Master Harper; an Introduction (S'hon)

[E]

Conaire stretched, nearly letting out a loud yawn before he realized there was a light weight laying upon his chest. Pressing his lips together, he opened his eyes to find himself sitting in one of his many chairs, hide in one hand an the other wrapped around a small child who had, like him, had fallen asleep at some point in the night.

Sighing happily to himself, he reached to the stand next to him and set down the hide before putting his arm gingerly beneath her legs while the other rested on her back. Gingerly standing, he moved the side room of his suite made for a personal storage of instruments and clothes. Conaire, however, had redesigned it to accommodate the child long ago. A small desk next to the window and a comfortable bed were the main objects. There also stood a wardrobe for her and the walls were decorated with the girls many drawings. If there was one thing Conaire spared no expense for it was his little Shari.

Setting her carefully in the bed, he pulled up her blankets and covered her before retreating from the room and closing the door gently behind him. Now moving to the washroom, he refreshed himself silently and changed before a knock on the door came. Behind it was his mother, though well into her turns she was still able to move around well enough.

“She’s asleep in her room. I’m afraid I have work that must be done so I cannot break fast with you this morning.” He said, speaking softly as he gave the older woman a kiss on the cheek. The woman nodded knowingly before shooing him out the door and going about cleaning his suite just as she had done since his wife and her husband had passed in the same turn.

Walking not too far down the hall, Conaire turned and opened another large door, this one leading to his office rather than his suite. Having been gone the past few sevendays to visit his brother’s youngest child’s wedding, the man had much to go thru. Sitting comfortably in his chair, he paused to wonder if he should get a cup of klah first. Knowing full well that his mother would send some his way, however, he decided work needed to come first so that he could visit classes later that day.

Picking up the first page in a generous pile of hides, he sighed as he found a list of journeymen needed new assignments. Putting it back down, he leaned back in his chair and regarded the enormous map on the wall to his left. The map that had been the same for turns now, changing only with a small holds improvement, was now slowly shifting as one flag in particular seemed to be slowly swallowing the rest of the map where independent holds should have been flying their own flag. What was he going to do with the man?

A knock came at the door, shaking the MasterHarper from his thoughts as he answered, allowing them in. His eye brows rose slightly as he found the drudge with a fresh pot of klah and a clean mug not the only one at the door…

[shawncameron]

S’hon paced himself as he walked down the scaringly familiar hall, his hard riding boots making steady clumping sounds with every step. He had only been to the Harper hall once, when he was a young boy, but as he had approached the great hall and walked through its impressive doors all of the memories came flooding back. How long had it been since he had snuck into these halls with his brother? 18 turns at least…

He was dressed in his normal black attire though the cut of that of a northern man from High Reaches, his home hold. On his shoulder was the knot of a Journeyman Beastcrafter. Would this have been his real knots had that dragon not come? He shook his head preferring not to think about it. He hadn’t thought about it in turns why should he start now?

Clearing his mind S’hon slipped one hand out of his coat pocket signaling for one of the drudges, one carrying a tray with what appeared to be breakfast to stop. His board expression and High Reaches accent gave the woman no reason to question him and she smiled as she led him to the Master Harpers suites. The smile did not last long however when he did not return it the ice in his eyes seeming to make the very halls just a little colder then they should be.

He stood silently behind the woman as she knocked on the door, seeming to slide in to get away from him just as much as to give the man his food. Both hands back in his pockets S’hon’s cold board eyes looked the older man over before he lifted his hands out and bowed at the waist to the man. “Sir.” he stood back up eyeing the drudge before looking back, “I have a message.” But he was not going to give it to him with someone still there.

[E]

Conaire smiled at the drudge, a smile that did not fade like hers had as he looked into the ice cold eyes of the dark man at the door. All dressed in commonly seen clothes complete with a set of knots and a genuine accent, Conaire found himself close to making the same mistake the woman hand. It was, however, the skin that gave the man away. It was too dark to be from Highreaches, the look he seemed to have been striving to attain. Not only that, his eyes seemed to be hiding something? Conaire thanked his lucky star that he had become a master at reading people like any good MasterHarper would be able to.

