Chapter Text
Castiel coughed and waved at the smoke billowing in front of his face. No doubt, everyone within a three mile radius would be able to smell the result of his little spell gone awry. He groaned when he heard footsteps running down the hallway.
“Oh–oh Gods, Cassie.” Gabriel swung the door open, hand already covering his face. “What on earth are you doing in here?”
Castiel frowned and stood, gesturing to his altar. “I was jus’ trying help a butterfly. It’s wing got tore an’,” his eyes teared as he wiped at his nose, “an’ I just wanted to fix it.” He looked up at his brother through wet lashes, his chubby hands wringing themselves until they were red.
“Oh, Cassie, c’mere.” Gabriel held his arms open to his little brother with a sigh. Castiel launched himself into his brothers arms as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Why can’t I fix stuff good like you do? S’not fair!”
Gabriel relinquished his hold before dropping down to his little brothers eye level. “You will one day, I promise Cas. You’re still real little, yeah? Remember when I was your age and I accidentally set the tent on fire at the Summer Solstice?”
Castiel sniffed hard. “Mamma was so mad,” he whispered with a smile.
“Mad? She didn’t let me cast for a whole month!” He took Castiel’s hands gently in his own. “But do you know what I did with that whole month?” Castiel shook his head. “I practiced. I read every book I could get my hands on. I memorized what ingredients went with what spells so that if one day I didn’t have my grimoire I’d be prepared.”
Castiel wiped away the last of his tears and nodded his head. “I jus’ wanna be as good as everyone else.”
Gabriel ruffled his brothers hair. “You will be one day, buddy. For now, how about you help me with a banishing spell for this awful dead skunk smell or else the town is gonna come after us with burning torches and pitchforks.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I don’t get it, Dean. You’re a bird. You’ve been a bird for seventeen years and you still can’t figure out how to land?”
Dean scowled at his brother as he watched him gently wrap gauze around his injured wing.
“You know you’re going to have to stay in this form until it heals,” Sam scolded. “Hey, don’t you roll your eyes at me, man. I’m not the one who can’t tell if a damn window is open or not!”
Dean turned his head and pecked his brothers finger with his sharp beak.
“Hey!” Sam yelled, shaking out his hand. “Fine! You know what—do it yourself.” Sam tossed the strip of gauze on the table and sat back, crossing his arms.
Dean ruffled his feathers before picking the gauze up in his beak. He threw his head back and lifted the strip over his wing. Trapping the bottom of it with his foot, he began pulling it until it was taut.
A pair of thumbs would be great right about now he thought.
Sam shrugged. “Don’t peck the hand that helps you.”
Dean flipped the remaining piece over his wing again and again until it was ready to be tied off.
Sam, come on.
Sam looked away from his brother.
Please?
Sighing, Sam gave in. He tightened the embarrassingly loose gauze and tied it in a careful knot.
Thanks
“No problem.” Sam gave his brother a once over, frowning when he spotted a few dull looking feathers. “Have you given anymore thought to what Mom suggested?”
Dean let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a scoff, scratching at a piece of paper on the desk.
About finding myself a witch?
Sam nodded and reached over to pet the molting feathers. “You’re starting to–”
I know! Dean hopped away from his brother, careful not to run into the candle on the desk. I just—I haven’t found anyone I like. That last witch, Rowena? She made me help her put flowers and jewels in her hair, like that’s all I was good for. And don’t even get me started on Max. He cocked his head to the side and stared at his brother with piercing green eyes. He basically treated me like a stuffed animal.
Sam rolled a fountain pen back and forth across the table with a frown. “You’re being too picky.”
Oh well I’m so sorry I didn’t find my witch right away like Charlie did.
Leave me out of this, Winchester.
Sam turned to the cat curled up next to the fireplace and smiled. She pried one sleepy eye open just enough to scowl before yawning. She stood and arched her back, digging her claws into the floor boards.
It’s not either of our faults, she thought as she gracefully jumped into Sam’s lap, immediately rubbing her face against his chest. It was a happy coincidence, she purred.
Sam smiled fondly and scratched Charlie behind her ears. “Come on, Charlie,” he said lifting her as he stood. “We’ve got a ritual to finish before midnight. See ya later Dean.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Castiel scrubbed his knuckles over the growing stubble on his cheek as he frowned at the bubbling pot. He pulled off a sprig of lavender and tossed it into the cauldron. A wisp of smoke poofed out and curled into the air.
