I'm back! sorry I didn't update for days so here's your update and just to let you know for the past years after Chapter 2 I have to put symbols and crap they put in sentences so enjoy
The next morning, the five still stand by Ichabod's door and getting tired so Mako broke the silence.
"This is a waste of time!" frustrated Mako. "There's a headless ghost out there chopping heads and still he's staying in his room, being a scared cry baby!"
But Mako spoke too soon for they jumped from the door when it opened and to their surprise Ichabod came out in his suit, looking calm.
"Oh good I was going to get you, now come along we're going to the Western Woods." He said with determination.
They froze in surprised and with questions in their thoughts like "Who is he and what has he done with the real Ichabod?" But they snapped out of it as they catch up with him.
"Whoa what happened to you? First you were scared and couldn't get out of your room and now you look so calm?" Korra asked.
"I have faced my fears." He explained as he hold a little round board with string and two images on both sides one with a red cardinal and other side an empty cage.
Downstairs Baltus talked with Reverend Steenwyck, Dr. Lancaster and Notary Hardenbrook .
"This time, its a magistrate that's dead." said Baltus but was cut off by Ichabod as they look up.
"Gentlemen, I need able men to go with us into the Western Woods." Ichabod requested.
"You?" said Baltus surprised and confused. "We thought you'd shot your bolt."
"I have faced my fears, and come out determined to locate the Horseman's grave." Ichabod explained and continued. "In short, to pit myself and my accomplices against a murdering ghost." Lady Van Tassel hold her step daughter not letting her go and Ichabod smiled with his arms crossed. "Who's with me." But there's no response until.
"Me?" said Masbath holding his finger.
Ichabod and the rest mount up and rode into the Western Woods, it was a spooky and mysterious place and it gave Bolin the creeps just by looking at the trees.
"Now name the victims." He instructed.
"The Van Garretts." said Korra.
"Widow Winship." said Asami.
"Jonathan Masbath." said Mako and looked at the boy. "Your dad."
"Now Magistrate Philipse." said Bolin.
"Something must connect them." said Ichabod.
"So what dose your dad had to do with the Van Garretts?" Korra asked Masbath.
"He worked for them." Masbath explained. "We lived in the coach house." Then Ichabod looked at him. "It's nothing. But there was something that happened one night a week before the murder. An argument upstairs between father and son and my father was later sent for by Mr. Van Garrett."
"An argument between father and son." Ichabod said to himself to memorize. "After which the elder Van Garrett sent for his servant Masbath."
"Listen." Masbath said to everyone.
"I don't hear anything." said Asami.
"Nor I. No birds. No crickets. It's all gone so quiet."
Ichabod glanced everywhere. "Quicken pace."
As they rode, the four were wondering.
"How are we going to find the Horseman's resting place?" Mako.
"Good question Mako." Ichabod comment. "I'm told there is a witch in these woods."
"A witch?" Bolin nervously asked.
They followed Ichabod to the direction of the Western Woods witch suddenly they hear a strange song coming from a cave. They dismount and walked towards the cave and Ichabod went behind Masbath like a nervous little kid while he was holding his pistol and Korra rolled her eyes at that. Soon as they reached the door they went inside and inside is candles and bones and other things and there she is, the witch herself sitting by the fire wearing a big veil over her body and they were beginning to be nervous.
"Pardon our intrusion." said Ichabod still behind Masbath. "But uh perhaps you could help us."
"You're from the hollow." She said.
"Yes, in a way." He nodded. "I should like to say that I... I make no assumptions about your occupation. Nor your ways, which, which-Which are nothing to me, whatever you are. Each to his own."
The witch placed a dead cardinal on a stump and now they were even more nervous as she got up from her chair.
"Do you know of the Horseman, ma'am?" Masbath nervously asked. "The Hessian?" To answer his question she made a slicing sound when she slide a finger around her neck.
"That'll be him." Bolin gulped.
They were about to leave but she grabbed Ichabod's shoulder. "You, come with me." She escorted him to her table. "Go out children keep away. Whatever you hear, keep away."
They did as she say and they wait for hours.
"Man I thought we never get out of here." Bolin sighed in relief.
"She gives me the creeps." said Korra and Masbath and Asami nodded.
"I know but she's the only one that knows where the Horseman is, so we have to wait" said Mako
But the wait had finally ended as Ichabod came out quickly with his eyes winded in a fear expression. "We're leaving." He said it quickly as walked fast.
"What happened?" Asami asked.
"We're leaving now!" He said it quickly again.
As they mount up and continue to ride, Ichabod began to explain to them. "We take the Indian trail to the tree of the dead."
"How will we recognize it?" Masbath asked.
