Chapter 5
It became customary for Dorasha to spend the half hour between the lesson and dinner catching up on the basic skills her own Hold Harper had not seen fit to teach her; and Kitiara threw herself with a will into helping the girl too.
Kit was very fond of the boys; but she had got to an age where the idea of having a female friend with similar interests had its attractions! Girls do, in some ways, grow up quicker than boys, and Kitiara was beginning to notice this!
Horgey soon became accustomed to the routine of the Harper Hall again; it was not, in many ways, different from the routines observed – as best as able, Threadfall permitting – by the Harperweyr; for both L'gal and T'rin found the time-honoured customs of their second home comforting and logical. There was more available in the Harper Hall, of course; two journeymen could not hope to produce the resources of the whole Harper Hall and all its masters; and Horgey was glad that Master Robinton had made the stipulation that senior apprentices should spend time here to consolidate their skills before being fully confirmed as journeymen. He was also appreciative that he was permitted to wear the knots of acting Journeyman as a courtesy to his age – and in acknowledgement of his teaching skills! These skills he was able to use and felt that with them he could truly give something back to the Harper Hall; and after a couple of sevendays with the Ranking girls, the Masterharper also asked Horgey if he would extend his teaching duties to take a class of Master Morshal's slower learners.
"Willingly, sir!" agreed Horgey. "I'm not so good as T'rin at bringing people on; but I'll certainly do my best."
The class consisted, of course, of a mix of the more troublesome and the more cowed elements: those Morshal could not be bothered with, or who, unable to cope with his abrasive style, made trouble instead. The boy Vaek was NOT in their number; troublesome he might be, but that was largely because the boy had real talent and was bored from lack of work rather than suffering from being overstretched! Horgey was glad: such a fertile imagination he was afraid might be beyond him, even as the girl Kullana was beyond him back in the Weyr! T'rin was the only person she really listened to, though on pain of being dismissed her apprenticeship she did now treat acting-Master L'gal with at least the outward respect his position demanded! Horgey had spoken to Ferry about Vaek, and suggested that T'rin would expect his friends to stretch that particular little imp as far as he could manage. Ferry nodded vehement agreement.
T'rin's friends had been one of the dormitories picked by Vaek and his cronies to treat to apple pie beds filled with pasta dyed grey to look like Thread!
Vaek rapidly found himself an errand boy to Senior Apprentice Ferry; and most of his leisure time filled with activities he could not really resent for them being fun!
Horgey took his own little class of eight boys back to basics; telling them that he needed them to show him what they knew – and more important, what they did not know for having missed or misunderstood in class. He appealed to their sense of fairness to each other to be patient if one or more of them required a lesson repeated more than the rest did; as the same courtesy would be extended to all.
With the reasons explained the natural sense of fair play inherent in most children meant that he had little trouble beyond a few good natured groans the third time he went through values of rests for one lad; save with one boy, a lad named Braid. Braid had been born Holdless, but had shown such musical talent and a taste for word play that his family had begged the Harper Hall to give him a chance. Braid's main problem was the immense chip he bore on his shoulder, getting in his retaliation first before anyone might make game of his lowly status in the eyes of most holdbound. As his tongue was cleverly vicious, the other children flinched before his sarcastic comments and often fumbled practical tasks if they felt his cynical eye on them. Braid's defensive attitude also led to him being truculent if not downright insolent to authority figures, and like T'arla found it hard to accept the harder but ultimately more flexible methodology of playing in the Harper Hall as compared to the evolved and simpler forms used by most amateur musicians.
Horgey asked the boy to stay behind after one class when Braid had sniped sotto voce throughout, and reduced one sensitive boy almost to tears. Horgey had told the sensitive lad, Gwetul, that the only opinion that counted was that of his masters; and that no other untrained brat had a right to comment, especially such that could not themselves perform as creditably as might be expected.
Braid expected a scathing ticking off and stood half defiantly, trying to look jauntily insouciant.
Horgey regarded him thoughtfully.
"Well, Braid, did you think that you were the only Harper ever who had been born Holdless that you make such a big thing of it?" he asked.
Braid blinked. He had certainly not expected to be addressed in so conversational a tone.
"Don't know any others" he muttered sullenly.
