The Gift

Chapter Three

That night the band camped outside of a town on the next Isle.  Daniel and I took the wagon into town in the late afternoon leaving Samuel in charge.  Once we got into town, he handed me some money.

“This should be enough to get you new clothes, weapons, and whatever else you need.  I’m going to get supplies for the band and I’ll meet you at the inn down the street in two hours.  Will that be enough time?”

“It should be,” I answered.  I tucked the money into my bag and started toward the shops.  Two hours later, I was satisfied with my purchases.  I had found a shop that had the knives that I preferred to use.  They were lightweight but strong and I liked the way they were balanced, making it easy for me to use them as throwing knives or in a hand to hand fight.  I hadn’t been able to get new ones since before my contract with Fort so I bought several of them as well as sheaths.  Before I went to meet Daniel, I changed into my new attire and sold my old clothes.

There was a sleeveless shirt that was tight enough to not get in the way when fighting but loose enough to allow airflow between the cloth and my skin and to conceal the knife that would go under the shirt against my back.  The pants ended mid-calf, where they met my new boots.  The left boot had a concealed knife sheath in it where I tucked one of my new knives.  Another knife went into a sheath strapped to my calf over my pant leg and a third against my thigh.  A skirt went over my pants that had a slit on one side up to my hip, so that it didn’t hamper movement.  The clasp on that side could be easily undone with one hand so that if I ever needed to, I could remove it quickly in a fight or emergency.  On the inside of the skirt there was a cleverly hidden pocket where I stashed a handful of throwing knives.  Fingerless gloves that covered my wrists effectively hiding my marks completed my ensemble.

Once I was dressed I found an herbalist where I bought supplies to make my poisons.  Working with poisons was one of the first things I’d learned to do when I became a rogue.  It was my preferred method of assassination.  If I needed to, I could fight hand to hand and I could shoot accurately but I preferred poisons and knives to other styles of fighting.

When I was finished at the herbalist, I found a chemist.  There was a chemical I liked to have in my hair dye that made my hair grow out in whatever color I dyed it.  He sold me his last bit of it.  Only a few drops were needed in the dye so it was enough to last me through three hair changes, I judged.

Once my other purchases were made, I found that I still had enough for a new bag.  I bought one where the strap would cross my body like a messenger’s bag and the bag would lie against my hip.  It was the perfect size for my poisons and antidotes.

Fully dressed and fully stocked bags against my hip and back, I made my way to where I was supposed to meet Daniel.  He was already there when I arrived.

“Wow.  You look different,” he commented.

“That’s the point.  I’m not done yet, either.  I still have my hair to cut and dye.”

“Well I like the new look so far.”

“It’s not to impress you but I appreciate the compliment.”

“You’re welcome. Are you hungry?”

“A bit.  I’d rather finish my change first.  I need a place with a mirror, water, and time.”

“Of course.”  He led the way to a clothing shop where he seemed to know the owner.  He was able to get him to allow me into the back room for an hour.  Looking around once I was in the room, I saw a mirror on one of the walls.  Bolts of cloth and materials for making the clothing covered most of the room, so I shifted some around near the mirror so that I had some space and set everything up that I needed before letting my hair loose from its braid.  The fiery locks reached my waist.  I’d always liked long hair as it reminded me of my childhood before I was cursed and my life torn apart. I’d miss the long locks but I needed to change it.