A/N: Thank you to all who have decided to read my story. I hope you like where I take this and the world I have created. Please review, your thoughts are important to me. NC

Chapter 2

Dean only went a small distance into the woods realizing he couldn't search for his brother until it got light. There was no way he could track his brother when he could barely see six feet in front of him. He made his way back to the car and pulled out his cell to call for help.

"Dean? That you son?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah Bobby. I need you to bring the Impala to Ilchester, Maryland as fast as you can. I'm about a mile from St Mary's Convent, it was ground zero," Dean told him in a rush of words.

"Sure son, I'll leave right away. What's going on?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry," Dean begged before hanging up. He looked around trying to decide what to do. He went back to the car and began to rummage through the interior to see if there was anything else useable in it. He found a bottle of water wedged under the front seat and pulled it out. He twisted the top off and greedily drank several big swallows before stopping to catch his breath. Dean wiped a trembling hand down his face and looked toward the horizon for any signs of dawn but knew it would still be hours before that happened. He fished a blanket from the trunk and draped it over his shoulders for some added warmth and eased himself down against a tree trunk to wait for the dawn.

His fingers brushed across the extra phone in his pocket and Dean blinked back the tears brimming his eyes. He brushed his shirt sleeve across his face to wipe the wetness from it. He couldn't understand why Sam had run unless he thought Castiel was going to hurt or kill him too. Maybe Sam figured Castiel would side with him against him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back drawing in a deep breath trying to clear his jumbled up mind. He had to have a clear head and a plan if he was going to find his brother. He slowed his breathing and pulled the blanket tighter to his body willing the dawn to come faster.

spn

Consciousness came very slowly to Sam as he tried to get his leaden eyes to open and his body to move. Sharp, insistent pain shot through his entire body no matter what or how slow he moved. He drew in a short breath and made his body roll to the side and onto his stomach. Darkness flooded his mind as he fought to keep from passing out. He took slow, steady breaths as he squeezed his eyes shut and let the dizziness pass.

Once he could open his eyes without the world spinning, he used his feet and elbows to pull himself to a small sapling growing at the bottom of the hill to assist in standing. His body protested the exertion put on it and he groaned in pain leaning heavily against the small tree making in sway with the unsteadiness of his body. As soon as he stood upright, Sam's head seemed to explode and his vision blurred and went black. He was sure now he had a concussion from the crash.

It was ten minutes before Sam could stand on his own without feeling like he was going to face plant into the ground. It was still several hours before dawn, but he knew he needed to move. Sam took a couple of steps and he started to see double and with each one as his head pounded harder. His stomach churned and he fought to not throw up. This was going to make hiking harder, but he didn't have a choice. He stumbled down the dry creek until he found a safe place to exit and worked his way back into the trees and deeper into the forest.

He had no idea where he was going, just that he had to put as much distance between him and the wreck that he could. Sam tried to keep walking in as straight a line as he could, going around barriers when needed, but it was slow going with the dizzy spells and blurred vision. He finally came across a small stream and fell down beside it to splash cold water on his face and drink a small amount from his cupped hand. He relished the wetness of the water as it trickled down his parched throat. He took a couple more swallows before trying to get up to move on. He fell back to the ground and threw up what little water he had swallowed. He got on his side so he wouldn't choke as he waited for the dry heaves to stop. After he could get his breath, he pushed himself up not wanting to stay in one place too long and pushed on as fast as he could.

spn

Dean jerked awake and looked around him trying to remember where he was. He saw the first fingers of dawn creeping through the trees and pushed his stiff body from the ground stretching out his muscles. He looked around in the dim light deciding it was light enough for him to start his search. He found a small pack and stuff the half bottle of water, a small first aid kit, couple cans of spray paint and extra ammo into it before slinging it over his shoulder and heading back to where he found the blood. Now that he could see, Dean saw the broken branches and disturbed ground nearby and headed the way the trail led. He took a can of spray paint and marked a tree to show the direction he went. He planned on marking his trail so he wouldn't get lost out here in the woods and would know where he had searched.

The faint trail led him deeper into the forest and away from the wreck. He lost it several times in the rocks and leaves but wouldn't give up his search. After two hours of looking, Dean knew he needed to regroup. He couldn't stay out here without supplies and camping gear. Feeling upset about quitting, but knowing he wasn't prepared to stay out here, he turned and headed back the way he came, following his marked trail. He had found more traces of blood along the trail and this worried him. From the looks of the car, Dean was surprised Sam had been able to run this far. As he headed back to the road, Dean began to make a mental list of what he needed to pick up before returning to the forest. He kept checking his cell signal and didn't get one until he was almost back to the road.

