The Guard Changed at Dawn

Chapter 16

Dean woke to complete silence. He was lying on the back seat of the SUV covered in the blanket Max had found. Shifting onto his back, he listened intently. He could hear Max breathing in the front seat, and the garage appeared lighter than before. Groaning softly, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around. It was all quiet on the garage front. No more suicidal owls dive bombing the building. Scooting across the seat, he gingerly opened the side passenger door and stepped out.

Limping slightly, Dean walked to the front window near the garage doors and uncovered them with as little noise as possible. Light streamed in through. Outside, the yard was a graveyard. "Whoa," he murmured.

"What's up?"

Dean looked over his shoulder. Max had climbed out of the SUV and was standing with a blanket around his shoulders. "You gotta see to believe," he said with a shake of his head.

Max walked over and looked out the window. Dead owls were everywhere, strewn across the yard and down the small road. "It looks like a horror movie set."

Dean checked his watch. It was almost six in the morning. "I'm going to call Chief Adcox before the garage owner comes to work. This is going to take some explaining."

An hour later a car slowly made its way up the small road and parked in front of the garage. Samuel climbed from his vehicle while Dean and Max left the garage to meet him.

"What happened?" Samuel asked, looking around.

"The witches got a little aggressive last night," Max stated.

"For five miles getting here the road is covered with dead owls," Samuel said. He looked over at Dean. "I've got some teams coming to clean them up. We don't need any more anxiety on the res."

"People know what's going on?" Max asked.

Samuel gave a slight shrug. "The reservation community is small, and they know about the witches. They know something is up."

Dean sighed.

"Don't worry about us. The Yakama community has been through many difficult events and survived. We'll survive this too." Turning, Samuel walked back to his car and pulled a large bag along with a cup carrier from his front seat. Holding them aloft, he said, "I brought breakfast. Let's eat something, then you two need to get some rest. The owls will be collected and burned, and I'll let Louis know that you used his garage for shelter last night. I'll say you got lost in the dark," he finished with a smile.

"Oh, like that's a good story," Max muttered.

Samuel laughed as he walked toward the garage. "Come on."

Max trailed Samuel inside. Instead of following, Dean pulled his cell from his pocket. Caleb and Sam were probably asleep, as would be everyone else. Instead of calling, Dean texted both, letting them know he and Max were good, and would be back at the motel in an hour.

"Uncle Dean!" Max called out. "Come on, let's eat."

Dean nodded and returned to the garage. "I hope it's from the diner and not Gode Spiser."

.

An hour later Dean and Max pulled up to the motel and parked.

Max climbed slowly from the car and stretched. "Ooh, I need a hot shower and a couple hours sleep in a bed."

"I hear that," Dean said. Suddenly his cell rang. "Hey, Sam."

"Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah. We just got back to the motel. We're going to take showers and get some sleep. How about you guys?"

"JT's asleep in Onida's spare bedroom, and Caleb took Onida's bed while she worked last night."

Dean fought to keep the smile off his face. "And you?"

"I got the couch," Sam said with a smile. "Everyone's still asleep, so I'm going to head back to the motel. I'd like to grab a couple hours in a bed myself."

"Sounds good. See you in a bit."

"Everyone all right?" Max asked.

Dean nodded. "JT and Caleb are still asleep, and Sam's heading back here." He looked over at the room Joshua was in. He felt like everyone was divided. He wanted to get everyone in the same room again, pool their information.

Max watched Dean and had a feeling he knew what he was thinking. "Why don't I leave a note for Ryker, have him explain everything to Joshua when they wake up. Do you want to meet at the Records Hall at one?"

Dean glanced at his watch. It was seven-thirty in the morning. If they met at one, that would give him and Max about four and a half hours sleep before the meet up. "Yeah, that works. Have Joshua let Caleb and JT know to meet us there too."

"You got it." Yawning, Max turned and headed for his room.

Dean walked to number twelve, thrust his key card into the lock and pushed open the door.

The room had a slightly musty smell from disuse. Yawning, he dropped his jacket and flannel shirt onto the bed and limped into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he peeled away his clothes as the water heated up. Once it was warm enough, he climbed carefully under the spray and sighed. It felt so good to let the water pound the tension from his shoulders. It made him yearn for his own shower back home. Picking up the bar of soap, he tore away the soggy paper and soaped up, giving himself a good washing.

When he stepped from the shower, he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Yawning, he quickly dried off and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. When he walked back into the main bedroom, Sam was there, sitting on his usual bed. "Hey."

"Hey. So you had a run in with The Birds, huh?"

Dean chuckled as he dropped onto his bed. "Yeah. I can see why Hitchcock thought a flock of birds was scary enough to make into a horror flick."

"You know Hitchcock didn't write The Birds," Sam said. "It was based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier."

"Then she had issues too." Shifting, Dean pulled the covers out from under him and climbed inside. "Is the trap intact?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. JT said the black canvas and writing had disappeared." He watched as Dean fought his tiredness and said, "Sleep." Rising, he headed for the bathroom. "I hope you left me some hot water."

"Don't I always?" Dean murmured as his eyes slid closed.

"No," Sam said softly, with a smile.

"I did this time," Dean murmured before falling asleep.

"Yeah, of course you did," Sam muttered. Shutting the bathroom door as quietly as he could, he shucked his dirty clothes and turned on the water. Smiling, he stepped under the warm spray and murmured, "You did leave some hot water."

Caleb rolled over in bed and opened his eyes. Sitting up quickly, he looked around and suddenly remembered he was in Onida's bed. Immediately he reached for his phone and saw a text from Dean saying that he and Max would be heading back to the motel. The digital clock at the top of the screen showed that it was after ten in the morning. That meant the two were already there and asleep. Nodding to himself, he climbed out of bed and used the bathroom. After slipping into his jeans, he tossed aside his filthy tee shirt and opted for just the flannel. Quietly he opened the bedroom door and stepped out.