?Thank You Nania.? He said, turning his eyes back to the drudge as she left the room without hesitation. It was true, she did not want to be near the man she had lead in. Turning his eyes back to the dark man before him, he picked up his mug and sipped at it for a moment in silence before putting it down and leaning forward in his desk, his smile still present.

?Please have a seat young man.? He said simply as he reached out a hand to him in offer of a shake. ?Conaire, Master Harper of Pern. I?m afraid I did not catch your name.?

[shawncameron]

S’hon watched the woman leave but didn’t take a step forward until the door had closed soundly behind her. He did not reach out and take the masters hand instead bowing slightly again. “My name is, Sahon,” it had been so long since he had said that name out loud... it didn’t quite role off the tong like it used too, well I have been a dragon rider the same amount of time I was not one, so what else should I expect?

He may not have taken the mans hand but he did take the offered seat, careful to sit on the edge of the chare and not bump any of the things in his inside pockets and pouches too hard, there was no reason why he should be rude to the man just because he did not like human contact.

S’hon got straight to the point after saying his name and taking his seat. Not being one fore wasting precious time he leveled his one eyes gaze on the older man and said in just as cold and flat a tone as always, “Endymion has sent me to tell you he thinks you should go along with the ‘plan’ and that he will be sending me more often then he will be coming himself.” He didn’t see any reason why he should explain why E’mon would be sending more of him so he stopped there. He would answer the mans question if he decided to ask but he never offered any more information then was absolutely necessary.

[E]

Conaire did not appear put out or disturbed at the man's obvious declination of his offered hand. In fact he almost seemed as if it was simply natural, shrugging it off and clasping his hands in front of him up on the desk instead. His smile lessened slightly, but remained there as he listened politely to the man?s words. The only real sign of surprise was in the small rise of his eyebrows.

"It is nice to meet you, Sahon." He replied after the man was completely done talking. He was slightly confused, however, as to why it had been this man to come to him now rather than Endymion himself. Had something happened? Or was this man not even with Endymion? The words from his mouth, however, would not have been known by anyone who had not spoken to Endymion himself and Conaire could not picture that hardened man as one to break easily; even if this man before him seemed even harder.

"If I may, I'd like to ask you a question, Sahon." The MasterHarper repeated the name again, carefully knitting it into his memory as he spoke. "How is it that you know Endymion?" He asked simply. It was not a question of why the dark man was here, or where Endymion was. If the man had not supplied it then it was either not important, or none of his business. Conaire had no worries that he would eventually piece it together anyways.

[shawncameron]

S’hon watched the mans face, he might not be as adept at reading people as a Harper but he was not too bad at it either. It was his turn to arch an eye brow at the mans question, “I am his Wingsecond.” He took a moment to study the man further looking through his eyes with his cold stair, he could really come to respect this man… in time, “it is much less suspicious for a Wingsecond to leave for a length of time then it is for a Wingleader too do so.”

He would offer just that bit of an explanation before he reached into his coat and began to pull out a few small bags, half hide and half silk, and setting them delicately on the mans desk. “I have also been asked to deliver these, they are the first of a delivery of a much larger group.” He gave the Master Harper time to examine the eggs before he would ask for a basket of some kind to put them in.

[E]

Hearing that the man was his wingsecond, it seemed to make only sense to Conaire that he be here. Why shouldn't the MasterHarper be able to meet him as well. He wondered briefly how much the man before him knew; how much he himself knew for that matter, of the happenings that were taking place between continents. The explanation that followed only confirmed the sense that it made. It did not sate the older man's curiosity. He was not, however, going to push his luck looking for information. He knew when to stop and when to ask again. He would wait his turn.

