A/N: This has been a bitch of a chapter to write and I'm still not entirely happy with it. I've hit a brick wall with it now though so if you can see anything hideous in it, let me know.
Millie's not one for being told what to do. She strides confidently past Sam, past Jed and me and stops by the water's edge. Jed hasn't moved so I can't see what she's doing now but I can see Sam's face and he's not happy by this new turn of events.
"What are you doing, Richard?" she asks.
"Millie?" Furst sounds like he's surprised to see her here. He's been so intent on that damned kelpie and Sam that he's not noticed her before. "What are you doing here? Go home." And for once I agree with him.
Sam's got that 'Sammy' look on his face, the one that's a combination of worried and pissed. He's got his head tilted to one side, eyebrows scrunched together and I really want Jed to turn round so I can see what's going on. I can sense that Millie isn't going to back down and right now Furst isn't the man she thinks. I need to do something but Jed's grip on my neck and the gun is unwavering. His confidence is returning and that's not good for me.
"Millie." I have to try something but Sam gives an imperceptible shake of his head. Jed doesn't even notice it but it sends shards of ice into my heart. If Sam doesn't want me to interfere he's got a good reason but not being able to see is killing me. I know this is going to hurt but I can't stand this anymore. I bring one foot back sharply, kicking Jed on his shin with the heel of my boot. I'm in luck. He's been distracted by Millie's break from cover and I take him by surprise. He grunts and drops slightly on the other leg. Unfortunately his grip on me doesn't give and he ends up pulling me down. The tenuous hold I have on my balance disappears and my neck is taking the full brunt of my weight. Now would be a really good time to make your move, Sammy.
Sam doesn't miss a heartbeat. He shifts his grip on his gun and takes the shot. It's not the move I was expecting but I trust Sam. He wouldn't have done it if he'd thought for one minute he might hit me but I can't help flinching as the bullet whizzes past my ear and embeds itself in Jed's shoulder. He cries out in pain and shock as the force spins him around, dragging me with him to the ground as he falls. Finally he lets me go and I roll away from him as fast as I can, gaining my feet on the way. My gun is out and in my hand before I realise I'm fully upright.
Millie and Furst don't seem to have noticed the activity behind them. I leave Sam to check and secure Jed and move forward cautiously. Furst is an unknown quantity and I'm not going to do anything to put Millie in any more danger than she's managed to do for herself. She's standing right at the water's edge and my heart climbs into my throat. Furst is still in the water, his hand slowly petting the beast next to him. He's looking at Millie in a way I really don't like. Why can't he understand that she's not interested in him. And why doesn't that damn kelpie take him down? What has he done to it, or, more worryingly, what has he done to himself to command this obedience?
"You should have stayed away, Millie," he reiterates. She shakes her head, her long hair swinging from side to side. "People get hurt down here. Go home." Oh and how I'm agreeing with the jerk here. Please, Millie. I know you don't like him, or trust him, but please, please, for once, listen to him.
"What are you doing Richard?" her voice is soft, gentle and sad. "How did you tame it?"
I do what Sam always calls my comedy double-take at that. She knows what it is? How come she never mentioned that little gem before? You been holding out on me, sugar? As I watch the little scene in front of me my inside voice is nagging me to get Millie away from the water. Sam's moving up behind me, gun out so now Furst has two weapons pointed at him. But he doesn't care.
"Millie," I try to get her attention but she's oblivious to anyone else around her. Sam and I might as well be back in Kansas for all the notice she's paying to us.
"How did you do it, Richard?" she prompts when no answer is forthcoming. Furst looks sickeningly proud as he strokes the kelpie fondly, resting his forehead against its strong neck.
"I found it," he announces, as though that makes everything clear. And I guess to everyone else, it does. I hear a sharp intake of breath from behind me.
"Sam?" I ask. I hate being out of the loop like this. By the change in Millie's stance I know she understands the significance of his statement too. Looks like it's just me in the dark here then.
"He's got the bridle." Sam voice is full of defeat.
"You got the bridle," Millie voice is full of horror.
"I found the bridle," Furst confirms and I wish now I'd paid more attention to Sam's kelpie lessons. I vaguely recall him talking about the bridle and the way he's holding himself now, I'm guessing it wasn't in a good way. Even Jed is grunting and rolling away from the water as best he can. My legs feel like they're set in cement as I watch Furst slowly wade towards the bank, towards Millie. I hear Sam hiss at Millie from behind me, warning her to move back. But she's a headstrong girl and she won't listen to you, Sammy, not unless she wants to. The kelpie is at his heels and it's snorting through its nostrils. The water is starting to churn and foam gently at its heels. Furst doesn't seem bothered by it and Millie only has eyes for the kelpie. She's almost hypnotised by it and that can't be good.
I need to think. I need to get my feet to move. I need Sam to get Millie away from Furst and his damned pet.
"Sam," I throw my voice behind me and instantly Sam is at my side. "What do we do?" God, I sound so pathetically helpless. I know there's no shame in admitting I don't know what to do but my inner macho man is cringing at the same time. I hear the rustle of fabric and then he nudges my arm, pressing the knife into the hand I reach out to him. The steel blade is razor sharp and I wonder how Sam managed to keep it so cold.