Turning to the left, he went down the hall to the guest bedroom and peeked inside. JT was still asleep in bed, his breathing deep and relaxed. Smiling, he walked barefoot into the living room to find Onida camped out on the couch where Sam had been the night before. Reaching out with his abilities, he sensed Sam slumbering and knew he was back at the motel with Dean. Shaking his head, he veered into the kitchen to put on some coffee. His phone buzzed and he touched the screen to silence the sound as he went back down the hall and into Onida's bedroom.

"Hey," he said to Joshua.

"Hi. Are you still at Onida's?"

"Yeah, with Johnny."

"Sam's not there?"

"He's back at the motel with you guys, asleep."

"Oh, good. Dean and Max are still out as well."

"You're sure they're all right?"

"Yes, they weren't hurt. The owls kept ramming the car. When they found shelter in the garage, the owls continued striking the building for awhile. Ryker said that Max told him the front yard and road were littered with dead owls."

"That's going to take some explaining," Caleb said.

"Dean called Chief Adcox. He had the bodies cleaned up and burned before most of the community was out and about."

"That won't stop the talk."

"No, it won't. Keeping a secret in a small community is impossible."

"They already know we're here."

"Yes." Joshua took a deep breath. "Ryker, James and I are going over to the Records Hall now. Max left a note suggesting everyone meet there at one this afternoon. I thought I'd speak with the Chief about getting some lunch delivered."

"Yeah, okay," Caleb said. "Johnny and I will head back to the motel for a change of clothes then meet you there."

"See you then."

Caleb disconnected, dropped the phone on to the bed and reached for his shoes.

"Is everyone all right?"

Standing, Caleb turned and smiled. "Morning. Yeah, everyone made it back to the motel in one piece. Dean, Max and Sam are getting some sleep. Joshua, James and Ryker are heading back to the Records Hall."

Onida stepped into the bedroom. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Johnny and I will head back to the motel to get changed before meeting up with everyone at the Hall. We'll continue with the research on the medicine bags and go over your information on the trap. If you can come, it would be great."

Onida hesitated a second, then shook her head. "No, I don't want to leave. The witches have been too volatile. I need to keep an eye on the entrapment."

Caleb nodded. "We may go into the woods this afternoon."

"Again? Why?"

"Whether we go or not depends on what we find today. The witches used a lot of energy yesterday. If we can keep them from rebuilding that energy reserve, it could mean taking them down quicker."

"They may have used a lot of energy, but they have a lot of resources."

Caleb frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Tah-tah kle' -ah can tap into energy from the earth and the sun."

"We know that."

"But you don't know what that entails." Onida eyed him before saying, "A sacrifice."

"So we warn everyone in the surrounding towns to stay away from the forest. They do anyway, don't they?"

"Most residents in the nearby towns avoid the forest out of fear and superstition. However, there are a lot of campsites in the general area. Campers and visitors hike, they climb. If you want to make sure no one goes into the forest, you'll have to make an announcement to the entire area for people to stay away. Won't that incite panic?"

"Not if the reason is logical; typical stuff that happens naturally in a large wooded area. Rangers work in the forest. What reason would they have to keep people away?"

Onida frowned in thought. "The only thing I can't think of is a rampant animal."

"Then let's get Chief Adcox to have Sheriff Olsen make the announcement; there's a rabid bear loose, and Chief Adcox has several hunters searching for it."

"All right, I'll make the call. Now, I'm going to make you both some breakfast before you leave."

Caleb grinned. "I was hoping you'd offer."

Onida rolled her eyes and walked out, saying, "Don't get used to it."

Ryker entered the meeting hall and immediately went to check out the banquet and meeting room. "It's empty."

"I wonder if Mary's here yet," Joshua said. "We won't be able to get back into the records room without her key."

James jogged over to the door that led to the hallway of rooms and jiggled the handle. "Locked."

Joshua pulled out his phone. "I'll call Samuel, see if he's nearby and can open the door."

"Don't worry about that."

Joshua looked up and saw Mary coming out a side door to the right, carrying a tray with mugs and a pot of coffee. Ryker walked over and took the tray.

"I wanted to get us some coffee while we worked," Mary said. "Usually beverages aren't allowed in the records room, but I'm in the company of seasoned researchers." She smiled. "I'm sure you won't spill."

Mary unlocked the door and led the three down the hallway to the end, where she opened the records room. The tables were still piled with their work and Joseph's letters.

Ryker picked up one of the cups of coffee and stood, holding it thoughtfully. "I don't understand how the witches could influence owls from inside the trap. How can they extend their energy beyond the walls?"

"Sun is beyond the walls, and they can absorb energy from the sun," James said.

Ryker frowned. "Does absorbing also mean projecting? If the trap is made to keep the witches in, wouldn't that extend to keeping their energy in too?"

"I would think so," Joshua said thoughtfully. "Contained is contained. When the entrapment was made all those years ago, it was made strong enough to keep the witches inside for decades. I don't think that means letting their energy out."

"The entrapment has kept my people safe for generations," Mary interjected. "There would have been incidents in the past if the witches could have loosed their power through the walls."

"Unless they've gotten a boost since then," Joshua speculated.

Mary sat down near the record books. "What do you mean?"

Shaking his head, Joshua confessed, "I don't know. But a witch escaped to attack Dean yesterday, and last night a bunch of owls attacked Dean and Max when they were heading over to Onida's."

"But owls are not witches," James pointed out. "They're earth bound creatures. It's possible the witches created a spell to drive the owls to attack dad and Max, and the walls of the trap wouldn't have been a problem for them; they fly in and out of the forest all the time."

"How did the owls know who to attack?" Mary asked. "The witches wouldn't have anything of theirs to act as a scent, would they?"

"That one witch touched dad's chest when she attacked him yesterday," James said. "Maybe that was enough."

