You Can Do This Too

Writers: Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 30th September 2009

Characters: Eilomar, Thanja
Description: Eilomar takes a young female apprentice to see Thanja after she has a run in with some boys....
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 4, day 26 of Turn 5

The group of apprentices blocked the hallway, apparently agitated and making loud chatter. Eilomar was rather dismayed to find his way blocked. "Break up, people, you block the corridor! Don't you have classes where you should be? Rikad, I do know you should be in instrument making class right now," he yelled. They didn't break up but turned to look at him. He noticed some very angry looks. He also noticed a crying girl in middle of the group. "What is going on here?" he asked with more reasonable tone. "Why is she crying, are you harassing her?" he gave the apprentices stern look.

"She started it," said one of the boys. "She doesn't deserve to be here. Crafts are for boys."

"Maybe she is a ..." began one of the others, only to stop when he saw Master Eilomar's face.

"She has been accepted as an apprentice, that means she belongs here, and she has a very promising mezzosoprano-voice," Eilomar said with frown. It was slowly occurring to him that if women were banned from craft again, he would lose half of his choir and some very good voices. That was more important to him that his own prejudices.

"Dagnia, come here, let's take this up to Hallsecond Thanja," he said.

The apprentice nodded and followed the Master Harper.

Eilomar led them to the Hallseconds office and knocked the door.

"Come!" called Thanja.

"Hallsecond, sorry to disturb you, but this is serious," Eilomar greeted and ushered the still weeping girl and her tormentor inside.

"What happened?" she asked as she gestured for the pair to sit down.

Something clearly wasn't right, and for Eilomar to have brought a girl here... Thanja really hoped that it wasn't the young apprentice in the wrong.

Eilomar explained the situation he had walked into. "She is my choir member, she was even at the performance in the Lord Holder's wedding at Emerald Falls hold. She deserves better treatment from her fellow apprentices," he finished and patted rather clumsily the girl's shoulder.

"I see," Thanja understood. "What did they say to you?"

"They suggested I should go home and start having babies and that they could help with that, getting the babies started, I mean," she replied, "but they used much ruder expression," she blushed. "I'm not some weyr sl..," she couldn't even finish the word.

"She is a good girl. I hardly ever yell at her," Eilomar replied. Thanja understood at last. "Well, we'll have them in here and have a little chat with them about their behaviour." Part of being in any craft meant knowing about proper behaviour, and Thanja had no doubt that these lads would soon learn it.

But for now, she needed to help the young girl. "You see my knots, don't you?" she said gently. "It took a lot of hard work to earn them. Maybe one day you two could have something like this, and it doesn't mean you can't have a husband and a family too. My husband and I have four children and we managed them, and to keep up with our craft, in fact, I got this..." She pointed to the knot that indicated the rank of Master in her craft, ".. before he did. Don't let a few stupid boys get in the way. Use this time as an apprentice to learn as much as you can."

The girl nodded and glanced from Thanja to Eilomar. "Hey, my mother was harper too," the fat singer said, a fact he mostly blissfully forgot.

"You can do this," Thanja assured her. "And one day you will be a wonderful crafter, and no doubt a mother and wife as well."

"Why don't I leave you to deal with it? I have class waiting and they up to no good by now," Eilomar said. Frankly, the whole situation was out his league.

"I can trust you to deal with those boys I take it?" Thanja asked of Eilomar.

"Yes, that I can handle," Eilomar replied. Now, dressing down someone, that he was good at.

"I'll leave you to that while this young lady and I have a little chat and get to know each other a bit better then."

Last updated on the October 1st 2009

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