Nothing But Gossipmongers

Writers: Heather, Estelle
Date Posted: 30th June 2024

Characters: Tasni, Engad
Description: Tasni questions Green Valley's Master Harper, Engad, about the fire. He's less than helpful.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 20 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Renette, Reven, Jayala, Arippa
Follows "EFH-GVmH: Suspicious Activity"

After they'd finished lunch and unpacked, Tasni left Renette catching up
with her family and headed off in search of the hold's harper. She
didn't know whether he'd have more to tell her than Holder Reven, but it
was worth a try since the fieldhands, who were likely to be the best
first-hand witnesses, wouldn't yet be back from their work.

The excited voices of children, dismissed from their lessons for an
afternoon break, led her to the room in the hold that was set aside as a
classroom. Tasni let the last stragglers pass her and knocked on the
door. "Master Engad?"

"What is it?" Engad asked without looking over his shoulder. Instead,
he was busy wiping his board clean from the numbers and figures they
had been working with that day.

She stepped into the classroom, taking note of her surroundings. The
room seemed bright and well-equipped with books and simple musical
instruments stacked neatly on shelves, suggesting at the hold's
prosperity and that the children's education was important to the
family. She'd seen much more basic facilities in her travels.

"I'm Tasni, from the Hall at Emerald Falls. I came to visit with
Journeywoman Renette. Hallsecond Jayala may have written to you to
expect me?"

Engad spun and adjusted the spectacles on his face so that he could
get a better look at the intruder. "Interesting. I thought you were a
man by the name. The Hallsecond didn't specify a journey_woman_."

"Well, I'm very much not a man," she replied cheerfully, leaning against
one of the desks. "I expect the Hallsecond didn't think it proper to
send a man to accompany the Holder's sister, so here I am. Do you have a
few minutes to talk, Master?"

"Hmmm," Engad made a sound of displeasure. "What do you need?" he asked,
although he turned and began tidying up his desk.

"I'm told there was a fire at the Hold a little while back," Tasni said.
"Master Jayala asked me to have a look into it while I'm here. After
what happened at the Harper Hall, if it was set deliberately, the
Masters want to get to the bottom of it."

"What a waste of Hall resources," Engad tsked with disapproval. Was
there so little for the women harpers to do that they had to be sent all
over the country inspecting _gossip_ and _rumors_, Engad wondered.
"There's absolutely no cause for anyone to set fires here."

"So you think it was an accident?" she asked. "The Holder's wife told me
the weather was good that day, so it couldn't have been lightning."

"I think my craft trained me in singing, teaching, drawing, and many
other arts related skills. It did _not_ train me to speculate." Engad
said this while looking down his nose through the small, round
spectacles that were perched on the end.

"I expect plenty of people have been speculating about the fire without
a scrap of harper training, but none of them have your experience as a
Master Harper, nor your knowledge of the Hold." Tasni met his gaze
guilelessly. "I'm sure the Hallmaster would value your opinion. Master
Jayala told me he's taking the incident quite seriously, given the
importance of Green Valley to the Lord Holder."

Engad sighed long-sufferingly. **This is _exactly_ why females should
have been left out of the craft. Nothing but gossipmongers.**

"Very well," he said. "Do I think it was an accident? It seems unlikely.
From the location of where the fire begin, it would be difficult to
'accidentally' make fire. Do I think someone has nefarious plans for
Green Valley or the Holder and his family? That also seems unlikely. The
general attitude toward Holder Reven and Lady Arippa is that they've
brought stability to Green Valley for the first time in a decade. People
appreciate their dependability, fairness, and adherence to tradition."

"That's what I've heard," Tasni agreed. She hadn't come across anyone
with a bad word to say, much less a grudge against the Holder's family.
In some circumstances that would make her suspicious, but she'd got the
impression from meeting them that their reputation was well-deserved.
"Unfortunately, not everyone respects tradition or good hold management.
Have there been any reports of thieves or bandits in the area?"

"Not unless you believe some of that drivel being published by the
Printers," Engad scoffed. Although, secretly, some of it was rather
tantalizing to the imagination to read, but still, he doubted there
was a shred of truth in any of it.

"Long may it continue that way. Lawless folk are a trial to any hold."
Tasni wondered irreverently if the master harper would notice a thief if
one stole the spectacles from off his nose. "And you haven't noticed
anyone in the hold behaving unusually, either before or since the fire?"

Engad smoothed a greying hair against his head. "The only thing unusual
I have noticed around here since then is the arrival of two female
harpers," he said pointedly.

"Not that unusual, surely. We're more and more common, these days," she
replied cheerfully. Clearly she wasn't going to get much out of the
harper, but hopefully the fieldhands and the other holders would have
more to say. "If there's anything I can do to help you during my stay
here, please don't hesitate to ask. My specialty is the archives, but I
also play the gitar and teach."

As if to offer a small truce, Engad said, "It would be nice to have a
gitar accompany the music tonight at dinner. I play the pipes. Perhaps
if the holder's sister joins us as well we could make a nice trio."

"Of course. I'll ask Journeywoman Renette, but I'm sure she'd be happy
to join us." That was a good idea, Tasni thought. If there was one thing
harpers had in common, it was a love of music, and it was harder to be
suspicious of someone you'd played together with. "Well, I'll let you
get back to your work. Good day, Master."

Last updated on the October 19th 2024

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Nothing But Gossipmongers