Harper

Posted on Tue Feb 25th, 2025 @ 3:48am by Master Craftman Mari & Sr Journeyman Halia

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: Harper Storage Room, River Cover Weyr
Timeline: M2 D24

Halia was a nervous wreck as she tried to find what she was looking for in the Harper stores. Maybe she should have cleaned it up before now but the Master Harper had not mentioned it and she had been more interested in keeping the weyr children distracted enough not to run amuck with threadful this morning. She was feeling nausea rising at the thought of another master harper there and one that was from the north. Who knew what they would feedback? Would that feedback make them move her when she loved the Weyr and more importantly loved her brown rider and the life she had built? She did not want to leave to go somewhere boring, somewhere where she was expected to hide herself. She turned back finally able to grab out a drum and yelped at the person in the corridor.

Now it was Mari’s turn to be startled. She jumped slightly and then broke into a grin and a small laugh escaped her lips. “Sorry,” she said automatically. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Halia stood there looking a little confused for a moment before her brain caught up with her body and she noticed the master knots. “You are master harper Mari right?” The young woman said politely putting the drum down.

“The one and only,” replied Mari with a strange sort of sheepishness, like she was somehow bewildered by the fact. “Which must make you Journeywoman Halia.”

Halia blushed more if it was possible. She was not exactly unknown in the Weyr and it made it more difficult by the fact she was the only blonde harper which made her easily recognisable. She was also the one due on stage that night.

“Indeed I am.” Halia assured quickly. “So how can I help you?”

“I’m supposed to inspect the drums on the heights,” explained Mari, “but first, I want to check the skins in the stores- if there are any- to make sure we’ve got enough suitable ones to replace them, if we need to. I could probably find them faster if you can show me where they would be,” she added with a friendly smile.

Halia stepped aside to show that she had been getting the drums and spares out with a flourish. “I had been sent down to sort it out.” She admitted wishing she had, had a chance to get someone larger to get out but there they were.

“Wow, you’re on top of things!” replied Mari in delight as she flicked her fingers through the layers of skins. “Oh, there’s plenty here. Ooo, this one is beautiful!” she added, flipping three skins over to expose the fourth. It didn’t look like anything special but a quick touch would reveal how soft and supple it was. “I’m not sure I’d want to use it on the heights, though. This one’s too nice for that kind of use.”

"It's the spare I believe for the big drum Tomass used for bigger celebrations like Hatchings or Turns end when he wants to make a scene with his music," Halia said good-natured thinking on her friend. He was a big guy but the weyrbrats loved him and the lessons he gave despite how scary he looked at first.

Likes to make a scene. That sounded familiar. “It seems he and I have something in common,” Mari commented. “I’ll have to enlist him when I eventually perform.”

"Possibly." Halia smiled a little more as she pulled out several more spares and other items as she wanted to check everything before she confirmed that there were no more items to check over.

“There are plenty of suitable ones, I think,” Mari commented idly. She was terrible at small talk. It was the one Harper skill she had never mastered. But, that didn’t stop her from trying.

"Good." Halia smiled putting several things aside so she could move a little. "Is there anything else you need in this storage room before I start putting stuff back?" She wondered throwing her braid over her shoulder as she suveryed what she had in front of her.

“I don’t think so,” replied Mari, glancing around. The other supplies she would need were rarely in short supply. In fact, she saw the twine and glue on a shelf and wood shavings were easy to come by if she needed to make a patch. “No, that should be all,” she added. “Here, I‘ll help. Oh, this hand drum looks familiar.” She flipped it over to check the mark and sure enough, recognized her own brand burned into the inside of the frame. She grinned. She had made so many of these as a journeyman, she was constantly running across them everywhere.

“One of yours, Master? I find guitars I’ve made all over the place.” Halia said picking up another drum to put back in with a sigh. Why did she feel so weak at the moment? Weak and with a strange taste in her mouth that she could not explain at all.

Having been raised by two healers, Mari was able to pick up on when someone was feeling a bit off and this was no exception. Though she didn’t know the journeywoman at all, she could still see signs of fatigue. “Are you okay?” she asked automatically, genuinely concerned.

“Just tired.” Halia said offering a smile. “Been a long couple of days preparing for the gather. Lots of practicing and getting up early and going to bed late.” She assured quickly turning to put more items away.

“You should probably get more rest,” Mari commented, stacking another of her hand drums onto the shelf. “Are you eating enough? Drinking enough water? It’s easier to get dehydrated in southern because it’s so much warmer and-” She stopped herself suddenly. “I sound like my mother,” she said with a shake of her head. “You know all about dehydration, I’m sure. You’ve been here longer than I have. Your whole life, maybe.”

"My whole life." Halia assured smiling at the concern. It was nice that someone was concerned for her but she really was not worried just feeling a little run down. "I will take your suggestions though. I am sure my Weyrmate would be saying the same as you." The blonde said fondly thinking of the brown rider not caring what the woman thought, the man was the most honourable man she had met and they were in the Weyr.

Harpers, however, have always been more liberal than the rest of Pern. Plus, Mari’s brother was a rider, which gave her a better understanding of life at the Weyr. So she just smiled. “I’ll bet he would,” she agreed. “Or she, as the case may be,” she amended, realizing the other woman had not specified.

"He..." Halia smiled as she realized that the woman was not like the normal northern folk that she had met as she had instantly corrected and stated that she had made a mistake. "S'lei... I am sure you will meet him later on." She assured thinking that the man came to a lot of her performances.

“I look forward to it,” replied Mari with a smile. She stowed a tambourine on a shelf with the others- none of them hers- and she glanced around to make sure all was in order. “Well, I suppose I should actually look at the drums. Do you have time to show me to the heights? I don’t want to keep you from your duties,” she added in case the other woman was busy with other tasks.

"Oh, this is my duty for the next few candlemarks." She admitted with a laugh as she put the final item away and closed the door with a flourish. "It is not far and we both have flat shoes if you are ready we can go now." Halia thought they could get it done and then be back for dinner time and her set.

“May as well,” agreed Mari. She doubted she could actually get everything done today, but at least she could have a look and make a plan. With any luck, the repairs would be easy and she’d be back at the hold in a couple of days. “Lead the way,” she added with a grin, and the two of them set off toward the drum heights.