Logs:Life's Achievements
| |
|---|
| |
| RL Date: 4 February, 2016 |
| Who: Edyis, Quint |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Edyis is looking for a specific harper, but has to live with Quint's charming self instead. |
| Where: Harper Classroom, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 5, Month 13, Turn 39 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Ryneton/Mentions, Jeroman/Mentions |
  |
A thick door provides some soundproofing against the escape of sour notes
and the chanting of Harper Ballads that are common in this room. Chalkdust
from the blackboard lingers in the air, motes of the stuff catching the
light from many glows clustered in a hanging basket in the middle of the
ceiling as well as tucked into sconces around the walls.
Just inside the door, cubicles line one wall, each labeled with a child's
name and containing various bits of lesson equipment: slates, chalk, scrap
hide and paper, pens, ink and pots of glue. Long benches span the room,
providing seating for at least fifty children between the ages of seven
and fourteen; a tall wood screen stands folded near the middle of one
wall, ready to divide the room into groups of older and younger students
for more age-targeted study. Storage shelves along the back wall hold
musical instruments for learning, mostly small hand drums and single bore
pipes plus two rather battered xylophones. It's late afternoon, and the group of younger age children are rowdy and noisy with the end of the class having arrived. The current teacher -- a senior apprentice harper, by his knot -- is struggling to keep their focus, and is glancing helplessly towards the back -- where Quintus sits, arms folded, watching with an amusement and perhaps a little bit of sympathy -- but not enough to step in. The apprentice clears his throat, and appears to concede defeat: "All right, all right. Lesson's over for the day -- but we're going to continue this tomorrow!" He barely gets out the rest of his speech -- there's a spill of excited children pouring out of the classroom already, with the apprentice sighing as he watches. Moving against the current of small bodies with minds set on things other than classwork, Edyis can't help but laugh cheerily at the escapees as she is forced to halt at the doorway or be run over. A wry smile of greeting offered to the apprentice, and eventually Quintus himself when the brownrider spots him. "Is it always a battle for their attention, or just the particular subject matter." She jokes brightly. The apprentice in question is despondently shuffling his hides at the front of the classroom, giving a respectful nod as he recognizes the brownrider's knot, if not necessarily the woman herself. "How long were you able to focus when you were that age?" comes Quint's easy, laughing response. "Me -- about as long as it took to think of how long until I could go outside into the snow and play, mostly. Brownrider," with a nod to her by way of greeting. "How can I help you?" "It depended entirely on the subject matter I'm afraid." Edyis laughs, "I tried every method I could think of to escape needlework, including painting pock marks on my face." Her hand adjusts the strap of her satchel absently, "I was actually looking for Master Jeroman, I wanted to have him take a look at my latest experiments with bookbinding and see what he thought. He wasn't in the Records Room so I thought he might be back this way. " "There's value in all knowledge," the Journeyman Harper says with a tone that suggests it's a rather well-practiced phrase, "And yet the wisdom to acknowledge that doesn't always come until the opportunities are well past." With a rueful twist of lips, he pushes up from his lean against one of the back desks, giving Edyis his full attention. The apprentice clears his throat briefly, nods to his Journeyman, and exits quietly. "Mm," with a rub of hands against his chin. "He isn't often given to teaching, these days. Mostly leaves it to the rest of us. I'll let him know you're looking for him, however," with a genial sort of smile. "As my mending pile can often attest." Edyis answers in agreement. News of the master though earns a slightly concerned frown, "He's still in good health I hope? It's been a while since I checked in on him." A glance in the direction of the departing Apprentice has her smiling again. "How have you been Journeyman Quintus? It's been a while." "He seemed well enough last I saw him. It's interesting, though, that you'd take that comment as a suggestion of his ill health. Have you a personal interest in him?" Quint's voice is easy and neutral, not judging; just curious enough to seek the facts. The question about himself, however, earns a more jovial smile: "Fit as a fiddle. I could give you a health check on all the other harpers, too, if you like?" His tone does seem in jest, as he moves