"This is all speculation at this point," Joshua pointed out. "I suggest we continue our research, and find out what may end the witches permanently. If that information exists, it's here in the books and papers on this table."

"You're right," James said, moving to reclaim the seat he used the night before.

"I'll continue going through Joseph's letters," Ryker said.

"We'll work on everything else," James stated, tossing Ryker a challenging smile.

"Printed books verses handwritten letters," Ryker mocked. "I think my job is the tougher one."

"Ha," James snorted.

"May I remind you both that we're on the same team and on the clock?" Joshua said mildly.

Ryker and James exchanged smiles. Ryker picked up his notepad and went down to the end of the conference table where all Joseph's papers were stacked. James picked up his own pad, pulled the book he'd been going through the night before toward him, and got to work.

Caleb and JT drove down the narrow road away from Onida's, heading back to the motel.

"We'll get a change of clothes then meet up with everyone else at the Yakama Records Hall."

"Okay," JT said, his eyes on the road.

Caleb cast a sidelong look at the younger man. He hadn't really talked with JT since leaving him at Onida's. While he wasn't sorry he done his duty as the Knight, he was sorry for the anger his godson obviously felt.

"I'm sorry," JT murmured.

Caleb glanced over at the young man. "You didn't do anything. I'm the one who left."

JT shook his head. "I wasn't so much angry at you as I was at myself." Giving his godfather a careful look, he focused again at the passing scenery. "The moment I told you they wanted dad, blood suddenly flew from the canvas. It was just like one of those B horror movies. I was shocked by it for a moment, and then you were gone." Shaking his head, he continued, "I let myself get distracted. I'm not going to be a very good Guardian."

Caleb slowed the SUV and pulled over to the side of the road so that he could focus. Turning toward JT, he said, "You're going to be an amazing Guardian, and I should know what I'm talking about." When JT opened his mouth, Caleb shook his head. "I'm not done. I'm not saying this because I love you, or because you're my godson. You know I'm not that easy. I can say this because you have fought hard every day to make a difference in this world, even before you were a hunter. I can say this because I've seen you take on monsters and creatures without a thought to your own well being, but with an eye to protecting James, Max, Ryker, anyone else who was nearby. I can say this because even though this hunt has been difficult for everyone, you've kept your cool and your equilibrium throughout. And while I could easily give a whole lot more examples, one last thing I'll say is you're going to make an amazing Guardian because even though you saw that canvas morph, even though you saw something else horrific, you kept your head and warned me your dad was in danger."

JT's face was bright red as he stared at his godfather. "Uh, I'm…"

Caleb smiled and started the car again. "Want to tell me what happened with the canvas?"

JT cleared his throat and fought to keep the grin off his face. Relaying everything he'd already told his dad, he concluded with the light show of Onida's power going into the canvas.

"Wow," Caleb said when JT had finished. He'd slowed his speed while JT was telling him about what happened. "Did you hear their voices?"

JT shook his head. "No. I just knew what they wanted. They…"

A huge object slammed into the passenger side of the SUV, shoving the vehicle off the road and crashing through the shrubbery and bushes along the left side.

"What the hell!?" Caleb shouted, trying to avoid the worst of the bushes. The car slid sideways when the front wheels locked and the back tires continued to spin. The entire car spun several feet into the roadside scrub brushes, tearing up the ground until it flipped onto its side.

The creaking of the car frame, the sound of crickets and birds, and his own rapid breaths were all Caleb could hear.

"Oouuch." JT closed his eyes as pain welled in his chest.

Caleb groaned slightly and looked to his right. JT was hanging by his seatbelt, blood covering the right side of his face. "John…ny," he croaked, before clearing his throat. "Johnny," he said again, more successfully. "Are you all right?"

"I'm … I think I'm fine," JT said, his voice coming out breathy and soft. "Hard to breath … with the seatbelt…"

Caleb reached stiffly into his pocket and pulled out his cell. He'd just hit his speed dial for Dean when the window above him smashed, and large taloned hands reached into the car, grabbing at JT.

Grunting in pain, Caleb dropped the cell, grabbed his gun from his waistband and shot the witch in the shoulder.

She screeched and fell back out of the window. A second later she was back and trying to grab JT by the shoulder. However, the seatbelt seemed to be giving her trouble.

JT pulled his gun and had to shoot her four times in the face and throat before she fell back.

Caleb struggled to reach the lever on the side of his seat. When he found it, he slid the seat back as far as he could. "Close your eyes!" he shouted.

"Seriously?" JT yelled back. "There's a witch trying to get through my window!"

"When I say now, close them!" Caleb ordered. Lifting his legs to his chest, he shouted, "Now!" and rammed his feet against the front windshield.

Glass shattered as the windshield bowed outward. Caleb rammed it again before it fell back onto the hood and slid down towards the ground. As quickly as he could, he thrust his legs back down and began to pull himself out of the vehicle.

A screeching to his right had him swinging his gun toward the witch who was again, trying to pull JT out of the car. He fired repeatedly into its body until, in one swift whoosh, she disappeared.

Caleb leaned against the car frame until he got his breathing under control. Looking inside, he asked, "Can you get free?"

JT reached up and tried to release the seatbelt clasp. Shaking his head, he said, "It's jammed."

"Okay, give me a second." Caleb climbed out onto the car frame, then jumped lightly onto the ground. His legs hurt and his body ached from the crash, but he pushed through that and limped around to the other side. "Get ready to brace yourself," he said. Pulling a knife from his belt, he cut through the seatbelt. When he was almost done, he said, "Now," and cut through the last threads.

JT grunted as he dropped a few inches. Gritting his teeth, he tried to brace himself using his legs and his left arm. Carefully he swung his body around until his legs were on Caleb's seat.

"Can you climb out this way?" Caleb asked, looking in at JT from the passenger window.

"I don't think so," JT said. "I think I'll climb out the way you did."

"Okay. There's a small drop to the ground once you get outside. Wait until I'm in place to help."

