the last, smallest child more firmly in his arms and began to wriggle through the aperture as fast as he could. "Dean!" he called as best he could without being to draw a full breath. "Behind me!"
Sam had dropped his flashlight in his haste, but he was so close to being out when the hand darted out that he caught a glimpse of it in the moonlight. Clawed, long-fingered, scaled, faintly green, it clamped onto Sam's right shoulder with terrifying strength.
Sam somehow twisted, feeling fabric and skin tear, and shoved the child at his brother's surprised face. "Dean, get the kids --"
And Sam was dragged back into the cave.
One question kept surfacing through Dean's muddled brain: where was Sammy?
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AN: I hope that it was clear that the italics denote flashbacks even though they were spread throughout the chapter. I was trying to emphasize little Dean's disorientation and confusion and adult Dean's difficulty in putting together what he remembered.
sfaulkenberry: I love that we share a similar sense of humor! And I like to read a balance of snark and aw, so that's what I try to write as well.
Timelady66: My kids are teenagers don't want stories any more and I miss it! And thank you for your kind words. Th boys' banter is one of my favorite things! I add it whenever possible.
Lena: Does this chapter end better? *cue the evil laughter* Got you a little more Dean whump though. Funny ninja stars story for you: my son used to do a lot of origami, and his favorite thing to make was ninja stars. So he made me one and I stuck it in my hair (I had a bun in), and he goes, "that's what a female Dean Winchester would do!" I was very proud. I'm not a horror fan either, except SPN, so I don't know where the references came from, but they seemed to fit!
muffinroo: I got your email! What a fabulous story! I will warn you -- it's going to take me a bit to wrap my head around it, but I'll do my best. And I'm with you -- I love angry / scared / protective / snarky Dean.
Scealai: Wow, really? I'd never heard of it, but wanted something specifically Inuit. Hope you like this bedtime story!
Shazza: It was kind of fun that Peg was accidentally helpful. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Kathy: More of the mystery revealed here! I will get Bobby into it, promise. Just couldn't make it easy on the boys to have someone tell them how to kill the monster! Did you like the literal cliffhanger? At least it was only a short drop!
Kat: Thanks! Yeah, I had this in mind as the reason Dean didn't remember the monster. Nukilik did help the guys here, just like you suspected she would. And I do love protective Dean.