5 - Here comes the storm

Horknath threw him the first, small and awkward smile since he had entered that room. "I won't lie - if this had been written in a book, I would find it very romantic", he chuckled, embarrassed. "And, again - you did something you felt it was right, but still drove the danger away from us. You aren't a bad person", he argued again.

Castiel almost smiled. Almost. But then he remembered for who he had taken such a risk. "You might be the only one to think that. Still- thank you, Horknath," he sighed. And hesitated. "I know I might not be in the right position to ask, but I would have a favor to ask of you."

Horknath tilted his head. "I don't know what I could do for you, right now. Didn't you say a tattoo wouldn't work on you?" He thought this favour could have something to do with Castiel's medical condition.

"It wouldn't," Castiel confirmed him, with a sorry smile. "Actually- The poison is stabilized enough for some of my grace to have returned. If you allowed me to go out of that panic room, I'd be able to leave. And not cause any of you any more harm."

Horknath frowned. Hard. "You are still sick, and that poison is dangerous. Would you be alright, if you went away and we stopped to take care of your wound?" He felt like the very first day, when he had found Castiel in the forest, half dead from thirst and hunger.

"If I'm lucky, I'm going to survive with that wound," Castiel told him earnestly, before offering him a sad smile. "If I'm not, I'll get what I deserve for turning my back to Michael's lance."

Horknath's frown only got deeper. "I don't like that idea", he grimaced. He sighed, though. "But, I thought you could ask something like that." He got back the book he was holding when he came in, and showed it to him. "It's all the notes and formulas we used to... to stop the infection. You're a clever guy, I think you can find the things written on here without many problems even if you lay low." He paused. He seemed to be tormenting himself over something. "How will you do, alone?", he asked, worried. "Would you. Rather have me come with you?"

Castiel's expression softened. "It would be selfish of me to request of you to leave all the friends you've made over these past few weeks we've spent together. I do see you as a friend, Horknath. I'd rather have you stay here and be happy." He gently smiled to him. "And if I remember well, there is someone else waiting for you."

"But-" Horknath reeled back in outrage. "But you're my friend, too! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here to start with - I would have died on my own in my small refuge in the woods. Alone!" He clenched his fists. "There is someone waiting abck, it's true, but - but that wouldn't even be true either, if you weren't around." Truth be told, he did not want to leave this group. But he didn't want to let Castiel go away on his own either. Was it egoistical of him?

Castiel hesitated. "If I do make it, and if you still wish to see me, you can pray to me. I'll come. But you can't ask of me to risk your life after the wrong I've done." He paused. "I will seek the help of angels I knew long ago, and who have disobeyed Michael's orders. I doubt you would feel at ease in that situation."

Horknath looked down at his hands, and bit his own lower lip. He seemed to take entire minutes to take a decision - but how to blame him. It was a hard one to take. "... fine", he mumbled in the end, getting up from his chair. He opened up the cuffs anchoring Cas to the bed, and shuffled around the room to gather his things and put them in a bag, along with the scraps of paper he had put together in the book from before. "There. Can you try to get up?"

Castiel nodded, and got up. He was still weak, and it showed, but he was able to stand on two feet. "... Thank you, Horknath. For everything you've done for me." He did feel thankful. After all, he had already saved his life twice.

Horknath smiled hesitantly at him. "It's fine", he simply answered, gingerly passing his bag over to the angel. "I... please, take care of yourself." He felt suddenly sad. He wished to hug his friend goodbye, but he was wounded, and he was too strong - so he avoided that. He just stood there, awkwardly.

Castiel took his back, and patted Horknath's shoulder, with a softer smile. "If you were to miss me," he started, hesitantly. "Pray to me. I might not answer, but I'll certainly listen. And if by then I'll feel better, I will come back to you in a blink, should you wish it."

Horknath threw him another small, sad smile. "Sure", he answered. "I'll do that." He patted Castiel's shoulder as well, minding himself to do it not as strongly as he usually did.

Castiel's held Horknath's gaze for a few more seconds, and then he turned around, going for the door. Once outside, he took a deep breath, and turned to look at his friend one last time. His eyes flashed blue, he extended his wings and disappeared in thin air.

Saying that Selena felt nervous would have been an understatement. She mentally thanked her years of experience as a hunter, and the education her mother and father had granted to her, as she managed to keep her sang froid while walking on the steps that lead to a great, beautifully built construction. A building from which angels lead their 'earthly business', if we can say that. After being left to her own devices for entire weeks without any news whatsoever, she had lost whatever was left of her patience. She had dressed up with the best clothes she possessed, took her stuff and travelled all the way here for one reason - maybe two, if she played her cards well.
To spy on Michael, and guess what dirty business he might be hiding.
To make Raphael pay for disowning her in public, like an animal.
Oh, yes. She was angry. But she wouldn't allow that to fog up her judgement - after all, Raphael was nothing to her as, apparently, she was nothing to him, even after the talks they had shared. And he had never been. She was just a woman with a mission, that's all.

Entire weeks had passed from Castiel's departure, by now. Even if at first Dean had gotten seriously mad at Horknath for wanting to help Castiel even after all the lies he had told them, and had yelled at him for being so stupid and easily manipulated, Bobby had managed to smoothen out every ruffled feathers. Even though Dean stayed just as standoffish about Castiel, his behaviour towards Horknath had been way better afterwards. And it was in that spirit that they decided to travel away from Corvus' bunker, to escape from Michael and to keep an old promise.

"I can't believe we're here again", Horknath said out loud, looking at the first houses they met once arrived in town. "I think I still remember the road to my old place. And to the library, and the tavern..." He couldn't say he had missed the place. Those people were never kind to him. But he felt some sort of weird, unexplainable nostalgia still.

