Emme

Prologue

A little romance, a little intrigue. Nobody could have guessed that things would come full circle the way they did. Before she left for her posting to serve the High Reaches area, an extra assignment was imparted to her; Find out what's going on with Lord Beradin, and learn what the minor holders are up to. The other Lord Holders were getting nervous, and that wouldn't end well. Her contact would be a Sr. Journeyman up at the main Hold.

Only able to find the most threadbare hints of the underlying rebellion, Maylin worked on ingratiating herself with the people she was there to serve. And, as these things happen, found herself smitten for one of those who were knee deep in the plot against the Lord Holder. She was reluctant to reveal what she'd learned to the Sr. Journeyman, since he was known as being sympathetic to Beradin. Her reluctance is what caused her to be swept up in the gathering of those who would be exiled, and she willingly found herself on the western island with the rest of bunch.

When hope deserted her that they would all be retrieved within her lifetime, she made sure to impress upon her descendants the basics of the Harper craft, though they haven't most of the materials available on the island for it to be much use. Keeping a history of what's happened since their arrival, for example. And the making of songs to pass on lessons of morality.

Background

Grandaughter to Harper Maylin, Emmeline is currently the only "trained Harper" on the Island. Obviously, her grandmother has passed on. And, her mother failed to survive after an injury received saving one of the children that as harpers they're expected to teach and train. It's hard to combat infection on an Island with few medicinal herbs and scant knowledge of healing. Her father survives, but their relationship is strained at best; she's always been willful and stubborn, which she inherited from him.

She's recently been told to take on Seani as an apprentice of sorts so that she has help with the children; and while it may have constituted a punishment for her role in some underhanded plotting against Tomaeran, it will also free her to pursue her reading of the notes and diaries passed on through her mother and grandmother. Explanations, politics, power-plays - who knows what she'll find in all that information.

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