"Hey Bobby, where are you?" he asked when Bobby answered his cell.

"About halfway there. I'm coming as fast as I can," Bobby told him. "I've sent another hunter your way that was closer. He should be there any time."

Dean looked up as a truck pulled up behind the wreck and a guy that looked Dean's age got out and walked toward him. Dean smiled when he saw it was Caleb, a hunter he knew for a while and had worked with on numerous occasions.

"He's here. Thanks Bobby," Dean said meeting Caleb halfway. "Hey Caleb, thanks for coming."

"No problem dude. How can I help?" Caleb asked shaking Dean's outstretched hand.

"Can you give me a ride into town? I need to pick up supplies and a map of the area."

"No problem, what we hunting?"

"Sam's been injured and is somewhere lost in those woods. I gotta find him."

"Sorry man, I'll do what you need me to do," Caleb said as they got into his truck and headed to the nearest town.

spn

The darkness around him was beginning to fade as the first signs of dawn broke over the horizon. He stopped as the world around him spun out of control. Sam couldn't think straight anymore, nor could he seem to judge where he was going. The last thing he remembered was the coldness of the earth pressing into this cheek before he passed out. He dreamed his brother was on his trail and he was running through the woods trying to get away from him. He knew if he caught him, he was sure Dean would kill him. Sam couldn't get Dean's message out of his mind or the tone of his voice as he called him a vampire, a monster. The words cut into his soul and hacked pieces away making his chest ache with despair. He never felt the strong arms turn him over or examine him.

The Shaman looked down at the young man, unconscious at her feet, wondering how he came to be this far from any human civilization. She knew if left here on his own he would not survive for long. Taking pity on the lost soul, she went about fixing a pallet to take him back to her home. She shifted the body to the pallet and picked up the end and began to pull him through the forest until she came to the rocks. The Shaman put the pallet down and made her way back along the trail covering up the drag marks that had been made. The male child had not come around when she returned, so she continued on her journey pulling the pallet behind her.

Sam felt his body being lifted onto something soft, but had no control of it. He wavered in and out of conscious as a fever coursed through his body. Sweat poured from his face as his body shivered uncontrollably.

"My poor man child, you are very sick. I will try to help you but first we must rid you of the toxic evil that invades your body," the Shaman spoke gently to Sam.

She went to her store of herbs, spices, roots and oils to begin mixing together the concoction needed to begin the healing process for Sam. She chanted and pulled on the ancient arts taught to her by her predecessor. Once done, the Shaman went back to Sam and positioned a bucket on the floor by his head before lifting it from the pillow.

"Man child this is not going to be pleasant, but it must be done." she told him as she poured the thick liquid into his mouth and held it closed until he swallowed it. She waited patiently as Sam coughed and weakly struggled in her grasp. It wasn't but a few minutes before Sam started to gag and she turned him so he could throw up in the bucket.

Sam spit out mouths of dark, foul smelling liquid as the Shaman's mixture did its job of expelling the demon blood he had consumed from his system. He continued to throw up for another ten minutes before collapsing back onto the bed unable to move. The Shaman dampened a cloth and wiped his face and neck. She held a cup of water to his lips and dribbled a small amount into his mouth. "Child can you rinse your mouth?" she asked holding the cloth to catch the water and drool that ran back out of the corner of his mouth. "Rest now man child, the worse is over." she cooed to him brushing his long hair out of his face. "I need to put a few stitches in your scalp to stop the bleeding."

She had gathered what she would need on a small table beside the bed. Once she cleaned the wound and washed the dried blood away, the Shaman used a needle to pierce the skin on both sides of the wound and draw it together tying it off. She did that five more times and smeared healing salve over it for protection before stopping. She pulled blankets over his body and pressed a hand to his forehead to check his fever.

The Shaman knew he needed to rest before being given further medicine. She picked up the bucket and took it from the shelter. There was a blazing fire burning in the pit and she positioned the bucket into the flames to burn the evil away. She threw a hand full of roots into the bucket and left it to boil the liquid away and remove the evil.

spn

"Yeah I'm with him Bobby," Caleb whispered into his cell as he looked in the store window at Dean going down the aisles picking up items as he went and headed toward the check out. "You think I can stop him? Me and whose army?...He's going after his brother and he's not letting anyone stop him...I know Bobby, I'll go with him and keep an eye on him...We will Bobby," Caleb said hanging up and moving toward his truck to wait for Dean who came out ten minutes later.

"We need to get a motel room so we can pack and I need to look at the topographical map of the area before heading back in. Bobby can come straight to the motel room and coordinate things from there," Dean explained to him as he put his purchases in the back. "There's some on the outskirts of town. We'll get a room and text Bobby the name and room number. I wanna get back out there as soon as possible."