"I do" said Horgey. "An apprentice of the Harperweyr of High Reaches Weyr was so born, of a tinker family. Her name is Green Rider T'arla, and I understand that she too had difficulty accepting the reasons behind the conventions until Bronze Rider Acting-Master Harper L'gal explained it to her. She too was disruptive; and was shocked to find out that her behaviour was tantamount to bullying the other kids before she agreed to a proper apprenticeship. It was not something that suited her free thinking sense of fair play to be branded a bully. Do you like being a bully, Braid?"
Braid's mouth dropped open.
"I'm no fardling bully, Journeyman! Who says so?"
Horgey frowned.
"I'd say the tears in Gwetul's eyes bore adequate testimony to your bullying" he said "And Timmis' fumbling of his chords just because you looked at him sneeringly yesterday. There's more to bullying than twisting arms and bringing up Bitran Burns on smaller kids. The behaviour of some who teach comes close to bullying; though I'll not be specific in that. Anything that forces your actions enough on another to cause them distress is bullying. And you are a bully."
Braid looked stricken.
"I – I didn't mean…"
Horgey interrupted.
"I believe that. And THAT is why I wanted to talk to you about it quietly to nip such in the bud before it becomes too much of a habit to you. Use your clever tongue to snipe at the ills of society, or at your masters behind our backs for the amusement of your fellows by all means; such complaint is the traditional right of all apprentices, with the expectation of water rations if you get caught at it. Try not to get caught. Now, will you listen to an explanation of why you have to learn such things as new fingering, or will you just pledge me your word that you will stop interfering with the others until I get Green Rider T'arla to come and talk to you?"
Braid stared.
"You can – you WOULD ask a dragonrider to come and talk to me?"
Horgey shrugged.
"You plainly love music; so do I. So does she. She'd willingly give some of her time to help another labouring under the same misconception as her to enable you to enjoy music even more."
Braid was awed.
"S-sir, I'll listen to your explanation and try to understand; but p-please, if it's not too much trouble, could – could I speak to the Green Rider too? It- it'd be nice to talk to another once Holdless Harper and – and to be able to mention to those…."
"To the thoughtless mindless bullies who hold your birth against you?" asked Horgey.
The boy nodded wordlessly.
Horgey frowned.
"If it's not one thing to pick on, they'll find another if you show yourself vulnerable" he said. "Part of your trouble is the aggressive way you go on about being Holdless, you know. I think if you can manage just to present it as a fact you'd attract less of the wrong sort of attention. And you'd also not push away the very boys you ought to be forming friendships with to work together against the bullies."
"They'd not want to be friends with me"
"And how do you know that if you've never given them the chance? You could have been an excitingly dangerous person to know, like someone weyrbred. And I wager if you went to apologise to Gwetul, and Timmis too, to whom you were so silently scathing yesterday they'd be glad to bury the hatchet. Especially if you use your clever wordplay to write a clever song to one of Menolly's tunes – a pastiche even – to make fun of…well, I'll not mention names, but I've noted one boy you all have trouble with."
Braid grinned suddenly, and Horgey realised his fertile imagination was already crafting lyrics.
"Sir, don't you want me to make my own tunes?" he asked.
"My dear boy! ANYONE could write lyrics – one might have suspicions, but certainly any master will recognise a particular style of tunecrafting and would then almost have to take it up with the tunecrafter involved" said Horgey. "And if I made some suggestion in the heat of the moment, naturally I'd not expect anyone to think that I had made it seriously…."
"I see" said Braid. "You give me tools to deal with bullies unofficially rather than intervening directly."
"Harpers adjudicate in legal matters; and need to be quick witted to find just solutions. Dealing with their own problems is part of the training. We only intervene if the problem is likely to be truly dangerous to life and limb. Gavel – ah, other boys – have their own problems, or they'd not need to behave improperly. It's better if their peers can get them to a point to help them to sort themselves out, or be ready to ask for help than that authority should interfere directly. He has to know that he needs help. I'll step in if you and the other two – those are the brightest boys in your class next to you, by the way, it's why they feel your scorn the more – can't sort him out for yourselves."
"Do you really think we can, sir?" Braid's eyes shone.
"I think you can do whatever you believe that you can do" said Horgey. "Speaking of which, I promised you an explanation about the more complex fingering."
Braid listened with devoted attention as Horgey explained how amateur fingering on gitar or pipes meant that only simple popular tunes could ever be played, and that to aspire to be a Harper one needed the flexibility to play more than popular dances and shanties. Braid nodded understanding, the dawning comprehension dawning in his face as Horgey spoke.
"Why didn't Master Morshal explain that?" he demanded.
