A Difference of Opinion

Writers: Dawn, Noola
Date Posted: 27th March 2010

Characters: Fellana, Menrik
Description: What: Fellana and Menrik have a disagreement
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 8, day 15 of Turn 5

Menrik entered the classroom, guitar case in hand. He was early, and
knew it, but he needed a little extra time to be sure that his guitar
was tuned properly for the class. He hadn't had a chance last night to
do so.

A quick glance showed the room was empty, save for one person. One of
the female 'apprentices' that had swarmed into the Hall when it came
to the Weyr. She was seated where he usually liked to sit for this
class, which didn't endear her to him further. A slight tightening of
his lips was the only sign of his annoyance though, as he took a
nearby seat.

Fellana noticed the man walk in out of the corner of her eye, but did
not miss the tight expression on his face as he saw her. She sighed
inwardly, wondering if he was another one that did not like women in
crafts. She strummed lightly on her guitar, humming softly, as she
continued to watch him covertly.

Menrick removed his guitar from its case and began tuning it. He
strummed notes and chords and adjusted the strings as needed by ear.
The girl nearby was humming as she played, and it was not unpleasant.
Of course a lot of girls had pleasant singing voices, didn't mean that
they should be harpers.

Still watching the other Senior Apprentice, Fellana began strumming the

song she'd been humming, now beginning to sing softly so as not to
disturb the man, who appeared to be about her age and she recognized
from around the hall. She couldn't recall his name, however.

He'd recognized the tune the girl was playing and humming as one of
the older teaching songs even before she began putting words to it. He
listened with half an ear as he continued turning his instrument, but
then he noticed something. "That's not right," he said with a frown,
stopping his work to look over at the girl.

Fellana stopped playing to look directly back. "Excuse me?" she said,
eyebrow arched.

"You just sang the wrong words for that song," Menrick pointed out,
his tone a bit like one would use with a particularly dim child. But
really, how could she not realize she'd sung the wrong words? It was
an old song! Even a girl should know it by heart.

"If I were singing it the traditional way the song was composed, then
yes, the words would be wrong." Her gaze was cool and composed as she
spoke to him.

If she was... "You changed the song? You don't change a teaching
song!" He was shocked, and it showed. The whole point of the teaching
songs was that they didn't change, didn't she know that? They were
tools used to teach and because of that, they had to remain the same,
so the lesson could be learned the same from turn to turn. If people
started fiddling with them all willy-nilly, who knows what might be
taught in the future. Leave it to a girl to do something so foolish!

"And why not? Where is it written that we may not?"

"Where's... It's common sense!" He spluttered in reply. Something
girls were obviously in short supply of if he had to explain such a
thing.

"And I ask again, why not? Because it's common sense? Where is the
logic in that?" She was a little irritated, but for some reason, he
amused her. The only reason people spouted nonsense such as his reply
was because they didn't have an answer and no real reason for their
anger or opinion. Sometimes people had opinions that had no basis in
fact.

He took a deep and steadying breath and prepared himself to explain
what shouldn't need explaining, "If people go around changing teaching
songs however they like, then the lessons the songs teach might get
lost. There's a reason those songs haven't been changed since the day
they were written. It's so children are all taught the same things
turn after turn." There, surely this foolish girl couldn't find a way
to argue -that-.

"Admittedly. _If_ I were teaching children with this song, I would be
at fault and you _might_ have reason to call me on it. However, as far
as I can tell, there is only you and I in this room and I am not
exposing any children to a song that I was singing solely for my own
pleasure."

"It's the principle of the thing," the boy returned. "If you're
perfectly alright with changing up teaching songs, even if you -think-
no one will hear it, what else are you alright with doing?" Besides
ignoring the fact that women had no place in crafting, of course, he
added silently. "And how do you know sometime some child might not
overhear your changes and get confused?"

"I don't. However, I am not the only through time to change them a
bit, to leave the message the same, yet easier for children to
understand. And further, the tune in question has been heard and
approved as appropriate by a master." She looked at his shoulder
knots, which were the same as hers. "As a Senior Apprentice, do you
think to speak for any Masters of the craft?"

"That didn't sound like 'a bit' to me, you used completely different words!"

"And once again, I ask you, do you presume to speak for craft masters?"

He made an impatient sound, "I don't know of any different versions of
teaching songs. As different as what you just did anyway. Find me some
evidence of that, and we'll talk again."

She stood, her eyes flashing, but her tone even. "Find me some
evidence that I somehow either need or want _your_ approval and we'll
speak again. Otherwise, you are just spouting off and need to find
something else to do with your time." He'd simply ignored her
questions and then points she had made, which irritated her, but she'd
dealt with worse before and would most likely do so again.

Taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, if not tone, he blinked
in surprise. Whatever reply he was about to give was interrupted by
the entrance of several other apprentices and the class's instructor.
He shrugged, deciding to let it drop. He would never understand
females who decided to craft.

Fellana resumed her seat and turned her attention on the instructor.
She shook her head slightly, not quite understanding what his point
had been, but she suspected it hadn't been about the song, but about
her being a female or something equally ridiculous.

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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A Difference of Opinion