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Chapter 3: And Again

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Sabina glanced around after the dancing colors faded, she felt the past anxiety wash away recognizing her favorite spot near where she had first discovered her current companions. She quickly ducked into the trees following after Ichabod ignoring Willy who was currently grumbling behind them. She glanced down the bank and listened hearing a sound of something further up the creek, Ichabod paused studying the area and started up the slippery rocks of the creek once he managed to get down the bank.

"There's a path…if you two would prefer to attempt to stay dry this time?" Willy offered her a wry smile, she could tell she was grating on his nerves and oddly enough it amused her to keep right on doing it. "Come on." She let the branch in her hand loose and stifled a giggle hearing Willy let out a sharp candy curse rubbing his head, he had just caught his trademark top hat before it rolled into the water below.

"Why me?" Ichabod studied Willy seeing a familiar glint in those violet eyes and wished that he was elsewhere; keeping him from using a candy or saying something that would tick of Sabina was becoming difficult. He managed to climb back up behind them both and started to follow her down another trampled path most likely made by animals, they proceeded as quietly as possible to a thick clump of trees. Willy instinctively caught Sabina's arm, whether she liked it or not and shook his head at her protest. Ichabod paused on her other side and glanced through the trees they were well hidden in, there were several more of the blade demons, about six of them at the moment and they were looking for something.

"What are they doing?" Ichabod strained his ears to hear Willy, whatever the demons were up too, they didn't need another fight with them if they could avoid it. "Bottle caps." She gave him a funny look and saw Ichabod roll his eyes. "I think their looking for her." She ignored his gloved hand resting on her arm and glanced over at Ichabod, he seemed to go almost as pale as Willy at the sounds of that.

Sabina felt suddenly sick at this and studied Ichabod hoping he wasn't about to faint. "Willy, I think he's going." Violet eyes met hers for a moment and then he saw Ichabod's complexion and winced, he forgot that Ichabod still could occasionally faint if he said something stupid.

Both reached out catching Ichabod before he hit the ground. "Close." She nodded in agreement with Willy before glancing in the direction of the demons, they were starting to make their way down the creek and two of them had found their current path. They were going to find them if they didn't move and fast. "Any suggestions on how to wake him up…fast?" he managed suddenly nervous and studying her wearily, things just got very complicated.

"Creek." Willy gave her a curious look before catching on, both half dragged Ichabod down the bank hoping they had time, before the demons noticed them. "Willy don't you dare." She stopped him from outright dropping Ichabod into the creek; it wasn't her intention to go that far.

Willy smirked eyes alight at her warning, she couldn't exactly stop him and he knew it. Ichabod found the water with a light splash and she glowered at Willy for ignoring her. "I should dunk him in too." She considered it briefly before both heard the demons coming quickly and Ichabod sputtering to life. Ichabod didn't get a chance to say anything, Willy hauled him from the water and she led the way down another path as quickly as possible. In the process of going down the more narrow and un-traveled path the bank gave out, the three went tumbling down the steep way.

Splash, Splash, Splash

Sabina got her wish, Willy received punishment for dropping Ichabod in the water but she also got the wet end of the deal. "Karma, I should have known better then to want to dunk him too." She spit out a mouth full of water and stood wringing out her clothing for the second time that day, Ichabod stood with an amused expression watching Willy scramble to his feet sputtering out water and candy cursing so quickly he reminded her of a ticked off Donald Duck.

Sabina brushed aside her hair seeing her hat had floated off on down stream, she frowned irritated at this and realized eventually the demons would see it and come looking. Ichabod ignored Willy's rant turning to see if she was alright and already saw the problem, she pointed down river and saw Willy finally realize the situation had went from mildly wet to dangerous, again.

Ichabod sighed wringing out his jacket. "I thought you disliked mumblers." Willy made a rather bad imitation of Ichabod and stuck out his tongue. "Sabina, which way?" she glanced at the pair and rolled her eyes at Willy's imitating.

