ooOoo

The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.

ooOoo

The Fae Prince

Chapter 18

Dreams and Nightmares

Under tower and balcony,

By garden-wall and gallery,

A gleaming shape she floated by,

Dead-pale between the houses high,

Silent into Camelot.

Out upon the wharfs they came,

Knight and burgher, lord and dame,

And round the prow they read her name,

The Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

They spent the night in the reeds beside the ocean. The ocean wind ruffled the waters and searched out their hiding place beside the shore. When the sunrise warmed Dean's skin he sat up in his sandy burrow and stretched then rose up and started discarding his clothes. He decided to take a quick splash in the ocean and wanted to do it immediately. If he thought seriously about the Atlantic's reputation he knew he would lose his desire.

When he shed his boots and was completely naked he dove into the cold water. The shock woke him up and restored brain function. He was drifting with the tidal flow and swam like a mad man to get back the shore. Sam was standing there, laughing at his foolish consort. When Dean was close enough Sam pulled him out of the water and wrapped him in his arms.

Dean was shaking with the cold and Sam took pity. The Prince wrapped his consort up tightly in his flannel and carried Dean back to his own clothes.

"Did you enjoy your morning bath?" Sam laughed. Dean huddled into his jacket and pulled a face.

"Here," Sam said, passing Dean a large shell. "Olana brought us presents in the night."

Dean picked his way through colorful fruits and strange plants piled on the shell, looking for anything identifiable. Finally Sam took pity and pealed a silver striped ball that opened into sections like an orange. Dean thought it tasted like citrus touched with anise seed, very pleasant. He poked through the pile looking for another one.

Sam picked up a large curled shell and raised it to his face. As Dean watched colors danced on his lover's cheeks. It reminded Dean of the colors of Olana's skin, luminescent mother of pearl. San tilted the cornucopia shaped shell and the colors flowed down his face, poured over his throat and spread over his shoulders and chest.

"What're you doing there, Sam?" Dean asked. "You look like you're bathing in light." He watched as Sam's tongue darted out and licked at the flavor on his lips. The Fae ran his hands over his throat and face then licked his hands with his long, soft pink tongue.

"Do you remember the Will 'o' Wisp from our hunt with your father?" Sam asked. "The Wisp was dying and I ate its magic before it died. This is a gift of wisps of the ocean. Olana could tell that I needed them."

Dean sat back on his heels. "You mean the light was light from living creatures? How could you do that?"

Sam reached out and held Dean's chin in his hand. Raising his consort's head Sam looked into his eyes. "Your fragile feelings become you however, I am not human. I have other needs that must be met and one of them is a restoration of my expended magic. You need to think deeply about this because you are becoming Fae. Soon those needs will be yours also."

Sam dropped Dean's chin and stood up. Brushing the sand from his clothes he extended a hand to his lover. "Come, pick up Olana's gifts and let's find our way back to the car. We need to get closer to Bobby's house and the Rowan tree door."

..-.._..-.._..-.._..-..

They drove away from Wells later that day. Dean thought that he would always remember the haunting cries of the water birds, wading through the marshes. Glancing over to his partner it seemed as if Sam perhaps was glowing a little more strongly and he wondered just how long it would be before he personally would need to feed on magic. Some days he believed that he could feel the magic moving through him. He knew that his view of the world was slowly changing.

Sam rolled his head over to stare at the side of Dean's face. "Yes, you are changing." He said out of nowhere. "I can feel your thoughts more clearly every day and I know that I would have no problem tracking you in the woods if we were to be separated. You need to learn these skills also before we enter the Land of the Fae. Your human soul could be a dangerous beacon in that world."

They continued the trek through New York State but Dean was tending south answering a barely understood call. He wanted to drive through Pennsylvania and the Ohio River valley before swinging back North to South Dakota. He knew that the time for returning Sam to his Kingdom was rushing upon them and he didn't know when they would pass this way again.

He had always liked the temperate rain forest that was Pennsylvania and driving through the State's tunnels of green arching trees connected them to nature's wild side. The climb over the spine of the Appalachian Mountains echoed the passing of millennia as the mountains were worn down. He wanted to see Sam's response to the place. It was full of magic and Dean suspected those mountains were a playground for the Fae.

They drove through the heavy green shadows, over bridges and past houses standing out of habit after years of history. Old brick carriage houses were surrounded with immense walnut trees that edged grass so green the color tasted acid. Dean had pulled off the interstate attracted by a sign for "The Old Pittsburgh Road Tavern". Sam nodded his agreement. "Something calls." he said.

They pulled into a roadside gravel lot in front of a brick two story colonial house with narrow, dark windows and a recently rebuilt porch. The new structure looked like it belonged to a completely different building, all white and neat and plumb. That new addition made the old house look drunk as it leaned forward staring at the new arrivals.

