Play For Me

Writers: Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 31st May 2012

Characters: Kwiksol, Jaylene, J'nne
Description: Jayonne needs a new violin and turns to Kwiksol for help, but Jaylene has other ideas
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 6

Jaylene

Kwiksol hummed as he walked through the brand new corridors of the
Harper Hall. As much as he'd enjoyed the freedom of the lifestyle of
the Weyr it was quite disruptive to his concentration while he'd been
there and he hadn't been quite a prolific in his instrument making.

He stopped at the door of his new shop. It was a thing of beauty, at
least to him. Benches held all the tools he needed to craft the
instruments he loved. There were instruments in various states of
construction and the one in the corner that was covered by a tarp at
the moment. One half of the room held tables and chairs for the
students and apprentices to work on their own projects.

At the moment there was no one here. All the apprentices were in their
morning classes and he had a couple of hours to work uninterrupted. He
walked toward the draped item in the corner.

A couple of voices drifted through a door. "I think it's here...this
sounds about right..." And then there was a knock on the door.

With a small sigh of regret he turned on his heel and change direction
toward the door. Only someone from outside the hall would actually
knock. "Come in," he called.

Two people entered, a female dragonrider and a younger man who had the
knots of a River Buff Weyr Journeyman harper. Both had the same stamp
about them that said that they were siblings, though the woman's hair
was more auburn than the black of her brother's. But both had the
same strong nose and large dark eyes that seemed to find fun wherever
they looked.

"Are you a violin maker?" the woman asked.

"I make all sorts of instruments but yes I do make violins," Kwiksol said.

"Ah good, I need a new violin," Jayonne spoke up. "One for a 6 turn
old child, a new student of mine." He smiled at the man to put him at
ease.

Kwiksol looked back and forth between the two noting the resemblance.
Internally he sighed. Must be nice having a dragonrider for a sibling.
He'd wished for one of his own but none had ever chosen him. "I may
have one that will work," he said and turned to some crates he had yet
to unpack. Choosing the correct one he pried open the lid and began
feeling through the shavings and straw packing materials. He pulled
out several violins sheathed in soft fabric but none were the correct
size until at last he came up with the right one. "Ahh, here we go."

He untied the cord and pulled the cover off the instrument. "I made
this one a few turns ago for a gifted but small apprentice. She was 11
turns at the time but had tiny hands. This may work." He handed the
instrument over to the other Journeyman.

Jayonne carefully took the fiddle, noting the neck was at the correct
angle and the slender enough for his student's hand to comfortably
play. He took out his tuning fork and began the long task of getting
it in tune. Whilst he did that Jaylene, who had wandered off a bit,
looking at the line of lap harps on a long table, nodded to Kwiksol.
"Are any of these made by you?"

"Yes actually," he smiled. "You can see my mark there." He pointed to
the small stamp that could be found on each of the pieces he'd
crafted.

"Ah, that one thing I always wanted to play, the harp." She sighed
and eyed the line of them wistfully. "My mother was a top violinist
at the Weyr so we were sort of 'encouraged' to follow in her
footsteps."

"Well," he smiled at the young woman. "Music _is_ a talent that runs
in families and it's never to late to learn a new instrument."

"Well maybe I'll have to start saving up my marks then," she flirted.

"Any one in particular catch your fancy," he asked in an equally
flirtatious tone. He'd lived long enough at the weyr not to be shocked
by an interested greenrider.

"Yes, one has." She smiled at him as she softly ran her fingers over
the strings of a tall lap harp.

The harper's gift lay in his ability to craft instruments but he also
knew how to play them at least well enough to test their tonality.
"That one is very nice," he smiled back.

"Could you play it for me?" The purr in her voice suggested he play
it in a more private room.

Kwiksol smiled. He'd been at the Weyr long enough to know what she was
suggesting. "Sure" he said lifting the piece. "We have practice rooms
back in this hall." he indicated with a door with a tilt of his head.

Jaylene smiled and walked into the room indicated, after giving her
kid brother a nod that said "get lost for a few."

Last updated on the July 1st 2012

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Play For Me