Pirates of Manhattan

Chapter 1: Shore Adventure

Fort Tryon Park. Sunday, September 30, 2007.

"Man, I never thought I'd win a battle in a skirt," Dean declared with a grin.

Neal winced. "Kilt, please, and I'll take a victory any way I can." In a reversal of the historical events, the Scots had emerged victorious in a reenactment of the Battle of Flodden. For this year's Renaissance Festival, the Columbia University history department selected the Scottish battle originally fought in 1513. Back then, the English won a decisive victory over the Scots, but the Scots hadn't been led by Keiko. Aidan's wife, a recent Columbia graduate and history buff, was picked to be the commanding general. In a controversial move, she decreed that anyone fighting for Scotland would have to wear a kilt.

One might wonder why she led the Scots but she claimed to be Scottish through marriage since Aidan's ancestors came from Scotland.

The troops Keiko commanded were composed of so many friends, they could easily call it a reunion. Fighting alongside them were Dean and Sam who'd come down from New Haven with their girlfriends for the event.

Neal suspected that in the original battle, many Scottish warriors hadn't worn kilts. The prints he'd seen of the conflict showed men in armor on both sides. But never mind. Sara, a MacLeod, on her mother's side, was delighted to wear a kilt. Neal's ancestors were Irish but the McCaffrey clan had Scottish cousins. Close enough.

After the battle, the warriors returned to staging tents to change. For Neal, that meant a minstrel outfit. He and Sara were scheduled to take part in a dance demonstration later in the day.

Sam and Dean were back in jeans and denim jackets. They and their girlfriends would stay overnight with him and Sara before heading back to New Haven.

The Winchesters seemed relaxed and happy. Neal took that as a sign that all was quiet on the demonic front. Last April, a demon had attacked Maia under the mistaken impression that she had the Book of Seals. Supposedly only one copy was in existence. Mozzie had embraced the search for the book as a personal challenge, placing it higher up on his list of priorities than the original manuscript of Dante's Inferno. And well he should. The book contained the details about the sixty-six seals locking Lucifer's Cage. The angel Castiel warned that the knowledge could enable Heaven's foes to free Lucifer and start the Apocalypse.

Castiel had killed the demon who sought the book. But she might not have been working alone. To befuddle any associates, Neal forged a charred fragment of the frontispiece. Mozzie and his contact in the Vatican Library used it to spread the word the book had been burned. So far, the ruse seemed to be working.

"I'm surprised Crowley's not at the fair," Dean said. "He's developed a knack for crashing your events."

Sam smiled knowingly. "Castiel's working at the bookstore today while we're gone. I bet Crowley would rather help him."

"Those two seem to hang around together a lot," Neal said.

"It's hard to figure, isn't it?" Dean agreed.

"Maia told me it's partly because the angels are worried about the alliance demons made with Dolos and Chronos," Sam said. "Crowley's knowledge of Astrena's family is a valued commodity just as ours is. Not that there's any connection between the demon Dagon who tried to steal the Book of Seals and the Greeks."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Dean countered. "Azazel had Dolos and Chronos licking his hand."

"Yeah, but Azazel's dead," Sam pointed out.

"Only to be replaced by another Prince of Hell," Dean retorted. "Dagon's gone now, but she probably didn't work alone."

"Did Castiel find out anything about the angel who inquired about my forgery?" Neal asked.