EFH: The Headwoman's Commission

Writers: Jane, Vix
Date Posted: 10th June 2007

Characters: Vanea, Rahona
Description: Rahona is introduced to one aspect of the riverboat women's lives as Vanea commissions some quilting work.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 4, day 17 of Turn 4

"The Headwoman has sent word that she will visit us this morning," Denna
explained, glancing along the wharves at Emerald Falls Hold hoping to
catch sight of the woman. "As you can imagine, she's a very busy woman
so it's quite an honour that she's coming here. Normally it's about
quilts, which is why Jesten - and Lineal - aren't here to meet her.
Quilts are women's business."

"You mean she wants to buy quilts from you?" Rahona asked, having found
often over the last few days that just when she thought she understood,
she was not even close.

"Probably," replied Vaheri, her glance following Denna's. "Our quilts
are in high demand and for many families it's a matter of prestige to
own one." The comment was offered in an offhand manner, much as if
instructing a child. "Denna, this new Headwoman - do you know anything
about her?"

"Nothing. Oh, she's a widow with older children." Denna grinned. If
there was information around it usually came to her ears. She wasn't
sure why it was always so, for she tried not to listen to gossip and
knew her mother would not tolerate her ever repeating it.

"I knew they were very beautiful," Rahona admitted, thinking of the
lovely quilts that had been on their beds when they had arrived in their
room. She had wanted to fold them away safely or cover them for their
own protection but Lineal assured her that they were supposed to be
used. "And I've seen you all busy with bits and pieces." She could do
plain sewing - enough to run up play clothing for the children, but
sewing wasn't really her best skill.

Vaheri had been nodding to Denna's information, but turned to Rahona at
her comment. "It gives us something to do, something useful that is
practical for our living quarters and earns us some extra marks. The
making of them and many of the patterns have been passed down for as
long as the family has been traveling the river."

"I hadn't realised. Lineal said they were traditional ..." She had
thought he might just mean for holder women in general. "I suppose you
all learn very young?" Perhaps it wasn't too late for Lihona.

"The girls help from early on," the older woman replied. We give them
scraps to practice and from there move to pillows and samplers. By nine
Turns, most have made quilts for their own beds and then are ready to
help with the larger comforters."

"They have? They are?" Rahona was dumbstruck. There were dragonlengths
of sewing in those things and she didn't think she could get Lihona to
sit still enough to sew a handspan. "Well, you'd better get onto
teaching Lihona because she has some time to catch up on."

Vaheri eyed the newcomer speculatively before clearing her throat and
speaking softly. "Each mother teaches her daughter the basics. When
she knows the stitches, the other women pitch in to encourage her and to
help her improve."

"Me?" Rahona fairly yelped the word. "_I_ have to teach her?"

This brought a slow nod. "You _do_ know how to sew?"

"A little. Just simple play clothes and things for the children. There
were weavers at the Weyr!" she said, laughing at her own protests.

"We trade for what we need from weavers but must do what we can for
ourselves," stated Vaheri. "If you can thread a needle and do simple
stitches, you can learn to do this and teach your daughter." She eyed
this new addition to their riverboat family, wondering if she would do
what was expected to be a part of that life.

The arrival of the Hold's Headwoman forestalled the woman's answer.

Vanea approached the riverboat slowly. She had never been fond of boats
- even for short trips aboard them. Noting the women on deck, she
called out to them. "Hello! I was told to seek out the captain's wife?"

"Ahh!" Rahona's exclamation was a surprised on and she glanced at Vaheri
before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. "The captain's a
widower, but I'm his son's wife. Please, come aboard."

As she stepped gingerly onto the gangway, Vanea puzzled over that reply.
When she reached the other women she voiced her confusion. "I was
told that the riverboat had a new captain?"

"It's - It's an inherited position, and while my father-in-law is still
alive he will always retain the title." No matter how much of the work
Lineal took on the crew would never stop considering Jesten the captain
until he was dead.

Vanea nodded to this. "But you are in charge of the quilts? You're the
person I'd talk to about them?"

"This is our headwoman, Vaheri, and she's teaching me all I need to know
about the quilts," Rahona said, trying to keep her glance in the older
woman's direction from appearing too desperate. What if she was asked
something about the quilts ... about anything?

Vaheri stepped forward. "Our jobs may sound similar but I think that
they're quite different," she told the other woman. "My position has
come due to my age and the length of time I have spent on the river.
However, yes, I can help you with quilts."

