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Post by Memorie on Apr 19, 2006 15:43:33 GMT -5
"Well, I think that even if the Lords Holder were completely always open to us frisking away their children, we would still have more Weyrbred Impressions than Hold-bred. And that's for the simple fact that two people who have the ability to Impress will impart that ability onto their children. Holdbred often don't have that innate ability to understand a dragon, so most of the time, their children don't either. I'd say it's about sixty-forty, to the Weyrbred."
The Weyrwoman served herself and her guess from the Hearth, where a light soup was simmering next to a pot of klah. "Klah, my dear?" she asked politely.
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 19, 2006 17:36:49 GMT -5
Kaminari listened quietly. Intresting then, so the favor was for the Weyrbred but not nearly as strongly as she had suspected nor from what she had gleaned from Harper record. The Master would not be pleased about those inaccuracies
"That sounds wonderful thank you." The Harper nodded her thanks when the Weyrwoman offered her the klah. A warm cup sounded simply fabulous right about now. And in Kami's book a strong cup of klah ranked right behind a Benden white.
"Lucky for the Holders," She said with a laugh, "if more children were worthy for dragons they might face depopulation." Kami grinned knowing that Merda knew as well as she did how fast the holdbred reproduced. It would take alot more than a Weyr to depopulate the larger holds.
"So it the dragons who know who is suitable right? Is there any way for people to tell?"
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Post by Memorie on Apr 19, 2006 20:23:41 GMT -5
When her Harper fell silent, Merda turned concerned eyes upon her. "Oh, my dear, I didn't mean for that to sound as...caustic, maybe, as it did. You have to also understand that a lot of our men riders, and we have plenty, sometimes choose a girl not because of any suspected ability to Impress a dragon, but because they think she's a pretty catch. Do you understand what I mean?" Merda handed Kaminari a cup of good klah. "And some girls beg to be taken to the Weyr. To some girls, especially from the larger Holds, the Weyr is a place where they won't be expected to bear child after child until they are old and empty and tired. They choose this life, becoming our servers and nannies and, one of them, our very own Headwoman," Merda continued in her instructive fashion, flashing a quick, easy smile at their Headwoman from across the room. She led the both of them up to the Head Table, where she pulled out a chair for her company, and then seated herself.
"So it's the dragons who know who is suitable right? Is there any way for people to tell?" Kaminari asked. Merda smiled at the girl; a Harper who asked questions was a good Harper indeed. The MasterHarper had done Merda and her Weyr a favor with this one.
"Some people can tell, but only if the candidate-to-be exudes that unmistakable force. Some people are just very powerful, in mind, more often, than strength. It's very hard to put to words, you see, but a very few people have a bit more something to them than others. These people can sometime sway people's emotions or words, and dragonmen are very noticing of this, as all dragonmen have more of something than the general population. When a dragonman notices, he Searches out the source, and brings it to the Weyr. Some of our best Weyrwoman have had this extra bit of whatever it is."
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 19, 2006 21:03:24 GMT -5
A slow grin spread across her face at the mention of the male riders wisking away pretty girls. The ones she'd met so far certianly lived up to that sort of statement. Taking a sip of klah, Kami savored it. Ahh a good strong brew, just the way klah should be. She took another sip and sat as the Weyrwoman continued her explanations to the Harpers seemingly endless questions. The part about leaving a hold because of childbearing certianly rang true with herself. She'd been with enough men and seen enough pregant women to understand that desire. But then a small part of her mind always wondered why she'd never gotten with child. Kaminari snapped back as the topic shifted again.
So people could tell too, somehow she understood exactly what the Weyrwoman was talking about. It didn't particualrily make sense but she understood. There were people who simply just had a feeling about them. Kaminari nodded again.
"I understand exactly what you mean. Some just have a certain presence about them," She grined, "we Harpers are trained to pretend to it. But there are a few who have that extra something."
"And I can certainly understand why some would beg to come to the Weyr, it is a world on its own. The longer I stay here the more obvious it seems why the Holdbred and Weyrfolk don't get on well. The lifestyles are nothing alike, their whole worlds are almost uncomprehensible to each other."
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Post by Memorie on Apr 23, 2006 15:54:44 GMT -5
"It's true, and some craftbred and holdbred children brought here on Search have a very hard time adjusting to the Weyrs...er, ethics, as they are," Merda said, smiling into a mug of klah. "But most adjust alright, and some begin to love it. Of course, it is always an option to become weyrmated with one rider, and some follow this path." Taking a sip of her soup, Merda sat back. "Now, that is good for the old bones. I am getting old, you know," she said, smiling. "Of course, you're only as old as you feel you are, I've always said. Speaking of age, how old are you, Harper Kaminari, and why are you not being presented as a candidate for my clutch?"
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 23, 2006 19:44:55 GMT -5
Kaminari grinned, it was a very easy thing to do to ajdust to Weyr life. At least it had been for herself. The Weyrwoman's question caught her a bit off gaurd and she laughed lightly.
"I am 18 turns M'lady, just walked the tables. I'm afraid a Weyr assignment was the Masters way of getting me out of their hair. She had taken a silp of klah before the second question and nearly choaked with laughter.
"It seems you're fair fit to be a Harper yourself." Kaminari grinned brightly. "It was Z'rion's Viderieth m'lady. But as for standing, I'm not quite sure I am cut out to be a rider."