“I think it needs more bruisewort. What do you think?” He looked up past the drying herbs hanging from the ceiling to his only companions.
“Don’t ask me.”
“Mrrff! Nrrrm grmml ffrrn!”
“Are you ever going to unsew his mouth?”
Castiel sighed and reached for a small knife. He ducked under a small bundle of yarrow and reached up, lightly grabbing a very angry looking brown shrunken head. He turned the head towards his face and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you going to play nice with the others?” The head rolled its eyes then blinked twice. “Good. Hold still.” He lifted the knife to it’s mouth and gently cut away the yellow twine holding the heads mouth shut. Once free, the head opened it’s mouth wide, stretching it’s jaw.
“It’s about time. I thought I was going to suffocate!” the head shouted.
“Balder, you don’t even have lungs,” Castiel groaned.
“You better not try to bite Flox again.”
“Oh would you shut up, Pital!”
“Stop!” All of you, or so help me–” Castiel braced himself against his rickety altar, digging his toes into the soft dirt. He looked to the potion that was now a syrupy goo and sighed. “Thirty years old and I still can’t make a healing potion.”
The creak of his door pulled him from his wallowing.
“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Castiel sighed.
“On what, Cassie? The wall of moss you call a door?” Gabriel walked up behind his brother and whistled through his teeth.
“What’s uh—what’re we trying to make here?” he asked, pulling the spoon from the pot and watching the potion ooze off.
“Healing potion,” Flox called out.
“I thought you got that one down years ago?” Gabriel asked, leaning in to sniff the goo and regretting it immediately.
“I did. This one,” Castiel gestured towards the pot, “was for my hive. The queen is injured and keeps fighting off the drones who come too close.”
Gabriel dropped the spoon and stared at his brother. “It’s for a bee? A bee, Castiel?”
Castiel grabbed the pot and walked over to his makeshift sink, pouring the contents down the drain.
“Did you need something, Gabriel, or did you come here purely to annoy me?”
Gabriel squinted and poked Balder in the cheek. “I was on my way to the markets. I thought my little bro might want to get out of the house–well, hut–and get some fresh air.”
“You do need more Vervain,” Pital chimed in.
“And Poppy,” Flox offered.
“Looks like I’m going with you,” Castiel sighed.
*~*~*~*~*~
Dean let his fingers sink into the coyotes pelt. He hated this part of the market, but humans loved their rugs and scarves made of fur.
“Poor guy,” Dean murmured. He patted it once more before moving on to a stand with dried meats hanging from the awning.
“Fine selection of goods today,” he merchant said from behind the booth, gesturing towards his items.
“Yeah, I can see that. You have any rabbit?” he asked, poking at a string of venison strips.
The merchant smiled, his brown teeth making Dean grimace. “How much ya needin’?”
“Just enough to get me through the afternoon.” He looked in his brothers direction, seeing him look carefully through a wicker basket full of feathers. His arms were already piled full of burlap bags stuffed with books and spell ingredients. “Gonna be a long one.”
The merchant sliced Dean off a generous chunk of jerky and skewered it onto a stick. “Five silver pieces,” he said expectantly.
“Five! That’s robbery!” Dean scoffed.
The merchant waved the dried rabbit back and forth in front of Dean.
“Three. And these.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two shiny brown feathers with black streaks.
The merchant scoffed and waved Dean away. “What am I going to do with bird feathers. Get out of here, I have actual paying customers.”
“They’re feathers from a red tail hawk. A familiar’s, actually. But if you aren’t interested…” Dean started stuffing them back into his pocket.
“No, no-no, wait.” The merchant raised his hands. “Let me see.” Dean grinned and handed them over and watched as the merchant delicately ran his fingers through them. “Fine. Here,” he handed out the rabbit as Dean dropped three coins on top of the feathers.
“Nice doin’ business with ya,” Dean said before biting off a chunk of the jerky. He walked towards his brother and bumped him with his shoulder. “Want some?” he asked, waving the meat in Sam’s face.
“Gross, Dean. No.” His eyebrows shot up. “Hey, how’d you even pay for that? I thought you only had five coin?”
“I bribed the merchant with my feathers,” Dean said around his meat, his cheeks sticking out like a chipmunk.
“Dean,” Sam sighed, “you know they lose their power if they aren’t given to your witch. They’re useless otherwise.”
“Yeah well he didn’t know that now did he?”
Sam shook his head as they walked to the next tent and inspected small glass bottles. “Hey, have you seen Charlie? She shifted and ran off about ten minutes ago.”
