To say that Dynephous was different would be an understatement. When Will first saw it, coming down the hills that surrounded the northern town, it didn't appear any different from any other town but as he approached, he realized right away that he may very well have been in over his head.

As he and Tug trotted closer to the town, he had the feeling of being watched. Glancing around, he saw nothing and no one but, try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling. But, Tug made no sign that he sensed any danger so Will forced himself to relax.

The forest around them, though it was only late summer, was already starting to turn color. There was a brisk chill in the air as he rode into town. The chill seemed to get even colder when he noticed the suspicious glances people were shooting him. Not fearful or nervous, but suspicious. Hostile. Granted, he could name several groups of people that didn't like him –maybe even hated him- but he'd never come across a whole town that looked like they wanted him dead.

Pulling his hood up over his head, he looked straight ahead, painfully aware of his heart beating in his chest. Riding through town, he went directly to the nearest inn. He had found in the past that the local inn was the best place to find information. He didn't expect it to be any different in Dynephous.

Coming to a stop outside the inn, be climbed off Tug's back and brought him around to the stables, for appearance's sake. He knew Tug wouldn't wander off but the townspeople didn't know that. So, once Tug was settled, Will walked back around to the front and entered the inn.

On one side of the room, a young man was playing a lute while a woman sang. The place was mostly full but there were a few places to sit still left open. But, Will walked right up to the bar. The man behind the counter was bald, muscular and missing an eye. For the most part, Will was ignored except for the few glances shot towards him, mostly through narrowed eyes.

The barman glanced away from the singing woman when Will approached but he didn't glare at the younger ranger like others did. Instead, he watched him with curiosity rather than suspicion. "'ey there, youngsta," he said. "What can I get ya?"

"Whatever's for supper and a room," Will told him, pulling up a seat at the bar.

"Ah, ya staying is ya?" the man asked.

Will blinked in surprise and nodded. "For a while," he said. "How did you know?"

The barman grinned. "No un comes through the likes a 'ere 'less they have to," he told him before walking over to a doorway and leaning in, calling, "Throw on another rack, Missie!"

"You got it!" came the reply.

Will looked over at the woman and lute player when they finished their song, bringing forth a round of applause from their audience. The lute player couldn't have been more than sixteen while the woman would have been in her late twenties. Both had strawberry blond hair, tanned skin and shockingly blue eyes.

"That there's Henry and Lizzie Baker," the bartender told him. "I swears that I never did see a finer pair a siblin's this side a the fief border."

"They certainly are a sight for sore eyes," Will agreed.

"Speakin' a borders," he said. "Where did you say you was from?"

"I didn't," Will told him. "I'm from Redmont."

The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. That certainly is quite the ways from this here little place."

"It is."

"What is it that's a brought you up 'ere?"

Will wasn't entirely sure whether he was able to trust the man or not so he decided to play it safe. "My friend asked me to check in on available housing up here," he lied. "He'd have come himself but his workload was downright cruel. I owed him a favor so he decided to call me up on it."

"Oh, well, I'm 'fraid I haven't 'eard of anyone willin' ta sell theys place."

Will shrugged. "That's alright," he said. "I'll have a look around anyway. You never know."

"'ey Kensy, who's yer friend?" The lute player had wandered over to the bar and sat himself in the seat beside Will as Missie brought out a plate of food and placed it before him.

"This here's … uh…"

"Will Jordan," Will said, digging into the beef ribs, potatoes and assorted vegetables that had been placed before him. He had decided not to use the name he'd used in Macindaw, in case word of him had spread.

"Ah, well, welcome to Dynephous, Will," Henry said, shaking Will's hand. "What's your business here?"

Will's eyebrows shut up. "Certainly don't beat around the bush, do you?"

Henry shrugged. "Personality defect," he said.

"He's 'ere lookin' fer a house fer his friend," Kensy told him.

"I haven't heard anything about anyone sellin'," Henry said. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, you wouldn't know him," Will answered. "Here's never been up here, only heard about it."

Kensy slowly nodded and glanced at Henry who said, "You can drop the bull now."

Will frowned, looking from one man to the other and back. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Henry scoffed. "How dumb do ya think we are?"

"We know ya ain't tellin' the truth," Kensy said. "Ya clench your fists when ya lie."

"So, what are ya really doing here?" Henry asked.

"And who are ya really?" Kensy added.

Will looked between the two of them, stuffing a mouthful of food into his mouth to stall for time. However, the two watched him intently, making him want to squirm in his seat. In the time it took him to chew and swallow, he realized the inn had gone silent. Glancing over his shoulder, he realized everyone in the inn was watching them.

Sighing, he decided that if he was going to get any information, or even get out of there alive, he'd have to start telling the truth. "The truth is, there's someone at Castle Araluen who is all but convicted," Will told them. "All the evidence points to him but I don't believe he's guilty. Someone told me that if I was determined to pursue this, I should come looking up here."

Henry and Kensy looked at each other then back at Will. "Who's the convicted?" Henry asked.

"Caleb Galhan."

If it was possible, the room went even more silent. Will looked around, conscious of his heart beating, once again.

"What did he do?" Kensy's voice was barely audible. The man's hands gripped the edge of the bar, his knuckles turning white.

"He's accused of murdering his fiancée," Will told him quietly. Something was obviously wrong. The looks on the faces of those present were a mixture of shock and disbelief. Kensy, however, didn't look anything at all. He just stared down at the wood between his hands.

Suddenly, the large man pushed away from the bar, turned and stormed out of the inn, walking stiffly out the front door. No one moved. Will, after a few moments' hesitation, got up and followed after Kensy. The bartender was pacing in front of the inn, his breathing easily heard from where Will stood in the doorway.

Stepping into the night which had descended over the world, Will slowly walked closer to Kensy who had stopped pacing and stood with one hand covering his mouth. Will carefully placed a hand on Kensy's shoulder, feeling the man tense up beneath his grip before relaxing again.

"Kensy, I-I'm sorry," Will told him. "I didn't mean to upset anyone. What did I say?"

Kensy shook his head, lowering his hand from his mouth. "It ain't that boy." He took a deep breath, his single green eye looking Will directly in the face. "He's me son," he said. "Caleb's me son."

Author's Note: I'm not very happy with how this chapter has turned out, mostly because I don't know how Will would actually react in a situation like this. But, it had to be done. Don't tell me that Will is a bit OOC at the moment, because I know. Tell me how I could have made him less OOC. Read and review.