Hello again! I hope you liked the last chapter. The Horseman makes his first appearance! YAY!
I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long, but I had to get it just right, ya know? Well now, it's here. YAY! I have some new boots! YAY! They're blue suede with yellow stars! And they're Doc Martins! WOW!
Thank you to my lovely, lovely reviewers! I love you all!
Darth Zelda: Thanks. Sorry it took so long.
mellowyellow36: Glad you do.
Liliana: If it told you it would kind of spoil the story. But I'm glad you like.
Mintycakeyfroggies: I'll try and make it longer. Glad you like.
tabby cat: I promise you you're not a spaz. I know weirder people than you… CoughMintycakeyfroggiescough. More black wearing on the way!
This fic is currently un-beta'd, so if anyone would like to volunteer it would be much appreciated. You can contact me via e-mail on my page. There's a link to it in the first chapter.
You know I would like to get an idea on the numbers reading this. And any suggestions for anything you want to see happening will be appreciated. This is NOT going to turn into a love story. Icky, icky mush! But at the moment I have pretty much no idea what to do next. All answers on a postcard please! (British joke…) I could always turn it into a xover… But what with… I'll put it to a vote. All votes are to be registered by means of reviewing! See not only does it give you a chance to influence the story, reviews make me type faster! BIG incentive if you like this fic. YAY!
I'm going on holiday for two weeks to Scotland with no computer, but I will take a note pad and a pen. This chapter isn't complete, but I wanted to post something before I left so it's chapter 4 part a. All clear? YAY!
YAY! I'm saying YAY a lot, aren't I? Well, good for me. YAY!
Ice and Fire, by Carveus666
Chapter 4.
Horseman's POV
The girl witch fell to the ground, just as I had seen the boy do so on so many occasions. Walking over to her prone form, I crouched down turned her so I could see her face. Her face was an eerie mix of the boy and the white witch. Her hair was flame red, but stuck up in all directions like the boy's had. The brief glance I had caught of her eyes had shown them to be almost as icy blue as my own. She was a creature of ice and fire, much like myself. (A/N. Ha! I got the title in! Now you know what it means!)
Picking her up gently, I carry her over to Daredevil and placed her gently in the saddle. Mounting behind her, I take the reins in one had, and I slid my other arm round her waist to support her. Bringing Daredevil into a canter, we took off through the forest to my home in the Tree. All manner of creatures fled before me, as if I am the Devil himself.
As I reach the clearing, the roots of the Tree opened and swallowed Daredevil, our passenger, and me whole.
Dismounting slowly, I pick up my unconscious passenger and lay her down slowly on my bed. I look down at my guest, and tuck some stray hairs behind her ear.
I turn back to Daredevil and slowly pat the horse's neck, my usual fearsome visage softening in affection. Daredevil snorts and paws the ground in reply. The horse fades away to where ever he goes when I do not have need to call him. Sitting down in my chair, I face the bed and wait.
End Horseman's POV
Elizabeth woke up to the sound of a fire. She snuggled her head down on the pillow, quite content. A sudden flash of memory and her eyes flew open, sat up on the huge king sized bed, and took in her surroundings. A great cavern made of roots with a reddish tinge. Looking around it was difficult to tell where the walls began and ended. She focused on the area surrounding her. It was all very Spartan, a fire, a sturdy table and chair, and the bed she was currently sitting on. And sitting on the chair was the Horseman, resplendent in his black and silver dragon patterned armour, who was staring at her in fascination.
"Wh-where am I?" Inwardly Elizabeth flinched at her stutter. She couldn't believe that she had fainted either. She never fainted. Well, maybe once before. Oh, who was she kidding. She fainted at a drop of the hat. Didn't mean she had to like it though.
"In my home." She jumped a little, not really expecting an answer. The Horseman's voice was not how she had expected it. It was warm and rich, even if it was marked by a heavy German accent.
"So you're the Horseman I've been hearing so much about." He nodded. "You know, I kind of expected you to be, you know… headless." His winter blue eyes softened into what could almost be taken as amusement. He let out a short bark of laughter and smiled. The smile made Liz shiver; his teeth had been filled down to fangs giving his already sinister appearance a macabre feel. The laughter stopped as abruptly as it began, and he went back to studying her intently. Liz felt uncomfortable under his gaze. There was an awkward silence, which was broken suddenly by the Horseman.
"You look a lot like them."
"Who?"
"The boy and the white witch."
"Do you mean Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassell?" The Horseman looked confused at the names. "The ones who stopped you last time." The Horseman nodded. "They're my great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents."
"Has it been that long?" Bewilderment marked his voice and there was puzzlement in his eyes.
"It's the year 2004. They stopped you," she paused to do a brief mental calculation, "205 years ago."
"205 years? Mien Gott." He looked so lost at that, slumped in his chair.
"Guess it's a lot to take in." She paused and looked down at the crisp white sheets. "I have a question. I appreciate being alive and all, but why didn't you cut of my head. I mean you're kinda famous for it."
"I have a debt to your family. They returned my skull to me after it was stolen by the black witch." The Horseman said this with an almost reverence in his voice.
"Huh? Now I'm confused." Confusion contorted her features.
"The black witch stole my skull and used it to get me to exact her revenge on the villagers. The boy returned my skull to me and freed me from the black witch's power."
"Oh, that's nice to know." The Horseman looked at her confused. "My grandfather left me a letter telling me that I would have to stop you if you ever rose on a mad killing spree again. Nice to know you don't do it of your own free will. And how to stop the entire mad killing spree thing."
"You say your grandfather left you a letter, what about your parents? Surely they are here to share the responsibility of safeguarding the Hollow."
Liz looked down at the sheets again. "My parents died in a car crash when I was two years old. We had moved over to England just after I was born, and I grew up in foster care."
"I'm sorry. What is a car?"
"You don't what a car is? Wait, you've been out of the loop for 205 years, that generally puts you behind on modern events. A car is kinda like… a horseless carriage. That's the only way that I can think to explain it." She smiled shyly. "What's your name?" She paused and realised that he didn't know hers. "I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz if you want."
He nodded his head, a subtle movement she almost missed. "My name was…" he trailed of, brow furrowed in concentration and annoyance. He looked back up at her and said, "I'm sorry, it has been along time. For the last few years of my life, it was Horseman, or 'Hey you'. My name was… Christiaan. That's it. Christiaan."
"Christiaan." Liz smiled. "I am sitting on a bed, inside what I presume is that big scary tree out there, talking to Christiaan, the formerly Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow." She sighed. "It's official. My life is not like other peoples."
YAY for the Horseman, or should I call him Christiaan. In regards to the name, I've read a few other fics, and that's the most common name for the Horseman. I have no ideas when it comes to German names. All I know in German is Hello, Yes, No, Excuse me, and England 5, Germany 1. Oh yeah, and My name is Emily. Any other German used here is from a mini dictionary I scanked from my brother (he used to do German at school.).
Sorry to leave it there, but I couldn't think of anything else to put. That, and as I've said I'm going on holiday and I wanted to leave you with something. Oh well, I have two weeks to think about what comes next.
Well, I hope you all REVIEW! Oh, don't mind me, I'm psychotic.
Blessed Be. Carveus666