Getting In Contact

Writers: Devin, Vix
Date Posted: 5th September 2007

Characters: R'masu, Nehara
Description: Nehara finds out from R'masu that her son is the tavern harper.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 20 of Turn 4

"That last song you introduced has certainly shown itself to be popular." The woman glanced up at the dragonrider as she handed him a stack of pages that she had copied. Though most scribes who were not official harpers would not be entrusted with copying musical scores, Nehara had worked with her husband -- now long dead-- for so many turns that she sometimes helped with that task.

"Yes, it has." R'masu grinned. "And I think I my next song might be a happy tune as well. We could all use a little more of that."

"We can always use more of that, though now more than ever," she told him. "I've heard many new songs in my turns, to the point that I sometimes can't remember those that have been passes along for generations and those that were written by those I've known, and unfortunately, too many of them deal with the woes of life."

"As my most popular does," he said with a half-teasing smile.

"Very true," she agreed. "Funny, but the sad ones seem to become favorites so much more easily than the cheerful ones."

"Pain is easier to hold on to," the brownrider said quietly.

Nehara shook her head. "Yet the more it is held, the deeper the wound. Too bad that people can't realize that."

R'masu's eyes were distant. "Some of us realize that. But it's very hard to let it go."

"Most of what is good for us is difficult," the woman told him. "As you grow older, you learn that. After all, if I spent time worrying over all I might regret in my lifetime, I'd barely review it all before it would be time to go to bed at night. Regrets and pain take time away from life."

He nodded. "And it taints good memories."

She nodded and indicated the stack of papers he held. "That's one of yours, but you've been introducing more new ones lately. Has the Hall been sending more to you?"

"My performances at the Vintner Hall tavern have inspired me. Such a diverse audience is interesting to play to," he said, a smile returning to his face.

"I've heard that the music there is good," was Nehara's response. "Do they have different harpers play each night?"

"Not every night. They have a harper specifically assigned to the tavern," he told her. "The rest of us are guest performers."

"My son is a harper, but I haven't heard from him for the past few turns. We sort of grew apart." She smiled wistfully at the rider-harper. "He enjoyed writing his own tunes as well, so perhaps someday he'll perform there."

"What's his name?" R'masu asked. "There's always a chance I might know him."

"Hartam. He spent some time in the North but had returned to the Southern Hall. I imagine by now he's been assigned to some place new."

The brownrider's eyes widened and he laughed in surprise. "Hartam is the tavern harper!"

The woman blinked at him as she processed that information. "The new tavern? My son is the harper there?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"I had no idea." Nehara stared at the table in front of her. "I should contact him." She paused. "Or . . . he might be busy. I should wait and sooner or later he'll be in touch."

"Would you like me to give him a message?" R'masu asked. "I'm giving a performance next sevenday."

She glanced up, her expression solemn. "I don't remember the last news he had from us. . . Just tell him that I asked after him. Please."

"Of course." He nodded. "And I'll let you know if he has any message for you."

"Yes, please do." She smiled sadly at the harper. "Even though I seldom hear from him, I still think about him."

"Of course you do." R'masu smiled gently. "He's your son. I would think it was odd if you didn't think about him."

"Thank you." Nehara took a deep breath and then spoke briskly. "And now, I suppose that I should get back to my work."

"Yes, I should too," he said. "Thank you for the copies, Nehara."

She nodded. "Any time -- I enjoy copying music and figuring out how it will sound."

Last updated on the September 8th 2007

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