"Yeah." JT waited a moment, before he started to climb out through the windshield. His chest hurt, and it was becoming more difficult to breathe. But he needed to get out. When he'd braced himself on the frame as Caleb had, he looked down. It looked more like four feet to the ground, as the car had slid up against a small ravine. He didn't know if he could make that jump, but Caleb was standing there, waiting. Wrapping his left arm as closely to his ribs as he could, he groaned as he lowered himself over the edge of the car hood as much as possible and jumped.

Caleb caught his godson and knew from the way JT's faced had paled, that he may have some internal injuries. "Come on," he said, moving away from the car. When they got onto firmer ground, he lowered JT down so he could sit. "Do you have your phone?" Caleb had left his own on the floor of the wreck.

JT reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, handing it to Caleb.

Caleb frowned when he saw the crack across the cell phone face. After trying to make a call, he sighed. "Okay, I'm going back to the car, see if I can find my cell. You stay here."

"No way," JT stated, grunting as he climbed to his feet. "If the witch comes back, I'm almost out of ammo."

"The witch isn't going to come back," Caleb reasoned. "Onida stopped it."

"Onida stopped the one who went after dad, and she stopped this one. But they still keep getting out." Frowning, JT asked, "Why is this happening now? Onida has kept them contained for decades. I don't think that the medicine bags have suddenly failed or their desperation quota to be free has gotten higher just because we're here. How are they getting out?"

"I don't know, but we're going to find out."

JT sighed.

"What is it?" Caleb asked gently.

"This hunt is complicated."

Caleb chuckled. "Yeah, it certainly is. Okay, I'm going for my phone. Then we're calling for help." He handed JT his gun. "Shoot her between the eyes if the witch comes back."

JT smiled.

Caleb jogged back to the SUV. "Damn," he muttered as he surveyed the wreck. "Good thing I got full insurance on this thing." Using the exhaust pipe as a step ladder, Caleb pulled himself up onto the passenger side and tried to open the door. But the crash had welded the door to the frame. "Damn it." Pulling himself up, he groaned at the aches his body was signaling and lowered himself down through the passenger window. Once inside, he fished around by the driver's seat until he got hold of his phone. When he was out and back on solid ground, he examined the cell. The connection to Dean was still open. "Hello?" No one answered back. "Damn." He pocketed the cell and jogged back to JT.

The younger man was lying on the ground, massaging his right shoulder.

"You all right?" Caleb asked, kneeling down.

"Yeah. I feel better now that I'm lying down. I don't think there's any ribs broken. The seatbelt may have bruised my ribcage, maybe my lungs, but I'm all right." Moving slowly, he pushed himself upright with Caleb's help. "You call anyone?"

"Not yet. The connection was open, so it's likely your dad and the rescue team are on the way." Hitting speed dial one again, he waited until he heard a voice.

"Damian? Are you and JT all right? What happened?"

"We're fine." Caleb eyed the woods again, before checking out the road. "I don't know exactly where we are, but we're about twenty minutes from Onida's house on the way to the motel."

"Yeah, we're almost there. We tracked your cell signal. Look for the cars."

"Will do," Caleb said, closing cell.

"On their way, huh?" JT motioned for Caleb to help him stand.

"Yeah." Caleb searched the woods, the brush and the air for more witches. He was sure Onida had taken care of the witch that attacked them, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Ten minutes later three cars drove up the road. The first SUV screeched to a halt and Dean, Max and Sam jumped out and raced toward the two.

Ryker, Joshua and James rushed from the second car while Chief Adcox climbed from the third.

"Get back in the car now," Caleb ordered Dean. "Sam, get your brother back in the car."

"What?" Dean said, confused. "We're here to help you."

"Now, Sam," Caleb ordered. "Max, help get JT into the back of the car."

Sam pulled Dean's arm and tugged him in the direction of the car.

"Stop!" Dean shouted.

Caleb stepped in front of his friend and said, "As the Knight of the Brotherhood, I'm ordering you to get back in the damn car. For your safety."

Dean stared at Caleb a moment, then turned, walked back to the car and climbed inside.

Caleb sagged slightly and closed his eyes, resting his hands on his hips.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, looking between his brother and Caleb.

"I just … give me a moment, Sam, okay?"

Sam eyed the other man for a second or two, before saying, "Okay. Joshua is checking out JT. I'm going to see what he says."

Caleb nodded, but didn't look up as Sam walked away. This hunt was more than complicated, and JT had brought up several excellent questions he should have considered long before now. Damn it, he wasn't a young hunter. He'd been in the game for decades! And he was getting distracted instead of keeping his eye on the hunt. John would be so disappointed. Even after all these years, he could hear John's voice as clear as when he was twenty; Get your head in the game, Junior.

How were the witches getting out? Why now? Onida had been keeping them at bay for decades, and she was good at her job. The witches couldn't be any stronger now than they had been through the years. So what was giving them the strength to get out of the containment, and during the daytime no less? The only new element in the equation was them. Logic made them the reason the witches were getting free. But how? His, Sam's and James' psychic abilities couldn't be the reason. The witches themselves were psychic. Ryker and Max's fighting skills couldn't be used as strength boosters, and Joshua hadn't done anything with his crafter skills as of yet. The only thing the witches could use was energy. Guardian energy had to be the reason for their uptick in power. Somehow, they were using Dean and JT to become stronger.

"Caleb?"

Caleb looked up and saw that Joshua was standing in front of him, and he hadn't even realized it.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Caleb said softly. "But I think the witches are siphoning Guardian power from Dean and JT."

Joshua blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Think about it; the only new energy source for the witches is the Guardian."

Joshua closed his eyes and shook his head. He'd been so close to that truth and he'd just let it go. "Yes, Guardian energy. I'm so stupid."

Caleb frowned. "What?"

