Dance of the Damned
By JenniferBC
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow
Pairing: Ichabod/Horsemen
Rating: PG 15. Slash. Some people die, nothing to
graphic
Disclaimer: Washington Irving wrote, Disney made it
into a cartoon, Tim Burton directed it. What does this
mean? I dont own any of it.
Feedback: I live for feedback. Jenniferbc@canada.com
Warnings: This is a slash story. If the idea of two men
kissing upsets you, bail now. Flames will be laughed at
and you'll be the victim in my next story.
Archive: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit.
Authors notes: Not beta'd .AU. This is based on the
book version where Crane is a school master not a
constable, but JD plays Ichabod Crane, and the Horsemen
has a head. No fainting here ;-)
Ichabod Crane, the current school master of Sleepy
Hollow slowly made his way through the Western Woods,
towards his temporary home with the Mead family. The
night's air was crisp and cold. He shivered, and drew
his cloak closer to his body. Several people had
commented after supper that they could smell the snow
in the air, and when he had asked how that was
possible, they had merely laughed at him, making him
feel like a fool.
Ichabod sighed as he stared up at the night sky. The
moon was a faint silvery scar in the night sky and a
million stars glittered like diamonds. He inhaled
deeply and suddenly smiled: he could smell the snow in
the cold air. He laughed out loud, enjoying his new
found knowledge.
There was a noise on the left side of the woods.
Without his urging, Gunpowder stopped and whined
nervously. He twisted around in his saddle, peering
into the woods, cursing the darkness.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Ichabod demanded,
gripping the reins tightly. Brom Van Brunt's story about
the Headless Horseman echoed in his mind.
Silence answered him. He waited several minutes,
then ruefully shook his head. There was nothing there,
just his over active imagination playing tricks on him.
He urged Gunpowder on, vowing not to look over his
shoulder. They had gone about one hundred yards when
the noise came again on the left side of the woods.
Gunpowder stopped with his urging.
"I do not find this funny. Show yourself at once."
Ichabod shouted into the woods. A trickle of sweat
rolled down his face. There was a rustle from the
underbrush and a fox ran across the road with a plump
rabbit in its jaws. Ichabod left out a sigh of relief
has the fox disappeared into the darkness. Laughing at
himself, he urged Gunpowder onward. He started to hum a
song, swaying to a music he could only hear.
There was a noise behind him.
Ichabod twisted around in the saddle and felt the
blood drain from his face. Standing in the middle of
the pathway was a huge black horse, its red rimmed
eyes glittering madly in the dim moonlight. Astride the
horse, was the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
There was a steely hiss as the horsemen drew his sword
and nudged his horse forward.
"I am coming for you Ichabod Crane."
"RUN!"
Gunpowder needed no further urging and ran as fast
as he could. It was all that Ichabod could do to
hold on for dear life and pray that Gunpowder didn't
throw him or the Horseman didn't catch him. He risked a
look over his shoulder, and realized in horror that the
Horsemen was less than five yards away, reaching for
him.
"You will die tonight Ichabod Crane."
Gunpowder suddenly squealed in agony, the snapping of his
foreleg clearly audible and Ichabod was thrown from the
horse. He screamed in pain, feeling several bones break
when he landed on the cold hard ground as the Horseman
thundered past him. Helpless, he stared up at the night
sky. Blood dripped down his face and dribbled from his
mouth. In the back ground he could hear Gunpowder crying
in pain. He tried to move but his body refused to obey
him. Dimly he could hear voices. He closed his eyes.
"Damn horse broke its leg on the uneven ground."
"This was a stupid idea in the first place."
"What are we going to do?"
Ichabod managed to open an eye when he sensed that
someone was standing over him. Brom Van Brunt, dressed
has the headless Horseman stared down at him. He tried
to speak but no sound emerged.
"His back is broken, along with his leg and arm and
there are internal injuries." Brom said in a detached
voice. "There's nothing we can do for him." He looked
at his friends who were watching him nervously, clearly
waiting for him to tell them what to do. "We will leave
him here and I will come back here tomorrow morning and find his body. Everyone will assume that he died from
his injuries when he was thrown form his horse." The
young men nodded in relief and quickly mounted their
horses. They were gone within moments leaving a dying
man behind raging at the injustice of it all.
Ichabod had no idea how much time had passed.
Gunpowder had stopped moving a long time ago. His body
was slowly going numb, which was a relief due to the
amount of pain he was in. He felt rather than saw
another horse riding down the path. The horse snorted
in surprise and he could hear the rider dismount and walk towards
him.
"Please help me." The winds carried his words away.
A warm hand brushed against his cheek, then took his
hand, and he found the strength to open his eyes. He
looked up at the rider. A man wear black leather. He
had pale-skin, wild hair and teeth filed down to
sharpest of fangs, and eerie blue eyes. The legendary
Horseman of Sleepy Hollow stared down at him.
"How did this happen?" The words were spoken slowly
in heavily accented English.
Haltingly Ichabod told the Horseman what had
transpired that night. The chase through the woods,
Gunpowder breaking his leg, Van Brunt's cold
indifference to his injuries and his plan to find his
dead body tomorrow morning.
"Those bastards left me here to die." Ichabod choked
out, shaking violently. "I wish..."
"What do you wish for?" Something began to glitter in
the Horseman's eyes. "Tell me!"
"Dead. I want them dead, especially Brom, and to Hell
with the consequences." Ichabod spat out gripping the
Horseman's hand tightly. "I want him dead and I want to
be there when it happens."
"I can grant you this wish human, but there is a
high price to pay for what you are asking. You will be
tied to me and to these woods for all time."
A bloody hand touched the Horseman's face stroking
the warm skin. "Yes."
The Horseman smiled revealing his pointed teeth and
leaned down, blocking out the night sky until the only
Ichabod could see were the Horseman's silvery blue
eyes. Warm lips kissed his cold ones and numbness
started to recede, replaced by a fiery warmth and the
entire world faded away.