"Well now, a journeyman is not supposed to use strong language either to an apprentice or about masters so you can't possibly expect me to answer questions like that!" grinned Horgey.
Braid grinned back.
"No, I guess it's forbidden to call a Master a silly old caprine, so I'd better not either" he said.
"And one day, when you've started teaching, you'll appreciate how easy it is to want to tell your apparently wilfully stupid boys to just stick their heads down the Necessary at times and have more sympathy" said Horgey. "Now get along with you, you horrid brat, and don't forget what I said about speaking to Gwetul and Timmis!" he added good naturedly.
"I shall, sir. Thank you!"
Horgey wrote straight away to T'arla, sending Cadenza with the note.
T'arla's reply was quick, if terse. It read,
"Right-oh, acting-journeyman sir-oh-mighty-one."
Braid was no more trouble in class after that; and by working with Gwetul and Timmis, all three pulled noticeably ahead, and were almost certain to be confirmed as apprentices at Turnover. Of the other five, Horgey thought two might reach the required standard in the time; the other three had until the mid turn before they were definitely dismissed for insufficient ability, and he had hopes if not expectations. He would at least see them capable of playing a tune for their own satisfaction, even if they never rose above amateur level!
Meanwhile, rude songs featuring Gavel were also to be heard, and were quickly taken up by the other boys!
The one featuring an unnamed but recognisable Master being mistaken for a teaching drum and being well butted by a musically inclined caprine was a little excessive, however; and Horgey summoned Braid.
"No more of the caprine song" he said sternly. "You made your point and relieved some feelings I wager. He deserves respect for his ability; jokes can go too far."
Braid grinned unrepentantly.
"It might have got a life of its own by now" he said hopefully "So I can promise not to sing it any more."
"Hopefully not" said Horgey. It's too complex for most of the boys. You had your laugh: end it. And by the way, write me out a copy."
"All right, sir!" agreed Braid, equably. He recognised the warning in Horgey's voice; but appreciated that his teacher liked his efforts enough to want a copy himself!
Horgey planned to send it to T'rin, who would enjoy it! The Journeyman doubted it had actually come to Morshal's ears; or that if it had, the irritable Master had probably not realised it referred to him. Even so, Masters needed to be treated with respect, even if one did not feel much respect for them.
Dorasha too was coming on apace; and Horgey finally felt able to ask the Masterharper if he would test her once more.
Dorasha was nervous; but Horgey and Kitiara assured her that they had every faith in her ability!
The Masterharper tested Dorasha thoroughly; listening to her sing scales major and minor, asked her to tune her gitar and play and sing by sight – something she had worked hard to master – and play on other instruments. Then he said,
"Well, apprentice, you appear to have acquired all the skills and more to begin an apprenticeship; pending your passing Master Jerint's requirements in instrument crafting – which I know you have no experience in yet – you are adequate for a confirmed status. I see no difficulty about you reaching that by Turnover if you work hard under the Instrumentcrafter. I shall, however, suggest that you start in the classes with the smaller boys for the time being until you find your feet. Work hard – Kit and her friends will help you – and you should soon find yourself in classes more appropriate to your turns."
"THANK you sir!" exclaimed Dorasha.
"Oh I think it is Journeyman Horgey you have to thank, for his efforts; and Kitiara too I wager" smiled the Masterharper "And I suspect that your own hard work may have had something to do with it. I wish you all the best!"
As Dorasha was now a friend of Kitiara's, the boys made no grumble at her moving into the bed that had been T'rin's before he was promoted to journeyman; and they all helped manhandle the screens that covered the girls' end as the boys started to call it! Dorasha was a little taken aback, seabred or no, to share a dormitory with boys; but when Kit explained the original reason, and how the boys were such close friends that moving seemed silly, she shrugged and accepted the situation: merely suggesting that as Kit had grown older and she herself was unused to bathing with boys, that perhaps they might go back to the arrangement of girls first in the bathing room.
The boys were glad to agree; they were of an age to be embarrassed by Kit's visible womanhood and appreciated her turning her back, for none wanted to say anything to her to hurt her feelings! A suggestion from another girl, however, solved the problem and saved face all round!