"James and I spoke about that this morning, about how the witches could extend their energy beyond the barrier to send the owls." Shaking his head, Joshua grimaced. "Guardian energy is alchemic and different from their usual sources. Of course they would desire it. We've been dancing around it the entire time. But I was so concerned with getting through the research, I didn't think it through." Shaking his head at Caleb, he said, "I'm sorry."

"None of us thought of it except JT, you and James," Caleb stated. Glancing over Joshua's shoulder to car to where Dean and his son were sitting. "Dean and JT may be the key to either freeing them, or killing them. We're going to have to make sure it's the later."

.

The drive back to the Yakama Tribal Hall and Records Building was quiet on all fronts. Caleb drove the lead car, JT in back with Joshua so Joshua could keep an eye on him. It was decided that JT didn't have any broken ribs or internal injuries. He wasn't coughing blood, and now that he was free of the seatbelt, his breathing had evened out as his body recovered. His left leg was bruised but not broken. James sat in front with Caleb, watching the road and lost in thought.

Samuel followed behind the second car, which Dean drove. Sam and Ryker were in the back seat, with Max manning the front passenger seat at Caleb's insistence. Dean wasn't happy to have been ordered back to the car, but he was trying to reason through Caleb's actions. He and JT were the ones being targeted, so it had to have something to do with their positions in the Brotherhood. He'd been attacked twice by the witches, and JT had two encounters. Caleb had figured it out and was protecting the Guardian.

They drove up to the Yakama Building and parked.

Caleb was first out of his SUV and barked, "Inside!"

Sam didn't comment on Caleb's brusque order, just climbed out of the SUV and walked quickly alongside Ryker, James, and Joshua, who was helping JT limp gingerly on his bruised leg toward the door.

Dean hung back slightly, keeping an eye on Caleb and Max, who were eyeing the surrounding area and waiting for Samuel to make his way to the building.

Once everyone was inside, Samuel led the group to the banquet and meeting room while Dean stayed back with Caleb.

"Want to tell me what's going on?"

Caleb gave the outside one more thorough search before he turned to Dean and said, "I'm so damn sorry, Deuce."

Dean's brows rose in surprise. "What?"

Caleb shook his head, his eyes going back to the wood area outside the Hall. "The witches, the damn witches are using your Guardian power to escape during the daytime."

If Dean's brows could have gone higher, they would have. "Come again?"

"Johnny brought it up, but I should have realized it long before now. I was distracted. If I hadn't been, then I could have gotten Josh to make you and Johnny something to block them out."

Dean held up a hand to stop Caleb from speaking. "Okay, wait a minute. You think the witches are taking energy from me and JT to make themselves stronger? How is that possible? How could they be taking my energy? I don't feel any different than I usually do."

"Maybe they're siphoning it off when you sleep, I don't know." Caleb sighed. "At first they may have just thought there was a new energy source. But yesterday, in the woods, they found out what you are, what Johnny is. Since then they've been trying desperately to get either of you into the woods, into their caves. You're energy is different, more powerful than what they have access to, and you're the way they're going to escape."

"Wait," Dean said, shaking his head. "They had access to the sun! How could Guardian energy be more powerful than that?"

"It's not how strong," Caleb explained. "It's how that power can be used. You remember how Pastor Jim used to say that a soft answer turns away wrath?"

"I knew you listened during some of Jim's sermons," Dean chortled. "And that's from Proverbs, not Pastor Jim."

Caleb blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?"

Dean felt a rare blush creep across his cheeks. "I listened; sometimes. And shuddup."

"Anyway, soft is sometimes more powerful than wrath. The sun is elemental power. The witches use that to stay alive and to fight. Guardian power is different. As Josh said, it's alchemic and magical. Maybe, to the witches, it's more powerful than elemental energy."

Dean stared at Caleb for a long time before his jaw clenched and he looked out through the glass double doors. Finally, he asked, "Do you think we're safe in here?"

Caleb looked down and said, "Truth? I don't know. Samuel said this place was warded with protections and sigils, but I don't know whether those will be enough for the witches. We need to get Josh to make something to block them from getting at yours, at Johnny's energy."

Dean thought about that. Was there a way to use the witches' attraction to him to draw them out and end them?

"Don't even think about it."

Dean glance at Caleb, and smiled. "You know me…"

"…Far too well," Caleb finished. "Yes, we'll use this to end them, but let's put together a solid plan before anyone throws themselves over a cliff."

Dean fell into step with Caleb as they headed into the meeting room. "Who said anything about cliffs? You know how I feel about heights."

"As you said, I know you far too well," Caleb stated. His mouth was smiling but his eyes were solemn.

Dean nodded. "Then let's come up with a plan."

Samuel had sandwiches and fries delivered from The Edge of Town diner. There was little talk as the group devoured the food. The morning's events had sobered everyone. Max was sticking to JT's side like glue, and James and Ryker weren't that far away. Sam was sitting near Dean, while Caleb stood nearby, eating on his feet and refusing to sit. He just couldn't, not now. His mind wouldn't let his body relax at the moment.

Caleb had called Onida and confirmed that she had sent the witch from the morning's attack back into the trap, the energy level shift in the canvas having woken her from sleep. Though she desperately needed some rest, she planned on watching the canvas until Joshua and Joseph made protections for Dean and JT.

Joseph and Mary were also eating, Samuel having filled them in on the morning's action.

When the food had been consumed, Dean stood. "Why don't we all move into the records room. That's where all the papers we need are now, right?"

Joseph nodded. "I put my records in there last night."

"We need a plan to end this," Dean said. "Caleb and JT are going to outline the newest threat. We need to know the ingredients in those medicine bags. If we can use them as a weapon, we can end them."

"We've got a lot of facts, done a lot of research," Sam added. "Now we need the last few bits that will put this all into a workable plan."

Ryker snagged a can of soda from the table and followed Sam and Dean from the room. James picked up the plate of cookies brought by Mary and some napkins.

"You just had lunch," Max observed.

