What Do You Recommend?

Writers: Rochelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 20th November 2006

Characters: U'kaiah, F'melar
Description: F'melar asks for some recommendations from a bronzeriding archivist.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 24 of Turn 3

F'melar wandered aimlessly down the rows of shelving in the archive, trying to avoid the sheet music or anything else involving music whenever possible. He needed something to read when he was waiting for the dining hall to empty. Something that didn't remind him of his lost hearing, and his childhood vocalist aspirations. They were gone now, stolen by the fever and the Threadscore that had marred his face.

He turned another corner, and walked down another aisle. He had paused in front of a section full of mechanical stuff, wondering if he should try learning something new, when Tabs tugged gently on his left ear.
Turning with an affectionate scratch for his flit, he spotted another rider coming around the far corner.

"Good evening," U'kaiah nodded and smiled as he began reshelving his books with the trained ease. A place for everything and everything in its place. That was the ancient motto of the archivist.

"Evening." F'melar moved out of the way. His eyes moved briefly over the trim dragonrider physique, then paused regretfully at the knots. A bronzerider. Most likely not interested then. "You work here?" He inquired politely. "Sometimes. Not _work_ exactly. I do research. I'm working towards my Senior Journeyman knots. Slowly." U'kaiah placed the last book on the shelf and turned towards the bluerider. "And you? Is there anything in particular you're looking for I can help you find?"

Ah, a harper. F'melar hid his grimace at the reminder, and gave a one-shouldered shrug as Tabs leaned forward crooning, clinging to his ear to keep his balance. "Just something new to read. Any suggestions?"

"What kind of books do you like?"

"About anything. Fiction, I suppose. Maybe something else." He shrugged again, causing Tabs to protest with a squawk. He wasn't really sure what he wanted.

"Well, fiction would not be this area. These are much more technical."

"What do you have there?" He asked, watching the books going onto the shelves. "I was wondering if I needed to learn something new instead."

"The effect of weather patterns on falling Thread, actually," U'kaiah said with an apologetic smile. Not exactly the most interesting reading material.

"I think I've had enough of Thread patterns for a while." He said dryly, aware that the scars on his face had not faded as much as he'd been promised. What else should he look for... "Do you have any information on the old times? Or a primer on dragons? My sister might like that."

"We have both," U'kaiah nodded. "Follow me." He lead the bluerider down the rows of shelves until he found the one he wanted. Running a finger over a row of leather bound books, it finally stopped over a well worn red-hide bound book. "This is a book about the founding of several of the Weyrs down here in the south, back when they were Weyr_holds_ of course."

"Of course." F'melar agreed, pulling the book off the shelf. It was small enough to be manageable, but large enough to keep him occupied for a seven-day or two. "Thank you..." He paused. "I didn't catch your name.
I'm F'melar, Oemorth's rider. And this is Tabs." He gestured toward the little blue, who had his tail wrapped firmly around his neck as he leaned down to investigate the book F'melar was holding.

"U'kaiah, rider of Kalamath," the bronzerider smiled as he held a hand out to him. "Its always nice to meet a rider in the Records Room."

"I can imagine." He said shortly, his mouth suddenly gone dry. How many times had he hunted for music in the archives at Rising Moons without meeting anyone before his disaster? He covered his discomfort by gripping the hand offered.

"Although, I have to say, it is easy to meet girls here," U'kaiah said with a teasing wink, trying to put his companion at ease. He couldn't figure out the reason for the man's sudden discomfort. Maybe he didn't like seeming like an intellectual. Some riders didn't like being perceived as breaking from the stereotype.

F'melar gave an amused snort. "Would think you'd prefer to avoid that sort of thing, if you're doing research in here." Silently he commanded Tabs to get back into place before he fell off his shoulder. The flit grumpily obeyed with an annoyed cheep.

"Everyone can use a distraction now and then." "Which is exactly why I came." He agreed, hefting the book so that there could be no doubt as to what kind of distraction he'd been looking for. U'kaiah nodded his understanding. Sometimes all a person needed was a good book to get his mind off things. "Well, let me know how you like it. That author has several other books you might find interesting.!

