Fires of Prophecy_ Book Two of the Morcyth Saga - Brian Pratt [68]
“We just arrived and are looking around to see what’s available,” Delia says.
“Of course,” the man says sleepily as a yawn escapes him. He settles back down in his chair and watches them as they browse through his merchandise.
It looks to be just an ordinary, traveler supply store. Just the same old things as are in every other one. James does see a kit with a small mirror, a comb and a pair of scissors. Thinking of his unruly hair and how it’s been too long since it’s been properly taken care of, he picks it up and asks the man, “How much for this?”
The man looks over, squinting as if he can’t see it very well and replies, “Two silvers.”
James takes a single silver out and says as he holds it up, “Give you one for it.”
“Alright,” the man says as he holds out his hand for the coin.
Taking the coin over to the lazy man, James drops it into his hand. He immediately takes the mirror and looks at himself in it. What’s looking back is almost unrecognizable. His hair is an unruly mess, obviously running his fingers through it has been ineffective. Stubble, actually a scraggly beard that’s not completely growing in everywhere, now covers his face, his dirty face. “GAH!” he exclaims as he looks at himself, rubbing his free hand over his patchy beard. I knew it was coming in, but my goodness!
“What?” Delia asks.
Putting the mirror away, he says, “Nothing.” Looking around he tries to find a shaving kit, but such a thing doesn’t appear to have been developed in this world yet, or at least there isn’t one here.
Seeing a small knife, he buys it for three coppers, thinking that later he might try to put a spell on it that will enable him to shave without scraping all his skin off in the process.
“Anyone else getting anything?” he asks.
Roland looks around and picks up a small piece of cloth, saying, “Ezra would like this.” He haggles briefly with the man and then hands over the coins.
Delia and Jiron just shake their heads, not interested.
They look around for a few more minutes and then turn to leave. James glances over to the man to say goodbye but he’s already fallen back asleep.
Once they’ve returned to the caravan, they tell everyone about their plan to have dinner at the Broken Egg. James stays at the caravan with the two lads as everyone else goes over for dinner. “I’ll send one of the boys over if there is a problem.”
“There shouldn’t be,” Jiron replies.
“You never know,” he says.
After everyone has left for the Broken Egg, he takes a bucket and fills it with a little water from one of the water barrels and then sits down by the fire. Taking out the little knife, he holds it up in front of him and contemplates a spell that will enable it to shave the hair off his face while at the same time, leaving his skin intact.
After about five minutes of working it out, he turns his concentration on the knife and lets the magic flow. After completing the spell he feels the edge of the knife with his thumb, it doesn’t seem to have changed at all. It’s barely sharp and it would take a whole lot of pressure to cut anything with it. But then, that wasn’t what the spell was supposed to accomplish.
Taking out the mirror, he holds it up so he can see his scraggly looking face in it. Then taking the knife, he very carefully runs it down along his cheek. He can feel a slight drawing of magic from him by the knife, must be taking the magic it needs to work from him. To his delight and amazement, the hair is scrapped off like frosting from a cake. Excited, he continues until all the stubble has been completely removed and then splashes his face with the water from the bucket to get all the residual hair and dirt off. Holding up the mirror, he’s pleased to see the familiar face that had been hidden by that horrible, scraggly beard.
Next he takes the comb and begins to run it through his tangled hair as he attempts to restore it to its proper look. Painful as it is, he gets the job done and then realizes his hair