CHAPTER ONE

"Jameth."

"What is it now, Rosa?" Rosa cringed at the Mastersingers tone, but couldn't blame him for being annoyed. This was the third time today she'd paid him a visit.

She held up her hands defensively. "Hey, this time I have a good reason." The last two times had simply been to sneak away from a very annoying, and persistent, suitor.

He rolled his eyes. "You considered playing hide-and-seek a reason before, so I trust you'll forgive me for being a bit skeptical about the validity of this 'reason'". He said dryly, as he turned back to the papers he was grading.

Rosa pouted at him. "You sure are a lot like a boring old man for being only twenty-two."

He glared at her. "I think you're getting boring and responsible mixed up." He pointedly ignored her for the next few minutes, taking pleasure in her increasing agitation. Then the Mastersinger sighed . . . and abruptly grinned. "All right, now that I've gotten you into a suitable huff, you can tell me what it is this time." He held up a hand to forestall the stream of words that were about to come tumbling out of his lovely nieces mouth. "Although, I do not want to hear you go on about another boy. I might be your uncle, but I seriously don't understand why you tell ME all your boy troubles when you've a whole gaggle of girlfriends dying for gossip." He raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?"

Rosa groaned and rolled her eyes. "I suppose, now that you've allowed me to get a breath out. I do wish I had your patience, though, so that I could make YOU wait too. Although, I suppose it wouldn't work because you're impossible to annoy." She sighed in a dramatic woebegone fashion, saw that it had no effect on her uncle, and plowed right on with her news. "We-ell," she said with a grin as Jameth began to drum his fingers, "we've a new apprentice."

Jameth raised his eyebrows. "Is that all?" He said in exasperation.

"Of course not!" Rosa exclaimed in indignation. "Do you think I would waste my beloved uncles precious time for something as trivial as that? I assure you that this is a choice bit of gossip. The new young Skipper is fixed to be a musical prodigy. Only thirteen, and Masterharper Karo has already placed him with the third year apprentices. Which makes this gossip even more worthwhile, considering it relates directly to you, being the teacher of the third and fourth years." She sighed. "He's so handsome too! Too bad he's so young..."

"Yes, tragic. One less boy for you to leave with a broken heart."

Rosa simpered at him. "I can't help it that I'm gorgeous." She bounced over to him to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I'll leave you to your work. Love you."

"Love you, too." He mumbled.

"Ha! You said it back!" Rosa always considered it a personal triumph when she got her terribly reserved uncle to say 'I love you' back.

He grinned. "Yeah, yeah, get out of here, you little heathen." he said with the wave of a hand.

"I'm already gone!" She said as she closed the door behind her. He chuckled at her bubbliness, and then groaned when she popped her head back in the door not 10 seconds later.

"AND I always tell you about my boy troubles because you have no contact with the outside world! I do everything for a reason, Uncle," she said with a firm nod of the head. "Alright, now I'm really going, I've got a class to catch!" She blew him a kiss and was gone.

Jameth had to admit, his niece had a way of rousing his curiosity. He could wait until the end of the day, when the boy would have his class . . . but lunch time was in just five minutes, and, after all, he should know what to expect from the lad. It never did any good to allow a new student to get the upper hand. Jameth was the youngest teaching Master in the hall. His students tended to get the idea that his age made him and inexperienced pushover. The Mastersinger grinned at the thought. Many students had learned to regret that misplaced assessment.

He walked into the dining hall, surreptitiously looking for a group of students that would indicate a new 'curiosity', or, in other words, Apprentice Skipper. Off to his right there was a group of young men, it looked promising. At first. He had to stifle a laugh as he realized they were surrounding his slender, brown haired, green-eyed niece.

He sat down in a spot at the Masters table on the raised dais, and surveyed the scene from above. Ah. There, sitting on a bench in the Third years section, elbows propped up behind him on the table, and feet on the bench of the table next to his, was the already-popular Skipper. It was unsurprising that he was surrounded by a large group of students, many of them young girls. The new Apprentice was a lean, tan skinned boy, with blue-black hair cut unusually short (above ear level) and a very charming smile.