"Sure Dean, no problem," Caleb said cranking his truck and heading the way Dean pointed. He knew Dean's reputation and having worked with him before knew better than to argue with him, especially where his brother was concerned. He was overly protective of Sam and didn't let anyone mess with him.

They had several motels to choose from and Dean picked the one that seemed decent looking and moderately priced. He went in and paid for four nights in advance, getting a room with two queen beds. Caleb pulled around to the room and helped Dean take the bags inside.

"Caleb, you don't have to go into the woods with me, I can do it on my own. You can wait here for Bobby, I'm fine with that," Dean told him, not wanting him to feel obligated to go.

"Look bro, Sam may not be my little brother, but he is a good friend of mine and so are you. Besides Bobby would kick my ass all the way home if I let ya go out there alone," Caleb laughed. "No problem man, you got backup."

"Thanks. You still got a backpack?" Dean asked Caleb as he dumped bags onto the bed.

"Yeah, I usually have one handy."

"Go get it you'll need it."

"Alright."

Dean began to separate the items into two stacks while he waited for Caleb to return. He had bought two sleeping bags and a two man tent so they would have shelter and could stay warm. He picked up a couple of cooking pots and metal dishes, cups and silverware for two. Dean divided the freeze dried packs of food between the two packs, adding power bars and jerky. He took his pack and put a change of clothes, briefs and socks in first before starting to pack the other items in it.

"Those are for your pack and the sleeping bag," Dean nodded to Caleb when he came back in.

"Got it," Caleb replied shaking out his backpack so he could pack the items Dean laid out for him. He dug around in his duffle to add the same clothes to his pack. He tied the sleeping bag to the bottom of the pack and slung it to his shoulder testing the weight.

"Here, put these bottles of water in your outside pockets."

"Got it. Did you get tp?"

"Yep, but grab another from the bathroom just in case."

"How long ya think we'll be out there?"

"I don't know, until we find Sam," Dean said unfolding the map he bought and studying it, finding the location of the wreck and moving his finger out into the forest trying to determine how far he had gone. After fifteen minutes of studying the map and getting the area memorized he turned to Caleb. "You ready?"

"Let me hit the head first and we can head back out."

"Ok."

spn

The Shaman looked down at the man child as he tossed restlessly and shivered uncontrollably. She could make out a few words as he cried out for someone named Dean, begging him to not say that. She cooed to him and wiped his face again with the damp cloth. His fever was raging causing him to hallucinate. Knowing she needed to lower his temperature, the Shaman got a basin of cool water and sat it beside the bed. She unbuttoned his outer shirt and lifted him up to remove his jacket, outer shirt and tee shirt. She then went to the end of the bed and removed his boots and socks so she could work his jeans and briefs down his hips and legs. Sam seemed to know he was being undressed and tried to fight the intrusion.

"Stop it man child, I am well past the stages of wanting to mate. I'm not going to hurt you," she told him laying a towel over his hips for his modesty. "I'm going to wash your body to bring your fever down," she kept talking to him as she began to wash Sam's upper body. Sam shivered and rolled his head, lost in his own nightmares. He wanted to fight but was too weak to even lift an arm.

The Shaman took a small bundle of herbs and lit one end allowing it to smoke. She blew the smoke into his face watching as he inhaled the substance. Sam coughed and tried to pull away, but she continued her ministering until he slowly began to relax. The more he inhaled, the less his thrashing, until he lay quietly on the bed. The Shaman washed down his entire body and patted it dry before covering him with a light soft blanket, tucking it in and adding a heavier one to keep him warm. She poured out the dirty water and went to the fireplace to check on the bucket of water she was heating to see if it was warm. She brought the warm water and an empty bucket to the head of the bed and sat them down. She removed the pillow from under his head and laid it aside out of the way. The Shaman reached down to grip Sam under his arms and pulled him up the bed until his head rested on her knee and hung off the bed. She gently held his neck with one hand and began to comb the fingers of the other hand through his long hair to remove twigs, dirt and dead leaves from it.

Once she was satisfied she had gotten all she could from his hair, she poured a cup of warm water on his head to wash his hair. The Shaman was careful of his head wound and checked it before continuing. She made sure to support his neck as she rubbed her homemade shampoo into his hair to clean it and then rinsed it, letting the water drip into the empty bucket positioned on the floor. She rinsed it several times until the suds were out before wrapping a towel around his head. The Shaman lifted his upper body with ease and slid him back down in the bed until his head was back on it.