After going through a series of talks, Selena was asked to wait in a living room on her own for a ridiculously long amount of them. Only then did an angel wearing the vessel of a man in his sixties enter the room, and gauged her up and down. "Are you the one who introduced themselves as Panthera Leo, and asked to meet the archangel Michael?"

Sam held back a smile. "We should take the time to drop by at your place," he suggested. "It's been a while, after all. No trap should be awaiting for us there."
"First, you boys need to get your coats and pay for it," Bobby intervened. "I can't help but think of that poor tailor who spent time and fabric over clothes she had to keep stacked away for weeks."

Selena's newfound patience was being tested thoroughly, with that incredibly long and boring wait. Luckily enough he was a proper lady and wouldn't have cussed anyone. She was just done reading her travel diary for the tenth time when that man came in, and she lifted her gaze. After analizing him just as critically as he had with her, she raised a brow. "Yes", she answered, cold and suspicious.

"Oh, I don't know... if that place has been destroyed, I wouldn't be happy to see it", Horknath answered to Sam with a sheepish smile. "I had put care in building it - and I would rather follow you guys around", he added quickly, when he heard Bobby mention 'that poor tailor'. He felt suddenly an urgency to go there as well.

The man smirked. "My name is Zachariah. I'll lead you to Michael. I'll have to apologize for the wait, but we needed to conduct a few researches on you. Word had it the Sobek saw you with the archangel Raphael?" The question was meant to be genuine, but her answer might have a great impact.

Sam forced a smile, and gently patted his shoulder, before they stopped in front of the tailor's shop, and attached their horses there.
"Might be better if all of us just don't enter here at once. I'll go book our rooms for tonight with Ellen," Bobby told them, before he rode off. Which probably left only Sam, Dean, Horknath and Eileen in front of the shop.

"You don't need to apologize. I guess that's your regular procedure", Selena observed, raising from her seat. She scoffed lightly. "And if you managed to do that properly, you might now I had been appointed as the archangel Raphael's personal hunter, for a short while. I am guessing we had different lines of work, so I got my status revoked recently. Not that I would give credit to what a demon says, anyway", she added with a small smile.

Dean shook his head. "Yeah, sure. 'Better if I go away with Ellen', he couldn't wait to get rid of us to spend some alone time with her", he said with a grin, elbowing Sam. He was slowly getting back to be the old himself, even though some things still stung him deep, and it showed. "Well, we should go in." Horknath nodded absently, suddenly remembering - as he looked at Dean - all the things he had told him about his fling with Carleen. And suddenly remembering why he felt that nervous.

Zachariah's smirk got wider. "No, indeed. But I'm quite curious as to why Raphael would get rid of his hunter... unharmed, so to say. He isn't known to get attached to cattle. I mean, people." It wasn't a slip of his tongue. He was deliberately insulting her indirectly. Yet, he offered her a smile, and opened the door, inviting her to follow him.

Sam smirked at Dean's first comment, but then nodded and entered the shop. The front section was empty, as usual, but Carleen's voice soon informed them from the back that she was coming towards them.
As soon as she spotted them, her face lit up. "Well. If this isn't Mr. 7, 8 and 11. I'm glad to see you all back."

Selena limited herself into throwing a cold smile back at Zachariah. "I wouldn't know about that. You should ask him yourself", she simply commented, following Zachariah. "It's not like I asked questions. I enjoy being alive, and I wouldn't have gotten answers anyway. I just work in silence."

Horknath had to physically hide his giddiness at seeing Carleen's face again - she looked even more beautiful than he remembered! Granted, he didn't remember much, but still. He limited himself into muttering an embarrassed greeting.
Eileen tilted her head, the meaning of numbers going straight over her head.
The only one who didn't seem confused was Dean, who just laughed. "Aw c'mon, you're still on with those numbers? ... wait, who's an eleven!" He couldn't help himself.

"A quality that will surely please our Lord." Zachariah led her to richer corridors, until he knocked on a door, and entered the room with her. It was a large living room, decorated with weapons. Mostly angel weapons, which gave the room a gloomy aura. sitting in an armchair was Michael, with his eyes closed. He opened them as soon as Selena entered, and yet made no move. He was still wearing John Winchester's vessel, although it looked way less damaged than when he had met with Dean's group.
"Now you'll have to understand that due to procedures, I can't leave the both of you-"
"I'll take it from there, Zachariah," Michael interrupted him with an imperious tone. Zachariah was about to protest, but he bowed respectfully, and exited the room after one last glance to Selena.

Carleen laughed kindly, and winked at Dean. "Come on, Norway. I'm talking about the most beautiful man in the room." She made her way to Horknath, and grabbed his arm. "Hey. How about we start with you? I think your coat will need some adjustments, I took your measurements in a hurry last time." She gently dragged him to her workroom, leaving no one any time to protest.
Sam just... stared. And looked at Dean. "Hold on, what do those numbers mean?"

Selena was unable to hide her distaste when she glanced back at Zachariah as he left the room, closing the door behind his back. She was way better at hiding her fear, however, and how much she disliked to be in that room right now, with Michael. On her own. She waited up on her feet, waiting to be given an invitation to sit. She sure wasn't going to take any initiative, it could be way too dangerous.

Horknath had opened his mouth, but he was utterly powerless against Carleen's good manners and cheeky smile. He simply glanced back at the rest of the group, as if he couldn't decide if to ask for help or something else, letting her guide him in the back.
"But who!", Dean insisted pointedly, also a bit irritated because the other two men around still had higher votes than him! He turned to Sam, rolling his eyes. "She's just teasing me. She gives a grade from one to ten to the men she's... been with", he explained, eyeing Eileen.