Heirot

Laurius picked at his brittle hair again as the two bickered like he were still on fire and needing to be triaged at the hospital. The barber forced him into a chair and clicked his tongue at least a dozen times.

It seemed one of the other barbers in the corner had won the contest to determine who would get to attend Havitharon. Laurius lifted his eyes as his stylist began work. "I wouldn't let them touch your hair... Te—" He stopped short of saying the princess's name. "Your woman likely likes it just the way it is."

"His woman," sang a girl sweeping the floor. She grinned at Havitharon, pausing her sweeping to rest on her broom. She had a low cut blouse and a tattoo of a snake winding up her chest and around her neck. "How do you feel about havin' two women? I'll play nice with the misses."

Havi stiffened, nearly backing up into the stylist who was investigating his hair from much too close. The man seemed oblivious, as if the girl's behavior was commonplace to them. "How is it that you don't have any split ends?! Is this your real color?"

The Ivis stopped, now trapped between the extroverted strangers. "Such a thing is not possible," he grimaced at the woman, and whirled toward the stylist. "Fine, you can give me split ends or whatever you want," he muttered, shoving the much smaller man toward the wash basins at the back of the shop and conveniently escaping the woman's advances.

Laurius snorted at the confused look the man had as he was pushed towards the basins. He awkwardly guided Havitharon into the chair and his head back into the bowl and began washing the Ivis's hair with passionate care, raving about the feel of it running through his fingers.

"My, my, how did you get like this?!" the man working on Laurius's hair asked. "Goodness... This is calls for my special, proprietary growth serum..."

Laurius emerged from the barbershop with his red hair cleaned and looking as if it had never been burned at all. The stylist had been good, and his magical serums that regrew hair had returned it to its former glory. It hung around his shoulders, curly and free until he reached and tied it back with a leather cord bought from the shop.

He turned to Havitharon to guide him towards the blacksmith shop when a male voice called above the crowd’s chatter, “Laurius Marnigan, as I live and breathe.” The stranger was tall, with long dark brown hair. Gray streaked his hair around his temples, and fine silver adorned his beard. He stretched his hand out toward the merchant.

Laurius seemed to go still as stone when he saw and finally recognized the man. He slowly lowered his hand, hesitantly shaking the stranger’s offered greeting. “Professor Oberin. It has been a long time.”

“Long indeed,” Oberin agreed, drawing his hand back to his side. He looked Laurius over, the corner of his twitching a bit higher. Then he glanced to Havitharon and did a doubletake. "Is he with you? Not going to introduce me?”

“Ugh… Havitharon Ruthe,” Laurius said, motioning from Havitharon to Oberin. “Professor Oliver Oberin, chemistry.”

“I’m over the metaphysics department now,” Oberin beamed, chest inflating.

“Havitharon is my research assistant,” Laurius said before Oberin could ask.

“They are so hard to find.” The professor sighed.

Laurius's gaze drew to movement near Oberin’s feet, and he saw a child peek out from behind the professor’s robes. She was small, skinny, and filthy, with a tangled mop of brown hair and one blue eye. The other was covered in a red-stained rag used for a makeshift eyepatch. Laurius thought of the jar of eyes a few stalls back and felt sick. The girl wore no shoes on her feet, and a literal flour sack for a dress. A serpent circlet collar hung around her neck, similar to the one that had bound Tenara while she was in Elias’s camp.

Oberin shifted his attention to the child, his smile growing. “This is Lee. A quiet thing. Very obedient. We just got through trading her eye for jade tiger bones. She only needs the one, right Lee?” Lee looked up at Oberin, her one eye searching his face before she nodded with forced enthusiasm.

Oberin passed Lee the two books he carried under his arm. She clutched them to her, each almost as large as her torso. “If you’re in need of a page while your here, they have them for rent in the supply store down the way. Their condition and usefulness varies though.”

“You don’t say,” Laurius said, his throat dry. “Is that where you got Lee?”

“No, I bought her about two years ago on my last trip to Arroes,” he said, putting his hand on Lee’s small back. “I have a class to teach, but I would love if we could catch up…“ There was a hungry glint in his eyes then. “Maybe over dinner?”

“Maybe,” Laurius said. “I’ll see you around, I’m sure. I’m here for two weeks researching for a new project commissioned by the crown.”

“Well, must go, or I’ll be late. Come Lee.”

Lee nodded and skipped to catch up, struggling to keep the large books in her tiny arms. She looked at Havitharon as she passed, her one eye going wide as she realized just how tall he was, and scurried away as if he would open his mouth and gobble her up.