A/N: I know I haven't updated this one in awhile. I'm sorry. I am finally catching up on everything! I won't keep you waiting long for the next chapter of this one! Today (October 31) is Galen and Rob's birthday, so I thought it fitting that I posted this chapter today. Also, the first chapter of The Hunt, sequel to The Legacy—the first book about Galen and Rob—is available at my website muffymorrigan(dot)com. Thank you to TraSan.

The Forest

Chapter Five

The clicking sound was growing louder, the noise throbbing through Dean's body. The need to run away from it was beginning to get the upper hand. He tried to see into the dark corridor, the inky black was unrelieved by any light source. Of course, I might be blind. He tugged on Galen's arm, trying to get the healer's attention. "We've got to go," Dean said.

"I know. Rob, we have to get out of here. Where are you?" Galen paused. "Good idea, wait there if you can."

"Galen," Dean said, the floor was beginning to tremble as the thing approached.

"Okay, the bond's going to break when I run, be ready," Galen said. "We have to go now."

Pain was beginning to accompany the sound, pulsing in time with the poison infecting him. Dean reached out into the dark and started moving, heading away from the sound that was coming towards them as fast as an approaching train. He stumbled over something, nearly falling, but Galen managed to catch him before he hit the floor. As he ran, he kept a hand in front of him, far enough out to let him know if a turn was coming up, his fingers brushed a wall and he turned, the floor suddenly sloping down. The passageway opened up into a large room, he could tell from the way their footsteps echoed around them. Dean stopped, wondering which way to go, trying to get a sense of what was around them, without waiting long enough for the thing to catch them.

"Where to?" he asked Galen.

"I don't know. It stopped."

Silence filled the spaced around them. Except for their harsh breathing it was quiet, the clicking hushed, the tremors gone, the poison in his body throbbing at an unbearable level. "Is it here?"

"Maybe?"

"Can you see anything?" Dean turned towards the sound of Galen's voice.

"No, I'm as blind as you are," the healer answered calmly.

"It stinks."

"Rotting flesh is always lovely, isn't it?"

"One of my favorite things." Dean grinned. "Which way? Keep going straight or turn?"

He heard Galen moving behind him, steps moved to his left. "There's a wall over here."

"Stick to the wall, then."

"Yeah. There's an opening here, I can hear something inside."

"What do you hear?"

"Chewing, I think."

"Yeah, chewing."

"Oh so not good."

"I think," there was a pause, "I think there is more than one of whatever is back there."

"More? What is it?"

"Rats?"

"I hate rats," Dean muttered. "Didn't... Huh."

"Huh what?"

"Think those are the tarantula wasp babies?"

"The what?" Galen asked, sounding confused. "Oh you mean the worm's larva?"

"Duh. Let's get out of here before we're on the paralyzed and eaten alive menu."

"Yeah and the faster the better. Whatever is in there is moving. AH!" Galen shouted in pain.

"What?"

"Something's got a hold of me. Shit."

"What is it?" Dean ran towards Galen's voice.

"I... Gods..."

"Galen?" Dean reached the healer as the other was pulled against the wall. Dean ran a hand down Galen's arm towards his hand and tugged. Something sharp pierced his hand. He cried out, but held on, trying to free Galen from whatever had a hold of him. As he pulled, something hit the wall on the other side. "What is that?"

"Really don't want to know."

Dean tugged again and Galen's arm came free, they tumbled away from the wall. He heard a sound from where they'd been, like something was striking the wall, a dull thump echoing around them. "It's pissed."

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"Not feeling great."

"Me either."

The thumping was getting louder as Dean pushed himself up. He looked in the direction of the sound, wishing he could see what was there, but he couldn't. Another thump joined the first, then another. "What the hell? We need to get out of here." Dean said.

"You're right."

They hadn't gone more than a few steps when the clicking noise was back at high volume. Dean felt the earth tremble under his feet, the throb in his body exploded and something hit him hard, throwing him into a wall. He slammed into the unyielding surface and dropped to the ground. Groaning, he tried to get up.

He didn't make it.

