Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [45]
“What do you want with all this stuff for anyway?” he asks.
“You’ll see,” he replies cheerfully. Yes, you’ll definitely see.
Back at The Ranch, he has them put all the bundles in his room and then asks Tersa to join him there. Before closing his door, he asks Jiron and Miko to leave.
“Why?” Jiron asks as he’s being escorted out.
“Because I like surprises,” James replies, shutting the door in his face.
As he stands at the door with his ear to it, he tries to listen in to what they’re saying inside.
“That’s not very polite,” admonishes Miko.
“Neither is shutting the door in my face,” he retorts. “Shhh!” he says to Miko as he tries to hear what’s being said inside. James is talking so softly that he can’t make out the words.
Suddenly the door opens up and he stumbles into the room, almost colliding with his sister. “Jiron dear, be good enough to bring the bundles to my room. Thank you.”
He moves aside to allow his sister to pass through the door and then he turns to see James smiling on the bed. “What?” he asks, his smile making him slightly irritated.
“Oh nothing,” he tells him.
“What’s going on with my sister?” he asks.
“Nothing to be worried about, I assure you,” he replies. Then he nods to the bundles sitting on his bed, “Your sister is waiting for these I believe?”
Giving James an annoyed look, he picks them up and takes them to his sister’s room.
“Just what are you up to?” Miko asks him from the hallway.
“Like I said, I like surprises.”
From the other side of the house, James hears Tersa’s door slam shut and then he sees Jiron stalking into the front room.
When he sees James looking at him, he says, “She kicked me out!”
“Why don’t you take Miko and see if you can bring in some meat?” he asks.
“Alright,” he says. Then to Miko he adds, “Grab that crossbow of yours and we’ll see what we can do.”
“Okay,” he tells him as he moves to get it.
James watches him go, I suppose I could’ve told him, but I do like my surprises. This won’t generate a great deal of coins, but it should bring in some.
Getting up off his bed, he heads back out to his workshop to see about resolving the hiding spell. The rest of the afternoon flies by as he works on it and by the time dinner is almost ready he thinks he may have it. But he is so tired from all he’s done that he decides to wait until morning before attempting it. No sense in taking chances when he is this tired.
After dinner, Tersa lets him know she’s done. While they’re all in the front room relaxing, he has her bring it out.
“Finally!” exclaims Jiron.
They all wait expectantly while she goes to her room to get the big secret. When she returns, she has in her hands, an object. It’s about a foot in height, with two stubby arm and two stubby legs as well as a mouth sewn on and two eyes.
“What is it?” asks Roland.
“A teddy bear,” James explains.
“What’s it for?” he asks.
“Tersa, give it to Arkie,” he says.
Bringing it over to where Arkie sits in Ezra’s lap, she holds it out to him.
They all stare as he looks at it and then tentatively reaches out and grabs hold of it. Brining it closer he looks at it and then hugs it. He finds the soft material Tersa had used for its outer shell feels quite soothing against his skin and the stuffing within is soft and comfy.
“That’s what it’s for,” he says. “It’s for kids, small kids mostly. Where I come from, every child has many of such things.”
“You going to sell them?” asks Illan.
“Delia will, I’m sure,” he says. “Tersa will get a copper each and the rest will go to The Ranch to help keep it going and pay for the supplies.”
“You’re not going to be able to charge much for them,” Roland says.
“Probably not,” admits James, “but it’s a start.” He looks to Arkie who has snuggled up with the teddy bear and has a most content look upon his face.
“Thank you,” Ezra says to him.
“You’re welcome,” he replies. In a world where every