She paled slightly, in truth the idea of standing at a Hatching really did scare her silly. But the promise of having that sort of love... It was sore tempting.
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Post by Memorie on Apr 26, 2006 16:05:39 GMT -5
"Well," Merda sniffed, jokingly, "You'll have to be there, of course. To compose a proper ballad of Caliath's prowess in egg-laying." Merda winked at the girl, smiling. "Besides, you wouldn't want to miss a Hatching for anything in the world, believe me." She took a dainty sip of soup. "And as for your Masters, I shall be sending them a message directly telling them what a good addition you've been to my Weyr." Another sip, and the bowl of soup was completely empty.
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 26, 2006 17:04:11 GMT -5
Kaminari nursed the mug of Klah drinking it slowly and laughed jovialy with the Weyrwoman.
"Oh I am sure that can be arranged. Though I must muse over it a good long time, one wouldn't dream of offending Caliath with less than perfect lyrics."
The Harper laughed again and nodded.
"Well if you say I should then I will m'lady. And as far as my Masters go I think seeing their expressions when that comes would be something I'll keenly miss seeing."
They really had sent her to the Weyr for lack of a better thing to do with her skills. Well it wasn't really her skills but the pandemonium she caused with the young males of the Hall. The Weyr was a neat and clean solution for them as well as placing her in an enviornment she would flourish in. The Harper took another sip of the cooling klah, a message from the Weyrwoman, oh wouldn't that surprise those dodgey old men like nothing else could.
"Many thanks for the compliment m'lady, if my luck holds I'd be most happy to stay on here."
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Post by Memorie on Apr 28, 2006 21:02:21 GMT -5
Merda grinned. "Of course, perfect lyrics for a perfect queen."
That's lip service if I've ever heard it, the dragon replied. Merda laughed.
"Caliath says that's just flattery," Merda told Kaminari, relaying the message. "And we'll make sure your luck stays. You're the best Harper I've had in years. J'ren always manages to run them off, the old geezer. He's absolutely horrible sometimes, you know," Merda said confidentially. "But I love him," she sighed. "We're weyrmates, you know. Have been forever, it seems."
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 29, 2006 12:24:43 GMT -5
Once again Kami found herself grinning brightly and inclined her head.
"Its what Harpers are best at." She said with a wink. "We've found it does wonders for smoothing over relations."
The Harper shrugged, still grinning. "Besides if I turned out anything less, I think your riders would have my hide."
At the mention of J'ren, Kami laughed. Oh he wasn't so bad, she dealt with much worse Lords in her time. The ones that though Harpers were a waste and refused to deal with them was the worst. What would lie be without singing and dancing. Those men really all had ash for brains. She noticed Merda's happy sigh and almost envied the Weyrwoman her contentment. But she wouldn't trade her freedom for anything.
"He'll have a harder time scaring me away m'lady." Kami grinned again, dark eyes merry.
"You Weyrfolk are much better company than stuffy holders."
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Post by Memorie on Apr 30, 2006 11:29:43 GMT -5
"I bet he will," Merda said, nodding. The girl seemed vivacious...J'ren might even like this one. "And I'm glad that we're better company. I think it's because we aren't so...conservative." She laughed.
"So. Why become a harper, Kaminari?"
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Post by lyricalblue on Apr 30, 2006 14:03:21 GMT -5
Kaminari grinned and shrugged.
"I was born to it M'lady, both my father and brother were Harpers."
She didn't mention her mother, it was still hard. Even after all these years remembering her simply wasting away while not a soul could do anything to help her. Oh it was hard alright.
'It was all our father could do to keep track of my brother and I really."
She grinned again, that itself was completely true, both children had been quite the handful, but stick a lute in their hands and she and her brother would be quiet all day.
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Post by Memorie on May 2, 2006 22:42:47 GMT -5
Merda silently noticed that the girl did not speak of her mother. It's not really what people say, but what they don't, she thought to herself. Tactfully, she did not ask.
"I see. So is your brother a Harper as well, m'dear? I have no brothers of my own, you see. Always wished that I had them when I was younger, though."
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Post by lyricalblue on May 3, 2006 0:20:49 GMT -5
Kami winced slightly at the present tense but what could Merda do, the Weyrwoman couldn't have known.
"Was m'lady, he was lost at sea."
Ah family such a painful subject. It really didn't have to be, but ah she missed them. Even that stubborn father of hers; someday she really had to go back and reason with him. Their last parting being in hard words didn't sit very well with the young woman anymore.
"He was a Harper though m'lady. He just been assigned to a Hold after he walked the tables. The ship just never arrived." Painful yes, but something she could talk about.
The past was simply something she delt with, as much as she missed them she tried her hardest not to regret. What point was there in that anyway. Kami took another sip out the almost empty cup. But the lonliness of it really ate away at one sometimes, so Kami had come to the conclusion it was best just not to think about it.
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Post by Memorie on May 6, 2006 18:50:48 GMT -5
Merda wasn't oblivious to the girl's wince, and she knew she had struck a chord with the Harper. "Well, I am sorry for your loss. But you know you miss him, and he you. Besides, the ones we love never really leave us, you know," she said. "I'm sure he was a great journeyman, if he was related to you."
Glancing over, she saw the young woman's cup almost empty. "More klah, Kaminari? Or perhaps some wine. Either way, I think one more glass, and then I must retire to Caliath. We grow tired easily now, I'm afraid."
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