Across the Table

Writers: Devin, Chelle
Date Posted: 3rd November 2015

Characters: Asley, Talryne
Description: The two crafters discuss the pros and cons of printing.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 5 of Turn 8

Talryne

Since there weren't many choices, Asley usually sat down at the table
where the women crafters congregated. It was safe and
she didn't have to worry about distractions. That way the males left
her alone. Arranging the food on her tray, she was careful
not to mix her tubers with her beans. Sighing, the printer took a
drink of her juice then tried not to think about everything else she
still had to finish. As usual, she was quite filthy but the apron had
covered most of her smock so that was clean at least.

Talryne glanced at her, thinking about how messy things could get when
dyeing fabrics. At least the apprentice weavers didn't have to do that
all the time. Printing certainly was a dirty job.

Asley caught the glance and recognized it for what it was. Most females
couldn't stand being so dirty. She had gotten used to it, though, and it
didn't
bother her. She would likely have ink stains on her fingers throughout the
rest
of her life. "I do bathe, you know."

"I didn't say anything," Talryne said. "You don't stink."

"Not about the stinking...the stains. Job hazard." She shook her head and
took a
bite of the food. "You're a weaver, don't you have needle pricks?"

A faint hint of a smile touched Talryne's lips. "I was just wondering
if ink stains were better than accidentally sitting on needles."

"Much better I would think. I'd rather turn black than bleed. Helps from
getting sunburned too." And with her skin, that was a big help.

"At least you can look on the bright side." Talryne took a bite of her
food, thinking about how every craft had its good and bad elements.

"You have to. Otherwise you just think about the dirty, filthy mess you are
most
of the day." **Thankfully men don't like women like that so that solves my
other
problem.**

Talryne snorted. "So why printing?"

"I like making things more permanent. Hides can be scraped, ripped, or
faded.
Usually a book-if someone takes care of it-can last far longer and it's easy
to
read for everyone. Plus I like making ink. It's really pretty even if it can
be a
bit of a process." Asley loved playing with the stuff. The different colors,
textures,
and thicknesses were fun to experiment with.

Talryne wasn't good with small talk, but taking about crafting was
easier, even if it wasn't her craft. "Have you always wanted to be a
printer?"

"Not always, but I wanted to be _something_. I mean, my parents were drudges
so..." It wasn't that she was ashamed of that, but Asley hadn't wanted that
life
for herself personally. Besides with the way she was, a Hold would have been
very limiting. When she'd gotten old enough to understand, she'd quickly
moved
to crafting.

"You wanted something more interesting for yourself," Talryne guessed.
She was lucky her father had encouraged her to explore her options.

"For sure. And in the north women could craft or do whatever they wanted so
I
had never thought I couldn't. Then everything happened and I came here with
my
brother." Still it worked out so she wasn't as upset about the Hall at
Topaz as she had been long ago.

"You're from the north?"

Nodding her head, Asley wondered if she had been in the south too
long. "I'm from Southern Boll."

"Oh. Is your brother a dragonrider?" Talryne thought that was the most
likely reason from him to move south.

"No, he's a holder." She hadn't spoken to her brother in a long time. Asley
wondered if it might be time to send him a letter.

"You came down south with a holder?" Talryne arched an eyebrow. That
was... interesting.

"Umhm. We came to Topaz Seahold and I started at the Hall there.
Then when it was wrecked I came here the first time." She tried not to think
about that. It had been hard. "Went to Emerald Falls when the new hall
opened but when I got my knots, I got to come back here."

"Oh, Topaz... sorry to hear about that." Talryne shifted in her seat.
"Was your brother...?"

Quickly shaking her head, Asley wanted to dispel that notion. "No Kenley's
fine. He's holding somewhere else in the territory. He likes to work with
the
animals but didn't want to craft. So he has his own cothold raising stock."

"Ah," Talryne said with relief. "So you came back to the Weyr because
you're more comfortable here?" Not surprising for a female crafter.

"I have some friends here. And at the Hall it's hard if you're not married."
She didn't say that she never intended to be married. It was true enough
though. "You need a man to be able to count on safety."

Talryne made a face. "That's unfortunate. Hopefully things will get
better. Women crafting at the southern Halls is still new. The
technicians seem to be fine and I know the female dolphineers don't
have problems."

"The dolphineers aren't at a Hold though so it's different." She didn't know
about the technicians but she supposed since there weren't many of them they
were tolerated. Or maybe they kept their mouths shut.

"Crafting at a Weyr is much easier," Talryne agreed.

It was. Asley nodded in agreement and went back to finishing her meal. The
conversation with Talryne had been easy though and the silence was
companionable. She wouldn't mind speaking to her again.

Last updated on the November 9th 2015

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Across the Table