Without thinking I slip my gun away and raise the knife in my hand. The kelpie senses something is wrong, maybe it can smell steel, or maybe its eyesight is as sharp as the knife I'm wielding. Whatever the reason, it turns away from Furst and stares at me. It's an odd feeling. I've never been stared down by a horse before. Demons, yes. Spirits, yes. Witches, yes. Even a goblin on one occasion. But never by a horse. It's as still and magnificent as a marble statue and I feel the first hint of foreboding. But I can't go back now. I have the knife and it's seen me.
Furst seems to realise what's happening and he's not happy. He lets out an indistinguishable cry which could be of anger or fear. I don't know and right now I don't care. All I care about is putting this creature back where it came from. And I don't mean the river bed. Furst lunges forward, holding on to the neck of the kelpie as it launches into a full blown gallop. Directly at me. In the distance I hear Sam shout my name, mingling with Millie's own scream as they try to warn me. No warning needed – I see it. It's right there, and it's moving impossibly fast.
I don't have time to get the knife higher than my shoulder before the kelpie head butts me, hard, in the chest. As the air leaves my lungs in a whoosh, I just manage to bring my arm down and scrape the blade along the creature's neck. I listen an unholy screech filling the air as I fall backwards, landing hard on my hip, head bouncing off the soft mud. Momentarily dazed I watch in horror as Millie flings a hand out to grasp Furst by the sleeve. That's all I have time to see before Sam's hand is on my collar, pulling me backwards across the ground. I'm trying to catch my breath but that horse has a hard head and it knows how to use it.
Next thing I know, Sam has let me drop to the ground and is off, crossing the distance between me and Millie. I can hear the sounds of a scuffle and the words I hear coming out of Millie's mouth would make a sailor blush. But I don't have time to worry about them. The kelpie is standing above me, kicking at the ground and daring me to stand up.
Never let it be said that Dean Winchester doesn't take a dare. But the sharp pain shooting through my chest has me gasping for air all over again and rapidly brings me back down to my knees. I raise my head to see the kelpie tossing its head in triumph and pawing the ground with its forelegs. I try to scramble backwards from its advance but the wet ground is hindering my progress. I need to keep hold of the knife but that takes one of my hands out of commission. I'm slipping and sliding and that damn horse is taunting me, stepping forward every time I make progress. Sam can't help me. I don't know what's going on with Furst but I can hear the sound of fists landing on flesh, grunts and curses and Millie shouting at Sam or Furst, or maybe both of them.
I finally gain purchase with my feet and, with all I've got, I throw myself at the kelpie, knife firmly gripped in one hand, the other stretched out in front of me, protecting ribs I hope are just bruised but feel like more. My hand makes contact with its flank. I plunge the knife down towards its neck. Just as the blade finds its mark though the kelpie twists violently to the side. I lose my hold on the knife and watch helplessly as it flies towards the water. The moment is frozen. I hear Sam shout my name. I dare not take my eyes off the beast but Millie's voice cuts through my concentration and I can't stop myself glancing at the scene to my left.
Sam has manoeuvred himself so he's standing between Millie and Furst. Furst isn't happy about that and he's dropped to a fighter's crouch. Sam was obviously quicker though because he's got his gun trained on him and nobody over there is moving much.
That glance costs me a lot. If I could go back and do things again I'd trust Sam to deal with whatever Millie's screaming about. But I haven't done that and when I hear a soft whinnying I know I've just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. As if in slow motion I turn my head back to the creature in front of me, my eyes tracking it's movement. It rears up on its hind legs, tossing its mane. Before I can move, before I can think, it pitches back down to earth. But it's moved forward. One of the front hooves catches me solidly in the chest. I fall back. The pain in indescribable. I can't breath. My eyes are tearing up. I'm trying to cough but I have no breath to spare. I land on back. I just have time to be thankful that the ground is relatively soft when the sharp rock I've landed on registers in my consciousness. I let out a cry of pain and frustration. How could I have been so stupid as to let my guard down like that? The knife isn't even in sight and Sam drilled it into me, over and over, that the only chance we had against this thing was steel.
I try to scramble backwards, away from danger but somehow I've got turned around and I'm heading down to the water's edge. I don't want to be there. This is a water beast. I don't want to give it any advantage. God knows, I have little enough going for me here as it is. The kelpie springs forward and I hear my arm splinter before I feel it. It leaves its leg on my arm until I see white spots in front of my eyes. Through the pounding in my head I hear Sam and Millie. Sam is running. He stops for a fraction of a second to scoop up the knife I dropped. I can hear my heart beating and feel the blood pulsing through my veins. I feel the impact of the knife as Sam thrusts it into the kelpie. It's a direct hit and as the horse falls to the side Sam grabs me and tries to haul me out of range. My vision greys as my arm hits a boulder on the ground. I grunt in pain. I can't help it – I know Sam is doing his best but I don't know how long I can hold on to consciousness or the contents of my stomach.
Just as I think I'm safe, the kelpie's muscles spasm in its death throws. A sturdy leg flies towards me and my last thought as a metal shod hoof careens towards my head is that it's gonna hurt. A lot.