Chapter 27

"If the Gentleman would please turn his head to the side?" Barbarous asked politely and I complied. The man certainly had passion for his art, I'll give him that. He took the straight razor and began scraping my left cheek.

Next to me, Sigi was going through a similar process as I was at the beginning, with the barber toweling his face and head and preparing the lather.

"To head off your likely most immediate question I have no plans in Novigrad and honestly am only getting some errands done before I leave the city." I started.

Sigi grunted in acknowledgment. "Plans, while helpful, are largely irrelevant where Witchers are concerned. Trouble finds your kind well enough without having to plan for it."

I watched as Sigi's barber not only spread shaving cream on his face but also his head. I guess he wasn't naturally bald after all.

"In my defense Geralt is the exception and not the norm for most Witchers. I doubt you have heard many songs about Vesemir, Lambert, or Eskel after all. Besides, I figure you would be happy about him being dead and all since pretty sure most of the North knows at this point."

"You're jumping to a lot of conclusions about my concerns and what's important to me. Makes me wonder just how much you know about me and mine - and why. I know Witchers aren't mind-readers, and even if you were I'd have noticed you moving your hands under that sheet. No, it's your nature that concerns me. People with your skills, your knowledge - people want to use it, to take advantage of it. You can work for whoever you want - until it runs into my business." I know I should be more intimidated by Djikstra, but it's hard to take a threat seriously when it comes from under a mask of shaving cream. Even as I watched, Djikstra paused to blow away a plume of cream that threatened to fall in his mouth.

"What do you want me to do? Sign a legally binding contract to leave the city within the next couple of hours and take no jobs? Enter some dark magic blood pact deal?" I asked a bit incredulously.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm here to take your measure and find out what you want, nothing more. Acting so jumpy, though, makes me curious. I know of you, although we've not met before. 'The Golden Griffin.' That's what they call you up further north. Thing is, you've never left Kovir before - until now. It's an anomaly, and I don't like leaving those unsolved. Troubles my sleep, they do." Despite his tone, Sigi's posture was perfectly relaxed. He paused speaking for a bit as the barber began working on his chin and lower lip.

I just sighed heavily as Barbarous worked on shaving my sideburns, realizing that Sigi was not going to let up until I gave him something important.

"Alright, I didn't want to say this since it makes me feel vulnerable even thinking about it but… a few months ago I took up a contract to kill a cyclops that was terrorizing this tiny village in the countryside. I don't know the details but I apparently took a hard knock to the skull and was barely alive when I got back with the monster's head in my hands. Few days of bedrest and care under a local healer got me back up physically… but I have lost a great deal of my personal memories from beforehand. I still know general things and muscle memory kept me from losing most of my skills but I had to be caught up on a lot, thankfully exposure to certain things helps bring back things in bits and pieces. That is why I'm on my way to the Wolf School since as far as I know they are the only active Witcher school that is still operating in order to get more back or at least retrain what I lost. How would you feel if one day you woke up with no idea who you are but what people told you?" I asked.

Sigi considered what I had just said. "Like shit. Shortly before being offed in my vulnerability."

"Exactly, so you can imagine why I want to go someplace among at least potential friends. Assuming you need proof to back it up I got this." I said as I slid back my head and cap back a bit to show off my scar. "And I'm traveling with a scholar who was with me before I even left the village so he can vouch for me. So that is why I'm so far from home, but the Path takes us where it takes us in the end. We just have to walk it."

Sigi hmm'ed a bit. "Fair enough, and the fresh scar on your head suggests you're telling the truth." SIlence filled the air as he pondered what I had told him, the only sound that of the scrap of the straight razors on our respective faces (and his scalp - I knew he wasn't naturally bald!)

He remained silent until the barbers were mostly finished, leaving me slightly confused and a little nervous. Was he going to say anything?