Through lessons and through Kit's dormitory mates, Dorasha quickly came into contact with Vaek; and was amused to be taken under his wing and introduced around to 'the fellows' as he called his various friends and peers. It made an easier transition from the privileged class of paying girls into true apprenticeship to have a moderately partisan self-appointed guardian! As it happened it had been in response to a comment made by Kit to Ferry about Dorasha that Vaek had overheard. Vaek thought Kit as good as any boy, and hero-worshipped her almost as impartially as he did Ferry, Anslas, Kerill, Stev and Shoris, the boys who gave him most time. Any friend of Kit's must be worth knowing and should be helped, in Vaek's opinion, to catch up to her proper age and make up for having inadequate teaching at home!
Dorasha's knowledge was a trifle uneven. She was good enough at theory to escape most of Master Morshal's caustic comments, save those about her being a girl, which was something she could not change, nor did she want to. In fact she was good enough to graduate out of Morshal's class, but Robinton wanted her to have the experience of seeing that she could more than keep up with boys who had been apprenticed for half a turn, or in some cases almost the turn round. As Robinton had said, she had never even attempted instrument crafting until Horgey introduced her to the basics. Master Jerint's workshop was a wonder to her and she was glad of Vaek's guidance around the tools and the rules of safety too!
Dorasha had already been studying with Master Shonagar – the paying girls took singing as a special class and were expected to make themselves available for entertainments as sopranos – and the girl had been glad of the extra classes Horgey had arranged for her with Kit's lessons. Shonagar was very satisfied with Dorasha; she did not have the sweetest voice he had ever trained by a long chalk; but her breath control was good and she did what she was told and could be trusted to follow a score without making up her own off key variations in a reedy warble, as Lesara had been accused of by that flamboyant master. Dorasha would continue to attend classes together with Kit, who satisfied Master Shonagar for similar reasons to Dorasha and for the reason that now he knew she was a girl he was never going to have to worry about her voice breaking at the most awkward of moments as so many trebles seemed to do with almost deliberate seeming perversity. Kit's wicked sense of humour and her ability to embarrass Shonagar got her into regular trouble; such as when he had demanded,
"BIG breaths!" and she had quipped,
"Yeth mathter and me not yet thixthteen!"
Kitiara had been on water rations for three days for that piece of cheek once it had sunk in; and she thought it well worth it for the expression on his face!
Dorasha was also competent enough at drumming; as a Ranking girl of an isolated Hold only conveniently reachable by boat, she had learned drum measures from an early age. She also benefited from the dormitory's logic charts! She avoided too much of the legendary temper of Master Olodkey, who in any case had very little to do with younger apprentices who were not specialist drum apprentices. She was also competent enough at the instruments she elected to study; though she had never had any urge to write her own tunes nor craft variations. She was not particularly looking forward to that part of her training when she graduated from Morshal's class to study under Master Domick, but she would not be alone in finding the subject challenging and difficult, as Shoris pointed out; it was not his favourite exercise either. The girl had also been trained to keep Hold records and so wrote a fair enough hand to satisfy Master Arnor, the Masterrecordkeeper; and being well versed in history too received no complaint from him on that score either. Kit thought it likely that it would not be long before her friend was capable of holding her own with boys her own age, even though she was never likely to catch up with most of The Dormitory! Except maybe Duthi and Lisend, who had not progressed as fast without T'rin to light a fire under their tails as he had done as Tyrin. Lisend was happy enough at the drum heights; and would make a Hold a good drum journeyman some day. Stev was a special pupil of Master Domick, taking the variation crafting and tune writing further than his fellows, spending therefore less time with his erstwhile inseparable companions for the weight of work he was required to turn in! Ferry, Anslas, Kerill and Shoris, together with Kit, liked to find out about everything – and not just music, for they made it their business to know everyone else's business often before the principal protagonists did – and preferred not to specialise; though Shoris was still a special pupil of Master Shonagar since his adult voice had settled down to a clear pure tenor. Duthi was very much the odd man out, not interested in logicating, struggling to keep up with classes. Indeed he was considering throwing up his apprenticeship to return home. Kit hoped the pessimistic boy might change his mind in light of a new, less accomplished member of the dormitory; but she feared that he would not. Duthi would never excel at anything, not for want of ability but because even T'rin had never managed to break past his inherent lack of self belief. It was a pity; but only Duthi could help Duthi!
Dorasha knew nothing of this, or of the slight tension it caused in The Dormitory, though she was gradually included in the group as they told stories of their own younger days together when she passed back to them whatever new prank Vaek had got up to! Dorasha thought them so lucky to have a dragonriding friend who still remembered them! And because he had given them firelizard eggs they would not feel envious or resentful of her pets!