Part 5

See part 1 for disclaimer.

Duncan looked around the property, looking for the other immortal, but
with all the trees and plants, he couldn't see much. Richie just started
walking up towards the house, knowing full well who the other immortal
was. Duncan followed him, but he kept a wary eye out for trouble.

"Will you loosen up a bit, Mac?" Richie said, noticing the Highlander's
hesitation.

"Loosen up. You've got an immortal who's very well planning on taking
your head, and you want me to loosen up. Richie..."

"Yes, MacLeod. It would be better to calm down a bit, too," the woman on
the porch interrupted. She looked to be in her 60's when she first died,
but by the strength of her buzz, Duncan figured she was a lot older than
that. She stood about four foot five and weighing about 250 pounds, with
a deep chocolate colored skin and a warm and friendly face. "Name's
Clara," she said with just a slight Russian accent.

"Clara, this is Mac. Mac, this is Clara," Richie said.

"Please, you can also call me Duncan if you'd like."

"Thank you. I've heard so much about you and it's good to finally meet
the man behind the legend," Clara commented.

"Legend! Who's been telling you stories?" Duncan asked.

"Why, your good friends, Methos and Connor. Of course I've heard a few
from Master Richard, too."

"Clara, would you stop that?" Richie tried to order, but to his own
realization, it came out to be more of a plea.

"Now, I was raised by my parents to call any of my employers 'master',
as any good servant would do. If I'm not mistaken, I still work for you
and have for the last 500 years," Clara said in her matter-of-fact way.

"At least she's calling me her employer instead of master and calling
herself a servant instead of slave," Richie said under his breath, but
Clara still heard him and gave this disapproving look.

Clara didn't say a thing, though, and led both men inside and up to the
library where everyone else was. On the way through, Richie explained
who Clara was to Mac. How she was about 3000 years old and had been
living in Russia when Richie had found her. An immortal had bought her
as a slave and Richie had taken his head in a fair fight. Since then,
she had worked for Richie and no one else.

"Thank you, Clara," Richie said as they reached the library.

"You're welcome, Richie," Clara said and had to laugh at the surprised
look on Richie's face. "It is the 90's, you know." Then she left.

"Changed, hasn't she?" Methos said. He was sitting in one of the easy
chairs, with his nose in a book. "You know it's been almost a hundred
years since I read this one."

"Duncan, you changed your mind," Connor said. "I'm glad. Trust me, you
won't regret it."

Sitting down across from Connor, Duncan asked, "When did you first meet
the White Knight?"

"It was right after Heather died. Ramirez had told me about him and
where to find him if my training was never completed. So that's where I
went."


*****************************************************************

Late 1500's
Somewhere in the Scotland Highlands

Connor had been walking for days, trying to find the White Knight that
Ramirez said was also living in the Highlands of Scotland, but he had
yet to find him. He was begin to think that the White Knight was just a
legend that had also been told by his father. He was about to turn
around and head back when he saw a very old man sitting on a log. He
hoped that maybe this old man, who looked to be as old as the log he was
sitting on, could help.

"Old man, I'm looking for a person who is to be living up here. A
teacher of sorts," Connor said.

"I'm the only one living up here, my young one," he said. He slowly got
up, using a walking stick to prop himself up. "Who sent you?"

"My teacher, Ramirez, but I can see you can not help me." Connor turned
to leave when he felt a blade to his neck and the presence of another
immortal.

"You're a foolish one. Never take things as they seem, it could be a
deception," the once old man said, but the person that now stood in
front of Connor was no old man. He looked as if he was still a kid. "The
White Knight, at your service. Now let's see, you've got to be Connor
MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes. Ramirez said if he was never able to complete my training that I
was to come to you. The Kurgan killed him several years ago."

"What has taken you so long to get here?" The White Knight asked.

"Heather. She was my love and I just could not leave her," Connor said.
He let his head drop in mourning, for there was still a pain in his
heart when he thought of his beloved.

"Love. The only thing that can both destroy and make a person. Please
call me Richard and not the White Knight. It was long time ago that the
White Knight rode. I will finish the training that Ramirez started, but
I can not finish your training completely."

"Why not?" Connor asked.

"Any immortal who says that one teacher is enough to teach you
everything you need, is lying. The only immortals who will survive the
dark times, are the ones who have learned from all the best." Richard
lead Connor to his cottage that was well hidden in the forest. For two
years, Richard taught everything he knew until Connor came across a soon
to be immortal named Duncan MacLeod. At that point, Richard said his
training was finished and Connor left. When he came across Duncan two
years later, he started the new immortal's training.


*******************************************************************
Present

"I waited three months for you to become immortal, then once you did,
disappeared. I was hoping to introduce you to the White Knight when I
found you, but he was gone by that time," Connor finished.

"You were there before I became immortal?" Duncan asked.

"Yes, but not for long," Richie answered. "I was meeting Methos in
France about the time you died. We meet up every ten years in France for
dinner and to see how much trouble we can get into."

"I remember those days. Rebecca, you, my mortal wife of the time, and
myself would hit Paris with a party they usually hadn't forgotten by the
next time we where there. Now, Connor went out searching for the White
Knight. Well, when I became immortal, the White Knight found me."


**********************************************************************

About 5000 years earlier, place unknown

Methos felt the sword plunge into his back and he knew that all was
over. The gods had seen it fit that he die on the battlefield today. His
village had lost and that itself hurt more than anything else. The wet
ground under him started to fade away, as his life did. The last thing
he saw was the gallant White Knight...

Pain radiated through his body, startling him awake to the fact that he
was still alive. He should be dead, laying on the battlefield with his
family and friends, but he felt the warmth of a fire next to him. He
remembered seeing the White Knight and knew the Knight was suppose to be
a god. How could a god concern himself with such an unworthy farmer as
Methos and save him? Pain! It hit him like a fist and he wondered why
the White Knight had not also taken the pain away.

