Adrenaline set his blood aflame as Ichabod Crane ran through the thick woods as fast as his long legs would carry him until he collided into a thick tangle of branches. He struggled as they tore at his skin and snagged at his clothes and tangled painfully in his hair. His lungs worked furiously to draw in adequate oxygen as he freed himself, his eyes focused solely on the beast that approached him as if it had all the time in the world to capture him.
"Leftenant!" His voice lost itself as he made his way deeper into the forest while thick fog rolled in around him. He glanced around for his new companion while cursing himself for dropping his firearm after only one shot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure step from the shadows ahead of him. It held up a set of one-handed bows and fired at him. Ichabod dropped to the ground and rolled behind a tree for protection as he watched the flaming arrows pierce the beast pursuing him. The beast screamed as it disintegrated to ash and blew away in a gust of wind. Ichabod stared blankly for a moment before peering around the tree at the hooded being that lowered the bows.
The being strode towards him, pausing next to him as she lowered her bows. He stared at her face, partially hidden beneath the hooded black cloak that draped over her lithe body clad in a black leather corset strapped around her torso by a series of buckles with a segmented breast plate strapped to heavy shoulder pauldrons. Her black pants were tucked into a pair of thigh high armored boots with a high heel.
"Who are you?" Ichabod knelt on one knee as he caught his breath. In the distance, he heard Lieutenant Abbie Mills racing to him, calling his name. He wanted to warn her of this being as his shoulders quaked at the vibe she gave off. "What do you want with me?"
"You are the one called Ichabod Crane, are you not?" Her accent was a low, husky British accent.
"I am, indeed." He glanced towards the direction Abbie was coming from. "Who are you?"
The woman turned towards him as she slid her bows into holsters strapped to her back. Her amber eyes slid from him towards where Abbie was coming from as she whispered in a language Ichabod did not recognize. As if on command, a great black wolf with silver eyes stepped from behind the tree with a low growl and stood with its back towards Ichabod, crouching into an attack position, ready to pounce on Abbie when she finally ripped through the foliage.
"Leftenant! Stop!" Ichabod stood, his mind racing with ways to stop the wolf and the woman from hurting his companion.
"Crane?" Abbie's voice was drawing closer to him.
"Madam, spare my friend. She means you no harm and will surely be grateful that you rescued me from the beast." His blue eyes fixed on the woman. "Please, I beg of you."
"I mean neither of you harm." The woman looked to the wolf and spoke in hushed tones until it straightened up and growled once more at Abbie before sitting at the woman's feet. "I am called Arathea. I have been sent to assist you with your apocalyptic horsemen debacle by your wife, Katrina."
"Katrina sent you? Madam, I find it very difficult to believe that my wife knows one such as you." Ichabod looked over when he saw movement out of his peripheral vision, expecting Abbie to ease her way towards him with her gun drawn.
"Your wife, the witch?" Arathea snarled, narrowing her eyes. "She knows beings much worse than I."
"It's true, Ichabod." Katrina's soothing voice startled him. He looked over and saw her standing before him where he had anticipated Abbie to appear. Her red hair billowed in the wind as she regarded him thoughtfully. "Arathea is not the enemy. She is a most trusted friend."
"Though I do not condone her wicked lifestyle." Arathea watched the wolf circle Katrina, growling its warning to the witch as it hungered for the witch. She spoke the mysterious language again and the wolf snarled once more at Katrina before making its way to its master and sit obediently beside her. Katrina smiled in gratitude before turning her eyes back to her husband.
"Do not fear the wolf." Katrina set her eyes solemnly upon Ichabod. "They can help in ways I cannot."
"For good shall always triumph over evil." Arathea smirked as the dream world faded quickly.