XXX

There was a soft breeze blowing through the trees around them, the forest was alive with sound, bushes whispering, the calls of animals—and other creatures, filling the air. Sam was listening to the one sided conversation between Rob and Galen, when the Keepers knees buckled, Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, bond broke when they ran, but yeah, I'm okay. It's easier knowing he's alive right now." Rob took a deep breath. "They physical effects of the broken bond are still there, but it's easier to deal with."

"What do we do now?"

"Galen said we should wait here."

"Are they close?" Sam said. If the Keepers could communicate through their link, maybe Rob could use it to find them, too.

"No, I don't think so, it was still partially blocked, but they weren't around here."

Sam huffed, the need to do something to help Dean was beginning to get the upper hand. The panic that had disappeared when Galen and Rob were talking was back, pounding in his chest. He didn't know if he could just wait to see if the creature appeared at the bone dump. Even if it did appear, now that they know Dean and Galen were alive, what was the point of just waiting?

"I can't wait here," Rob said quietly, startling Sam out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

"I can't either, so what do we do?"

"Try and find out where they are, if they pass another break, I should be able to read Galen, at least for a moment."

"Which way from here?"

Rob closed his eyes for a moment. "South, that way."

"That way?" Sam looked at the undergrowth with chagrin. "Through the blackberries?"

"Maybe there's a way around them?" Rob said hopefully.

"How far do we detour to get around them?"

"Not far, we can always hack through them if we need to. Let's go." Rob started into the trees, skirting the mass of blackberries.

"Rob?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we going to kill it?"

"I was hoping Galen could help. If he's not there, I'm not sure what we'll do."

Sam was quiet, following the Keeper through the forest, it was dark under the trees, sound muffled by the undergrowth. Small animals scurried from them as they went past, and he could hear larger things moving further back. They'd been walking in silence for several minutes when Sam got the feeling they were being watched, that tightening of muscles in his back. He slowed down, trying to figure what it was without being too obvious. He noticed Rob has slowed as well. Sam was about to say something when a low growl came from his left.

"Sam!" Rob shouted, turning towards him.

The growl came again, Sam was moving when it hit him. He tumbled into a bush, narrowly avoiding a tangle of blackberries—not that it mattered. A shaggy face full of fangs and reeking of rotten meat was peering at him, heavy paws resting on his chest. Sam raised his arm, trying to protect himself from the descending teeth, and managed to hold it off, its teeth snapping inches from his neck. It pulled back, its weight moving off him. Before he could get up, it was back, hitting him in the chest with both front paws, driving him to the ground and momentarily stunning him. Sam blinked, trying to bring everything into focus when he heard Rob's shout. The creature lifted its head and Sam shoved it again, rolling out from under it as he did. He was on his feet an instant later and the massive beast was between the two of them. It swung its head back and forth as if trying to decide which to attack.

Sam met Rob's eyes. "I'll distract it, you kill it."

"Not a good idea."

"Okay, you distract it and I'll kill it."

The wolf-like creature growled.

"I don't think it likes either idea," Rob said.

"Can you tell what it is?" Sam asked.

"It's not a werewolf." Rob's eyes looked unfocused for a moment.

"Supernatural?"

"Oh yeah."

"Bad?"

"Like eats people, wreaks havoc kind of bad?"

The creature growled again, sounding annoying its head still swinging back and forth.

"Yeah, that kind of bad," Sam huffed.

"Yes." Rob looked up with a smile. "I've got a plan."

That sounded so much like something Dean would say, Sam started to panic. "What?"

"Catch!" Rob tossed his sword at the same moment he dove at the creature.

XXX

The sound around him was causing the walls to tremble, dropping bits of earth on Galen. He fought off the wave of nausea and pain and tried to stand. "Dean!" he shouted, the hunter had been knocked away from him when the thing had attacked. He'd heard Dean's yelp of pain, but nothing since. Galen took several steps forward, one hand out in front of him. The thing was there, causing the poison to throb in his body, he took a deep breath and tried to focus the healing, but the Gift was still gone.

