Thordric’s sleep was restless that night, and there were times when he wasn’t sure if he was awake or not. He felt terribly warm despite the coolness of the house and arose two hours earlier than normal.
He stood in front of his wash basin, wide awake. The stubble on his chin really had grown, and with a slight grimace he picked up the razor his mother had given him for his birthday the previous year. It was menacingly sharp, making his Adam’s apple quiver simply looking at it.
Nearly half an hour later, with spots of tissue paper covering his face where he’d nicked the skin, he stood clean shaven. Unfortunately, he’d been so nervous doing it that he was now drenched in sweat and had to have a bath. He went outside to the bathhouse, wincing as the chill wind bit at him, and pulled down t
