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Outside, he can hear Jiron telling them about the attack last night. Delia has her guards rotate watch around the wagons in case of a similar event tonight. When all is settled in, they break out their rations and have a quick meal while the sun makes its final descent to the horizon. By the time they’re done eating, it’s dipped below and the stars have begun to appear.

Delia, Jiron and Tersa come over to the house when they’re done eating, he notices Jiron is carrying a small box. “Sitting by yourself again?” Delia asks him as she enters through the door.

“It’s peaceful,” he tells her with a grin. Nodding his head to Jiron, he asks, “What’s in the box?”

She reaches for the box and Jiron hands it to her. “On the road I got to thinking about your shaving kit and the knife you used to use,” she says to him. She opens the box and pulls out a knife, similar to the one he had used. “I was thinking that if you could do that with others, maybe we could sell them.”

“Who would want them?” he asks.

“Any barber out there,” she explains. “Also, those with sheep that need shearing may want them as well.” She looks to him expectantly.

“It’s not a matter of if I can,” he tells her. “But if I will.”

“What do you mean?” she asks. “I know you’ve been wondering how to raise money for this place, having so many to care for isn’t going to be cheap. And the money you already have won’t last forever.”

He starts to responds when Jiron jumps in. “You’re worried about people finding out, right?” he asks.

“Exactly,” he says. “If I started doing this, there’s no end to the number of people that would flock here. Each wanting me to make them something that they ‘desperately’ had to have.”

“I understand your concern,” Delia says. “I don’t plan on telling anyone where I got them. Your secret is safe with me.”

He sits there considering it while they wait expectantly. “If I do this, you must swear to never tell anyone where you got them,” he insists.

“I swear it!” she says.

“How many do you have?” he asks.

“Ten,” she replies.

Nodding, he holds his hand out for the box. “Understand that the magic that will enable them to work will come from the wielder. They have to be aware of that fact or they may get seriously hurt if they do it for a long period of time. If too much is drawn from them, they could become weakened, even die though I doubt if that is much of a possibility.”

“I understand,” she says, handing it to him.

One by one, he takes the knives out of the box and casts the spell on them that will allow them to cut hair but nothing else. When the spell has been set in the knife, he lays it on the side table next to his chair.

By the sixth knife, he’s beginning to feel the effects of doing so much magic. At the eighth he can barely focus enough to be able to cast it properly. When he finishes the eighth knife, he sags back in his chair “Eight’s going to have be it for now,” he says. “I can’t do anymore.”

She comes over and removes the final two he hasn’t enchanted yet from the box and sets in the eight that he has imbued with magic. “I’m sure this will do fine.” She looks at him and says, “You look like you could use some rest.”

“Yeah,” he says, “I do need to rest. I don’t think you understand just what that takes out of me.” He gets to his feet and begins to wobble. Jiron is right there and gives him a shoulder to lean on as he helps him to his room.

When they get there, James plops down on his bed and before Jiron leaves, says, “Tell her to get another batch of crystals. The same amount as before and that should be all I will require for a while.”

“Alright,” he says as he moves to the bedroom door. “You get some rest and we’ll see you in the morning.” Before he gets the door closed, James is already asleep.

Chapter Five

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The next morning when he wakes up, Delia and her caravan have already left. When he goes to the kitchen, he finds the remnants of the meal Ezra had sent them off with. He grabs a plate and begins helping himself to the leftovers.