Chapter 3
"Fardling shards!" swore Kitiara when all but Dorasha had left. "How on all Pern did you keep your temper, Horgey – uh, Journeyman?" she amended hurriedly, glancing at Dorasha.
"Being crippled does build the patience" said Horgey dryly. "Besides, I've learned a lot – not just from our T'rin, but from R'gar too, you know, T'rin's father."
"You know dragonriders?" asked Dorasha, much awed, as he loosed the strings of her gitar.
"I'm from High Reaches Harperweyr" said Horgey. "I'm here to confirm my promotion to Journeyman; I'm hoping to return as their Journeyman instrumentcrafter when Master Robinton is fully satisfied he's seen all my skills in action. Speaking of which, this instrument is distinctly inferior" he added, quickly forestalling any further questions about the Weyr. "Where did you get it?"
"My uncle bought it for me when I asked to come here to learn music" she said. "The Hold Harper said it was adequate for my abilities. I – I hoped to be a real apprentice, but I'm so clumsy, I made a poor showing…"
"Let's see what working with your proper hand does" said Horgey. "I'll fumble about as awkwardly as you've been on an old practise instrument to work out the chords backwards for you for those you don't know yet; and if it does make a difference, then I'll speak to the Masterharper ; I'm a great believer in second chances."
Dorasha never knew how MUCH he was a believer in second chances!
"THANK you, Journeyman!" she said, eyes sparkling.
"I make you no promise that it will work; I only tell you that it has made a difference to at least one other person, a Queenrider, Kitiara's cousin L'rilly; who learned to use a flamethrower left handed and promptly got the hang of something that had long eluded her. Did not your Hold Harper suggest it?"
She shook her head.
"He just showed me what he said was the proper way" she said "I never knew you could string it to be left handed."
"Ah well, some people have less flexibility and imagination than others" said Horgey, pacifically. "If it works, with luck we've caught you before you've picked up too many bad habits. There, try that" as he rapidly tuned the strings by ear.
Tentatively Dorasha took the instrument and helt the neck in her right hand.
"It feels less awkward already" she said. Horgey nodded and placed her fingers on the chord of G.
"How does that feel?"
"Easier…..still a little stretched but I can do it. So A would be…here?" she made the change with but a moment's hesitation.
He nodded.
"Well done, that's right! And you changed quite fluently and fast, despite having to work it out. Practise those two, and D, and you'll cover most of the song."
Dorasha nodded, grinning all over her face.
"So sucks to Lesara!" she said happily.
"I think I was briefly affected with a distressing case of deafness for a moment" said Horgey. "Run along girl, or you'll be late for dinner!" as Dorasha lingered, making chord changes. She grinned at him and ran off, all legs.
"The probable best of a dubious bunch" commented Kit. "I'll not mind HER working beside me as a regular apprentice; I'd even have her in my dorm."
Horgey nodded.
"Tireena reminds me of what they say L'rilly was like once" he commented. "Maybe there's hope for her….if you can draw that girl Varalie into your group she'll have more fun and it'll help her too. Asrina seems to think all the effort of learning should come from the teacher; and if I get through a month without wanting to strangle Lesara I wager I'd take wings and fly myself because I'll be as magnificent as a dragon! I believe I'll treat Master Morshal to a bottle of Benden Red; I appreciate more now what he goes through!"
Kitiara laughed.
"But you laugh about it afterwards and don't let yourself get soured, like he has."
Horgey shrugged.
"Poor fellow has no sense of humour; and besides, would I still manage to laugh in the several hundred turns he's been teaching?"
She gave her gurgle of mirth.
"I thought Harpers weren't supposed to make gross exaggeration?"
He grinned back at her.
"I wager it feels like several hundred turns to him" he said. "It surely did to me when I was an apprentice under him!"
She rolled her eyes.
"I agree….but for T'rin getting us promoted out of his class….poor you, it can't have helped your disposition any!"
"Water under the bridge" he said. "Were you going to take me to eat, by the way, or were you planning on leaving me here to starve?"
Kitiara laughed apology and wheeled him over to the main hall to eat.
The Ranking girls, eating at their own table near the fireplace, were subdued; and Lesara was holding forth about the cheek of low-born servants – for were not those hired to teach them no more than servants – being allowed to interfere with her eating habits!
Horgey heard Silvina's crisp voice cut across the loud complaints.
"If you don't like the arrangements here my girl, you can leave any time you like; and in my opinion the sooner the better. Now shut up and put up; or go pack your things. Your choice. And if I catch any of you other girls giving her of your food, you'll be on water rations too."
"What a BABY!" rose the clear treble of a junior apprentice, an angelic looking boy with golden curls. "I bet she must be nearly twenty turns and making a fuss about water rations. Why I've been on water rations HEAPS of times and I don't whine like a toddler!"
Horgey caught Kitiara's eye and grinned.
"And every time deserved I bet" he said "He looks far too innocent to be anything but trouble!"
