A Commission

Writers: AL, Clancey
Date Posted: 13th December 2009

Characters: Briata, Oglien
Description: Briata takes Oglien her sketchbook and he offers her a chance to work on a commission.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 15 of Turn 5

Briata

Briata clutched her sketchbook to her chest as she wandered back to the office she had visited a few days before. She was a bit nervous, though perhaps not as much as many in her position would be. She did hope the Master liked her sketches. She didn't think they're anything particularly spectacular, but she didn't want him to think that she had no talent. The girl knocked upon the door and peered in. "Excuse me, sir, you asked me to come see you before classes began." He probably remembered, but Briata felt better explaining. "I brought my sketchbook as well." She had tried to bring it the day after they had met the first time, but Master Oglien had been called away for a few days. He had finally returned, and Briata was starting her classes.

Master Oglien was in almost the same position she'd found him in last time. He was having trouble beginning his latest project. Solieira wanted a new tapestry for the new Weyrwoman and he had no idea of the pattern to choose. Usually he _knew_.

When Briata spoke, he glanced up toward the door and smiled at her. He closed his pattern book and beckoned her in closer. "Come in lass. You are right, I did want to see your sketchbook before you begin your lessons. Sit down."

Briata did as she was bid, then held out the book of hides to him. "Some of it are designs for clothing, but mostly they are embroidery or tapestry designs." She probably didn't really need to explain to him, but Briata did it anyway.

Oglien took the book of hides with interest, flipping through them slowly. He was quiet, only his face showing reactions as he found some particularly good designs.

Briata did her best to sit still and not show her nervousness. She was more nervous than he had been the first time she had come to him. What if he didn't like her designs? She wasn't sure if the expressions she saw indicated good or bad. What if he thought she wasn't worth letting into the craft? Really, it wasn't the end of the world, but Briata enjoyed her sewing and embroidery and even the designs that she did and yet his opinion of them weighed more upon her than she thought they would.

After some time, he peered up at the young woman sitting across from him. "Well, I'd say you have the beginnings of a good Weaver in you, lass. Your embroidery designs are exquisite and should find interested customers among the Lords and Ladies Holder. You seem to have captured their 'needs' very well." One of her tapestry designs was very interesting to him as well, perhaps for the new Weyrwoman.

"You will do fine in classes, lass. But I have need of you as well...." He flipped to one tapestry design in particular. "I have a commission from the Headwoman for the new Weyrwoman. I think this design would suit her. I
can Weave it, if you share your design with me. And it would be a fine opportunity for some private instruction for you. What do you say?"

A commission? Now that was not expected at all. Briata had thought bringing her sketches was more of...well, a sort of test of sorts, or even just to see what her skill level was at. But to have one of the designs actually be made by the Master? "Of course." How could she say no to that? He must have particularly liked the design, but which one? It must be one of the tapestries, perhaps one of the ones she had created since coming to the Weyr. "I would be honoured."

It had been Oglien's experience over the turns that design sometimes needed no training at all. Some people just were able to "capture" the essence of the design. Now, Weaving it into perfection was something else entirely. Many things existed in minds that could not be brought to cloth without turns of training.

"I like this tapestry here." It was an image of a gold dragon, like so many of them were, but this one was on the heights and looking back down into the Weyrbowl, and not outward. The expression was captured very well, he thought, for someone with no training in design or sketching. With a little fill in of the dragon's body and the background of a busy Weyr, he thought he could make a tapestry out of it.

"It looks as if she is protecting the Weyr, see? And normally we see that with bronze dragons, not so much the golds. Its quite good, actually, for a lass with no training at all."

"Really?" Briata flushed a bit at the praise, especially she hadn't really sought it out. Wow, a Master wanted to make a tapestry out of one of her designs! "Please use it if you find it worthwhile. I just hope the Weyrwoman likes it." Though she wasn't sure if she'd want the Weyrwoman to know that she had designed it. Briata didn't want too much attention brought upon herself, especially not after her disagreement with Zharesti.

Briata glanced at the book and then admitted, "I made that sketch rather hastily." She hadn't much time and just hadn't ever gotten around to getting back to the drawing. "I can broaden it if you like."

Master Oglien smiled and nodded. "Yes, that would be good. In fact, I'd like to help you with it. Perhaps you could spend a little time here in the evenings - half a candlemark or so, as I don't want to take you away from studies - and we can work on it together. No harm in a little extra teaching, lass, if you don't mind spending it with an old man." He smiled at her, glad to have a young student around again.

"I don't mind at all." To think she would get to work on a commission right off! For Zharesti of all people too! Well, despite their differences, Briata would still put all her effort into it. If anything, she'd work harder to be certain that the Weyrwoman was impressed. Hopefully, anyway, though surely with the Master working on it, she _would_ be impressed - but did Briata really want Zharesti to know? She'd have to think over that. "It sounds lovely, actually. I'll start right away on finishing the sketch and give it to you as soon as I've done so."

He nodded in agreement. "I'd say once you do that, we can start planning a few nights a sevenday to work on this together. I shall look forward to it, young woman. Now you had best be off to class, hmm?"

"Yes." Briata stood, then paused and looked back to the Master. "Thank you for giving me a chance." Before he could respond, the girl rushed out of his office.

Bemused, the Master looked after the young woman with raised eyebrows. Then he laughed and went back to work on his own projects. Ahh! The young!

Last updated on the December 20th 2009

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A Commission