Sam stepped out of the car, slipping his trusty flannel over his Fae laced vest and Dean did the same. There was a nice neat white sign hanging over the door proclaiming the name of the Inn.

"This is an odd mixture." Sam murmured to Dean.

Dean laughed. "It looks like new dentures on an old crone's face."

They climbed the steps and pulled the old fashion bell rope; deep within they heard the tinkling of the bell. Moments later a fresh faced cheerful blonde girl was leading them through the house. They entered in the old kitchen which still had an open fireplace with a black cast iron kettle suspended over the logs.

"It's a really old place," the young hostess babbled on in a set piece. "The house is actually turned around. You've entered through the back. The formal entrance is on the other side since the dirt road back there was originally the Old Pittsburg Road, the main road between Wheeling, West Virginia and Pittsburgh in colonial days. When the new road went in behind the house, everything got turned around."

She took a breather. "I hope you like Old German food. That's what is traditional in the area. We try to use all local produce." She finally led them to a table beside a large window that looked out over the hillside and gave them menus.

Left to their own devices the couple looked around. There was a sense of the world pausing and Sam looked up toward the ceiling.

"There is something here."

They ordered and ate their diner then asked if it was allowed to roam the property. Their hostess came back and was thrilled to find that the two handsome young men were interested in Colonial architecture.

"My name is Gretchen and I would be happy to take you on a tour of the house." She dimpled up and smiled at them. "If you can wait for a while on the porch until after the dinner service is done I'd be pleased to show you all the nooks and crannies here."

"Thank you very much, Gretchen," Sam said. "That would be extremely nice of you. You're sure it won't be any trouble?"

Gretchen tapped her chin with a menu. "There are just two little problems. If you go outside please be really careful walking between the house and the horse stable. There is an old well back there and it's not very well covered. It can be dangerous so watch where you step. I have a legal release form in my desk if you really want to explore. I also have a couple of flashlights."

"I promise we will be very careful and we would be pleased to sign your release if you will let us wander at will." Sam smiled at her really turning the charm on. Dean felt a little buzz of jealousy and laid a possessive hand on his lover's arm. Sam smiled down at his consort and Gretchen flicked her eyes back and forth between the two lovers. The only way they could have been more obvious would be waving giant signs with arrows flashing "He's mine" in neon.

Dean turned and looked at Gretchen. "What's the other problem? You said there were two?"

Gretchen blushed. "Well, my boss has it in her head that the place is haunted."

"Really," Sam said. "What makes her think that?"

"There are a couple of things but mainly because it sounds like someone is walking around up stairs when the place is closed and locked up. She does the books here at night and says the noise drives her crazy. The other thing is we can't keep a dog or a cat on the property. They last, at most, a couple of days and then they just disappear."

Gretchen looked a little shamefaced. "The result is that we have a couple of ghost busters here tonight. Mrs. Hamm hired them and they have taken over the second floor. I'm pretty sure I can get them to let us take a look. They make me nervous. They aren't like any ghost busters I ever heard about," she lowered her voice. "I think they have guns."

..-.._..-.._..-.._..-..

Sam and Dean sat on the steps and looked out over the twilight landscape. Sam pointed at a spot to the side of the house and directed Dean's attention to a soft greenish colored glow. "You can see that?" he said to Dean.

"Yes, what is it?" Dean replied.

Sam patted his lover's arm. "Good boy, you're coming right along with the Fae side, aren't you?" Sam laughed. "A couple more tumbles in the woods and I'll have you stuffed full of Fae seed."

Dean blushed and stood up. "Are we going to go take a look or would you just like to sit here and make slutty remarks?"

They strolled over to the glowing spot on the ground. The closer they got the slower Sam went. When they were within ten feet it became obvious that it was the old well that was glowing. The well head cover was a completely inadequate old slatted wooden pallet and Sam stopped dead and pulled Dean back.

"What's wrong?" Dean whispered.

"Remember when I warned you about walking too closely to a Fae doorway? I told you I was afraid that you could be taken?" Sam whispered in return.

"This is even worse than that. This is an Unseelie door. Just as the Seelie work in living wood the Unseelie work in cold stone. Back slowly away." Sam put Dean behind him and they retreated.

Once back on the porch Sam sat Dean down on the floor and transformed. Sam circled his lover while dropping a pale glittering dust.

"I have to go and seal that doorway." Sam said. "You stay inside that circle. Don't move no matter what you hear. If I find you outside that circle when I get back I promise you will regret it. Do you understand? Remember, I provide and you obey."

Dean knew what Sam was being serious. "I won't move. Something would have to drag me out of here, I promise."