"Apprentice Vaek" she supplied the child's name. "Looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth and the worst imp since the fabled Piemur!"
"I can believe it" said Horgey "I was thinking just how sweet and innocent T'rin's foster sister Sagarra manages to look. The lad's quite right though; she's a disgrace to humanity, never mind the Blood."
Kit chuckled wickedly.
"Can I tell her that? Without saying I got it from you?"
"I can't stop you now, can I, if you leave me with the other Journeymen and you happen to go sit with the girls?" said Horgey, grinning.
She flashed him a grin and did as he suggested!
Lesara looked ready to explode as Kit leaned over her on her way to a chair and murmured something!
It made Horgey feel better in some measure! Teaching the Ranking girls was the most exhausting thing he had ever done in his life – especially the effort of mastering his temper!
Kitiara sat beside Varalie and winked at the youngest girl as Lesara spluttered over the apprentice's comment about her being a disgrace!
"When did you come here, Kitiara?" asked Varalie, ignoring the older girl's histrionics.
"Let me see…some three turns ago" said Kitiara "I'm hoping to be made senior soon."
"Three TURNS? Well, no wonder you know so much more than us….I guess that makes me feel a bit better and less inferior" said Varalie. "You started at almost the same age as boy apprentices then?"
Kitiara nodded.
"And I never bothered to make an issue of my Rank, but just concentrated on fitting in with the boys. And had a sight more fun of it than sitting on my dignity and waving my Father's Rank about" she said bluntly. "I was a bit stuck up at first until I discovered that the senior apprentice of our bunch had a father far more worthy of boasting about than mine – not that he did. Boast, I mean."
"How's that? Who's his father?"
"His father is a Bronze Rider. And now T'rin himself is Impressed – fortunately he made Journeyman first – and the rest of us are fardling well proud of him" added Kitiara. "And after Journeyman Horgey's accident he went home to the Weyr to be with his foster brother" she reflected that she would have to tell Horgey that she had designated him T'rin's foster brother, and write too to the Blue Rider to warn him! "But now he's well enough to come back to us and confirm his status."
"How did he come to be crippled?" Tireena tactlessly asked.
Kitiara tapped her nose.
"Harper business…he and T'rin were out of the Harper hall together and it's not done to ask about such missions. Not when renegades and evil doers are involved" she said in a mysteriously lowered voice.
That was thrilling to most of the girls!
It was no real lie direct; and Master Robinton had made it clear to her and her friends that Horgey was to have a new start; and implying that he was injured on Harper business surely could do no harm, for to stick as close to the truth as possible was by far and away the easiest way to misdirect.
"Has he missed much training?" asked Dorasha sympathetically.
"Quite a lot, yes" said Kit. "He was injured not long after I joined, and he only left the Healer Hall a few months ago to go to the Harperweyr, where it would be less frenetic than life here…he's been catching up with his foster brother, Blue Rider Journeyman T'rin and acting-Master Bronze Rider L'gal, the Weyrharpers. And I should think we're as proud of our old colleague doing so well despite his injuries as we are of T'rin for doing well AND Impressing too. So, girls, I won't take any crackdust from anyone about him being crippled or about you cheeking him: and I've been fighting with boy apprentices any time the last three turns and I can lick any two of you together; and take my water rations if I'm caught without making like I'm a baby."
"How crude!" said Asrina.
"Yup" said Kitiara, cheerfully. "Blunt and crude is maybe the only way to get through hides like whers that some of you tunnel snakes wear. And for very little reason at that; you're none of you of the Blood. I suppose that's why none of you have any real breeding…..you've nothing to boast about in your bloodline so you feel you need to make a lot of having some minor position in some table sized Hold nobody's ever heard of."
Lesara gaped in speechless anger; Asrina looked outraged; Tireena opened her mouth angrily and shut it again with a snap and Dorasha gave a whoop of laughter.
"How true, my dear!" she said. "We have to sit on our position and polish our dignity to pretend to ourselves that we matter a shard in the grand scheme of things!"
"Blood traitor!" hissed Lesara.
"That's you, actually, from what Kitiara said when she joined us at the table" said Dorasha. "I think Journeyman Horgey is a good teacher and a kind, considerate, thoughtful one."
"Watch it, Dorasha – APPRENTICE Kitiara is already in his furs by the way she praises him, because she couldn't get into the Blue Rider's; she'll not let you join her" sneered Lesara.
Kit went white with rage.
"Never heard the tale of a man who'd never seen a runnerbeast but knew he was clever enough to ride one?" she asked, conversationally. "He got stamped on all over by the hooves and dunged upon after he fell off. And spreading slander comes back to haunt in the self same way, you ridiculous creature."
Calling Lesara a ridiculous creature did more to scotch the girl's suggestion than simple denials!
"Quite" said Dorasha, coldly; for she had no intention of even flirting with Horgey and found Lesara's crude suggestion most offensive. She was far more interested in getting a proper apprenticeship, and had no intention of wasting her time or his in such pursuits!
