A Private Lesson Interrupted

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th November 2010

Characters: Almonteo, Florenzia
Description: The Hallmaster walks in on a journeyman's private lesson and finds a little inspiration...
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 11, day 3 of Turn 5

Almonteo

The Hallmaster wondered if his lovely wife would still be awake when he
got back to their quarters. And then he chided himself on his
stupidity. Of course she would be. She'd be awake, giving him angry
looks that he actually knew meant "I love you and I worry you're working
too hard." It had taken him many turns of marriage to realize this.
That poor woman had to put up with a lot to be married to the Harper
Hallmaster. Especially in a Weyr!

Putting his keys back in his pocket, he walked down the dim corridor,
wishing for moonlight filtering in through panes of glass rather than
glows in stone corridors, but that would come in time. He smiled when
he heard the sound of a tune drifting down the hall. It sounded like
some apprentice was practicing their flute way into the night. They
could get in trouble for breaking curfew, he thought, though he had a
soft spot for flute players, being one himself. Perhaps he should warn
them sternly on the way by, though he didn't have the heart to tell them
to stop. That had been him in his youth.

As he neared the sound he noticed something very strange. Through the
high staccato was clear and unmistakable, it sounded like no flute he
knew. Stopping outside the door he strained to hear it clearly. His
eyes widened slightly. "By Faranth, that's a voice!" Who was that?
Quietly, he opened the door.

"Again" said the Senior Journeyman giving her the voice lesson.
Florenzia closed her eyes and stood with a straight back as he played
the introduction on his gitar. It was always easier it seemed to
practice with her eyes closed. She could feel every nuance of what was
happening in her body and the way her throat felt producing the tone
when he told her she got it right.

She ran through the leading phrase and then skipped up and down the
credenza with a tone as clear as pebbles in a flowing brook.
Concentrating so hard on the pitch and placing her voice directly in
the center of the note she could hear every sound. But then she heard
a creak and jumped back as the door opened and the face of the
Hallmaster peered into the room.

"Are you two aware of the time? I do hope you cleared this extra
practice time with the Master of Apprentices." He eyed the journeyman
warningly. It was one thing for an apprentice to be overly eager, but
it certainly didn't look good for a journeyman to schedule late night
practices with female apprentices with no one else around.

Her eyes lowered, "I'm sorry Master," she said. "I'm not really an
apprentice sir." she said in a soft voice that belied her dynamic
singing of moments before. "I work in the kitchens as a baker. I just
asked for some lessons when neither of us had other duties."

"Well, that's fine in the Weyr, but we can't be having our journeymen
meeting with young women alone late at night. It just doesn't look
right. I don't mind if you want to practice, but please do it outside
of the Hall's space. Is that understood, both of you?" Almonteo cast a
warning glance at the journeyman who really should have known better.
Hopefully he wasn't taking advantage of this young ladies eagerness to
learn, but in the Weyr perhaps it didn't matter so much.

Her eyes filled with tears. Now she'd never learn to sing right. She
was up before the sun every day making bread and pies. There was no
'other time' for lessons. "I'm sorry" she said. She hadn't even
thought of what other people would think of her being here at this
time of night. "He didn't want to..." she started.

"Now, young lady," the Hallmaster said more gently, "I didn't say he
couldn't teach you. Just not _here_. There are practice rooms for the
Weyr's harpers to use. I'm sure the journeyman can walk himself all the
way down a few corridors to reach them." Though that one of his
journeymen would be taking on a private student from the Weyr for purely
altruistic reasons was a little hard for him to believe. "But, since
you are here, you of course can finish your practice, with," he added,
finger raised in emphasis, "a chaperon." He pulled a chair out from
against the wall and sat down in it. "Proceed."

She nodded suddenly petrified. The Harper Hallmaster was going to sit
there and listen? After her throat had tightened up to the size of a
straw of grass? The Journeyman said "Relax Florenzia." She nodded
again as her strummed the opening progressions. She reset her posture
and spread her feet slightly, knees unlocked.... she went through all
the instructions he'd given her on posture and then began the song
again.

The Hallmaster leaned forward and listened carefully to each note.
There was certainly a several bar long phrase in the chorus which really
did remind him of the sound of the flute - high and staccato, not at all
like a human voice was usually used. It intrigued him. As she finished
the song, he nodded approvingly, noting several places where she could
improve her sound, but that was hardly his problem. "Where did you find
this song, may I ask?"

The Journeyman spoke up. "I found it in the archives sir." he said.
"It was composed generations ago by a Master Composer and seemed to
particularly suit her voice."

"I would agree," Almonteo nodded. She certainly sang it beautifully.
He might have to speak to the Weyr Harper about fitting it into the
Turns End celebration, if she felt confident enough to perform in front
of the Weyr. It still needed a lot of work, but a showcase of locally
grown talent might be a nice way to bridge the gap between Weyr and
Hall. "I'm sorry, what is your name, young lady?"

Relief filled her and he didn't tell her she was worthless but started
asking questions. "I'm Florenzia, sir." she said modestly. "my father
is a Sr. Journeyman Baker." Which was why most of her time was spent
in the kitchens.

Almonteo was fairly certain he didn't know her father. "Well,
Florenzia, do you often perform in front of people?"

Her eyes got round "oh no sir." she said "I mostly just sing for my
family and... the kitchen staff."

Turns End was a rather intimidating place to make a debut. "Do you know
any other songs? Something a bit more... modern?"

She thought for a moment then smiled and named a popular ballad that
had recently been making the round of the hold. The Journeyman smiled
and began playing. He sang joined after the first chorus and she began
a variation in descant, making the whole thing almost into a round.

It was impressive, and would play well for the audience, he was sure.
"Would you consider singing in front of the dragonriders after a meal
sometime? Just to get a bit of practice performing in front of others?
It could be easily arranged, you know." And sometimes even the most
beautiful voice turned into a wherry's cackle under the pressure of
performance for those with stage fright.

She gulped at the thought but her eyes glowed with enthusiasm. She
nodded "Yes Sir!" she said. Looking back and forth between her teacher
and the hall master she grinned "I would love to try."

Last updated on the November 20th 2010

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A Private Lesson Interrupted