Chapter 5. The Legend
I do not and I repeat I do not own Sleepy Hollow or any of the characters other then Selena!! SUCKS!!
As Ichabod left the room Selena stared at him a slow hidden smile growing on her face. Brom looked at Selena displeasure showing as he realized that Selena had found an interest in this stranger. Katrina only giggled as she too realized that her sister found this man attractive. "Well this shall turn out to be an interesting time in Sleepy Hollow", watching her sister leave amusement on her face watching her sister follow her father quickly whispering to him.
"Papa are you going to be talking to Constable Crane?", whispering quietly. "Well of coarse my dear he was sent here to stop the horseman, why else would I not talk to him?", turning around to stare at his daughter. Selena hesitated but continued, "Do you think he knows of the horseman?"
"I am sure he does, his superiors would not have sent him uninformed, now please darling I have important business to attend to so go back to the party and enjoy yourself", leaving her their to stand alone in the hallway
Ichabod began unpacking his things in his room that he was given but what kept coming across his mind was Selena Van Tassel. Something about her he wasn't sure what it was but it was different. She was not cold but she was not at all like her sister she is something different but then there is that large man named Brom who has set his eyes on her. "How can I be thinking of a woman when I am sent here on a case", shaking his head as a young maid had entered his room with a bowl of water.
"Thank you, please tell Mr. Van Tassel that I will be down in a moment", setting his instruments on the table carefully.
Sarah nodded, "I will Sir", and turned to go, just as she was about to walk out of the door she turned back and whispered, "Thank god you're here".
Ichabod stood there in surprise at the young girls confession but continued to put his things away. Selena had walked back to the party to see her sister Katrina sweetly talking to Brom but from she could see Brom seemed to disregard everything that she said.
She walked over to her sister as she noticed that Brom had seen her presence and straightened himself from his slouched form. Before he could even get a world in with Selena she cut him off short.
"Katrina I need to speak with you about something private, could you give me a moment"? Katrina gave her sister a look of annoyance but complied. "One moment Brom I need to see what my sister wants.
Again before Brom could even get a word in they had left him standing their alone. Taking her sisters had she dragged her upstairs but before Katrina even know what was going on her sister shoved her against the wall putting her hand over her mouth to keep her quite.
Selena put a finger up to her lips to keep her quite. Selena had seen her father and the town elders enter the room. Believing the coast was clear she started pulling her sister again towards the door but yet again she shoved Katrina into the wall seeing Ichabod walk into the room as Sarah and Lady Van Tassel left.
She waited a few more moments before she was sure the coast was clear. She dropped her hand from Katrina's mouth as her sister groaned, "I'm going first next time so if anyone appears you'll be the one hitting the wall".
"What is this all about anyway Selena?", as she stared at the door curiously. "Father and elders are having a meeting with Constable Crane about the murders and I want to know what's going on", as she walked towards the door quietly with Katrina right behind her.
They leaned in against the door listening to what was going on inside their fathers study. It would have been funny for the guest but for the maids and butlers who lived in the household they were used to it.
The five elders sat grimly in their seats waiting for Ichabod to enter. Baltus Van Tassel, Magistrate Philips, Reverend Steenwych, Doctor Landcaster, and Notary Hardenbrook the five town elders. A dispute could be heard going on through out them. "All the way from New York........a waste of time.....What can he do?"
"Gentlemen, Gentlemen", Baltus soothingly replied calming his friends. "Excellent! Excellent please come in. My dear could you please?", Sarah and Lady Van Tassel left unknown to anyone other then Lady Van Tassel that as Sarah had passed Dr. Lancaster his hand had skimmed her buttocks.
Ichabod stared at the room. Any one of these men could be the murderer. He had better get started. "So....three persons murdered. First Peter Van Garret, then his son Dirk Van Garret. Both of them strong capable men, found together decapitated". As he circled the room like a hawk staring at all of them trying to find guilt in their eyes.
"A week later, the Widow Winship also found....decapitated. I will need to ask you many questions but I must ask is any one suspected?" Magistrate Philips choked on his tea while the others looked around uneasily while thinking to them selves how useless this was.
"I'm sorry I do not believe I understand you?", Baltus looked at Ichabod confussion clearly on his face. Ichabod sighed, "Is anyone suspected of these deceitful acts?"
Baltus cleared his thoart, "Constable......how much had your superior explained to you?" Ichabod looked confused but continued. "Only that the three were found slain in open fields their head severed from their bodies".
Reverend Steenwyck had spoken up, "Their heads were not found severed. Their heads were not found at all". Ichabod was shocked beyond belief. "They are gone?"
The creepy Notary Hardeenbrook spoke up his glass eye giving a eery glow in the lighted room. "Taken, taken by the headless horseman. Taken back to hell".
"Pardon I do not..........",looking around at the elders. "Perhaps you had better sit down", moving his hand towards the seat for Ichabod. Ichabod sat down and took a cup of tea from the tray for himself. "The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary, sent to these shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England".
"But unlike his compatriots who came for the love of money , the horseman came for the love of carnage. He rode a giant black steed named Daredevil. He was infamous for riding hard into battel chopping off heads heads at full gallop".
"To look upon him made your blood run cold, for he had filed down his teeth to sharp points....to add to the ferocity....of his appearnece. This butcher would not meet his end until the winter of seventy-nine.................not far from out Western Woods".
"They cut off his head with his own sword. To this day, the Western Woods are a haunted place where brave men do not venture for what was planted in the ground that day was a seed of evil."
"And so it has been for twenty years. But now the Hessian wakes- he is on a rampage, cutting off heads where he finds them".
"Ichabod sat their his hands shaking as he continued feeling his neck feeling a cold chill come over him. "Are you........saying.....this is what.......you believe?"
"Seeing is believing", as Notary HardenBrook once again creeped Ichabod out. "No one knows why the Hessian has chosen this time to return from the grave", Dr. Landcaster said as the others shook their heads in agreement. "Satan has called forth one of his own. They tell me you have brought books and trappings of scientific investigation". Reverend Steenwyck rose from his seat picked up a bood and walked over to Ichabod and dropped it on a table besides Ichabod. "This is the only book I recommend you study". He had left a bible.
Ichabod stood up slowly once more. "Gentlemen.....murder needs no ghost come from the grave. We have murders in New York without benefit of ghouls and goblins".
"You are a long way from New York Constable Crane", Baltus said as everything became eerily quite in the study. "A century at least. The Assasin is a man of flesh and blood and I will discover him".
As Katrina and Selena stood outside of the door hearing most of their conversation they turned and looked at each other. "Oh dear.....,Katrina murmered. "This shall be quite interesting Selena".
"I believe you are right Katrina", quietly returning to their rooms knowing that the party was long over by now. Selena stopped walking. Katrina noticed and turned to look at her sister. "Selena what is wrong?"
"I am going out tonight make sure nobody finds out".
"Wait
are you going to the crow?", grabbing her sisters hand and pulling
her into Selena's room.
"I must she will be able to help us,
she will help everyone".
"Selena she scares me, she is not a wiccan at heart she is a dark powerful being who could hurt you", hugging her sister tightly. "I will be fine Katrina and I will return before dawn though I must wait until everyone is asleep".
Okay that was chapter 5!! HEHE! I hope you guys like it!! HEHE!! READ AND REVIEW!!