After straightening his body and making him comfortable, she gently towel dried his hair before running a large toothed comb through it. She replaced the pillow under his head and made sure he was amply covered before tidying up around him. The Shaman took some salve and carefully wiped it across Sam's cracked lips to soften them and keep them from bleeding. Sam lay quietly now, his breathing raspy, but even. The Shaman brushed a strand of hair from his face and laid a cool hand on his forehead to check his fever. She was pleased it had dropped some and left him to rest. She checked on him hourly and spooned small amounts of water laced with medicine into his mouth each time wanting to keep him hydrated and sedated enough to rest. She would need to heal his body before she could heal is soul.

spn

"I'll text Bobby the motel name and room number for when he gets here," Dean said taking his cell from his jacket. "I got a sat phone with GPS so we can keep in contact."

"Sounds good."

"There's a trailhead about half a mile from the wreck we can use and hike from there to where I found his trail."

"Just let me know where. You're the boss," Caleb said heading the way Dean had told him to go. He sped down the road out of town keeping an eye on the traffic around them. Once a hunter, always a hunter and he knew it was better to be cautious than careless. Caleb wanted to be sure they were not being followed or if there seemed to be anything out of the ordinary. He didn't know the full story about Sam, but that didn't matter, Dean and Sam were good friends and colleagues and you didn't turn your back on your friends.

"Okay, Bobby said he should be here this evening if nothing happens and for us to be careful," Dean told him hanging up his cell. "It's about a couple of miles on the right Caleb, don't miss it."

"You got it bro."

They drove on in silence the last couple of miles. Caleb saw the small sign and signaled to turn in as he slowed his truck so he could turn. There were only a couple of other cars in the parking area and he pulled to the far end to park. They got out and grabbed their backpacks slipping them on and adjusting the straps before Dean took the lead and headed down the trail. He was going to head off trail after about a mile and try to find where he stopped looking earlier. He set a steady pace as Caleb fell in behind him shifting his pack again to get it more comfortable.

"We'll go off trail just ahead and cut across to where I was tracking him."

"Alright, at least there's been no rain so far and the trail shouldn't be messed with."

"Let's just hope it holds out."

spn

His mind was filled with a mist that wouldn't clear as Sam tried to pull himself back to consciousness. He was balancing on the edge of coming to but just didn't have the willpower or strength to wake up. He could sense someone near him and could feel a gentle touch. He knew it wasn't his brother but had no idea who it could be. He thought he could hear a female's voice chanting quietly beside him in a language he couldn't understand. He let his mind drift away remembering a time when he was young and Dean and him had stayed up all night to watch a meteor shower. It was amazing and he felt so grown up being allowed to stay up after his bedtime. He couldn't stay awake the entire time and went to sleep leaning against Dean, but he had gotten to see most of it. Dean never complained about having to carry him to bed and tuck him in.

Sam felt the cloth wipe his face again and the liquid being put between his lips that he automatically swallowed. It had a slightly tart taste but felt good on his raw throat. He wished for more but couldn't ask for it or thank the one giving him the water. Sam's body felt dry and hot and he wanted to rid himself of the covers over him, but he didn't have the energy to kick them off. Sam's mind drifted again and it felt like he was floating in limbo, in a pool of darkness, suspended in nothingness. Time didn't matter to him there, nor could he feel the aches and pains his physical body had to endure.

The fever raced through the man child's body as the Shaman continued to watch over him. She was burning special herbs and using the knowledge bestowed on her to help the man child heal. The Shaman never allowed humans this close, but she felt pity for the lost man child. There were still members of the tribes that she had dealings with, though they seemed to lessen with each passing year. The ways of the old ones were almost a thing of the past now, but the Shaman would continue her work until another came to take her place. It was the way of the people, had been since the dawn of time and would continue until time was no more.

The Shaman exchanged and bartered her herbs, healing salves and medicines for her basic needs she could not obtain from nature. There were a few humans that she trusted, but no one was ever allowed any where near her home. Besides the warding she had established, the ancestors had laid down protection throughout the forest that kept her safe. No one knew that her home was centered on an intersection of six ley lines making the area one of only a few places in the world that mystical powers are at the highest level and magnified ones abilities tenfold. This was a place that the Shaman would never leave, even in death she would remain.

spn

Dean paused long enough to look at the map and then surveyed the area around him to be sure he was in the right place.

"Over here, someone came through here," Dean said showing Caleb the broken branches and the one recognizable footprint in the dirt. "That's Sam's size boot, he came this way and headed deeper into the trees."

"Alright then, we better get going while there's still light to see," Caleb responded looking in the direction that Sam had took. "Does he have any idea where he's going?"

