Studying in the Record Room

[E]

Apri walked thru the doors that lead to the well lit records room. It was a vast room that held more records than anywhere on Pern. With many scribe tables and a small lounge area, it was Apri’s favorite place to be. In fact she has privately claimed one of the more comfortable chairs in one corner as her own.

Moving thru the shelves, Apri was pleased to find only a few upper-class men in the room, each busy with work. Coming to a section she was currently studying, she looked for a particular group of hides and took down a good portion of them. Moving to her seat, she fell into it with a sigh of pleasure as she kicked her thin legs over one arm rest and slouched down until her head rested on the other.

Placing the scrolls on her legs she began to read. This particular section she found rather interesting and she took several notes on her own hide. It was just before the disappearance of the dragonriders. She was fascinated by the turn of favor toward them and she felt the sorrow of the harpers of that time. Reading of numbers and small facts that were known of the then withdrawn Weyrs, she couldn’t help but be engrossed in the reading. It seemed that some form of sickness had taken hold… She struggled to find mention of a name for it, or even a description though…

[didster7]

Master Bartalan sat at the end of the long table. The record hides spread out about him. They were old hides from the last pass. Would he find the answers here? He glanced up for a moment as Apricus entered the room. A fine lass, that one, he thought as he watched her pick up some hides and take a seat to study.
Returning his attention to the problem he sighed. How could he prove to the Lord Holders that the Red Star was going to once again spin thread across Pern, when he couldn't find the right records to prove it to himself. Instinct told him that the pass was coming. The teaching ballads alone weren't enough. No one believed them anymore. He needed definate proof.
"The finger points to the eye blood red. Alert the Weyrs to sear the thread." "Star stone watch, scan sky..." Well scanning the sky had only proved that the Red Star was once again on the horizon. He was sure that the eye blood red had to be the Red Star, but whose finger?
He continued to study the old hides when he came across a reference to the finger rock and the eye rock. Like a bolt of lightening striking it all seemed so clear. Finger rock = Finger points. Eye blood red = eye rock.
Without thinking he jumped up and bellowed, "I found it." He had been so engrossed in his studies that he had momentarily forgotten his surroundings. With an apolegetic look to the others studying he sat back down and began planning. He would go up to the old abandoned Fort Weyr and see these stones.

[E]

A slight yelp joined the scrolls that went flying into the air as Apri jumped with a start. The voice of the Master had broken the silence rather efficiently and Apri found herself going limp across the chair catching her escaped breath. After a moment, she rolled off the chair to the floor where she began picking up the hides she’d let loose.

Wonder what he’s so excited about… Apri thought to herself. It must have been something rather important to have made him exclaim so loudly. She found herself wishing her own studies were proving so triumphant.

[didster7]

Master Bartalan had no sooner sat back down when he heard the flutter of scrolls landing on the floor and the slight yelp of someone frightened. He looked over to where Apricus was just slipping to the floor to retrieve the hides. Moving quickly he went to assist her. "I am very sorry for startling you lass." he said as his cheeks colored a bit. "I have been working on a very difficult problem and think I have stumbled across an answer." he added as he scooped up some of the hides that were scattered across the floor. "Let me at least help you return these to the proper order." He was still filled with excitement as he began to help arrange the hides, his hands trembling ever so slightly.

[E]

Hearing that the Master solved a difficult problem, she smiled happily. “Why that’s great news Master Baralan.” Accepting the hides he had picked up for her, she found herself curious. “If you don’t mind me asking, to what problem have you found an answer?”

Standing, Apri wrapped her arms around the hides that were once again in her possession. She wasn’t sure if she should be asking such interrogating questions of a Master, but her interest got the better of her. His excitement was obvious in both his voice and stance and she found it intoxicating.

[didster7]

Master Bartalan hesitated a moment before deciding to explain to Apri. Would she think him an old fool if he told her his opinion that thread was again coming? He knew that even some of the other Masters didn't believe. Pulling up another chair he indicated they should sit. "I would like to ask you a question Apricus," he said. "Do you believe that thread will ever return?"

[E]

Seeing the Master’s hesitation, Apri wondered if perhaps she shouldn’t have asked and hoped dearly that he wasn’t going to be mad at her curiosity. Seeing him pull out a chair and motion toward it, however, reset the smile on her face. Taking the seat, she listened to the harper with open ears.

“Of course you can, I’ll try to answer to the best of my ability.” she said cheerfully. The way he spoke gave her the impression that it would be a question of opinion, his next words confirmed it. “Thread?” she asked taken aback.

Pausing in thought, she glanced down at the hides in her hand and couldn’t help but laugh at herself. “I am not sure if I believe that it will return or not.” she answered truthfully. “But I do know that the disappearance of the Dragonriders was NOT due to disease alone and it… it scares me to wonder why they vanished… or how.”