Seeing the man pull some small bags from his dark person, he could not help the excitement he knew must be shinning thru his eyes as his hands slowly unclasped eachother to lye flat on the table. A good, deep breath was taken in before he reached out and picked one up with gentle fingers and undid the tie. Tipping the bag, he wanted to laugh out loud like a little kid as he found a small, perfectly shaped egg within his hand. Warm to the touch, he held it as if it was the most precious thing on Pern before looking back up to the dark man and holding up the now empty bag.

"These must be the transporting bags, one side silk to let in warmth, one side hide to keep the warmth in." he said more of a fact than a question. Looking back to the egg in his hand, he put down the bag and moved to hold the egg in both hands as he gingerly turned it over to inspect it.

"How many do you have? And if you don't mind me asking, how do I tell the different colors apart? Can you tell?" He asked his curiosity getting the better of him as he reached for another bag to open so that he might have something to compare this little egg to.

[shawncameron]

S’hon tilted his head up in a silent affirmation to the man’s statement as he watched him handle the egg gently. At least he knew better then to toss the things about they may be hard by now but they where still delicate.

He began to take the others out setting them carefully on the desk, 22 total. “There are twenty two eggs. But this is just the first batch. There is no way of telling them apart but they will look like this once they hatch and grow.” S’hon then reached out his mind to touch the little green that was always waiting for his call. He had barely given her the visual of the room when with a blast of cold air from between and a shrill greeting she was in the office and on her beloved’s shoulder.

S’hon’s hand struck up as quick as an angered tunnel snake snapping the greens mouth shut between two fingers. He held her more gently then it seemed as he looked in her eyes with his one good one commanding her to be quiet before letting her go. The little green snuggled against his cheek for a moment before flying off his shoulder and landing on the desk to examine the pouches herself. S’hon mean wile spoke again to the Harper.

“Greens are the smallest and this one is small for a green. Next are the blues then the browns bronzes and golds. I don’t know what your songs have told you but green lizards can lay eggs just like the gold’s, though they will never hatch into more then other greens blues and the occasional brown.”

[E]

Twenty-two. Well he had hoped there would be a few more simply so that the lorders and crafters would not get angry that some got the lizards and others didn't. Then again he hadn't really known what to expect on the size of a clutch so twenty-two seemed like a lot to the Harper.

Hearing him say something about how they look, he looked back up from the two eggs he held in each hand and, much to his surprise and dismay, his jaw dropped open as the little flit entered the room. He had been prepared to have eggs, not flits. Having never seen one before, it seemed almost unreal to find the little green suddenly here from nowhere even though the songs had spoken of something called ?between?. Closeing his mouth that hung open for the first time in decades in a very un-harper like way, he carefully put the eggs down as he watched the little green land on the table.

"The songs speak of them just as they do your dragons, though not nearly as much. Our hides are far and few between when it comes to the dragonriders. I wonder if many were purposely taken with you when you left." As he spoke, trying to organize his own thoughts, he reached out to the small pile of rolls the drudge had brought with the Klah and tore off a good sized piece to offer to the flit.

"She is actually what I had imagined the larger flits to be." He said thoughtfully wondering if it would make any changes to the plan. "Could you please clear something up for me, Sahon? How is it that she came here so suddenly? Is it what the records refer to as 'between'? What is that?"

[shawncameron]

S’hon had just lased his fingers together resting them on his lips when the Master Harper of Pern’s jaw dropped. His hands hid the small smile he aloud himself at the sight, the bronzerider wouldn’t be surprised if no one had or would ever see that look again… it was wasted on him really…

He only shrugged at the hint that the dragonriders might have taken most of the hides concerning them and their kind his one eye twinkled slightly as the little green didn’t even stop to sniff the role before taking a large bite and waddling right up to the older man putting her nose right up to his and tilting her head as she studied him and chewed.

S’hon dropped his hands snapping his fingers and glaring at the green. “That is rude Runt.” The little green turned her blue whirling eyes on him then giving a small purr like trill before climbing onto the harpers shoulder and studying him from there sticking her nose right into his ear. S’hon sighed putting his face in his hand and shaking his head giving up.

