Westni Rows

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 26th September 2009

Characters: Leisenn, Westni
Description: The Hallmaster meets one of the apprentices while she and her dolphin are out in the bay.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 5, day 3 of Turn 5

The Hallmaster watched the small boat as made its way out of the smaller, more sheltered bay that contained the Dolphin Hall, and into the much larger bay that was Dolphin Cove.

"Wess-nee rows!" Tu exclaimed after bobbing up and down to survey the boat.

"The apprentice?"

The dolphin agreed and slid back alongside Leisenn, angling his body so that he only hand to extend her hand to catch his fin. Despite Turns and Turns of travelling that way Leisenn still smiled as she was dragged along beside the dolphin's sleek body. Perhaps some might say that riding a dragon was better but she doubted it.

As dolphin and dolphineer approached, they could hear a voice calling out in song. An alto, not bad, but definitely not harper quality. She could keep a tune at least, and she did so, matching the rhythm of her strokes to that of the music. The song wasn't necessarily something one would hear at the Harper Hall either, a janty from the Seacrafters more likely than anything else. She sang it loud and strong, evidently not realising, or not caring, that there might be someone close enough to hear.

Tu and the Hallmaster stopped to one side of the rowboat's likely path and Leisenn hailed the apprentice. "Where did you learn _that_, young woman?"

Westni pulled up sharply and then grinned, though it was a accompanied with a sheepish look in her eyes. "Oh, hello Master Leisenn. I uh...heard it from my brother."

"Your brother at the Weyr?" Leisenn raised a hand and indicated the broken-sided volcano that dominated the bay from their vantage point.

"Um, no, my eldest brother." Westni admitted. Even though she had stopped rowing, the boat continued to ease along with the assistance of the sea. "He's a seacrafter."

"I didn't know that." Leisenn moved closer to the boat and put a hand out to rest on the rim so that she could rest in the water. "How many are there of you? Two brothers and you ..."

"Two elder brothers." It was a correction, but a gentle one. "One elder sister, three younger sisters and two younger brothers."

"Nine of you altogether then? Is that a large family for the Weyr?"

"For the Weyr yes. Even for holds." Westni grinned. "To be honest, there are three sets of twins in there, but my mom loves children so she probably would have had as many as that. She'd probably have more if she could."

Leisenn hadn't been as enamoured of babies, and she supposed that showed in her own family of two sons. "What about you? Do you have plans to have a large family?"

"Right now, my plans include concentrating on my studies and eventually walking the tables." Westni shrugged as her fingers played idly over the handle of one oar. "I don't have time to think about family right now."

The old woman nodded. She didn't want the Hall's female apprentices to be there to mark time before marriage as some had been known to do in the days before the Craft Ban. Or worse, looking for crafter husbands among the dolphineer masters and journeymen. "And what part of your studies are you concentrating on out here," Leisenn said, her tone teasing.

"Strength training." One of Westni's hands squeezed the opposite upper arm. "Trying to build my strength, or at least not get any weaker."

"No reason for a dolphineer apprentice to get weaker. But rowing's a good idea. Have you finished your evening's study?"

"I still have a little reading left, but I wanted to do this before it got dark. I can read after it gets dark, but rowing wouldn't be such a good idea." She glanced toward the sky where the sun hung low, spreading it's colours across Pern. "Even if there are dolphins around."

"Very sensible." Why had Leisenn even thought for a moment that this particular apprentice would ever be anything else? "I'll let you get on with your 'exercise' then," the Hallmaster said, letting go her hold of the boat and kicking away on her back. "Enjoy your evening, Westni!"

"And you as well, Hallmaster!" Westni took up the oars as she called her farewell and resumed her methodical strokes, losing herself quickly in the rhythm of the motion. She would sleep well that night, certainly.

Last updated on the September 26th 2009

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Westni Rows