The thing was making a new sound, still clicking but it had a rumbling undertone. The noise had diminished, and Galen could hear Dean's ragged breathing as a counterpoint to the other sounds. And it was sounds, whatever was behind the wall was thumping, making small clicking cries. The thing answered those cries, the sound thrumming through the walls. "Dean?" he called again.

A groan answered him.

Galen sped up, his foot coming into contact with something squishy that moved underneath his boot. He raised his foot and stomped down hard, hoping he'd guess right. The thing roared, the squishy bit—Galen thought it was a tail—pulling away from him. He tried to get to the wall, but the thing struck out, swiping his legs out from under him with the tail. Galen struggled up, but the tail had him pinned in place, pain pounding through his body. "Dean? Dean!"

"'M okay."

"Sure you are," Galen snapped, tired of the other minimizing wounds that could effect their ability to fight. The frantic cries from behind the wall were increasing in volume. "Can you get up?" Galen asked.

"Yeah, I think so, what's that noise?"

"The larva," Galen answered.

"The..." Dean paused. "I've got an idea."

"Yeah?"

"Can you get to where they are?"

"Get to where...?" Galen grinned when he realized what Dean was thinking. "Use the larva to distract it?"

"Yep."

It's got me pinned."

"Me too. Hang on." There was a pause, Dean screamed in pain and the tail abruptly moved.

Galen didn't wait to see what was going on, he moved along the wall until he got to the opening and reached in, his hand coming into contact with something warm—a living body. Oh gods. As he slid his hand along the body, tiny teeth latched onto his arm. He twisted his hand and grabbed it and pulled. At first it wouldn't fit through the opening but after bashing it against the wall several times, the barrier gave enough to pull it out.

The thing howled, the larva in his hand answering it. It writhed, trying to get away from him, but he held on, darkness lashed up his arm, agony following, pulsating in the scars on his chest. He took a deep breath and swung his arm, the larva hit the wall, he pressed down, trying to crush the writhing larva. It was harder than he expected. The larger thing was clicking, he could hear it approaching as he slowly applied pressure to the larva's body. A sudden crack resounded in the darkness, the larva stopped moving and the thing roared, the ground shaking under Galen's feet. He waited for a breathless count of three, dropped the larva and ran. Less than a second later, he heard he thing hit the wall, pieces of earth and rocks raining down on him.

"Dean!' he yelled, expecting at any moment to be grabbed from behind. The creature wasn't coming, he could hear chunks of the wall dropping behind him, and the clicking cries of the larva.

"Here," Dean answered just as Galen ran into him. They fell back against a wall.

"Can you run?" Galen asked.

"Yeah, sure." Dean took and unsteady step, Galen heard the hunter's grunt of pain.

"Yeah, sure," Galen growled, reaching out and pulling Dean's arm over his shoulder. The hunter's weight sagged against him, then straightened. "You make sure we don't run into anything."

"Right. Run."

Galen didn't run, but went as fast as he could manage carrying most of Dean's weight. They made a turn and the corridor started going up, the incline steep enough to slow his steps. He had no idea where they were going. Get away was the only thing going through his head. Their time was running out, the thing would be there, he knew it. The ground was trembling, the clicking distant, but there. It was growing louder, but he didn't know if it was because the creature was moving or it was furious. Neither sounded very fun for them.

A wisp of fresh air brushed his face, five steps later the bond snapped into place. "Rob!" he called through their connection.

The clicking was getting louder, the walls groaning in protest.

"Galen! Where are you?"

"Heading out, I hope. You might want to get here."

"Yeah. On our way. Sam! We have to finish this," Rob said, the voice echoing as he spoke to the other hunter.

"Finish what?" Galen realized he could see a small patch of light.

"We're on our way! Duck! Sam!" Rob called.

Galen felt a surge of worry buzz through the bond. His brother and Sam were in trouble. Just great.

"I heard that," Rob said.

The sound was deafening, Galen ran as fast as he could towards the growing light. The breeze was bringing the fresh smell of the forest. "Hurry." They broke out from under ground, an enormous root ball from an ancient tree towered over him.

"We make it?" Dean mumbled.

Galen kept going, didn't look back, he could hear it now, its body dragging over the ground as it approached. "No."

To Be Continued