Okay, third chapter time, also known in some circles as revelation time. For those of you who aren't history buffs, are just completely in the dark, you'll get to know what is in Ryder's bag, and just exactly what he really is. Oh, and the mystery gets even more interesting this time around.

Watt strode through the village, his eyes scanning the buildings, the people watched him, their lips tight and eyes dark. He continued to look for Ryder, listening to the few gasps of whispers as he passed. Brixia's name was mentioned continuously mentioned, people glared in the directions of the inn and where William was supposedly living, and the word, 'the man, Ryder is going with the authorities to capture him.'

"Great, he's left me with the field work," Watt grumbled, but then again he was always a field person, and a very good one at that. Eventually he found out that druids used to live on the land where the inn was built centuries ago, and worshipped the tree by the inn. As the people got used to him, he got even more information about the land. The druids were wiped out by the Christian forces, and vowed revenge.

Banning and his family had appeared from out of no where, and the greedy old man refused to listen to reason, their ignored the village's pleas, or at least the old man had, and built the confounded cursed inn. Now the villagers cursed the man's name as hard as they did Brixia. Interestingly he also found out that right after Banning appeared on the scene, so did a large group of the military, which camped out to supposedly protect the village from the Scottish, but for some reason never did any more than camp out and eat their food.

"What about Sir Andrew?" he asked a man.

"Sir Andrew served in France, but for only three months," the other man replied. "He was sent back for reasons that were never really explained … at least not to us."

Watt thanked the man and paid him well, walking off he thought to himself, "The story is getting very interesting indeed, Ryder." Just as the thought left his mind, a group of men yelled out, and he gazed Ryder and a number of men chase William, totally butt as naked through the village. "Ryder, Ryder!" he called, chasing after the man, who didn't seem to hear him at all.

The foot race was on, as soon as they had approached the mad man's simple mud hut, he squealed like a monkey and dashed off. Soon there was an insane battle to see who's will was greater. Through the tall brown trees, bare of their leaves they raced, dashing too and fro not to smash themselves into the trees, through the forest, through the hills, and right through the village.

William tried to double around, for the safety of his hut, but the militia, and Ryder were too quick minded, and had thought of that possibility. The pace was quick and dangerous, but it was also strategic. Slowly they brought a noose around his throat and the boy had no way, no where to go.

Ryder sighed, he had seen Watt, had wanted to talk to him, but this was more important, he was almost certain that capturing this boy would open the door to the mystery, not solve it necessarily, but it would open the door. Colors flashed in front of his eyes, brown, yellows, blue, some green, and then some white, which he pushed into his bag, hoping the militia had not seen, or else he knew they be after him too. Or worse, they'd give up the chase for the lunatic, and go for him.

They called for the boy to stop running, aimed and took fire, but the weapons they were using were no good for a chase. Ryder frowned, baring his teeth. He wasn't going to allow him to escape a third time, he was going to be brought to justice. He buckled his knees, leaned forward, and charged, leaping as he did, and grabbed William's ankles, his bag bouncing from his back and rolling down to the ground.

Rage built in Ryder, anger and hate he did not know, unreasonable frustration from this mystery, and his own past emerged, and he pulled the boy down, growling fiercely as he did so. "Stay down, you damn fool," he snarled. "Its over, just stay the fuck down!"

With the large amount of men to help him, this time William had no place to go. Hands reached all over, holding him down and slapping iron on him, before lifting him to his knees. The militia was all smiles, each man thanking Ryder for his help.

And standing in the clearing, watching the men drag the screaming twenty year old off, Watt smiled, holding something, but at the time Ryder wasn't registering it. As they left, he approached, and nodded. "I say, Holmes, good job!"

"Thank you, Watt," Ryder said with a great big grin, blinking back tears, "However this mystery is far from solved." When his friend frowned he went on to explain, "The boy is a key, and a major player in this whole sordid affair, but I don't think his capture will end the lights by the tree, the dogs barking, or the women disappearing."

"You don't think that he's behind the kidnappings?" Watt asked, holding out the bag, and stopping to gawk at the white clothes and armor, with the bright red cross on the clothe that slipped out. "What is that?" he asked, his eyes horribly wide. He might have been on the front lines in Scotland for a while, but he heard enough to know what had transpired earlier in the year.

Ryder looked down and paled, his hands reaching for his bag, which was no longer attached to his back. His skin grew wider, and he stepped back, as if to flee. "Watt," he said in a low whisper.

"Molester, devil worshipper," his friend howled, his face twisted in ignorant hate and rage.

"It's nothing like that!" Ryder exploded, trying to snatch the cloth from his friend's hands, but failing miserably.

Watt stepped backward, his eyes dark with hate, "You and your corhorts did nothing but take our countries' monies and make fools of our kings!" His lips were twitching, and as they stared at each other, dark greens and browns seemed to flow between them as if furthering the gap that was now here.

"I did nothing like that, neither did any of my brothers," Ryder cried, his heart pounding.

"You're a Templer! A Templer Knight! You betrayed your Church, your God! For all I know you had something to do with the kidnappings!"

Ryder scowled, his large ears growing hot and red. "Liar, you don't know anything! It's all King Louis' fault! His greed for our land and monies!" He spread his hands out as if he were a saint imploring patience. "Can you really look at me and say all those things, after all we've talked about? You said you thought of yourself a good judge of character, did you ever get a true negative feeling about me?"

"You tricked me with magic!" Watt said, making for his retreat. He turned back to the militia, and looked as if he was going to call them back.

"Think of the girls, Watt," Ryder implored, that got his attention. "This case doesn't make sense, you know that in your heart! If you turn me in, you could continue to look into this whole thing, but wouldn't get very far, and neither would I for that matter, without your aide!" He dropped to his knees and shook his head. "You're not a superstitious man, I know, do you really believe in magic?"

"I believe in Satan," Watt growled. "And I believe my pope. He condemned your order for the very same crimes I just claimed you did."

"I believe in the papacy too, I wouldn't ever abandon it, but God's sake man, use your God given reason, he's only a man, and a pawn of the King of France. Louis might kill him if he doesn't go along with him, or kill thousands of good, loyal Catholics. Think!"

Watt frowned and blinked, he was beginning to waver. He frowned and took a step back forward and backward, weaving in some kind of dance. "But…,"

"Look, you talked with the villagers?"

"Those who would talk with me," he said with a nod.

"And?"

Watt frowned and told him everything knew. "But that doesn't mean anything, I intend to turn you in."

"Then at least wait until we solve this mystery? For Hayley's and Larke's sakes, not to mention any woman who might be threatened by this evil?"

"You give your word you aren't behind this?" his voice was cracking and he stepped toward the Templer Knight.

"May the Lord, Jesus Christ, strike me down, deader than a bear if I were to lie to you," the younger man said. Normally he didn't like taking the Lord's name in vein, but this was a desperate measure, and he was a desperate man wanting justice done.

"Well, to be honest, I thought it a little weird that first Banning would move in, and then a military camp, do you think the old man's with them?"

"He doesn't strike me as a soldier, but there could be something too this mystery that could be larger than the map shows."

Watt made up his mind and didn't think twice. "Until this mystery is solved then," he said, giving the other man the bag back.

"Good show," Ryder said.

I know its short, but I really wanted to give you this chapter that explains some things. I don't think I'll get the fourth and fifth chapters written by tomorrow, which is Sunday, and I'll have to go home. So look for these two chapters, which will be larger, by May. Thanks for reading and I hope you are all enjoying this! Review, review, review!