The Usual Meeting

Writers: Noola, Paula
Date Posted: 7th April 2010

Characters: Sarban, Barnek
Description: Sarban and Barnek have their usual meeting.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 13 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Erassa, Corowal

Unlocking the door to his office, Sarban walked inside and cracked it
slightly. He didn't want it completely closed, but he didn't want it
wide open either. The corridor was busy and noisy at times. Making
sure the beverage server was fresh, he then went about going through
the things on his desk. There was a pile for filing, a pile for going
through, and another one that needed to be scraped and put it in the
new bin.

Barnek knocked on the slightly opened door to the Steward's office,
knowing the man was inside - the door wouldn't be open if not. He was
a little earlier than usual for the bimonthly meeting he had with
Sarban, but he was hoping to get today's meeting over quickly so he
could get a little extra time in for the grading he needed to do.

Looking up at the knock, Sarban thought it might be the harper. "Come
in please.." He was standing behind his desk, taking stock.

"Steward," Barnek greeted as he entered the office.

"Harper. Have a seat. Klah, water?" Locating the hide where he'd put
the things he wanted to talk about, he sat down himself, triumphant.

"I'm fine, thank you." Barnet took the offered seat across the desk from Sarban.

"First, is there anything that you'd like to bring up?" Of course, harpers
were a great source of news, both at home and abroad. Sarban wanted
to take the opportunity to hear if Barnek had news.

"Well, as you know, I spend most of my day with children. They are not
always the most useful or reliable sources of information." Barnek
leaned back slightly in his seat. "However I did hear something
interesting in class the other day. The Lord Holder's boys were
discussing the fact that their father is spending an unusual amount of
time with a woman named Erassa."

"That'd be the fostermother that takes care of his children. Perhaps he
wants to make sure they are learning what they should?" Of course the
Steward had other ideas knowing Corowal, but he wasn't about to voice
them in front of the harper.

"Perhaps, though it wasn't the impression I was getting," Barnek
replied doubtfully. "Besides, I have a monthly meeting with the Lord
Holder about that very thing. Unless he thinks I am deceiving him
about their progress in some way, he wouldn't need to check up on
that." The thought was a disturbing one. For a man who put the
education of his students at the top of his priorities, the idea that
someone - much less the Lord Holder himself - would think he'd lie
about their progress was insulting.

"Barnek, it may not be on your end. It may be on the childrens'. Just
because you teach them something doesn't mean they necessarily
comprehend it. So perhaps he just wants Erassa to make sure that
they are indeed understanding." He shrugged. Sarban didn't have kids
so he had no idea how all that worked, but it sounded good to him.
Cover up for cousin. He'd definitely have to have a chat with Corowal
to tell him to be a little more discreet.

That appeased the harper some. Over-worried parents - and he supposed
a Lord Holder would exemplify such - were nothing new to a seasoned
teacher, after all. "Well, that's understandable, I suppose."

"Do you have all the materials you need?" Sarban could make sure to
requisition more from supplies if he was running low.

"I will be needing some new slates, actually." The slates were
reusable, of course, but even the most careful children had accidents
with them and when they broke, they needed replacing. With the
additions to class since the fire, he had gone through the extras he
had set aside for such cases and would like to replace them.

Making a note of that on his to-do list, Sarban nodded to himself.
"So how do you think the new orphans are doing? Are they on the
same level..adjusting to life here?"

"I can't speak to all of them, of course, but the ones I'm teaching
are doing fairly well. There was a little difficulty at first, but
they've been adjusting well enough. I think having a steady routine is
helping. Getting them involved in classes right away was a good idea."

"Glad to hear that. We're making adjustments for having more fosters
than usual." They'd decided it was best to keep them as close to home as
possible. "Hopefully soon some of them will be apprentice age."

"There are two boys in my class I will probably be recommending to the
Harper Hall soon and another one who seems like a good fit with the
weavers, though it'll be another turn for him at least." Barnek paid
attention to what his students did outside his classroom and he'd
noticed the younger boy hanging about the Hold's weavers, watching
them work.

"That's wonderful. So Barnek..I'm sure you know that the harper hall
will be coming back here soon." Sarban left that open ended for him
to respond.

"It's very exciting," the harper replied.

"You're familiar with what happened before aye?" Sarban frowned slightly.

"I don't think there's a harper alive who isn't familiar." Barnek
leaned forward a bit, "Do you think something like that is likely to
occur again?"

"Not on that scale no. Do I think that people might be disgruntled if they see
female apprentices flaunted around? Yes." Sarban shuffled a few hides. "Which
is why I need you to listen to the kids' whispers, Barnek. They echo
their parents."

"Certainly, Steward," Barnek agreed easily. "The last thing anyone
wants is for the new Hall to be marred by disaster. I will pass word
along to the other teachers as well." If such unrest were to take
place, it would be more likely among the parents of the lower classed
children, but he'd certainly be keeping an ear out amongst his own
students as well. Especially with the new transplants he had.

"Well that was all I had really, unless there was something else you
wanted to mention." He marked off the meeting from his list of things
to do.

"No, nothing else. I'll see you if I hear anything." Barnek stood to
go, thinking about the things that had been discussed.

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Usual Meeting