“Nope, been to busy scamming an idiot,” Dean laughed.
“Do you think you could—” Sam lifted his chin and nodded his head up towards the sky.
Dean groaned and shoved his meat stick against his brothers chest. “Fine. There better be some of that left when I get back.” Dean rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. Crouching slightly, he jumped into the air as his arms were replaced by wings. His legs shrunk down to scaley feet with razor sharp talons. Shifting mid air was something Dean was always immensely proud of, it was the one good thing he could do as a familiar. He soared above the market, his eyes tracking everything and anything that looked remotely like Charlie in her cat form. He let himself glide for a minute, letting the wind drift him over the livestock section and sure enough, there was Charlie. She was in the cow’s pen lapping a bowl of milk two little kids put down for her.
Found her, live stock pen, he thought to Sam. Gonna stay up for a bit and stretch my wings.
He let himself glide around the whole market and watched people come and go. There was a strange electricity in the air today. Maybe there was a storm coming, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Dean felt himself being pulled towards an herbs tent which was odd, because he never had the use for them. He watched as a blond haired merchant handed a man bunches of yellow flowers and bulbous pods on long stalks. He lowered himself so he was flying just above the tent.
~*~*~*~*~
“If you’re making healing potions, might I suggest Echinacea? It’s good for colds, infections and even wounds.” The merchant offered Castiel a small pouch.
“Thank you, yes I will take some. Do you also have Valerian root?” Castiel rummaged around in the glass bowls while Gabriel tapped his foot impatiently.
“Cassie come on,” he whined. “We’ve been here forever and I’m bored.” He looked up to the sky and blew out a deep breath.
“You’re the one who wanted me to ‘get out of the hut’. Deal with it.” Castiel let his fingers sink into a bowl of dried Evening Primrose but stopped when he felt a chill run up his spine. He whipped around and faced his brother.
“What was that?” he gasped.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “What was what?”
“You didn’t feel that?” Castiel turned around in a circle, his eyes darting in every direction. A small gust of wind, barely enough to rustle the dried herbs nearly knocked Castiel to the ground. He bent over, grasping his knees and sucking in deep breaths.
“Castiel, what’s going on? What are you feeling?” Gabriel hovered over his brother and held onto his shoulder.
“I don’t know,” Castiel winced. “It feels like I’m being—aarg.” He cried out as he stood up straight as an arrow, his head tipped back to the sky. “Feels like I’m being pulled—”
Castiel dropped his wares and his arms instinctively shot out just in time for a large red tailed hawk to fall awkwardly into his arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Castiel gaped at the unconscious bird in his arms. It was massive and beautifully marked. It’s breath came out in staggered puffs and quiet squawks.
“Castiel,” Gabriel rested a hand on his brothers shoulder, “are you alright?”
He stood frozen in place, unable to focus on anything other than the bird. His limbs were buzzing with electricity and his head was shrouded in a fog. His mind racing with the words KeepProtectMine.
Gabriel reached his hand out to inspect the bird when a snarl came from the back of Castiel’s throat. Castiel turned around sharply, chest heaving. It could have been the sun but Gabriel swore he saw orange lights glowing behind his brothers eyes
“DON’T. Touch. Him.” He held the bird close enough to his chest that he could feel it’s breath against his neck. It seemed to slow it’s breathing as it unknowingly nestled into the mans arms.
Gabriel held his hands up in defense and backed away slowly. “Ok, Cassie. I’m not going to hurt it. But I think we should get him back to your place.” Gabriel tossed the wide eyed merchant ten gold coins and collected all of his brothers things. “Come on, let’s go.” He coaxed his brother along, looking over his shoulder every few steps to make sure he was still following.
“Really Charlie?” Sam crossed his arms and leaned against a wooden post as he watched his familiar drink her fill.
What? She thought. They gave it to me. It would’ve been rude to refuse. Her amber eyes glanced up and winked once before lifting her head. The orange cat started licking at her paw delicately.
“Have you seen Dean? He said he was going to stretch his wings but that was an hour ago.”
Nope, I haven’t seen him since we arrived. She wiped her paw against her face and up to her ear. Should we worry he’s gone and flown into another closed window?
Sam chuckled and shook his head. “I’m sure he’s fine, but he did leave me with his meat stick, so who knows.”
Can I have it?
Sam rolled his eyes and patted his leg, gesturing for Charlie to follow him. “He’d eat you alive, like most of his food,” he joked. Charlie trotted along side her witch as they started to leave the market.