The girls went their separate ways after the meal; and Kitiara felt a light hand on her shoulder. She looked round at the tall figure of the Masterharper; and flushed.
"Unofficially, young Kit" he said quietly "That was, on the whole, well done!"
"Th-thank you sir!" she stammered. "You overheard?"
He grinned.
"I'm notorious for overhearing things apprentices want to keep quiet" he said "And when you get excited your voice is beautifully trained and VERY carrying. They are merely loud. TRY not to fight any of them, please; I don't want to have to discipline you; and I would, you know. I'm sure you can be FAR more innovative than that!"
Kitiara chuckled.
"Especially if Dorasha and Varalie will stand my friends" she said cheerfully. "Did – did I do right about the amended history of Horgey?"
"Perfectly" he said. "I like the story a lot; and I liked the way you handled being so furtive about telling it. Just make sure he knows it, hmm? I don't know that he was listening as closely as I was."
She grinned.
"Yessir!" she said!
The Masterharper made sure to speak to Horgey too.
"How did it go?" he asked kindly.
Horgey pulled a face.
"Like a purgative through a tail-thickened dragonet" he said graphically. "I'm afraid I may have let you down – I had to put one girl on water rations. But she denigrated the whole craft with her remarks; it was more than just insolence to me. I extended the time for a spiteful comment to another girl."
The Masterharper nodded.
"I back you fully" he said "And well that you had disciplined her for cheek to you even without cheek to Harpers as a whole. Somehow I fancy Lesara will be leaving us before too long; some things are not to be born. Do your best with her though; and if you make any breakthrough, all well and good. It's not as though they were regular apprentices."
"But sir, the fees that they pay help to subsidise the poorer apprentices, don't they?" said Horgey. "I'd hate to lose you marks….I threatened to have her sent home, but I'll obviously try not to…"
"Good grief, have you learned so much excess of responsibility from that boy T'rin that you worry about the Harper Hall income?" Robinton was startled. "You worry about your teaching and discipline; they pay me to worry about balancing the books. And one who makes loud and indelicate remarks impugning our people are such as I am sure we can do without. There are plenty where the likes of her come from; we always have girls longing to learn some small skill at music. Some of them even achieve some measure of skill" he added dryly.
"Sir" blurted Horgey "You've shown me you believe in second chances….some idiot failed to check that Dorasha was left handed when he gave to her the initial lessons so when she applied for an apprenticeship, naturally she came across as clumsy…..if I can get her more skilful doing everything backwards, may she try again?"
Robinton regarded him thoughtfully.
"I'd be a hypocrite to refuse you" he said. "If you feel she merits it I'll have her tested again. Indeed, I'll do it myself. Don't rush her to it; prepare her well and get her confident."
Horgey's face lit up.
"Certainly, sir!" he agreed with alacrity. "I don't think it will take long, for she's a quick enough ear – even if she hasn't been prepared properly for apprenticeship by her Hold harper."
"Hmm" said Robinton. "For your ears only, her Hold Harper is a hidebound old fool suited well enough to sing shanties with fishermen and teach the basic teaching ballads. He'd not prepare her properly because she's a girl; he only put her forward because her uncle, the Holder, insisted. HE's reasonably UNhidebound for a fishcrafter, an irony if you like it being that way round; though you never heard it from me."
Horgey grinned.
"Heard what, sir?" he said innocently. He had heard tales of Lyseder's family's Hold and its scattering across Pern under the direction of Lord Oterel and Masterharper Robinton himself; and everyone knew Menolly's tale. Fish Holders were NOTORIOUS for being hidebound.
Robinton grinned back, and went on,
"I'd not go so far as to say the Hold Harper deliberately sabotaged her chances by teaching her without reference to her handedness; but I imagine he'd justify not doing anything about it by putting it down to the perversity of womankind."
Horgey blinked.
"But as many men are left handed as women; T'lana calculates it to as much as fifteen in every hundred."
"You've obviously never had to explain logic to a confirmed bigot" said the Masterharper dryly. "Any strongly held belief based on prejudice rather than demonstrable fact is stubbornly held even when it is shown to be palpably incorrect. It is a flaw of human nature I fear; you've not come across it with your logicators?"
Horgey shook his head.
"I recognise the truth of your words for things I've heard though" he said. "I'll try to remember – and pass that succinct summation back to the logicators, if I may, sir."
"Feel free. They do many a task traditionally that of the Harpers; but with dragons at their beck and call perhaps manage some of them even better. I believe co-operation with the logicators is far better than childish rivalry. And I like the idea of Harper influence and training to help them do their self-imposed duties better. However much Domick may grumble at times about overly clever little weyrwomen!" he grinned. "You're doing fine, so far, my boy; now rest before you report to work with Master Jerint, you look worn down."
Horgey nodded and went for a much needed lie down!