"As dad would say, that was lunch, this is dessert … or something similar." James grinned and followed Joshua and JT.

Samuel chuckled as he gathered the remaining soda cans and stacked them in a box to take to the records room.

"You bringing the rest of the drinks?" Max asked, as he lifted the heavy box.

"As you're seasoned researchers, Mary has loosened the rules. Don't make her regret it."

"We'll be careful," Max promised. Careful was worth it to have something to drink when researching dry, dusty books.

.

Heads were bent over books and letters, and turning pages and scratching pens were nearly the only sounds in the records room. Everyone except Joshua and Joseph were looking for answers on the medicine bags. Joseph was back in the banquet room working with Joshua to come up with a ward to block the witches from taking energy from Dean and JT.

"You want to include Golden Pothos?" Joseph asked.

"It repels energy." Joshua dropped in a pinch of the plant and mixed.

"Then use some Calantheas. It naturally closes out darkness."

"Good call." Joshua mixed some leaves into the paste and used his pistil to grind them together.

Joseph leaned over and sniffed the mixture. "It's almost ready."

Joshua nodded. After a minute, he said, "Add the agate."

Joshua stirred while Joseph sprinkled in the agate stone.

"There," Joseph said. "That should do it."

"Let's get it into the pouches and take it to them," Joshua said.

"I don't think the witches can get through the sigils and wards protecting this place," Joseph said.

"Probably not, as all four encounters happened outside," Joshua agreed. "But I don't want to take any chances. Might they be able to siphon energy through possible gaps in the wards?"

Joseph thought that through, then said, "I don't believe so. They were constructed with extreme caution years ago, with full knowledge of those they were creating protections against. But I agree, that we shouldn't take any chances."

Joshua picked up the two small medicine bags and followed Joseph back to the records room. When they entered, he walked over and handed one bag to Dean, one to JT. "These should protect you against the witches draining any of your Guardian energy. Wear them until this matter is concluded."

Dean took the leather thong and slipped it over his head. The pouch dangled onto his chest. "I don't feel any different."

JT stared down at his own pouch. "I don't either."

Joshua smiled. "You probably won't in here, maybe not even outside. We don't know how much energy the witches could drain through the barrier. But hopefully this will stop the attacks."

Dean nodded, his eyes on the pouch.

"So," Joshua said. "Where are we?"

"Still looking," Sam said. "There are almost a hundred ledgers, books and records from 1899, and another sixty or so from 1900. It's going to take some time."

Joshua sat down near Max and motioned for a book to be handed his way.

Caleb glanced around, then stood up and left the room. When in the hallway, he took his cell phone out and called Onida.

"Hi," Onida said.

"Hey," Caleb smiled, he couldn't help himself. "They're both wearing the potion pouches. Anything different in the canvas?"

"It quieted down about a minute ago," Onida said. "Daylight activity level is down to where it was before you guys arrived."

"Good, that means the pouches are working."

"Then I'm going to get some sleep. I have a feeling it's going to be a busy night."

"I'll let you know when we have something and we'll be over."

"I look forward to your call," Onida said, and hung up.

Caleb stared at the phone a moment. It was amazing how such a simple phrase as looking forward to his call could make his stomach jump. Forcing himself to focus, he slid the phone back in his pocket and turned to see Dean standing behind him.

"How are the witches?"

Caleb walked forward. "Onida says they calmed down the moment those pouches went around yours and Johnny's necks. So I'd say they're working."

Dean nodded. After a moment, he said, "It's not your fault, you know; that the witches came after me and JT."

Caleb sighed. "I should have thought of who they were attacking and the significance of that much earlier."

"Earlier than what, a day?" Deans stepped closer and said, "Damian, don't let being attracted to Onida make you doubt you're doing your job. Dealing with owl witches is new for everyone, well, except for Onida and Joseph. And no one thought about them taking energy from me and JT."

"Johnny did."

"JT asked the question and you made the connection." Dean studied his friend for a moment, then smiled. "I'm looking forward to getting to know Onida better when this is done. So let's get to it, all right?"

Caleb blew out a long, bracing breath. "Yeah, let's get it done."

Two hours later Caleb and Joshua got up and went out for some caffeine and snacks. Three hours later the adrenalin from the mornings attack had JT sagging, and Dean ordered him to get some sleep on a couch in the meeting and banquet room, Max demanding to go with him. Four hours later Sam sat straight up in his chair and borrowed one of Dean's favorite words.

"Yahtzee."

Everyone's heads went up, and suddenly there was a buzz of excitement running through the room.

"You found something?" James demanded.

"I believe Yahtzee covered that," Ryker stated, only to receive a glare from James.

"What have you got?" Joshua asked, steering the conversation in the right direction.

"It's a small piece, but it lists some ingredients to be used for a special project," Sam said, his eyes on the page.

"The date?" Joseph asked.

"October 23, 1899."

Joseph began searching through his papers.

"What are the ingredients?" Caleb asked.

"There are, wow, some of these I've never heard of," Sam said. "There's yarrow, sage, henbane, frankincense, dragon's blood, rue, agrimony, uva ursi, clove and sumac."

"Isn't that a poison?" James asked, frowning.

"Sumac has several medicinal benefits," Joseph said. "One must be careful when using it, as it can be used as a poison as well."

"Most natural herbs have their benefits and dark sides," Joshua said.

"On the mineral end," Sam continued, "there's black tourmaline, fluorite, hematite, jet, labradorite…"

Joseph looked up, his eyes wide in surprise.

"All those stones are on that list?" Joshua exclaimed.

"And more," Sam said, continuing, "malachite, moonstone…"

"Onida said she connects to the barrier through the moonstone," Caleb interrupted.

"It would allow a connection and conduit of sorts," Joshua said.

"Rainforest Jasper and tektite," Sam finished.

"Rainforest Jasper?" Joseph stated in surprise. Looking to Joshua, he said, "Why would they use that? It increases energy."