Sam wait Charlie thought in a panicked voice.
“What’s wrong?” He watched as Charlie’s tail flicked sharply back and forth and sniffed the air. “Is it Dean?”
Yes and something else–Oh, Gods. Sam can you feel that?
Sam crouched down and laid his hand on the dirt in front of his familiar. “That’s—that’s a lot of power, Charlie. I’ve never—Gods it’s almost making me nauseous.” He held his stomach and looked around, eyes landing on a merchant nearby. “Excuse me, ma’am,” he stood and walked up to her stand. “Have you seen a man about this tall,” he held his hand just above his own shoulder, “brown hair, green eyes?”
The merchant shook her head. “No, sorry sir I haven’t. Are you—” she shook her head. “Can you feel that magic as well? I thought me and the other men were the only ones.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “What other men?”
She pointed to where Charlie was sitting. “A little while ago, a man was here buying herbs and started acting strangely. He–he started feeling sick and then this giant bird fell straight from the sky and into his arms. He was so protective of it. It was like something out of a storybook. He wouldn’t even let the other man that was with him get close enough to touch it. They took the bird with them.”
Sam ran a rough hand down his face. “Can you describe them for me? Which way did they go?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gabriel held back the moss curtain as his brother rushed into the hut.
“I need ginger, the echinacea I just purchased, dandelion, and peppermint oil,” Castiel said in a shaky voice as he laid the hawk on his altar. He cushioned it’s head with a pouch of lavender and stroked his fingers through the feathers on the back of it’s head.
Gabriel gathered the ingredients and set them next to the bird, eyeing his brother warily. “Cassie, it looks like he’s in pretty bad shape. Are you sure—”
“I need to do this. I have to do this. If you aren’t going to help me then you can leave.” Castiel pulled a black bowl carved with intricate runes in front of him and quickly began sprinkling in the herbs. He sliced the ginger and added it to the mortar bowl and crushed all the herbs together into a paste. He lowered himself until he was eye level with the bowl and carefully squeezed in two drops of peppermint oil.
“Cassie, how do you—”
“Quiet,” Castiel hissed. He reached up and pulled a few cardamom seeds from a box and mashed them into the mixture. “Water,” he demanded.
Gabriel huffed and walked over to the sink, filling a glass. He handed it to Castiel and watched as his brother spit into the cup before he poured half of it in the mortar, then drinking the rest himself. He picked up a bottle with a stopper on the end and sucked some of the mixture into it.
“Ok, here you go. Come on little one, open up for me,” he cooed. The hawk let its mouth fall open and Castiel smiled, petting it’s feathers gently. “That’s it,” he whispered. He squeezed the dropper into the birds mouth, letting the potion soak into it’s tongue. The bird licked and swallowed, then hung it’s mouth open for more.
Gabriel watched in awe as his brother fed the dropper, drip by drip, to the hawk until it was gone.
Castiel sighed in relief when it was empty, bracing himself against the alter. “He’ll be ok now. He was just nauseous.”
Gabriel gripped his brothers shoulder and spun him around. “How on earth could you possibly know that?” he gasped.
Castiel looked at his brother with a confused expression. “He’s a bird who’s afraid of heights, Gabriel. Of course he’s going to be nauseous.”
*~*~*~*~*~
“The blue eyed man who hardly leaves his home. He lives in Splitwood Grove I believe,” the merchant pointed towards the path out of town.
Sam and Charlie quickly followed the merchants directions. He’d heard of a man living in the woods but people rarely saw him. He was rumored to have the purest form of magic in his bloodline, but that was most likely just stories made up by children.
“If they hurt Dean I’ll rip their lungs out,” Sam growled as he swatted vines out of his way.
Charlie jumped from limb to limb in the trees above him. It doesn’t feel like bad magic, Sam. I’m sure he’s alright. He probably ran into something again and they took him home to heal him.
Sam looked up as he spoke. “I’ve never felt that kind of power before, Charlie. That was a very powerful witch. I just hope he’s—”
There Charlie thought. Dean’s through there.
Sam pawed his way through dense thickets and ivy into a clearing. There was a small hut in the middle of the woods surrounded by flowering bushes and lush green trees. A small creek curved around the back of the hut and led into the front yard creating a small pond.
This doesn’t look like the lair of a big bad witch, Sam. It looks like a grandma lives here Charlie snorted.
Sam drew his hand to his hip and popped a button on his belt. He pulled out a silver blade and held it tight. “We’ll see.”