He watched as Sam, still in Fae form, drifted over by the Unseelie door. Sam rose higher into the air and spun around the edges of the gateway. Slowly, very slowly, the green glow began to fall inward. Dean could see the same glittering dust as surrounded him being sifted into the well. The glow pulsed, strengthened and faded as Sam drifted lower and lower. The glow seemed to flinch away when it touched the edge of Sam's form.

The glow sank all the way down and a scream came out of the house. Dean twitched and stared upward. It almost felt like he could see a dark shadow huddled into a corner of a second floor room. Another scream broke through the night when it sounded as if the well was collapsing. There was a deep roar as if a mass of rock was falling inward. At the end of the roar that was a heavy clanging noise, like the slamming of an iron door. A third scream broke through the night air.

Sam came back to Dean and pulled him from the circle just as a group of people came out of the house.

"What in God's name was that noise?" a man who appeared to be a cook barked out. He was armed with a cleaver. Gretchen looked to Sam and Dean.

"What happened?" she asked.

Sam shrugged. "It sounded to me like maybe that old well collapsed. Anyone want to go with me to look?"

A couple of people, customers Dean thought, fled down the steps and headed for their cars. Gretchen and the cook and a thin young man stood resolute and went down the stairs with Sam. Dean was left with a couple of trembling women he thought might be waitresses. Then the door opened again and two men stepped out on the porch. Dean knew Hunters when he saw them.

..-.._..-.._..-.._..-..

Sam returned with the Inn's staff members. He also fastened on the Hunters.

"It's what I thought." Sam said. "That old well has collapsed. All the old stonework fell inward and blocked the shaft. It's probably safer now than it has been in decades."

"I'm going to call Mrs. Hamm." Gretchen said and pushed past the Hunters. The cook and the bus boy followed her. Dean encouraged the waitresses to follow Gretchen and very shortly it was only Sam and Dean and the two Hunters left on the porch.

The two sets of men stared at each other. The Hunters were looking at the broken circle of glittering dust on the floor and the leather clothes the two Fae were wearing.

One of them brought up his gun. "Well, look at that, the Winchester boy and his witch. Don't get much luckier than that."

Sam froze and Dean stepped in front of his lover. "Who are you?" Dean growled out.

"Rob and Daniel McKenna," the older of the two replied. "What are you two freaks doing here?"

"I would be very careful who you're calling names, McKenna." Dean replied. "I don't think you know what you're dealing with here. Not here on the porch or upstairs in that back room."

Another scream floated out on the night air and angry pounding crashes echoed down the inside stairs. The two Hunters moved away from the door but Rob McKenna still held his gun on the lovers.

"Move, McKenna," Dean shouted as the door was slammed open and an Unseelie Black Huntsman appeared.

"Holy, Hell," McKenna gasped. The Huntsman turned and glared at the Hunters. The Huntsman thrust with his spear and the younger McKenna was stabbed in his calf.

"McKenna," Dean shouted again. "Fall forward and stay out of its way." Sam produced a leather thong from somewhere and tossed it to the older McKenna. "Tourniquet" he snapped. "Hurry, the Huntsmen poison their spears."

Rob McKenna's hands were shaking. He looked into Dean's eyes. "Help us. What is it?"

Dean rolled forward and snatched the thong from Rob's hands. He tied it off above Daniel's knee and prayed he had been fast enough to stop the poison until Sam could get to them. He then started dragging the younger McKenna out of the path of battle. Rob came scuttling after him.

Rob raised his gun but Dean jerked his arm down. "Don't bother." He breathed. "Let Sam deal with it. A gun will just piss it off and draw its attention. Take care of Daniel." Dean began to crawl forward on his elbows leaving the McKenna brothers at his back.

The Huntsman made a feint as if to spear Dean and Sam transformed. He struck the Huntsman in the face and the creature's skin burned. The smoke rose acrid and bitter, obscuring sight and withering hope. The humans would not last long. They could not breathe the poison.

Sam rose in anger and his normal glow turned to fire. The Huntsman covered his face and retreated but Sam pursued and the smoke grew thinner as the Huntsman burned away. While Sam was still in battle mode, Dean helped Rob get Daniel out of the smoke. They stumbled down the steps out into the cleaner air.

"Winchester," Rob choked out. "I don't care what you are. I owe you and your friend both my life and the life of my brother. We came here to hunt a ghost, not whatever the hell that was." Rob extended his hand and Dean accepted it.

Sam floated down to the men. "I have sealed the door, I have killed the Huntsman. What say you Hunter, friend or foe?"

Dean whispered to Rob. "This doesn't happen often, Hunter. Take your choice but make it quick. He won't ask you twice."

Rob stepped forward. "I am Rob McKenna, a Hunter out of Tennessee. This is my little brother Daniel. We would be proud to call you friend. Who are you?"

Sam floated quietly, the fire again dimming down to a moon lite glow. "I am Samisfallen, Prince of the Fae."