Shadows moved, dancing in insane whirls, as Ichabod Crane stumbled through the darkened woods. The insensate form of his fellow Witness weighed down his arms and threw his balance off but the man out of time kept stumbling on, knowing that if he could not get free of the forest both he and Abbie would be doomed. He was exhausted and it came as a shock when he stumbled out of the underbrush into a clearing, a solid cabin with lights shining in the windows only meters away.
"Praise God," Crane gasped and staggered towards the stairs.
On the porch the door opened and a small woman came out, eyes peering sharply into the night. A bright light suddenly illuminated the two Witnesses, and Crane came to a halt at the foot of the stairs. "Madam, please…"
"Inside," She commanded, eyes scanning the edge of the forestry. She let Crane go first, as though guarding his back, and locked the door securely as she closed it behind them.
Having been cold and drenched for hours, the warmth of the fire was more than welcome but it stole the last of Crane's strength and he sank to his knees, cradling the Lieutenant to him. She was cold to touch, barely breathing, skin ashen. He had no knowledge of what to do, who to call to help him battle the unseen assault that was happening to the other Witness, and he was shaking as much with fear as with the chill.
"What happened?" The woman who owned the cabin asked in a sharp, no nonsense tone as she dropped down in front of him and reached out to check the Lieutenant's vital signs.
Crane knew he would likely be deemed insane but he had no choice at this point but to hope that Providence would keep them safe. "She has been cursed. Please Madam, I implore you to call for a priest as I fear she will not live if we were to try and transport her to a church."
Grey eyes flashed up to meet his own, no trace of disbelief in them. "The phone lines are cut so we're not going to get a priest at this hour, even if the road is still passable after that storm."
Crane bowed his head. "No…"
"Nope, you're right. Whatever it was won't win this. Here, put her down in front of the fire. The kettle is on, get yourself and me a coffee while I get some things together."
Stunned, Crane looked up at the small woman who was now radiating a determined power. "You are a witch," he breathed, relief flooding him.
She grinned, a sharp and almost feral expression. "You bet. And whatever it is that laid that curse is about to have a very bad night."
As Crane hauled himself into the kitchen to do as he was bid, the woman vanished upstairs to retrieve whatever items she required for the spell to release the Lieutenant. The stove was gas, and accustomed to these things now Crane easily prepared the two drinks and brought them back out into the lounge, to discover that two cats had taken up residence either side of the stricken woman on the floor. Both felines watched him calmly, and Crane noted that the Lieutenant's breathing seemed a little easier. He turned at the sound behind him to see the owner depositing an armful of items onto the table and he held the second mug out to her.
"Thanks. I'm going to need this," she said, taking a long draught of the drink.
"It is I who should thank you, " Crane said, giving an abbreviated bow. "I had despaired of being able to help Miss Mills. Might I know your name?"
She flashed him a smile, though she looked a little distant as though thinking hard. "Danae Byrnes."
"It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss Byrnes. My name is Ichabod Crane."
Danae reached up to free her cloud of dark hair from the confining ponytail and gestured Crane to the lounge. She took the armchair, gazing at the stricken Witness but her attention turning inwards as she considered what had to be done. Crane was anxious to free the Lieutenant, but waited patiently as her condition was not worsening in the slightest and he knew well the dangers that one was exposed to when battling dark forces. He felt a twinge of guilt for dragging another innocent into their War and looked up to question if Danae wanted to become entangled in this, as he knew she would be if she took this step.
Her grey eyes halted him before the words even reached his lips. As he looked up she had glanced his way and their eyes caught, and he found himself silenced by the sheer Power in her gaze. This was no weak willed dabbler, he suddenly understood. This woman was a master at her craft and no mere healer of caster of love spells; no, this woman was a warrior and her weapons were the unseen forces of nature that so often were turned against himself and Miss Mills. So instead of questioning her, he asked "How may I assist you?"
"You two are bound, so it would be best if you are beside her. Touching her skin to skin would help the most."
"That would be… most improper."
Danae's voice sharpened. "Now is not the time to worry about your delicate 18th century sensibilities, Crane! This may mean the difference to calling her back or having her lost."
Shock slackened his features for a moment. "How did you know?"
"It's my job to know. Now, move. We have to get this started."
Crane rose and shed coat and shirt, then lay down on the rug as the cats moved aside and gathered the Lieutenant's body against his own, blushing slightly as he did so and then grimacing at the clammy feeling of her wet clothes.
"Might as well get those off too," Danae said calmly. "Last thing we want is for her to catch something from lying around in wet clothes."
"Indeed." With his attention now focused on the benefits of getting his partner dry, Crane quickly divested her of everything down to her underwear, and ditched his own wet and muddy trousers as well. Danae gave him a quick smile of approval.
"Now, I want you to think only of your bond, what you must do together, what you feel for each other," she said, lighting candles and incense. "She is gone from here at the moment, and that bond will lead her back. She trusts you and that holds more power than you know. I'll break the curse then assist you to return her."
Crane frowned at a sudden thought. "Miss Byrnes, what will this do to you? I know enough to know that no work of this like is done without cost."
She met his eyes and smiled. "That doesn't matter. What matters is getting the other Witness whole and safe. Are you ready?"
He wanted to argue, but sighed and tightened his arms slightly. "I am. I am at your command, Miss Byrnes, and will do as you bid. But.." ice blue eyes met hers in an unwavering stare. "I shall not allow you to do harm to yourself in this. Too many innocents have died in this War and neither Miss Mills nor I will countenance another death on our behalf."
"It won't kill me," Danae said in a gentle voice, peace once again bringing a smile to her delicate features. "Trust, Mr Crane. The more completely you do your part, the easier mine will be."
"Then let us begin," Crane said, bending his head to the Lieutenant's.
Her voice rose, summoning powers to assist in her fight, and then there was music that surrounded them, seemingly in the very floor and walls. The air vibrated with it, the candle flames danced to its time, and she sang her spell of freeing in a voice that rose and dipped with the purity of the surging waves of the ocean. Crane found himself dizzy with the sensations and concentrated on the woman in his arms, on remembering everything about how they met and how they came to be what they were to each other now. He heard, dimly, an inharmonious voice trying to break through, but Danae's voice rose above it like a whip and crushed it to silence. In his arms, the Lieutenant gave a great gasp and her eyes flew open. "Crane?!"
"I am here, Leftenant," he said into her ear, arms tightening so she could not slide from him again. "Be still, we are safe and you are well."
Danae's song changed then, peace and rest now in the music and her voice. The Lieutenant's muscles unlocked, and with a sigh her head dropped forward, her breathing deepening into sleep. Only then did Crane realise that he, too, was being compelled into slumber, and he tried to fight it. His head came up, his eyes seeking the witch, but all he saw was the unblinking gaze of the cats that followed him into sleep.