"Such as?" He asked curiously. More reading material wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and he wasn't adverse to advice... so long as he didn't have to take it. He'd had enough of healers -mind and body- telling him what to do. And that was ignoring the demotion -true it wasn't a demotion, but it sure felt like one!- to the Queen's wing because of his loss. He was the broken one, not Oemorth!

The bronzerider ran his finger along the books once more, remembering titles and essays he had once read. "Well, he also wrote books about the founding of some of the Halls and Holds of the South. There's an extensive one on the founding of the Harper Hall in Emerald Falls."

He couldn't help it. The wince was visible this time, and before he could cover his expression with a fake comment about Tabs scratching him or something, the flit cheeped in concern.

"Of course, if you don't want to remember the former Hall, there's also a book on the progression in architecture..." U'kaiah naturally assumed that the man was mourning the loss of the Harper Hall to arsonists.

F'melar sighed as Tabs hummed at him. His flits loved music, and now that the hall had been mentioned he wasn't going to stop. He shook his head, giving up. It was likely U'kaiah would find out sooner, rather than later, since he would probably be spending a lot of time in the Records Room. At least, he intended to -if he could stay out of the music area.

"Not architecture please." He said politely, his shoulders slumping.
"And that's not exactly it. I'm harper trained as well. A journeyman vocalist -until last Turn." He grimaced as he finished bitterly, gesturing at his scarred face. "Threadscore left me mostly deaf." There. he'd said it.

U'kaiah was rather surprised considering they had just been having what he had thought was a normal conversation, and the man seemed to be able to hear him fine. "Oh. Well. I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you can take up an instrument?"

He laughed softly. "Have you any idea how difficult it is to tune notes you can't even hear?" He said harshly. Tabs warbled in concern, and a sharp reprimand from Oemorth caused him to grimace. He continued in a more normal tone. "Sorry. Maybe one day I'll try again, when I can't remember what I'm missing. But right now..." He shook his head.

"Drums?" Surely his rhythm wasn't effected... "But hey, I'm sorry if I upset you."

"Don't apologize." He said automatically. "I shouldn't let it bother me.
I'm told it's not as bad as it could be." He sighed. "It's just hard.
Things that used to be easy... Now I'm lucky if I hear someone shouting my name across a room. It's not so bad in quiet areas, but wherever there's people or echoes..." He grimaced. "I never realized how easy it is for things to get garbled. And weyrs are, for all intents and purposes, giant caves." Then he smiled faintly. "Actually, drums are an option, but I was never as fond of them as I should have been."

"Well, you can't make yourself like something," U'kaiah pointed out. "Maybe you need another craft?"

"I've considered it." He admitted. "But with Threadfall here it doesn't seem worth it. I haven't found another craft that really appeals to me anyway." He shrugged, wondering suddenly why he was explaining so much to a relative stranger. But shards he needed to talk to _somebody_ about it other than Sakime or Oemorth!

"Well, how about another _part_ of the craft? Instrument making? Or even archiving or scribing?" One thing about being a harper was that it covered over a range of talents.

"Instrument making often requires a finer ear than playing them does."
He reminded U'kaiah. "And even if I was inclined to copying, my handwriting isn't all that desirable. Archiving is a possibility, but I'm not sure whether I'm interested yet." He shrugged again, causing Tabs to protest. "I'll figure out something eventually."

"You'll find your wings again, bluerider."

"Maybe." He said noncommittally. He wasn't sure he wanted to. So far figuring out how to deal with his disability -and a sister who was adapting to weyrlife far to fast for comfort- seemed to be about all he could manage. Speaking of Sakime... "I shouldn't complain. My younger sister lives with me, and she's been deaf since birth. But she loves watching the dragons, and I promised I'd keep an eye open for something she could read. Any ideas?"

"Novel? Or non-fiction?"

"Anything with dragons that isn't too complicated -or erotic." He grimaced. "She comes to me when she doesn't understand something, and I _don't_ want to have to explain bronzerider so-and-so's sexual exploits again." He finished emphatically.

"All right, I think we can find something," U'kaiah assured him with an amused smile. "Follow me."

Last updated on the November 23rd 2006

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

What Do You Recommend?