"We'll need to see how the potion was constructed, but I surmise the rainforest jasper was added for the watcher's benefit."

"Find out what else is in there, Sam," Dean stated. Looking to everyone else, he said, "We need to find the how-to on making the original potion during the surrounding time period. If there are multiple pages, pass them out and we'll all begin looking."

Attention was sharp and energy buzzed renewed in the records room. After an hour, Mary got up and returned twenty minutes later with more coffee. Another hour passed and JT and Max returned, learned what had been discovered and threw themselves back into research. Mary, Samuel and Caleb rose and left the room. When Caleb returned, he merely resumed his seat and started researching again.

An hour later, it was almost seven when Mary and Samuel returned.

"There's food in the banquet room," Mary said. "Come on. No sense starving to death."

Sam rose, but said, "I feel like we're close and should stay on this."

"We're making progress," Caleb said. "But we need sleep and food if we're going to fight energy witches."

"Come on," Dean said, tugging on Sam's arm.

Dinner was bowls of chunky soup and chicken sandwiches. There were also plates of fruit and vegetables. The meal was consumed in relative silence, with almost everyone preoccupied with the research and the possibility of getting an answer to taking out the witches.

"Do you think the witches used Guardian energy to put themselves back together?" JT asked suddenly. When everyone looked at him, he flushed slightly, but continued, "I mean, could they do that before? If they couldn't, that means we can chop off their heads without them coming back if dad and I are wearing these pouches," he finished, pointing to his chest.

Joseph spoke up. "I don't know whether they could before or not. After their initial escape when Onida was just taking over, they've never left the trap. Then, Onida used her energy and a potion to put them back. No one has gone into the enclosure to test whether they could die or not."

JT nodded.

Soon everyone was back at the research, looking through the ledgers and letters with renewed energy. It wasn't too long before Joseph said, "I think I have it." He seems so surprised, that Joshua had to prompt him to speak.

"Joseph?"

The medicine man looked up. "I think I have it, but it isn't exact from what I can tell; it's not like a recipe. It's almost as though the medicine man of the day wanted the crafting listed, but didn't want it to be recreated by inexpert hands. Here," he handed the page gently to Joshua. "Take a look."

Everyone sat impatiently while Joshua read through the page. Finally, he put it carefully onto the tabletop and said, "Okay, this is going to take some work to decipher. There are several Yakama words here for something other than ingredients, or ingredients I'm not familiar with." Looking at Joseph, he said, "Do you recognize all the ingredients?"

Joseph shook his head. "Let Mary take a look," he said, nodding to his wife.

Mary took the paper and read through the page. After a moment, she frowned as she continued to read. When she finished, she handed the paper back to her husband. "I can decipher some of the words, like a-nch'iistí means 'with an awl,' and ltáy'ltay is a 'bag,'" she looked up, "maybe the bag they put the ingredients into. But there are several words in ancient Yakama, older than the texts I've studied. I would say the dialects and words were mixed deliberately to make reading the recipe more difficult. I'll need a few hours to look them up, and I might need to call in Elan."

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Elan Begaye. He's one of our language experts. He's spent years translating some of the most ancient Yakama texts in the back room and knows more about the Yakama language than anyone I've ever met."

Dean glanced over at Sam and Caleb, the latter of whom shrugged his shoulders.

"The tribe knows something's going on anyway," Sam said.

"All right. Do you think he can come tonight?" Dean asked.

"I'm sure he will," Mary said, rising. "I'll give him a call."

Joshua leaned over the table and retrieved the page with the ingredients. "I'm going to see if I can decipher some of this, figure out the ingredients amounts and how this potion works. Joseph?"

The other man smiled. "I'm in. Want some coffee?"

"Definitely," Joshua smiled. "We're going to need it."

Yawning, Dean rose and stretched.

"Why don't you go and get some rest," Sam suggested. "You hardly got any sleep last night, with the owls chasing you down the road."

"We were being attacked, not chased," Dean clarified. "Just for the record."

Caleb laughed. "Yeah, I'm telling that story to Juliet the moment we get back."

The team walked down the hallway and into the banquet and meeting room. Dean immediately went to the couch he'd occupied the day before and dropped down. Pulling the sofa blanket over him, he quickly dropped off to sleep.

Sam went to another couch and lay down.

Caleb pulled one of the larger lounge chairs over near Dean and sat down, stretching in the comfy chair.

Ryker walked over and said, "You get some sleep. I've got this watch."

Caleb eyed the younger man, and finally nodded. "Thanks," he said softly.

.

Ryker paced the large room, his eyes going to the darkened windows, then over to Caleb, Dean, Sam and Max who were sleeping in chairs or on couches. James had gone back to the research room, wanting to help where he could. JT was sitting near the windows, his eyes on the forest outside.

"They can't get in," Ryker said softly.

"I know. But I can feel them out there, watching."

Ryker frowned, leaning closer to the windows and studying the forest. "You think they're here?"

"No, not here right now. Just out there."

Ryker sat down opposite his friend. "Tell me exactly what you're feeling."

JT looked at Ryker. "I ... It's like when you know things. You knew you were going to The Citadel when you were, like, nine. Your dad was saying no, but you knew you were going. And you did. I knew I was going to be the Guardian some day. I didn't know it at nine," he smiled, "but I knew it when I was in high school. Nobody told me, dad, Uncle Caleb, Uncle Sam, they never said a thing, never hinted at a thing. In fact, dad wanted to make sure I did everything but hunting some times. But I knew it."

Ryker glanced over at the Guardian. "Do you think Dean feels them as well?"

JT nodded. "If I do, I'm sure dad does."

"Can you tell when they're close?"

"I don't know. Last night I felt something in the woods, and the witch was there. But, fighting the supernatural, we are more attuned to feeling creatures lurking around. So I don't know if I felt the witch because she was a witch, or if it was because she was a supernatural creature. I didn't feel the witch who attacked the car today."