Well, Jameth thought, it looks like another ne'er do well, spoiled for his good looks, and then spoiled again for his musical abilities. If he thinks he's getting special treatment in my class, then he's got another thing coming. With his evaluation of the boy complete, he turned his attention to his meal, only glancing at the lad every now and then throughout the rest of lunch.

Jameth looked up to a tentative knock on his door, and was surprised to be looking at his new student. "I thought that I would come early, so that we could be introduced, and not have to disturb class." Skipper strode confidently into the room and held out his hand to his new teacher. Jameth shook it firmly, unwilling to be shown up by this lads confidence. He was surprised to feel callouses on the boys hand. So, he is used to hard work, Jameth thought, and he has manners. Probably all to disguise the viper he is underneath. He'd had plenty of experience with students like this in the past, sweet on the outside and as rotten on the inside as an egg left out in the sun for 3 weeks and then thrown into a pile of dung.

"I'm Mastersinger Jameth..."

"The youngest teaching Master in the Hall, most likely making you one of the toughest because you are certainly underestimated by your students, with a reputation for being reserved, most likely due to the fact that although you are a very accomplished man, you are still uncertain in many areas because you feel you are hindered by your youth. Yet it is well known that you are a fair Master, with a decent sense of humor, which is probably due mostly to your charming niece, who is well known for her free spirited attitude."

Jameth's hand went limp in the boys as his mouth fell open. They'd never even met, and yet somehow this young man had interpreted one of his greatest faults, one that he was loath to acknowledge he had, and give a very accurate account of his personality. He shook his head in wonder, and let a scowl take over his face. "Go take your seat," he said in response to his to being taken so easily by surprise.

Skipper grinned at him, saying, "Sorry if I offended you, but I like to know what to expect from new people. I don't want them to think they can get the upper hand on me because I'm so young." He winked at Jameth and then took a seat towards the back of the room.

The rest of the class began filing in, four 4th years and five 3rd years. Rosa claimed the coveted seat next to Skipper, and earned herself a few glares that would have withered flowers. The fact that she was four years older than the boy didn't stop her from practicing her flirting, which she began as soon as her bottom was planted in her chair.

Alright, so you feel like you've been hit in the head with an anvil, it's no reason to postpone your teaching, he thought to himself in annoyance. With that firm thought propelling him, he began going over a new song with his pupils; and was promptly dumbstruck again. The lad sung like an angel, with a well developed, and well-trained baritone. He'd been told the boy was good, and indeed he was. The Mastersinger chuckled at the other Masters exaggerations of Skipper's voice. While Skipper's voice was good, it still needed some work. Jameth thought that with some training and dedication on Skipper's part, that this voice could develop into one of the best to ever come out of the Hall. He would have to find his trainer and commend him for his teaching skills!

Jameth managed to have the students get through the song three times before the end of class, which he considered an accomplishment. He was usually lucky to get in two. "Apprentice Skipper, could I have a moment with you before you leave?"

"Certainly, Mastersinger Jameth."

Skipper was unsurprised when he was asked to stay after class. He had been warned ahead of time that the Mastersinger would be in awe of his voice, and would likely want to take him on for personal training. He'd been especially eager for this class all day. He enjoyed playing instruments, and took a real pleasure out of making them, but singing was his passion. So, having been forewarned of this likely promotion, he strode once again with confidence towards this most important of Masters.

"You've a decent voice, Skipper." Decent? Skipper thought dejectedly, I thought I'd impressed him, I've never sung so well in my life. "I would like to take you on for personal training, to bring it up to the best it can be. What do you say?"

Skipper swallowed back the lump of disappointment and managed to weakly answer in the affirmative, and then promptly flee to his own quarters.

Jameth frowned as he watched the door close behind his young prodigy. I thought he'd be flattered by such an offer! I downplayed it just enough not to give him a big head, and he leaves almost in tears! I'm the most renown Mastersinger in the land, he should have been pleased! The fact that he'd been hoping to bring a smile to the boys face didn't escape him, and he left his classroom with a feeling of disappointment that mirrored his young pupils.