November 21, 1779 - Night
Although she knew he was busy fighting in the war, Lillian was determined to see the Hessian again. When she arrived back at the tavern and went upstairs to her room, she found Simara waiting on the windowsill and invited the blackbird inside. Lillian stroked her feathered friend, then went over to the bed and looked under her pillow for the dagger and cut off a strand of her long black hair. She tore a piece of material from her dress and wrapped it around the strand, then wrote a message for the Hessian to meet her tonight in the Western Woods and tied the bundle to Simara's leg and looked out the window before sending her out.
Later that night, Lillian waited for the lights in people's house to dim. Soon as everybody was asleep, she attached the dagger to her side and threw on her cape and headed out the door, sneaking out once again to go into the Western Woods. She returned to the exact same place where she saw the Hessian that morning and waited for him, hoping he received her message and would come. If not, she would return to the village.
While she waited for the Hessian to appear, Lillian couldn't help but feel like somebody was watching her. She looked around to see if anybody might have followed her, but she could barely see anything, let alone anyone, in the dark.
Hearing hoofbeats approaching, Lillian turned around quickly and pulled out the dagger to defend herself, but saw it was only the Hessian. Lowering her weapon, Lillian stuck the blade back into its sheath and went over and approached Daredevil, greeting the beautiful black stallion with a gentle stroke to his long, ebony face before looking up at his master, who swung his leg over the saddle and dismounted from his faithful steed.
"Es tut meinem Herzen gut, dich wiederzusehen, Lillian", the Hessian spoke in his native tongue.
"What does that mean?" Lillian asked him.
"It means I missed you", the Hessian told her, greeting her with a gentle smile and taking hold of her hand to kiss the back of it.
Lillian returned his affection with a warm smile and wrapped her arms around him. She smelled blood on the Hessian's armor, but did not even notice the crimson color that stained his uniform, nor did she care.
"I'm glad you came", said Lillian.
"The minute I returned to camp, I found your messenger waiting for me in my tent", said the Hessian. "I must say, she was very persuasive."
Lillian looked up and released the foreign soldier, asking him, "What might I ask were you doing in the forest this morning? Surely, you weren't taking Daredevil out for one of your early morning rides together."
"No. As a matter of fact, I was staying hidden until my commanding officers sent out a signal. I would have gotten out sooner had I not come across you trying to rescue a mouse."
Lillian felt herself blush, feeling foolish for doing a silly thing. No woman in their right might would try to help save a mouse. They'd rather stomp on it or try to hit it with a broom then try to save it from death.
"There's no shame in what you did, Lillian", the Hessian assured her. "In fact, I thought it was very amusing. Silly, but amusing. Do you often try to rescue every animal that crosses your path?"
"Only when I think they deserve it and are in need of rescuing", Lillian admitted. "Even as a child, I was always trying to spare the lives of several small game my friend Cassandra tried to harm just for the sake of harming."
"And what, may I ask, exactly was your friend's crime other than being a mouse that you wanted to save him so bad?"
"Because I can't stand seeing innocent creatures being killed. Insects are all right, but it's the smaller, weaker animals I can't stand the sight of being killed."
"I see. So, if a snake were to slither across your path and try to bite you, would you still show it the same hospitality as you would show a mouse?"
Lillian paused, thinking it over a moment before answering truthfully, "I suppose not."
"Exactly. It's a cruel thing to take a life, but nature does it all the time", said the Hessian. "It gives life, but it also takes it. What natures takes, it always gives back, even in the most mysterious ways we cannot explain."
Lillian lowered her eyes and nodded, letting the Hessian's words of wisdom sink into her brain. She brought her eyes up to look at him again and said, "I saw you out there on the battlefield today. You fought very bravely."
"There's nothing brave about taking a life", said the Hessian.
"I didn't mean to say that you killing people is brave. I only meant to compliment your act of patriotism."
"You think what I am doing is an act of patriotism?"
"I don't know what to call it. I only know that-"
Just then, they both heard the howling of a wolf somewhere in the distance. Lillian looked over her right shoulder and clung onto the Hessian, who wrapped his arms protectively around her, his face calm and stoic.
"Don't be frightened", said the Hessian. "The creatures of the night can't be that close."
"I'm always frightened", said Lillian. "No matter if I'm asleep or awake, I'm always frightened."
"Are you still frightened of me?"
Lillian looked at him and said, "If I were frightened of you, I wouldn't be speaking to you, would I? Besides, you asked me that this morning."
"Yes, I did." The Hessian turned suddenly and walked over to a tree, placing his hand on it and looking around as they he sensed there were spies around.
"What is it?" Lillian asked him.
"I thought I saw something", said the Hessian. He turned his head to look at Lillian and told her, "Wait here."
While Lillian stayed behind and stood close to Daredevil, the Hessian took a short distance walk through the forest, searching in the dark for any sign of somebody that he thought was watching him. He could barely see anything, but as he peaked around a tree and saw a shadowy figure coming towards him, the Hessian got a tight grip on the handle of his sword and made ready to draw it out and slaughter whoever it was that approached him, but upon seeing the shadowy figure was only a docile deer, the Hessian realized there was no danger and took his hand off the pommel and walked back over to where he had left Lillian and his horse.
"It's all right. It was only a deer."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure", said the Hessian, giving Daredevil a gentle stroke on the side of his neck.
"Do you think it's safe for us to be out here this late?" Lillian asked him.