Finally, I opened my mouth to speak-

"You losing your memory does explain a few things," Sigi finally said. "Like your complete and utter ignorance of the political situation right now. You're heading towards Kaedwen, yes? I don't know the exact location of the Wolf School, besides the fact that it's in that country due to the fact that when winter nears those wearing their medallion are seen heading northeast. In which case, you should be aware that you have to walk through a warzone to reach it along your most likely route." As he spoke, the barber soaked the towel one last time in a fresh basin of steaming water and cleaned off Sigi's face before leaving it wrapped around his face and scalp. It had the side-effect of muffling his voice, which I found unintentionally hilarious. Not that I let my humor show in my voice or on my face. No sirree.

"What war? I'm pretty sure the Nilfgaardians were beaten earlier this year." I asked honestly since nothing came to mind.

Sigi snorted. "You really did lose your memory, if you think that Nilfgaard is the only cause for war in the Northern Kingdoms."

Our conversation was interrupted yet again by the barber, this time with a cup of something that smelled vaguely like spiced alcohol. Barbarous dabbed some on his hands before slapping it onto my cheeks, and-

ARGH! IT BURNS!

I couldn't help but wince quite a bit as what I assumed what was some kinda aftershave was applied to me. Beside me, Sigi hissed as the same was done to him on his face and head.

After our mutual torture had subsided, Barbarous turned to me. "Does the Gentleman desire the full treatment?"

Wait? It's not over? I don't think he means a haircut since I didn't ask for one and my hair wasn't all that long at the moment since it had to be cut back to treat my head wound. I decided just to say yes so as not to sound like an idiot and just assumed it was important.

Sigi stood from his chair, his massive frame towering over me. "We're not done with our conversation, but we should continue this elsewhere. If you really know what I am, you'll know where to find me." On that note, he limped out of the barbershop, his two guards quickly trailing behind.

As Barbarous busied himself with what I assumed were preparations for the 'full treatment', I considered what Sigi had told me. What did I know about 1268? Big things I know were that Nilfgaard was beaten back and Geralt died, but this had something to do with my travel route. Okay, I was going up the Pontar to stop over at Flotsam before likely taking the land route into Kaedwen and to Kaer Morhen. All I knew of the general region was what was shown in Witcher 2 and how the area was a warzone due to the local kingdoms fighting for control over Upper Pontar, but that wasn't till two years from now so… wait a minute…

Before I could finish that thought I noticed that Barbarous started by… washing my hair? OK. Maybe that's just a complimentary service. As he did so, I noticed a maid bring in a small ceramic pot full of some kind of green goop, which she placed by the fire. Five minutes, two shampooings, and three rinses later, Barbarous went over my head with a fluffy towel and thoroughly dried it. He then picked up what looked for all the world like a pair of q-tips and dipped them into the pot, covering the ends with what I guess was wax? What on earth was that-

OH GOD HE JUST RAMMED IT UP MY NOSE! WHY????

AND NOW THE SECOND ONE! MY LIFE IS PAIN!!!

I tried my very best not to fly from my seat and start punching people because there was hot wax in my nose! Seriously?! When has this been a thing in going to a barbershop?

My torment slowly declined as the wax cooled, despite the fact I now had no choice but to breathe solely through my mouth. About two minutes after having two Q-tips with hot wax stuck up my nostrils, Barbarous came back. One hand was gently placed on my forehead, while he made eye contact and nodded. I realized in horror what he was going to do and braced myself for the agony that was surely to come. He then reached up, seized the q-tip, and with a twist, yanked it out of my nostril. As I muffled a scream, he held up the q-tip for me to inspect. Ah. He just waxed my nostrils. Lovely. He repeated the process again, which elicited yet another muffled scream.

People paid for this?! It felt like my nostrils were on fire and…

Wait. Fire?

Oh no, I figured it out. There was a war for the same region two years ago, which was my now! A war that ended when a crazy sorceress summoned a firestorm that targeted both sides and left thousands dead, and later placed terrible curses on both King Henselt and the place that would create an eternal hellish battlefield for the souls that were lost there.

And I had to walk right through it to get to my destination.

Well, worst-case scenario, the rest of my body gets to commiserate with my nose with how it feels. Seriously, waxing nostrils? What asshole came up with that? And why? I'll admit, though, my breathing was a lot clearer now.

After that, talking with Sigi again only seemed like the second worst thing I'll have done today.