"Easy, my friend. The pain will pass in a few moments." The White
Knight's voice was soft as the voice of the old people who lived in the
forest.

Methos opened his eyes and found himself in a small hut. Sitting by the
fire was the person that people called a god. His hair was blond with
streaks of fire red through it. Most would say only a demon could have
hair that color. His eyes were as blue as the sky and stone cold. He
wore white and a magnificent sword lay at his side.

"Why has a god seen fit to save me?" Methos asked. He had gotten up and
went quickly to his knees in a show of reverence, as he was always
taught to do.

"Get up. I am no god. You being alive has nothing to do with me. What's
your name?" the White Knight asked.

"Methos. How may I serve you, then?"

"Methos. My name is Richard and please do call me that instead of White
Knight. It may be me that can serve you...."


*******************************************************************
Present

"... our friendship started there and has continued until now. We've had
a few rough spots, with everything that happen with the Horsemen, but we
are still friends and that is what counts," Methos finished.

"I thought you couldn't remember anything before your first head,"
Duncan commented.

"The only thing I can remember before my first head, is my first death
and my mentor. I didn't want to tell you for fear that I might blurt out
something you weren't suppose to know yet. My first head was taken when
I had been immortal about three months. Carlos had sent a very
inexperienced immortal after my head and so I did as I was taught. I
took his. Nothing has ever scared me that much."

The room grew quiet. Everyone wanted to say something, but didn't know
how. Duncan was still trying to digest everything he had been told.
Clara picked that time to come in with refreshments. She also told
Richie that he had a call in the other room. Richie excused himself and
left with Clara.

"Duncan, Carlos is a very dangerous foe. None of us know what caused
this much hatred between Carlos and Richie, but it had to be something
big. Richie can forgive most and doesn't have a lot of real enemies.
There are a few here and there, but not a lot. He prefers peace now,"
Connor said.

The room once again grew quiet. Amanda picked up a book and started to
read, something that Duncan had never seen her do. Methos went back to
his. Joe got up and went over to one of the bookcases as if trying to
find a book to read. Aries took to pacing in front of the window,
leaving Connor and Duncan to stare at each other.

"Joe, how much do you know about Richie's and Rebecca's relationship?"
Duncan asked.

The Watcher turned around and looked at the younger MacLeod. "Only what
I've seen and what's been recorded. They met about 10 years after
Rebecca became immortal. In Rebecca's chronicles, it said they fought
and Richie won, but left her with her head. Three years later they ran
into each other again and it was said that it looked as if there was
going to be another fight, but instead they went to dinner. For the next
ten years after that, they met once or twice a year in London to have
dinner and dance. Their friendship grew to a point that they might've
gotten married, but no one can really prove that," Joe said.

"Methos, can you confirm it?" Amanda asked.

"What? I was only there for the informal one," Methos said looking up
from the book he was reading.

"Rebecca use to talk about how they'd go out for dinner, then he'd take
her dancing. Her heart was his, but she never invited me to met him. Do
you think she thought that I might steal him?" Amanda asked.

"She might've," Richie said. He was standing right inside the doorway.
"She was the most beautiful lady I've ever met. He heart was made of
gold and you can see her influence in each of her students."

"What was the call about?" Aries asked.

Richie's face turned dark and serious. "Carlos will be in Paris by
tomorrow afternoon. Someone told him exactly where to find Mac and me.
Sorry, Mac, but your barge has been ransacked. I don't know how bad,
though."

"Ransacked. By who?" Duncan asked.

"Carlos's men. I have people scouring the city for them, but no luck.
We've also got two cars outside the back and front gate. Tonight we'll
be safe, but we can expect they'll break in here tomorrow, looking for a
fight," Richie said.

"Why don't we take them now?" Aries asked pulling out his sword. "Hit
them before they can get us."

"No. I've got a helicopter coming first thing in the morning. Clara,
Joe, Amanda, and Aries will go. It will take you to holy ground, which
is where I want you to stay until someone comes and gets you. Duncan and
Connor will take the back gate. A green blazer is parked in the lower
garage and I want you to take it. Just follow the dirt road until you
get to the clearing. There are two people in the car. Take them out.
Methos and I will take the ones at the front gate. We'll meet at
Darius's church and wait for word on Carlos," Richie said.

"So you want us to run," Aries yelled.

"I want you to protect those who can't protect themselves. That is a far
more important job than fighting Carlos and his men," Richie said.

"Aries, listen to him," Methos added.

"Don't misjudge any of them because they look young, small and slow.
They have all been trained to be precise killers. If they're mortal,
you've got the choice of killing them or leaving them alive. It's up to
you," Richie said.

"So what do we do tonight?" Duncan asked.

"We practice and hope that tomorrow works out for the best," Connor
said.

Richie walked over to an oak chest at the far wall. Opening it up he
removed the sword he had fought with from the beginning of his immortal
life. It was similar to the sword Connor used because Ramirez had used
Richie's as a model to design his. The difference was the hilt was made
of a lightweight black marble. Gold threads webbed itself through the
blade. Halfway down the blade was a gold dragon carved into the metal.

"We begin again," Richie said holding out his sword.

"New and the old," Methos added, putting his own sword against Richie's.

"To fight for good," Aries said, adding his sword.

"Against all evil," Connor said, putting the tip of his blade against
the others.

"In the name of justice," Amanda said, with her own blade touching the
others.

"For all times," Duncan said. His own blade joined the others.

"A new group for a new time," Joe said putting his cane in to finish the
circle that had once been created by other mortals and immortals.

"The circle signifies our vow to protect the innocent and each other in
the fight against evil. It signifies our friendship," Richie finished.

TBC...