towards one of the desks, collecting some stray hide that one of the children left, and tucking it away on one of the shelves. "I was his assistant for some time before I impressed. He taught me everything I know about scribe work." Edyis admits, not without a measure of fondness. As for the joke her smile turns faintly rueful. "That won't be necessary, though if you know which ones get air sick, that might be useful." She teases back. It isn't obvious from Quint's interested expression whether he's already aware of that knowledge or not. "That's what you did, before you impressed?" the harper asks, with a glance over his shoulder as he moves about the room, tidying this or righting that in a fashion that has a feeling of ritualistic habit to it. "I'm afraid I cannot. We are trained to be impervious to all manner of sickness. It forms part of our authority, you see." He says it with such seriousness, too. "Amoung other things," She notes, watching the ritual thoughtfully. "Is that something you acquire once you test in or must you walk the tables for? I knew I should have gone to the hall." She returns with feigned seriousness. Of course, he persists; it's a harper's nature to pry, without seeming to: "What other things?" again, it Quint's tone tows the line between polite inquiry and genuine curiosity. He makes a noise, shakes his head, and glances over his shoulder. "I'm afraid I can't reveal the secrets of the hall." Edyis laughs, "You mean to say that singing and teaching is all the use I'll get out of you?" Bypassing the question smoothly as she glances around the classroom. "It still surprises me sometimes how very different the weyrs are from the holds. Must be nice to be truly passionate about your profession." "I wasn't aware you'd asked for that -- or anything more," is Quint's easy response. He's, of course, not unaware of Edyis' lack of an answer, and her latter comment is given a wordless nod, while he continues about his tidying, like he's still waiting for a belated response. Edyis shrugs, "I didn't really." But it's another non-answer. As to the earlier question, another shrug is given, "Worked in the Rider's lounge for a while, and traveled some. Nothing particularly interesting really. " Glancing at the door a moment. Quint pauses in his work at her answer, giving her an easy, interested look. "Both sound pretty interesting, actually. Do you ordinarily downplay your achievements?" he asks, lightly. "Not that there's anything wrong with that -- some people naturally want to show off theirs, and others not so much." With a twitch of lips, "Most harpers are in the former category." He's probably not missed her look towards the door, and yet he doesn't draw attention to it, either. Something about the question makes her laugh, "Achievements, not quite the word I would use for it. Truthfully, I can't think of a single thing in my life that I've ever done on my own. I've always had someone else opening the door or guiding the way. Those people are the ones who deserve the credit if something goes right." A nostalgic smile crossing her lips, the last earns a laugh. "I hadn't noticed, I always thought that was another part of a harper's authority." "Oughtn't downplay one's life experiences. It's what makes you the person you are," Quint says, unoffended by her laugh. His head tips to one side, however, at her words, thoughtful. "Give credit?" he asks, "Or blame, if it doesn't go right?" A beat. "Seems to me you're a mature adult, capable of your own decisions. Unless those people pushed you through the door, they're called opportunities, and they're often best taken than not and regretted later, in my humble experience." He gives a flicker of a smile, like he's aware he's putting on airs, and apologetic for it. "Personality, more like," he corrects her latter words with an easy smile. At blame those dark eyes lift and focus on the man, lips thinning faintly. "No, if things go wrong the blame falls on me." She exhales slowly, "Don't get me wrong, I have been grateful for each opportunity," She notes. "Some I wish I could have done better with, but life is a learning experience isn't it?" "Very true indeed. One that," with a quick smile from the harper, "Never ends." Quint seems done with his tidying, and reaches for his coat set on the hook near the door. "I should catch up with my apprentices before the dinner hour. I'll let Master Jeroman know you're seeking him," he reiterates. Edyis nods, "It was nice to see you again Journeyman Quintus. I'd appreciate that." And with that, she makes her way out of the classroom and back out into the bowl where her lifemate is waiting. "Good afternoon, brownrider Edyis," the harper replies with an easy, practiced warmth. Quint isn't far behind her, stepping out and tugging his coat on for the cold walk across the bowl towards the crafter's area. |
Leave A Comment