An Invitation

Writers: Jane, Paula
Date Posted: 23rd December 2008

Characters: Keayd, Teene
Description: Teene refuses Keayd's invitation but suggests another possibility.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 13, day 12 of Turn 4

"Haven't seen you in ages," Teene said, her tone as full of pleasure as
her face was when she caught sight of the journeyman who had been one of
the first people she had met when she had arrived at the Vintner Hall.

"Hello, Teene. I've been hiding in the cellars," Keayd replied with a
smile. The fermenting vats were in cellars.

"What a strange thing to do," Teene said. "Don't you know that summer's
arrived and it's going to be a nice one?" She had enjoyed the winter
with its unfamiliar snows but to have the warmer weather back was a
blessing she didn't realise she had missed.

"It is?" Keayd feigned surprise.

"I'm hoping," Teene had to admit with more honesty. "Do you really not
get out much?"

"I have a canine, I have to take her out everyday," Key said
defensively. "The brandy making has been in critical stage and it has
taken all my attention."

"I suppose it is your life's work - but I'm glad to hear about the
canine. What's her name?"

"Vena. She's three legged and easy to spot if you see her," Key replied
fondly.

Teene's smile widened. "I guess she would be. Does she get around all
right on three legs?"

"She is amazingly agile. She can't do long treks though," Keayd replied.

"Would the children be able to come and visit her?" Teene said, always
on the look out for something different for her charges. "Or could we
all come on one of your walks one evening?"

"Sure they can. She likes to play with children. They just have to be
careful with her," Key said and smiled. **Especially if you come too.**

"I would make sure of that," Teene promised. "Shall we set a date?
Or wait until after Turn Over? You're probably pretty busy with
preparations for that - everybody seems to be."

"Probably have to wait until the festivities are over," Keayd replied.
"Do you, do you," he swallowed nervously, " have a date to the Ball?"

"I _don't_," Teene said cautiously, worried about raising false hopes in
the journeyman, "- but that's because so many people at the Hold want to
come to the Hall's celebration and it seems a waste of my entitlement to
go to go with somebody from the Hall. 'Cause they also have an
entitlement. We could each take a Hold person, you see?"

What Keayd could see was that she was not interested in him. "Right,"
he grunted and sighed. She was the only woman he had dared to approach
on subject. Normally he would had taken his sister Venny with her, but
she now worked in Tavern and would take part of the Ball as a staff-member.

"I do know somebody who would like to come to the Ball but doesn't have
a partner. I _think_ she'd prefer a man to ask her," Teene continued,
suspecting that she hadn't convinced the journeyman. "She's pretty
lonely at the Hold - through no fault of her own."

"Who she would be and why would she be lonely?" Keayd asked bit
suspiciously. Was she going to set her up with someone terribly ugly?
It would be so typical, match the cripple with the ugly wherry, he
thought cynically.

"It's the technician. Rikka. You don't mind her being a crafter even
though she's a woman, do you?" Teene asked uncertainly. The reason for
Rikka's isolation was in the question because not everybody was
accepting of the young woman's role in the Hold. "She's friends with
Master Causton and his family," she added in reassurance.

Keayd shrugged, he had no opinion about female crafters. He knew they
had been common before the Plague, he had found them mentioned in old
hall records and he even might have some in his ancestry. "I never met
her," he said cautiously.

"And she's never met you. Would you like to meet her before Turns End?
I could invite you both to a meal at the Tavern if you like."

"All right, no harm in that," the journeyman agreed.

"Tonight?" Teene suggested, not willing to let the chance go by.

"Fine with me," Keayd replied.

"We'll meet you there, then." She named a time, her expression lit by a
smile of pleasure at the way things were working out. She didn't want
to disappoint Keayd and she thought her solution would be of benefit to
both the journey ranked crafters - the vintner and the technician.

Last updated on the December 28th 2008

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An Invitation