"There's no need to worry", said the Hessian. "If anybody comes near us and tries to hurt you, I'll take care of it."
"With a reputation like yours and the things I've seen you do, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised", Lillian quipped.
The Hessian suddenly became curious and asked her, "How much do you know about me, Lillian?"
"Not much, I'm afraid", Lillian answered. "Before we met, I thought you only to be a legend. I didn't know anything about you, except for the rumors."
The Hessian arched his brow in slight confusion. "Rumors?"
"Yes. The whole town speaks of you everyday, each story more ridiculous than the last."
"And what exactly do they say about me?"
"Most of them think you're some sort of ghost or a demon. Others say you can't be killed. My friend, Cassandra, believes you're the Devil."
"What makes you think I am not?"
"You're human, aren't you? Can you not bleed?"
"I can."
"Good", said Lillian. "If you can bleed, then you can be hurt or killed, just the same."
"What is your point?" The Hessian asked.
"My point is you're not quite the monster everybody say you are."
"Most people assume I am a monster because they assume I have no heart", the Hessian explained. "If that were true, I would have abandoned you the night you were ravaged by those three men and returned to the battlefield instead of coming to your aid. Judge me for what I am, but I am not as cruel as they say I am. To most people, I am viewed as a monster, but in an act of justice, I chose to be a decent human being for once and save your life because it was the right thing to do. Saving one soul does not outweigh the many ones I've claimed over the years, but even a small act of mercy can be justified for redemption. Don't you agree?"
"I do", Lillian answered.
"You know what perplexes me most, Lillian, is why someone hasn't already asked you to be his wife."
"No man has ever asked me before."
"Do you fear the sanctity of marriage?"
"No, but after what happened to me, I don't think I would ever make a good housewife."
"Why do you speak such nonsense? Are you trying to anger me again?"
"You saw what happened that night, Hessian!" Lillian shouted, angrily. "If anybody other than you knew I was raped, no man would ever want me for his bride."
"Why? Because you feel you are unworthy?" The Hessian questioned, stepping forward and speaking in a tone that matched her anger. "Whether she is pure as the virgin snow or as damaged as a withered flower, a man should love a woman for the purity of her heart, not for the purity of her body. If a man does not think you are worthy of being married, then he is the unworthy one. If you were my bride and a man so much as looked at you or said anything to you a way that displeased me, I would slit his throat. If anybody, man or woman, laid so much as even the tiniest scratch on you, they would warrant the price of death by my hand!"
"Please don't say anymore", Lillian begged him, tears forming in her eyes.
"Why?"
"Because your words frighten me."
Lillian turned away from the Hessian, wrapping herself tightly into her cape, and not just because she was cold.
"Perhaps I have said too much", the Hessian spoke, more calmly that time. He placed his hands behind his back and turned around, taking five steps forward, then he stopped and continued to speak. "I don't know why I said that, but maybe I feel inclined to tell you the truth of how I feel about you because I am sworn to protect you. So what does it matter what people think of me? Let them believe I am evil. For me, it is better to be feared than loved."
"You weren't always feared, were you?" Lillian asked him, turning herself around to look at the Hessian. "Before you came here to America, I mean."
"No", the Hessian answered, turning around so he could look at Lillian. "In fact, I was the exact opposite. But that is another story for another time."
"I know", said Lillian. "I'm sorry if I yelled at you. I just don't believe I'll ever be able to find a man I think is good enough for me."
"I understand, but you must remember that not all man are evil. Some, yes, but not all of them."
Turning around, the Hessian went over to stand next to Daredevil, but the moment he did, Lillian's face became blank and she went into a trance, witnessing a vision of a young man who was being pursued by a headless demon carrying a flaming pumpkin in his hand. The young man crossed a covered bridge in hopes of trying to escape from the headless demon, who then threw the pumpkin at the young man's head, possibly killing him.
When the vision ended, Lillian gasped softly and went over to a tree and placed her hand on it while she leaned herself against it for support, fearing she would faint.
The Hessian looked over at Lillian and went over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and asking her, "Are you all right?"
Lillian turned her head and looked at him. "Yes, I'm all right", she answered.
"But you're trembling."
Lillian realized she was, indeed, shaking and wrapped herself in her cape again.
"Perhaps I should send you back home", said the Hessian.
"I'm fine", Lillian insisted.
"Your lips say one thing, but your eyes speak differently."
Lillian pulled out of his grip and said, "I don't care. I don't want this night to end."
"But it must", said the Hessian. "I want you return to Sleepy Hollow and rest for the night."
"Will I ever see you again?"
"You may see me again, if that is what you wish. Do you remember the riverbank where I let you ride Daredevil last week?"
"Of course I do."
"Meet me there tomorrow morning before the sun rises. I shall be waiting for you."
"You promise me you'll be there?"
"I promise", said the Hessian, taking hold of her hand and placing a tender kiss upon her forehead before mounting Daredevil, swinging a leg over the saddle and taking hold of the reins.
Lillian wanted to say something to him, but decided to return home as his ordered. Later that night, she lied awake in bed, thinking about the Hessian, and how handsome and hypnotic he was, and couldn't resist the urge to think of him in an exotic light. Lillian knew it was wicked and sinful to think impure thoughts about him, and she wanted so much to tell the Hessian how she truly felt about him, but out of fear he would reject her, Lillian thought it best to hold her tongue and not speak at all.