The Arcanist

Proper Introductions

One second she was standing in an alley, the next in a large room. The floor and walls were made of polished stone and the arched ceiling rose high above her. It reminded her briefly of the inside of the White-Gold Tower.

"Where are we?" She asked, walking into the center of the room and looking about her.

"A safe place." Castiel said, walking past her and into the dinning area behind her.

She turned and followed him up the few short steps. In the space, there stood a small table surrounded by a couple of chairs, several bookcases, and piles of papers and books. It was obvious this are was used more for research than eating.

It suggested that these hunters were also scholars of a sort. She only hoped they really as capable as their titles had led her to believe.

She glanced at Castiel who poked his head into an adjoining room. Perhaps the strength of these hunters lay in their allies. They had made friends with a divine. Who knew what other company they kept.

"Even Daedra have been known to help mortals on occasion." She muttered to herself. "When it suits them."

She wondered what the angel got out of the deal.

"Dean? Sam?" He called down a hall.

He turned back to her. "They'll be here soon. If they're here." He paused. "They're probably here."

"The hunters?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

By the look on his face, she could tell he was still processing all that had happened with Joseph. He had yet to remark on how she'd killed him. He no doubt had questions. As did she.

She sighed, finally beginning to feel the exhaustion of the past few weeks. She hadn't slept much in that time. She'd never felt safe enough.

Honestly, she wasn't sure how safe she felt here. She'd yet to decide. By nature she was untrusting and in this foreign world, that instinct was stronger and louder. But back home she could take care of herself. Here? Here she was going to need allies, whether she liked it or not.

She was drilling that into her head when the sound of footfalls down the hall finally reached her ears.

"Cas, did you find them?" Came a deep voice from the hall. A moment later, two men entered the room.

The first was tall, his hair short and brown. He had a rugged look about him and a dark look in his eye that she had seen many times in her long years. He was the brawn, she decided.

The second man was taller, his hair long and blonde. His face was softer and his eyes bright. He was decidedly clever. The brains. The scholar.

Despite their polar differences, there was a certain similarity to their appearance as well.

Family, she ventured.

Castiel said nothing, nodding in her direction. She realized he'd been watching her.

The men followed his gaze.

"You must be Cey." The first one said, extending his hand towards her. "I'm Dean." He gestured at the other one. "My brother..."

"Sam."

She took Dean's hand and shook it, unable to suppress a small laugh. "So you shake hands." She was often amused by the similarities between the cultures of Tamriel and here.

"Uh. Yes." He said, confused. "I don't know what you've heard about me, but I have been known to be a gentleman at times."

The comment gave her cause to give a smile, albeit a small one.