Ryker nodded. "You said you can feel them out there now, right?" When JT nodded, he said, "See if you can get a sense of their location."

"I told you, it's not like that," JT protested.

"I know," Ryker said quickly. "But maybe it can be. Close your eyes and focus on just knowing they're there. See if you can pick up anything on where they're at."

JT eyed the other man a moment to make sure he was serious, then he signed and closed his eyes. He focused his attention of the witches. They would be in darkness, he knew that. So he imagined the smell of trees and moisture in the air, he pretended he could hear leaves rustling as small creatures ran through the underbrush. He wanted to stop, but instead continued to let his mind roam over forests as he thought of the witches and what they wanted. Suddenly, he gasped and sat straight up in his chair.

"JT?" Ryker said urgently.

"I think…" JT's eyes popped open. "I think I might know where the caves are."

"What?"

"Yeah, what?"

JT looked up to see Max standing over them, an unhappy look on his face.

Ryker explained what he'd had JT do, and Max's anger grew. "You what?" he hissed. "The witches are attuned to JT and Uncle Dean. Do you see that?" he jabbed a finger at the pouch around JT's neck. "That's supposed to keep the witches from getting to him. And now, you just had him announce his presence to them via psychic link!"

"What's going on?" Caleb asked. He'd woken when he heard the argument and walked over to where the three were located.

"JT's not psychic," Ryker defended.

"But they are!" Max exclaimed.

"Listen," Ryker asserted firmly, getting to his feet and standing at his full height. "We already know the witches are after Dean and JT. That pouch prevents them from siphoning their energy; it doesn't mask their whereabouts. The witches know the surrounding towns, they know the forest and the reservation, and they know we're here. JT seeing if he could see where they are doesn't change one thing."

"You had Johnny focus on the witches?" Caleb asked.

Ryker nodded. "JT said he could feel them out there. I figured if he could feel them, he might be able to sense where they were."

Caleb looked over at his godson. "And did you?"

"I'm not totally sure, but maybe. I think they're in their caves."

"And now you know where the caves are?"

JT nodded carefully. "I think so."

Caleb kept a reign on his temper. Ryker had suggested a dangerous thing. If the witches could sense where JT was, they could mount an attack. However, as Ryker pointed out, the witches already knew they were there. They hadn't needed a psychic link to either JT or Dean to find their whereabouts in the three previous attacks. Those facts supported Ryker's contention that JT trying to sense where the witches were wouldn't put him in danger.

Blowing out a measured breath, he gave Ryker a nod. "Okay. Maybe on this hunt, you can run any other ideas like that through Dean or me, okay?"

"What?!" Max exclaimed. "He pins a red nose on our boy here, and its fine?"

"Max," JT said. "You know they already know we're here, and they know this reservation well enough to know we're in this Hall. Ryker didn't do anything wrong."

Max eyed JT, and turned and walked away. He needed some space, he needed to think.

JT started to go after him when Ryker put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go. I'm the one he's mad at." Slowly Ryker followed Max, not trying to catch up with the other man, just keeping him in sight as he left the banquet room.

JT's shoulders slumped. Glancing up at Caleb, he said, "I didn't think there would be anything wrong with trying to sense where the witches were. They're psychic, I know that. But Ryker was right. Maybe if dad and I tried, we could take this fight to them instead of them ambushing us all the time."

Caleb sat down and said, "All the time is twice … aside from the owl attack. We've been here for a couple days. Some hunts are easy, some are more complicated. We knew coming in that this one would fall into the complicated category. It was a good idea, if a bit premature. We don't need to know where they are right now."

"But if we do need to know, now we know we can," JT countered.

Caleb smiled. "It's a good tool to use if we need to. Now, why don't you take my chair and get some sleep. I'm going to see about bringing more couches in here, maybe find some blankets. I think we'll all be bedding down here tonight."

JT climbed to his feet and said, "I'll help you. We all need some sleep."

Joshua rubbed his eyes and took another sip of coffee. It was after midnight, and he was tired. His eyes went to James, who was lying face down on the table, asleep. His pen, however, was still poised in his hand. "Valiant to the end," Joshua mused with a chuckle. Focusing his eyes on the page in front of him, he said, "I think that's going to be two Tablespoons of sumac."

"So much?" Joseph asked.

"That's what the records look like. Anything less won't balance out the rainforest jasper."

Joseph nodded, then stifled a yawn.

Joshua smiled. "It's late. Think we should go at this again in the morning?"

"Maybe," Joseph said with a smile. "I just want to finish this last part, then…"

The door at the end of the room opened, and Mary and Elan walked back into the records room, their faces grim.

Joshua pushed himself to his feet. "You couldn't translate the language?"

"Yes, we could, I believe." Elan glanced at Mary. "With all my expertise as a Yakama linguist, I believe the best translation of shíwanish nút awínshma is men stranger life."

Joseph frowned. "What? What does men stranger life mean?"

Mary glanced at Elan, who gave her a nod, before facing her husband and Joshua. "It means dead men."

Joseph frowned. "Excuse me? Dead men?"

Joshua frowned at Mary and Elan, then gasped suddenly as the implication hit him. "They didn't."

Elan dropped into a chair near Joseph and nodded. "It looks like they did."

Joseph frowned. "Did what? What did they do?"

"They used … parts of the fallen Yakama warriors in the medicine bags to strengthen the spell."

Joseph looked shocked. "They what?"

"They probably used blood from each of the warriors who'd fallen in fighting the witches; hair as well," Joshua continued wearily. "There's an inherent power in dead men's blood."

No spoke for several minutes, until Joseph finally said, "You understand what this means…"

"I do," Joshua nodded. "There is absolutely no way we can recreate the original spell."

TBC

Author's Note:

Thank you to all who've taken a moment to write a review, especially Shazza19. It's always great to know you're enjoying this journey as much as I am. We've past the halfway mark, so hang on for the rest of the ride!