DISCLAIMER: The following story if fictional group of random thought particles from the recesses of my mind. Characters in the stories are based of the works of Anne MacCaffrey, with all copyrights implied. The random stream of semi-conscience though contains a depictions of a child being spanked as a form of punishment if such things offends carefully cultured sensibilities, or you have yet to reached the rank of major in what you think is society, then please recycle these electrons to save bandwidth sooner than possible.
--Rogue (who's existence has yet to be disproved)
Wayward Apprentice (F/b, nc)
This an alternative scene to the events depicted in Dragondrums.
It is the 9th Pass of the Red Star though the skies of Pern, and we are in the newly founded Southern Hold. Journeymans Menolly and Sebel, have been dispatched down south but the Masterharper to find their missing Apprentice and friend Piemur, who has been missing for weeks, since the Gather at Nabol Hold.
Menolly and Sebel was in their room, she was holding the note that Beauty had just delivered; in response to her situation report. "Well how are we going to handle this?" she asked Sebel.
"Hasn't The Master been clear on what should been done? Do you disagree with him?" he replied.
"No, no, that's not what I meant, Sebel. How are we going to carry out his wishes, without, humiliating him."
"Menolly, while his voice might have broken, he is still a child; and he is still an apprentice. And as such he would have been more likely dismissed for stealing. It will take more than a spanking to dent Piemur's confidence"
"Yes, but that still doesn't answer how are we going to handle it. How are we going to bring it up? Who is going to do it? You're the Master's senior Journeyman."
"That's true, and I'll do it if need be, but you are far closer to him."
"He like a little brother, Sebel..."
"Exactly. As to how to bring it up how would your bring it up with any wayward apprentice?"
"Oh alright. You know you can be infuriating when your right?"
With that Menolly gets up and goes to Piemur's room, and knocks. "Piemur can I come in?"
Piemur replies, "Umm, sure." As Menolly enters the room he is siting on the window sill, looking out over the bay, absently stroking his Queen firelizard, Farli.
Menolly pulls up a chair and sits down. "Beauty, has brought back a message from the Master," she began.
This statement brought forth all the worries Piemur had been having recently concerning the how's and why's he ended up here at Southern Hold. He was effectively a runaway apprentice who had stolen from a Lord Holder. He knew he could very well be dismissed form The Harper's service, and turned over to Lord Mieron, neither a desirable outcome. What they must think of him...
Menolly continued, "In that message the Harper conveyed his joy that you were alive and unhurt. Also said where we are to go from here." Menolly's voice took on a more somber tone, as she continued with the next part, "He expressed all our concerns over your stealing Farli's egg from Lord Mieron's chambers. You not only put your own life in grave danger, but you also put your's and the Hall's reputation on the line over something that I had promised you anyway -- an egg from Beauty's Clutch. What possessed you to do such a stupid thing? We know you aren't that stupid or you would never have become the Master's special apprentice."
"I... I don't Kn-- No that's not true. When I saw the egg sitting off to the side from the rest of them. I knew that Beauty may clutched many times before there was a spare egg from the Harper's plans that could be set a side for an apprentice regardless of the promise, and that Mieron didn't--"
"Lord Mieron, Piemur, even in your head."
"Lord Mieron didn't deserve a possible Queen egg. Not after all he has done."
"So you took it? Lord Mieron's deeds not withstanding--that is not acceptable behavior from any harper. Your disappearance is being over looked due to the fact we serverily doubt that you planned for the sack you hid in was destined to be carried South by the Oldtimers. You are also serverily lucky Lord Mieron has died in your absence. Because your trail isn't too hard to track back for him not to guess it was you who was that unknown drudge. And I doubt Lord Decker--his successor--is going to demand that you be turned over to him. So the Harper is free to keep this as a Hall matter."
.oO(Here it comes,)Oo. thought Piemur, bracing himself for the bad news and the possibility that he is he going to be sent back in disgrace to his Herder Parents.
Menolly -- in going over exactly why he had earned his punishment -- came to the realization on how correct the Master was in this course of actions. And saw how this was different from the beatings her father had given her for 'tuning'. "It has been decided that you will receive a spanking. For you showed as much forethought in your action as that of a little child. And I'm going see to it that it you get the spanking of your young life!"
With that she instructed Beauty to take Farli away and keep her away until called Menolly gave the all clear.
She then grabbed his wrist and stood him in front of herself, and undid and pulled free his belt letting his trousers fall free. Reveling to her further evidence -- other than his voice beginning changing from his childhood soprano to what hints to be an adult baritone -- of the changes he was going through as but she didn't hesitate to pull him across her lap. Looping Piemur's belt in half she began to strap his bared backside.
"We though better *CRACK* of you Piemur. *WHACK* I'm disappointed *SMACK* that you still apparently *SPANK* need to be *WHACK* treated as such." She chilled as she landed the belt up and down Piemur's cheeks and upper thighs, delivery them all with as much force as accuracy would allow. For she knew she would being doing her friend no favors by going lightly.
Piemur quickly began to bawl like he has never let anyone one the hall see. Sure he has turned on the water works when he though it will help him, but these were genuine, and which such feeling that it would have earned him ridicule from the other apprentices. But right now he wasn't even thinking about such things. Though it wasn't so much the strapping that was causing them either, despite the fact each blow felt like a needlethorn bush discharging into his heinnie. But more the realization how much he let Master Robinton, Sebel and Menolly down. They were more like family to him than he had though about this own family in a long time.
Menolly landed a few last hard blows on Piemur's sitspots after he stopped all signs of resistance and laid sobbing across her lap, before stopping. She then gently raised Piemur up and cuddled him on her lap, gently stroking his head and back letting him finish his crying
After a while Piemur sat up straight, having cried himself out, and ran the back of his hand and arm under his nose.
"There, with that bit of unpleasantness out of the way. There was more to the note. You have shown yourself up to the task, you have been assigned an apprentice-journeyman position of teaching people here Drumcodes, for they sorely need that despite the number of firelizards here."
Piemur's face lit up, realizing that that incident was firmly in the past, and the Harper had shown his continued trust in him by assigning him such an important task. Menolly passed the growing self-conscious Piemur back his belt as she signed to Beauty to let Farli return, for it was something for the past, and that part of it was over.