"Mister Maturity, get over yourself." Willy stopped giving her the evil eye; he then crossed his arms with violet eyes narrowed. "They're going to see my hat; we should go through the woods and cut down over a back bank to the house. If we don't…they're going to catch up." Ichabod nodded but was clearly uncomfortable at the moment walking around in soaking wet cloths, as was she and Willy.

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Several thrashings from various bushes, trees, and other obstacles Sabina and the others made it directly behind the house and were catching their breaths. It was still a long climb down to the house, and the area was covered in thorn bushes, plants, and more obstacles to trip them up. "This isn't as easy as it was when I was little." She glanced behind her seeing Ichabod leaning against a tree, while Willy proceeded to complain about his wet cloths, and discomfort with being beaten up by the foliage around them.

Sabina glanced at Ichabod thoughtfully. "Does he always complain that much?" Ichabod smiled at this and nodded. "Willy give it a rest, you're not the only one uncomfortable at the moment." She was very tired of squishing and her shirt was starting to make her itchy. "I have some clothes that my aunt dropped off for my grandfather, he hasn't bothered with them yet." She started down the bank and nearly went head first over a vine that wrapped around her ankle, to her surprise Willy's hand firmly wrapped around her waist and he clung to a sapling nearby keeping them both from rolling.

"I think one tumble was enough." She wanted to retort something smart at that, but found herself nodding in agreement. "Continue on." She felt his arm remove from her waist and eyed him suspiciously, there was an amused twinkle in those violet eyes, she just wasn't entirely sure what he was up too at the moment.

"He's up to something." Ichabod knew Willy far to well and could see he had something running through his mind, he could almost see those wheels turning. Sabina kept herself steady the rest of the way down the bank, managing to avoid several more tangled tumbles and sharp thorns on her way. She felt the grass under her feet finally succeeding in getting to the backyard and sighed thankfully, she was startled to be tackled from behind and instinctively covered her head hearing something just miss her.

"They know where she lives." She was aware of Ichabod removing himself from her and lifting her to her feet; she immediately took off to the backdoor and easily unlocked it before letting them in. Willy shut and locked it behind them frowning at the fact the doors were glass and not magically bound against their entrance. "Sabina…he needs crystals to block the entries into the house." She nodded motioning Willy through the kitchen and down the hall.

"In there." She pointed to the familiar pink room; he was in the room and within a few minutes, and found a trunk full of various crystals. "I knew they would be useful someday." She ignored the odd expression he gave her and disappeared across the hall back into her room.

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Ichabod observed the demons studying the house carefully, they were aware that he and Willy would attempt to protect all entrances. "They aren't gong to wait much longer." He jumped when Willy come quickly into the kitchen and handed him a box of crystals. Both went to work blocking all the windows, doors, and even though basements creeped Ichabod and Willy both out Willy voluntarily went down the wooden steps to block all the basement windows.

Ichabod watched two of the demons charge at the door and make an odd screeching sound bouncing back away with ugly burns on their beings; the crystals were doing their job very effectively. "I think it works…where's Sabina?" Willy scowled slightly at the mention of her and pointed.

"I think she's probably changing and finding something for us to wear until our things dry." Willy offered an almost impish grin, which made Ichabod a bit nervous there was always a catch with that look of his. "You like her too." He teased noting Ichabod raise a brow at his comment and then he realized his error, he groaned placing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"Too?" Ichabod momentarily ignored how Willy had apparently gotten something right for once and smiled broadly, he now had a way of teasing Willy right back if he felt the need.

Willy's violet gaze narrowed at the broad smile on Ichabod's face. "Don't even think about it constable." He immediately twirled his cane and turned to head back down to the room full of interesting items. "I'm going to see if she has anything useful to deal with the blade demons." Ichabod placed his hands together behind his back considering whether to harass him some more or let it be for the time being.