"Without difficulty I rather fear. Then climb down to the Horseman's resting place."
"His camp?" Bolin guessed.
"His grave." His older brother corrected.
As they were riding on the trail, Ichabod stopped them and sees a rider all in white riding a white horse.
"Stay here." He told as he dismounted.
He crouch and walked slowly while holding his pistol.
"Oh man I gotta go." said Bolin as he got off victor and rushed to find a better tree to cover.
"I told you to go before we left!" said Mako annoyed.
Bolin was running fast to find a private place and he found the place and as he was urinating, he sighed and relaxed then something caught his eyes.
"Guys! Guys!" He shouted as ran quickly back to them.
"What is it Bolin?" Masbath asked.
"You better come with me and have a look of what I found."
"We need to get Ichabod first." said Korra.
"I'll get him." Masbath said as took out his rifle.
"No, Mako and I will get him." She said.
As they dismounted, they walked to the same path that Ichabod took and to their surprise, the rider in white was Katrina but that wasn't the only thing they were surprised, what they were surprised at was that Ichabod and Katrina leaned each other and are about to kiss.
"Hehmm." Korra interrupted with a sly grin and Mako also had the same grin.
Katrina and Ichabod snapped out and flushed in embarrassment for they almost kissed.
"Bolin found something that he want us to see." Mako informed.
They went back to Asami, Bolin, Masbath and the horses.
"Katrina?" Bolin raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Asami asked.
"Because no one else will go with you." Katrina explained. "So I followed you."
"So Bolin, what is it you want us to see?" Ichabod asked.
Bolin lead to trail where he peed and point at what he just saw. A huge dead tree on a mound that bring shivers in their spines.
"The tree of the dead." Korra guessed.
"What is that?" Asami noticed a strange drop at the tree.
Ichabod came to the tree and picked up the drop and after examining it he looked like he was going to vomit.
"Blood." He answered.
"It bleeds?" Mako raised an eyebrow.
Ichabod took out an axe from Masbath's saddle. "Stay where you are." He began to chop but every time he chopped the blood squirted at him but he kept going and Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami were grossed out by it. While he was chopping, he pull some of the bark and continued to chop and then start to pull the rest.
"What is it?" Masbath.
"Just stay where you are. Don't move." He said as continue to pull the bark.
When Ichabod pulled the last bark, everyone gasped and backed away for what they saw were bunch of severed heads that they knew even Masbath turned around while Katrina comforts him by wrapped him with her shoulder for he saw the head of his father.
Ichabod noticed a rusty sword behind the tree on a mound and Ichabod realized something.
"This tree is a gateway." Ichabod explained. "A gateway between two worlds."
"I hope it doesn't leads to the spirit world." Korra whispered to her friends and they nodded.
Ichabod climbed to the mound were the sword is and he knew this is where the Headless Horseman buried. As he looked at the ground he rubbed the soil with his boot and it proves that someone have already dug up the grave and recovered it.
"This ground has been disturbed." Ichabod exclaimed. "The soil is loose! Bring the shovel." He called out.
"What is it?" Asami asked.
"It appears that someone had already dug up this grave and recovered it." Ichabod explained.
Ichabod kept digging and digging when it was nighttime. Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Masbath and Katrina were standing and sitting and Ichabod was still digging until he was finally done, Ichabod looked at the skeletal body and noticed something missing.
"The skull is gone, taken." Ichabod said to himself. "That is why the Horseman returns from the grave, to take heads till his own is restored to him."
There was thunder and lighting and Bolin's eyes went wide at what he just saw.
"Uh guys." said Bolin frightened.
They turned to what Bolin just saw and shared the same expression. The heads were beginning to open like a gate.
"Ichabod?" Katrina said nervously as Masbath aiming his rifle.
Ichabod saw the roots wrapping the skeleton and he turned around to see the gateway. When the heads moved out of the way, out pops Daredevil and the Horseman. Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami were shocked to see the Headless Hessian again. The Headless Horseman rode forward to the trail leading to the hollow.
"The Horseman's going take another victim again!" Korra exclaimed.
"Ichabod wait! Where are you going?!" said Mako.
Ichabod didn't listen as he jumped on Gunpowder and gallop quickly with determination.
"We gotta go after him before he gets killed!" said Asami with worry.
"Katrina, you and Masbath get back to the manor, we'll go after Ichabod." Korra instructed.
"I will." She nodded and began to worry. "Please be sure he's alright."
"We will." Korra smiled.
With all hast the four mount up and rode to aid.
It's one hell of long chapter huh? How would you folks like to see them facing the Headless Horseman in the next chapter? so until that time read and review and try reading my Cutthroat island story called The marvelous adventures of Martin Shaw.