White Magic

Chapter 6: The House in the Woods

"Sam and Dean Winchester the Mistress of the Wood has sent me to guide you around the danger of the centaurs. My name is Theodore. But if you wish you can call me Tom… she does." Said the Fox.

The two brothers looked at each other. "Might as well." Said Sam uncertainly. The Fox gave them a smug grin and started off into the forest. Sick of silence Dean finally spoke.

"Why did she send you, Tom, and how do we know we can trust you?"

The Fox did not stop to answer; he merely spoke over his shoulder. "You can trust me because no one who is untrustworthy can live in this forest. The magic that lives in the trees and the creatures here make it impossible for anyone with evil intentions to enter.

"And the reason she chose me to guide you is because I am fast, I know the quickest ways to get to her home, and she also wanted you to meet an Animal. I have also run messages for her before and she knows I will not let her down. I have kids to feed and care for. I'm not going to do something that will land them in a landfill somewhere." Explained the Fox.

They walked for a while then the Fox stopped. "Is this the end?" asked Dean confused; the Fox had stopped quiet suddenly.

"No, no," Said the Fox with a shake of his head. "This is just a fork in my path."

"What path?" Said Dean looking around at the untamed forest around them.

"You can't see it but I can." The Fox sat down on his hunches. He lifted his paw and held up two fingers. "You have two choices." He pointed to his left. "That way is quicker and leads to a tunnel that goes under the mountains. I can only go with you 1/8 of the way through though. Or…" he pointed to his right. "I can take you this way. This way is slower but you can see the lay of the land. That way goes over the mountains. I can go half way with you that way and show you where you need to go next."

Tom sat patiently as they discussed their choices. "It sounds quicker to go to the tunnel." Said Dean.

"But we won't know where we are when we get out of it. Besides we still have 6 hours give or take a few. We can also get a better idea of what this place looks like." Argued Sam.

The Fox gave a fake cough. "There are also several creatures on those mountains that could really help you get to her home."

"What kind of creature?" asked Dean.

The Fox shook his head. "That I cannot tell you. But I can point you in the right direction. I know several creatures that would be more than willing to help you."

"That settles it then. We'll go right." Said Sam. Dean didn't bother to argue. The Fox was giving them a great hint and he wasn't macho enough to ignore it.

With another of those grins the Fox led them up a hill. The hill was a soft incline for a while then it became much steeper. By the time they got to the top both men were gasping for air. This didn't matter because as soon as they reached the top all breath was chased from them when they saw what was laid out before them.

The forest seemed to go on forever. The canopy of the trees was not only green but the further you looked the more colors you saw. Greens ranged from dark emeralds to silvery pale greens. Blues were the second most common. The most common blue was either the deep royal blue or the beautiful sky blue. These were not the only colors, do not be fooled, they could also see trees that were pink, purple, silver, and red to name a few. A few miles away they could see a waterfall. It fell from the side of a great cliff and created a great lake and river that sparkled in the moonlight. Not far beyond that they could see a great castle built into the tallest mountain. They now knew where they needed to go.

Tom gave them a minute to let it all sink in. Then getting impatient he said, "Common we have a lot of ground to cover and very little time to cover it with." Tom then turned and started walking along the top of the mountain.

"Wait shouldn't we go down?" asked Sam confused.

"No," Tom Pointed. With a closer look they could see many creatures moving about at the foot of the mountain. "That's where the centaur will give birth. More than just centaurs would await you down their. Most of them have no love of humans. You must come with me."

So without another word they started alone the mountain peeks. They had crossed three when tom suddenly led them a little ways down the mountain side. Before they could ask Tom where he was taking them he led them into a cave. It wasn't a really cozy cave but it wasn't littered with bones. It seemed to be empty. Then Tom shouted.

"Common Alastor wake up! The Mistress's friends need a ride!" Then in the back of the cave something big moved. It was a dragon. Both Sam and Dean jumped with surprise and reached for their weapons. "Calm down boys. This is Alastor. He's a close friend of the Mistress."

They dragon looked at them for a minute. "Pleased to meet you gentlemen, I am guessing you need a ride."

"Yeah, that would really help." Said Sam.

"Alright then," The dragon got up stretched and lead then out of the cave. He knelt down for them to get on his back. "Get on up. Just behind the wing joints. Ok, that's good. Now how much time do you have to get to her home?"

"Till dawn." Answered Dean.

"Good, we still have an hour. I don't have to rush." And with that comment he leapt into the air. Dean grabbed onto one of the dragons spines in fear. He didn't like flying. But Sam was enjoying himself. He liked the feel of the wind in his face. He watched as they passed over the waterfall. He looked into the lake and saw several creatures swimming in its clear water. Within minutes they landed. The dragon let them off at the front door.

"Alright, I'll just be going now. I've got a baby centaur to bless." He gave the two brothers one last look then jumped back into the air. They watched him leave.

Once he was out of sight they turned to the large front door. It was solid wood. Their was a carving in the door. It read:

"Beware travelers of what lies within,

It will not take kindly to those whose souls are filled with sin.

But a great reward to those of pure spirit,

But first you must find it."

"Oh, isn't that cheerful." Said Dean. Sam shot him a swift glare. Them he opened to door. He had expected the door to be heavy but it wasn't. Infact it opened easily on its hinges. They walked into the entrance hall. It was dark. Then the door slammed shut. The lights awoke in their holders. Torches lines the walls and a great chandelier hung above their heads. But the oddest thing in the room was what was on the floor. At first they thought it was just a compass. But then they saw that where north, south, east, and west should have been sat the symbols for fire, water, air, and earth.

A noise that sounded like footsteps drew their attention to the grand staircase. They walked to it slowly. They took the steps one at a time. When they finally reached the top they found that they at 3 choices of where to go. Straight ahead looked like a ballroom, right lead up a flight of stairs, and left went down a flight of stairs.

"Up, up, and away?" suggested Dean uneasily. So the two brothers carefully walked up the flight of steps. The first several floors seemed to lead to dormlike rooms. Then on the sixth floor they found something odd. It was a library. A very big library. A warm fire was crackling in the fireplace. A table was right in front of the fire. Books and maps covered every inch of the table's surface. The books titles read things like A Guide to Dragons: A Dragonkeeper's Guide, Are Myths Real?, and Time Portals: Where They May Lead You. Then Sam spotted something odd. On the tallest stack of books a book was open. Sam walked up to it and read the title out loud. "What is Fate? Can You Control Yours?"

"Very interesting book." They both spun around. Jezzie stood between two of the largest shelves. "Touches on some very interesting points. Are we in control? Or are our lives already mapped out for us?"