What Do You Want to Be Doing ...

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 22nd February 2009

Characters: Leisenn, Alydelle
Description: Leisenn and Alydelle meet before breakfast.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 1, day 16 of Turn 5

"Young Alydelle," the Hallmaster said in greeting when the apprentice crossed her path on the dolphineers wharf. The old woman had been listing to what the dolphins could tell her about Mosler and his location - which hadn't been much - but, that done, she was heading back to the Hall for breakfast. "How are things going with you these days?"

"Ah...fine, Hallmaster." Alydelle had come to a sudden stop at the sound of her name and glanced up at Leisenn. Her gaze didn't linger long - it never did - but lowered to stare down at the wood that made up the wharf. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, how come you're up so early in the morning? Don't you get sick?" Leisenn certainly had, though only for a month (to the day) each time which was apparently quite strange.

Well, she had been getting sick as of late, but it wasn't due to illness. "I couldn't sleep." She admitted, partially due to nausea, partially due to the fact that she was starting to feel the baby and it was a strange sensation.

"Why is that? Are you worrying about things?"

"I guess a little." It wasn't a lie. That had probably contributed to her restlessness at night. The combination of factors kept Alydelle awake more than she would have liked.

"Are they worries I could help with?" Leisenn asked. This girl wasn't one for confiding in people but perhaps she could be encouraged to learn a new way of dealing with problems. "Or any of the other staff?"

"I don't know." Alydelle wasn't sure she wanted to talk about things. She'd rather just ignore them, deal with them on her own.

Apparently there would be no improvement in the situation today. "If you do find you know then you can always come and see me. I was an apprentice once, and I've been a mother."

"Y...you have?" Alydelle hadn't realised that. Of course, Master Leisenn hadn't been there long, but she didn't know of any husband or any children. She had thought the woman had never married, choosing her craft over that.

"I have two sons," Leisenn said with a smile for the girl's surprise. "But they're old enough to be your grandfather now."

"Oh." Alydelle almost blurted out with 'How old _are_ you' but she just managed to shut her mouth before the words escaped. It would not have been a polite question. She also wanted to ask about Leisenn's husband, but felt like that might bring up some unpleasant feelings, so refrained. "I didn't know."

"No reason people should when they're not around to be noticed." Leisenn shrugged. "If one of my grandsons or great-grandsons passes through - they're all seacrafters - I'm sure the Hall will be abuzz with talk about my long ago family life."

How old was the Hallmaster? Alydelle thought that she must be older than the girl originally thought. Certainly old enough to have been a crafter before the ban on women crafters went into place. "Do they visit often?" They hadn't since Leisenn arrived anyway. How long had that been? Time seemed to have flown by in some ways.

"I saw some of them quite frequently at my last Hall but I don't think any have passed through here yet. They'll find me, no doubt. They're mostly well-raised boys; they all know to come and say hello." Her smile widened as she guessed what the girl was thinking. "How old are you, Alydelle?"

"Me? Sixteen."

"That makes me ... sixty-two Turns your senior. What do you think you want to be doing sixty-two Turns from now? Thread will be gone, one hopes, and your own family will run to grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

"I...haven't really thought about it." That seemed like such an awfully long time to think ahead. What _would_ she be doing? Alydelle had no idea. "I hope...I hope I'm still crafting."

Leisenn nodded. "I hope you are too. But you'll have to work toward that. Work harder than most with the complication of your pregnancy."

"I know." Alydelle wished she could ignore that aspect, but it was quite impossible to do so. She'd been having quite a few consequences of her current state and those refused to be ignored. She flushed, always feeling embarrassed when the topic came up. "But I'll work hard."

"That's what I want to hear," the Hallmaster said, hoping it would prove true. She didn't want to seem heartless but she was certainly not going to allow any dolphineer to advance in the craft unless he or she met every standard for advancement; there would be no favours granted people because things were 'difficult' for them.

Alydelle's smile was tremulous and fleeting. She was still undecided about her future. She wanted to craft, she truly did, but she wasn't so sure about the baby. What should she do? Part of her wanted to cast the child away, never see him or her again. Yet, another part of her said that it wasn't the baby's fault, she or he didn't have a say in who the father was, and that baby was still a part of _her_. "I should...get some breakfast."

"You should," Leisenn agreed. "I'll walk with you up to the Hall."

Last updated on the February 23rd 2009

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