It Couldn't Hurt

Writers: AL, Eimi
Date Posted: 28th July 2008

Characters: Almonteo, Gestet
Description: Gestet struggles with work and Almonteo questions the boy in an effort to find out why.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 11, day 5 of Turn 4

Almonteo

*****

Gestet stared at the staff upon the paper in front of him. He had the
soprano and the base note and he was supposed to fill in the harmonic
sequence. He didn't have a problem with the major chords, but when it
got into the different minor chords, or when they were using chords of
a chord...what did they call that? He couldn't even remember _that_?
So how was he supposed to finish this? Theory was definitely not his
strong point.

The Hallmaster glanced at the boy over his shoulder as he pulled a
couple blank musical sheets from the shelf. "Working a little late
tonight, Gestet?"

The young boy fairly jumped at the sound of someone else in the room
and he twisted around, eyes wide. He relaxed when he saw it was, but
only a little. After all, this was the _Hallmaster_! "Er...yes sir.
Sorry sir I just...wanted to get my work done."

"You know, it seems just about every time I come in here, you're
working on something. Don't you ever take an evening off?" Almonteo
smiled to take the sting any sting the boy might have felt out of his
words.

"Uh...yeah." The boy squirmed in his seat and sighed. "I'm
just...having some trouble."

"You seem to be having trouble a lot," the Hallmaster said gently as he
took a seat next to the boy. "Which class is it?"

"Theory." It was his hardest class of all. He just didn't get it. It
didn't help in his other classes that the words didn't seem to make
sense, that letters never seemed to go in the right direction. He felt
stupid enough with that. This just made things even worse.

"Yes, Master Tolepic and I have talked about your scores. He says that
you are very smart, but that you are struggling." And he had not been
the only Master to broach the subject of the boy.

Gestet's glanced over at Almonteo but looked down quickly before their
eyes could meet. "Yes sir." So what did this mean? Would he be
kicked out of the craft?

"Do you want to talk about it?" Now was as good a time as any.

The boy slowly looked up, his expression fearful. He seemed to
struggle for a moment, then finally blurted out, "Am I going to be
told to leave?"

"Faranth, no, boy," the Hallmaster smiled gently. "You have talent and
potential. I'm just trying to figure out why you're struggling so hard
in some of your studies."

Relief was evident in the boy's features and he looked down again.
"It's just hard and I'm slow."

"Why do you think you're slow?"

"I...it...it's hard to read." Gestet shifted, wishing he was smarter.
If things just came easier. None of the other kids had this problem, so
what was wrong with him?

"You don't know how to read?" the Hallmaster asked, genuinely
surprised.

"Oh no, I do it's just...hard." He could read. Some. When he
concentrated. A lot. "I mean it's just...when I read something and
someone else reads it, it's not the same."

"How so?" Almonteo gently prodded.

"I don't know. It's like...what I read and what someone else reads is
different. And the words don't make any sense." How could he describe
it? "I get confused."

The Hallmaster pondered that a moment. "How about your maths? Do you
have trouble with that too?"

Gestet nodded slowly. "The numbers don't stay right." Well, that
wasn't really much help. The boy wasn't having an easy time describing
his problem. "I mean, when I look at it, it says one thing, but then I
get my work wrong and it's something else."

Almonteo nodded. That's what he thought. "I think I will have you
speak with Master Kalhow. He's a Master Teacher who has helped many
young people who are having trouble reading."

"I don't understand how it can make a difference." Gestet looked back
down at the work he'd been trying to finish. He supposed he shouldn't
give up just yet. "But if you think it will help..."

"Well, it couldn't hurt, could it?" And if anyone could help the boy,
it was Kalhow. He had a lifetime of experience in the field.

"No, it couldn't hurt." Gestet agreed. "When should I see him? Do
you think he can really help me?"

"I really do. I'll ask him to see you tomorrow, if he has time. I'll
send a note to you in the morning, all right? But for now, I am
ordering you to get out of this room and do something fun tonight, all
right? I'll tell Journeyman Coloro that you're excused from your
homework tonight."

"Really?" Gestet's eyes lit up at the prospect of not pouring over his
homework to try and finish it, only to find that he had done poorly
once again. "Wow...Thank you Master!"

"Only for tonight, though, remember. You will need to make it up
later." The Hallmaster knew better than to mess too much with his
teacher's curriculum. They tended to get crabby otherwise.

"Yes sir. Thank you anyway sir." Impulsively, the young boy jumped up
and grabbed Almonteo in a grateful hug.

"Yes yes, all right," the Hallmaster laughed, giving just the barrest
pat on the back in return. One in his position was not really allowed
to show affection, for all that his paternal instincts called for it.
"Get along with you now, Gestet. And don't forget to look for my note
tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" Without another word, Gestet snatched up his work and
hurried out the door, a lot more hopeful than when he had first come to
struggle through his assignment.

Last updated on the July 28th 2008

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It Couldn't Hurt