"I doubt it; I think he was just trying to disappear," Dean replied pushing through the branches blocking their path. His eyes slowly scanned the bushes, trees, and ground ahead of them trying to keep on his brother's path. He moved on seeing more twigs broken on bushes and spotted droplets of blood on a couple of leaves. His brother was hurt so he had to be moving slow and maybe that was a good thing or maybe he was going to find his dead body splayed out somewhere up ahead. No, he couldn't think like that, Dean knew if Sam was dead, he would know, he would feel the loss down in his soul. He had to think positive, he wouldn't give up, his brother needed him, now more than ever. He had to make things right with him, he had to know the truth and how he had been used by both sides, how he was manipulated and hooked on demon blood to tear them apart and to keep him under their control.

"Hey Dean...Looks like someone fell down this little hill," Caleb said pointing to the disturbance of leaves and dirt on the hill side.

Dean moved closer to the hill and studied it before making his way to the bottom and looking at the mound of debris seeing a small pool of blood. He knelt down and touched the blood and looked up the dry creek bed and then down it before standing back up.

"Find something?"

"Yeah, blood. Sam was here, pretty sure he headed that way," he said pointing up the creek. "We've got to find where he got out. You take one side and I'll look on the other."

"Alright," Caleb said taking the side he was to check. They slowly worked their way up the creek bed checking for any signs that Sam went back into the woods.

Dean was the one to spot the footprint going up the bank and motioned for Caleb to join him as he started up the small bank and back into the woods.

"We've got maybe another hour of light, better find a place to camp for the night and start again in the morning," Dean said looking around as the dimming light cast dark shadows around them. "C'mon, looks like a good place over there."

"Man, I need to workout more, I'm beat!" Caleb grumbled unfastening his backpack and dropping it to the ground.

"I'll get the tent set up; you get wood and get a fire going if ya want something hot to eat."

"That I can do," Caleb replied as he started walking in a circle around the place picking up wood and piling it in a clear area. He knelt down and used a branch to rake away any dead leaves and to dig down a little making a small pit. He piled twigs and bark together before pulling out a lighter to light it. Once the flames started, he added more wood and got a nice fire going while Dean busied himself with the tent. It wasn't long before they were sitting around the fire eating stew and drinking coffee. They were quiet as they listened to the night sounds starting to fill the forest around them. The night creatures were coming out to forage and enjoy their time in the darkness. Dean listened to it all wondering where his brother was right now and if he was safe.

spn

The Shaman spooned water again in the man child's mouth letting him swallow before trying again. She could tell his fever had started to drop some and his shivering had lessened. She took her healing salve and massaged it into the bruises that were scattered over his body. Sam mumbled and called out again for someone named Dean. She began to sing to him as she continued tending to his body. The soft timbre of her voice quieted his mind and seemed to allow him to rest easier. The Shaman sung of the ancestors and their way of life and the peace and happiness that used to reign over the land. She watched as the man child partly opened his eyes to try and focus on her. She saw the puzzled expression his face before he drifted back into the darkness once again. She could sense the chaos in his mind as he tried to bring himself back to the real world. The Shaman cupped his face in her hands and began to chant in the ancient language of the People trying to form a mind link with him.

"Hello man child," the Shaman spoke to the him.

Sam jerked around suddenly at the sound of her voice and stared in shock at her.

"Who are you?" Sam asked carefully glancing around at his surroundings trying to see into the mist. "Where am I?"

"I am a Shaman and you are in my home. I found you in my woods, unconscious and injured. You were near death, I couldn't leave you there."

"I'm...I'm not sure I understand," he said casting his eyes around again. "What is this place?" he asked looking around still not able to see anything.

"I am in your dream world man child. You've had a high fever and have been drifting between the two existences. I have been healing your physical body but your mental spirit needs healing also."

"You're dream walking with me. I've read about it but never done it."

"You know a little about the mystic world I see."

"I'm a hunter; I guess you could say I've had to deal with the supernatural all my life. More so after I turned nine."

"I see. You need to rest and let yourself heal. I will be here for you to show you the way. You are safe with me, nothing can harm you here."

"Thank you for your kindness," he said as she faded from his sight.

The Shaman sat back and studied the man child who said he was a hunter. She had run across one other human who had claimed to be a hunter so many years ago she had almost forgotten about it. He, she did not believe, but this man child, she had no doubt he was telling the truth. She adjusted his blankets and left him to rest. She was going to make some broth and see if he could stomach some to help him get his strength back. The Shaman could feel him coming back to reality and with his fever going down knew he should be waking soon. It had been days now and his body was healing with her homemade remedies. Many of these had been lost over time and only she still knew how to prepare them.