An imagination too vivid for her own good, Apricus had invisioned everything to burrowed thread attacking from beneath the weyrs feet, to some magical spell that pulled them away from Pern, leaving it open to things worse than tithe’s. Like the rising tensions between the Lord Holders for example.

[didster7]

Master Bartalan listened to her answer and was encouraged by her truthfulness. He was glad that at least she was undecided and not firmly set in an opinion. Her fear at the loss of the dragonriders was the same gut twisting fear that he himself felt deeply. He was glad to see she atleast was interested. Taking a deep breath he started.

'Apricus, these are troubling times for me. I have seen with my own eyes the appearance of the red star at dawn. All the records indicate that with it's appearance comes thread. This is the first turn that the red star has been seen for hundreds of turns." he said, as he looked toward the east. "I don't know when but I do believe that it will once again spin thread onto Pern." he added with an emphasis on the word will. "We are harpers and I fear for the fate of Pern. I must know Apricus, for without dragons we have a very serious problem heading our way and I must convince the Lordholders so we can try to prepare.

[E]

Apri looked back up from the records, as if pulled back into reality as the Master started to explain himself. Her eyebrows raised, slightly surprised at his words and yet finding nothing but a tone of truth in his voice. Hearing that he had seen the red star with is own eyes mad her want to hit herself for not even thinking of looking, even in curiosity. His words made her imagine thread falling on Pern with no dragons to stand between them and the slivery bands. She shuddered involuntarily.

“Your words strike terror into me, Master.” she said truthfully as her eyebrows knit together in concern. “I had been so worried as to what happened to the dragon riders in my studies that I hadn’t even considered what it might mean in the future…” Taking a deep breath she tried to calm her newly frayed nerves.

“But how will you know for sure? How can you tell if the star will truly bring back Pern’s greatest enemy?” she asked, not seeing any possible way to be certain. Surely the dragonriders would have known how to tell… But those men were long gone from this planet and everything had been taken with them in their wake. Or so the records had said… Did the Master know something she did not? Then again, it wasn’t a surprising thought as she was only an apprentice.

[didster7]

Master Bartalan could see the fear in her eyes. It was probably reflected in his own eyes. "I don't mean to frighten you lass, but if what I believe can be proved then we all should be scared out of our wits. I have been going through some of the older records and found mention of something I believe helped the dragon riders determine when thread would come. It has to do with a particular arrangement of stones called star stones. It just occured to me moments ago when certain teaching ballads came to mind" he explained. Drawing a long breath he began the recitation.

Seas boil and mountains move,
Sands heat and dragons prove
Red Star passes.
Stones pile and fires burn,
Green withers, arm Pern.
Guard all passes.
Star stone watch, scan sky.
Ready the Weyrs, all riders fly;
Red Star passes.

The Finger points
At an Eye blood-red.
Alert the Weyrs
To sear the thread

"It never occured to me why the words Finger and Eye were uppercase until I found mention of the finger rock and the eye rock. Those stone are somehow the key. I must make a journey to the old abandoned Fort Weyr, Apricus, and see these things for myself." he finished.

[E]

Apri leaned back in her chair, lips pursed, as she considered his words. What did they mean? Was his deduction sound? And above all else, What will happen if he is right? What could Pern do to arm itself against thread when it no longer boasted dragons? The thoughts shook her mind and she found herself at a loss for answers. After a moment she came to a realization; she’d never answer such questions thinking about them.

Hasselnut eyes came back to focus as she pulled herself from her thoughts and looked into the Master’s face, her decision made. “Is it allowed to enter the abandoned Weyr’s?” she asked, “Would you need any help? I could… I could scribe for you… or something…” Apri silently scolded herself as her own timidness finally grabbed hold of her again. Was she in the right place to be asking to follow a Master to Fort Weyr? A haunted and dangerous place?

[didster7]

Master Bartalan sat waiting for a reply. She will be a good harper, he thought as he watched her mull over the situation.

“Is it allowed to enter the abandoned Weyr’s?” she asked,

"It isn't strictly forbidden, but it is discouraged. Mainly to keep curious apprentices from going up there and getting hurt."

“Would you need any help? I could… I could scribe for you… or something…”

Master Bartalan watched as Apri's expression went from confident to doubtful. How could he teach her not to doubt herself. He had just made the decision to go to Fort Weyr and he would need some help. Should he take her, he wondered. It might be dangerous. Well, she should be safe enough if he just allowed her to scribe. Master Bartalan made his decision.

"Lass, there is a difference between being pushy and asking permission. I have never known you to be pushy." Master Bartalan chided her gently. "Your request was genuine and helpful. I will need someone to scribe for me. This journey might be dangerous Apricus, do you think you are ready?"