Chapter Five: Sweat Lodge

Dean dropped Sam off in town on his way to Pine Ridge. "And while you're here see if you can locate the kids in your vision. If we have to we'll take the kids and hide them."

"Dean, you know as well as I do, all that will do is force it to choose someone else. Then my vision would be useless." Sam held up his hand stopping Dean's reply, "But, I'll find them all before you get back. Be here by 3:00 Dean, or I'm going after it myself."

Dean looked at Sam. "I thought you said we couldn't stop it?"

"That doesn't mean we can't try." He said with a grin.

"Now that's my Sammy!" Dean said with a smile.

"It just means I doubt we'll succeed." Sam told him.

Muttering under his breath, Dean climbed back into the Chevy and was off. Pine Ridge was only about twenty minutes away. He had to find this Red Wolf and see what Sam had gotten himself into. If the medicine man couldn't help then he would call Missouri.

When he arrived at Pine Ridge Dean found he was expected. While this surprised him, it didn't surprise him as much as when he was told he would be entering the sweat lodge of the medicine man to speak with him. Dean knew enough of Indian culture to know this was highly unusual and a great honor. He also knew he would have to strip naked to enter the lodge. "The things I do for you Sammy." He told himself, "You're going to pay for this one." Dean suspected Sam had intentionally left this part of his vision out when he told Dean to come to Pine Ridge. Sammy was probably laughing at him right now!

After stripping down to nothing but his necklace and ring he entered the steamy lodge. An old Indian sat cross legged on a mat in the center of the lodge. He was ladling water onto hot stones and causing a fresh burst of steam to rise from them. It was sweltering within the confines of the lodge.

"Red Wolf, my name is Dean. Dean Winchester. I came hoping you could help me." Dean told the man.

Red Wolf looked hard at Dean before replying, "It is difficult for you not to speak false words. I am glad that you come to me in good faith. My medicine dream told me a young warrior would come. It did not tell me you would be a white warrior and it did not tell me if you would be worthy. Sit," He motioned Dean to mat across from him.

Dean sat cross legged trying not to be offended he could so speak the truth, it's just that most people don't want to hear it. Not in his line of business anyway. He looked at the Indian again. "I need your help. A Thunderbird is going to start killing children in Denby, a small town not far from here. I have to stop it."

At the mention of the Thunderbird old Indian who had been about to pour more water on the stones stopped and stared at Dean. "Why would you believe this?" He asked as he poured the water onto the stones. "Describe this bird it to me."

"I can't except to say that its wings spread wider than a house and it is strong enough to pick up an eight year old child."

"You have not seen it yourself?"

"No" Dean said regretting not getting a better description from Sam.

"Then how do you know it is a Thunderbird?"

"Because my brother told me it was."

"Your brother, he has seen it."

Dean did not answer immediately. He was not sure how much he should tell Red Wolf, but he remembered what Sam had told him and decided the truth might be best.

"My brother had a vision of the Thunderbird killing the children. I know that sounds crazy, but I've learned from experience to trust his visions. This vision was different, but we still think it's going to come true. We have to stop the Thunderbird. We can't let it kill those children."

"Heyoka." Red Wolf said his eyes wide. "I have never heard of such a thing. A white warrior being chosen as a Heyoka. Tell me what you know of this vision."

"What does that mean, Heyoka? What is wrong with Sammy?"

"Tell me of this vision and I will explain." Red Wolf insisted.

Dean told him everything, leaving nothing out, told him about watching Sam have the vision and the differences from his normal visions. "I don't think he told me everything about the vision. He distracted me and…" Dean stopped. "I'm scared. Not much scares me, but this is wrong. It's… It changed him. He's different."

"He has become Heyoka." Red Wolf told him as he poured water over the stones again.

It was getting uncomfortably hot in the sweat lodge, but Dean was determined to see this through. He just wished that crazy old Indian would quit with the water. Hell, Dean could barely see the old guy through the steam! "What does that mean? How can I fix it?"

"You can not change what he has become. To become Heyoka is a great honor." Red Wolf said, "When a warrior has a vision of the Thunderbird it comes with terror. It has the force of a great storm, but when the storm has ended and the sun shines again upon the world it is a greener and happier world. The force of the vision changes the warrior. If the warrior has been happy and laughed often, then the vision will make him sad and cause him to suffer greatly. If the Warrior has been sad and already in despair the warrior will become happy and laugh more often."

"So Sam is not going to be sad anymore?" Dean was still trying to figure out exactly what Red Wolf was telling him. It sounded like he was saying Sam was going to be happier from now on, but Red wolf also seemed to be real good at beating around the bush.

"He will have times of sadness, one should be sad when there is suffering. But it will be balanced with happiness and joy."

"What will happen when we kill the Thunderbird?" Dean asked. "Will it have any effect on Sam? Will he go back to his normal self?"

"I do not know." Red Wolf said as he poured water on the stones. "A Thunderbird has not been killed since the time of my grandfathers, grandfather."

Dean was beginning to get light headed from the steam and heat, "How did they kill it?" he asked.

"It is said that the chief of the Oglala grew weary of having the children of the tribe robbed from them by an angry Thunderbird. He had twenty warriors hide near the nesting cave of the Thunderbird. Then the chief offered himself as sacrifice to the Thunderbird. When it took him to its nest within the cave the chief battled with the Thunderbird. The waiting warriors placed firewood at the entrance to the cave and caused the Thunderbird's death. The Chief also perished in this battle but the remaining children of the tribe were safe."

"So Sam was right, it can be killed."

"Yes, though it will not be easy."

"He also said it can shape shift into the form of a man."

Red Wolf paused to put water on the stones before answering. "This is also true in fact most Thunderbirds live now as men, hiding their true form from the world and changing only occasionally to soar with the winds. For this Thunderbird to take its true form and begin killing children something terrible must have befallen it."

"There is nothing I can think of that could make anyone kill children. Children are innocent."

Red Wolf smiled at Dean, "You are a true warrior, but you have much to learn. I believe you will succeed at this task. You must go now, you brother will need you soon."

Dean rose to leave happy to be out of the sweat lodge, but Red Wolf stopped him before he did. "When you have completed your task bring your brother to visit. I would be honored to have him share my sweat lodge."

Dean grinned, "Oh, I'll be glad to have him come see you when this gig is done. You can count on it!"

Red Wolf must have known what Dean was thinking because as Dean turned to leave he began laughing. He was still laughing as Dean dressed, got into his car, and drove away.