Dropping the hand he looked at the Master Harper intent to answer all of his questions, all of those he could answer that was. “Yes she came from ‘between’. It is an unbearably cold place of no feeling and no sight. That is why you will feel a bit of cold air when they come and go.” The little lizard moved from digging through the mans hair to looking him in one of his eyes again nodding her own eyes morphing form blue to green then back again. “Any other questions?”

[E]

Finding the flit taking the roll without hesitation, he smiled and listened to the man before him without taking his eyes off the creature. It wasn't even seconds before the little green was nose to nose with the older man and he found himself chuckling happily at her.

"Why Hello." Hearing her name used by Sahon, he frowned and uncrossed his eyes to look at the dark southerner. "Why Runt?" Conaire asked as he watched the flit climb onto his shoulder. Finding her nose right in his ear, he couldn't help but smile, a child-like twinkle in his eyes as he carefully deterred his nose from where it tickled before looking back to Sahon.

"Yes, just one more. You said you were Endymion's wingsecond. If I remember correctly, that would mean you ride either brown or bronze. I know Endymion rides bronze though he did not say the dragons name. Which do you ride?"

[shawncameron]

S’hon shrugged at the Masters question concerning his greens name. In truth the little lizard did not have a name. maybe this means you should give her one… though it would be a little late by now… S’hons eyes glazed slightly as Mazbeth spoke to him, distance didn’t matter to rider and dragon, she has been fine so fare, no need to fix something that isn’t broken. the bronze snorted from Fort Weyr and S’hon’s lip curled ever so slightly.

“Runt is not her name, but she dose answer to it, this particular flit dose not have a name.” He didn’t know why he was giving so much of an answer, normally he would have just shrugged and left it at that but S’hon liked this man and Mazbeth was prodding him, and S’hon couldn’t say no to Mazbeth. “As for my dragon, I too ride Bronze.” a bronze that was older then his Wingleader but that didn’t matter and that might raise questions S’hon didn’t want to answer even to himself.

[E]

Conaire found himself curious as to how the dark man before him could overlook naming such a pretty firelizard as the one that sat upon his shoulder now. It gave Conaire a second thought about the man, but he knew better than to judge simply because he had not named her. There were probably more reasons than that of the man simply being cold, although the icy gaze in the man's eyes was defiantly chilling. That's when Conaire noticed the difference in the eyes. One was glazed over, slightly hidden by his hair. The well trained harper, however, did not raise question or even show that he noticed for that matter.

The MasterHarper stood slowly so that he would not startle the little green as nodded to the man knowing very well by now that time away from the Weyr did not go unnoticed.

"Thankyou for the delivery, Sahon and I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again. I'm sure you are in a hurry and I will not keep you waiting. Please, if time permits, come again and I will be sure to have a much better welcoming for you. Perhaps one day I can meet your bronze as well." He said thinking of how he had become one of the lucky few that day of seeing a flit.

Soon, he thought to himself, soon we will have prepared the North for the reintroduction of Dragonriders. Then... then I will be able to see those legends in the sky.

[shawncameron]

S’hon stood with the Master Harper bowing at the waist and tilting his head sharply gesturing for the flit to come. She squawked obeying immediately but not before giving the Master a quick lick as she had seen the little kitten that now lived in her weyr do. Flying over and landing on his shoulder S’hon lifted one hand to stroke her before ordering her silently away. She purred at the touch and squawked once more before blinking away leaving a blast of cold air in her wake.

S’hon bowed one last time, saying only, “it was a pleasure to meet you.” Before turning and heading for the door, he opened it and before leaving said, “I too look forward to the day you can meet my Mazbeth.” Before walking out.

His mind was running it’s self in circles, how much longer would they have to hid? Have to sneak around like criminals in the North? But did he really want to come back? This was his first home but ever since the last meeting with his father it was not a place he relished coming back to, at least no to Highreaches, other hall and holds where different. Shaking the thoughts from his mind S’hon moved out of the hall and back to the runner waiting to take him to Fort Weyr, where Mazbeth was waiting to take him back to his weyr… but not his home.