"Then perhaps I should extend my invitation to both of you - headwoman
and captain's wife." Vanea stepped back so that she could view both
women. "I want to commission a new quilt, more a lap version than a
full-sized one, as well as ask you to repair one purchased from this
riverboat Turns ago."

This brought a nod from Vaheri. "Even if none of us worked on the quilt
originally, many of our patterns have been handed down from one
generation to the next. We can certainly look at it and see if it can
be mended."

"My father was a harper," the Emerald Falls headwoman continued. "The
quilt was a wedding gift from him to my mother, but he chose a pattern
whose name seemed to fit his craft: drum tower?"

Again Vaheri nodded. "That's one of the patterns we still sew."

Rahona knew she was looking from one woman to the other like a puppy
watching a ball while children played catch, but she was very interested
to see how Vaheri behaved. She had the feeling she would never achieve
the dignity and firmness that the older woman displayed, and certainly
she would never have the knowledge.

"My mother is older now and seldom even recognizes me or others around
her, but she holds that quilt and fingers it. It seems to be the anchor
to the life she once knew but now has forgotten. Unfortunately, through
her handling of it, some patches have worn through and threads are
coming loose. I'd like it to be repaired, but also to have a smaller
version for her to hold during the time she is awake." She smiled
apologetically at the riverboat women. "You probably don't need that
explanation, but I thought it might help you to know what it is that
prompted me to ask you."

"It's always important to us," Denna said. "To know how special a quilt
is." She hoped her own mother never failed to recognise her, but
supposed that if it happened it would also be quilts for Vaheri that
anchored her to memories.

With the explanation finished and accepted, Vanea could relax into her
negotiations. "I couldn't get the quilt away from my mother. It would
probably be best if one or two of you came to the Hold to see it. If
you had her show it to you, you could see what needs done without
upsetting her. If the smaller quilt could be completed first, it might
be easier to take the larger one from her for the repairs."

"We have only a few days in port," Vaheri reminded her. "If we visit
with you and your mother later today or early tomorrow, we could assess
the damage and measure the area to be repaired. We could also gather
some of the fabric we have in our stores and see if any will match.
That way, if needed, we could return and check what we had found against
the original."

"I could arrange to be with my mother at most times of day," Vanea told
her, "as long as I have time to check with my assistants and review
assignments, and as long as the sessions with my mother are fairly
short. Her moods are changeable and she becomes upset easily. I've
learned how to calm her - most times - but with strangers who knows how
she would act."

"My gran was the same in her older Turns," remarked the riverboat
headwoman. "We'll work around her as best we can and try to respect her
feelings. Once we've done the initial viewing of the quilt, we can work
on the smaller one while we're traveling and probably have it ready when
we return. If the measurements are taken while we're here, we may be
able to cut the pieces that we'll need for the larger quilt and sew as
we visit with her on our next docking here."

"This is better than I had hoped." Vanea included all of the women in
her grateful glance. "I'll gladly pay whatever you ask, though I'm
fairly new to my position and will have to wait until you return to pay
the full amount."

Vaheri waved a hand in dismissal. "We'll take a deposit - we'll know
the amount better when we see the task - and trust you for the rest."
She regarded Vanea shrewdly. "Besides that, a visit to the Hold will
allow others to see the work that we do and possibly bring us more
business."

"And if I can steer any buyers your way, I'll certainly do so," was the
other woman's reply.

Rahona wondered if the Hold headwoman's recommendation would be worth a
discount, and made a mental note to ask Vaheri about that later. Almost
everything reminded her that she had a lot to learn, especially if she
was to manage the role of Captain's wife with any sort of competency.

"I think that this afternoon would be best," Vaheri decided. She turned
slightly. "Rahona, are you available to go to the Hold with me later
today?"

"Er - yes," Rahona managed, being caught out thinking her own thoughts.
"Of course, Headwoman."

Vanea nodded decisively. "Then I'll expect the two of you in
mid-afternoon. I'll send a drudge to escort you and to carry your
equipment."

"I'll bring a sewing box but can carry it myself," insisted Vaheri.

"In that case, the drudge will simply ensure your free passage to my
office." The Hold's Headwoman smiled at the others. "I look forward
doing business with you and will see you later today." With that she
turned, striding in a no-nonsense manner back toward the Hold.

"I'll need to take an assortment of threads," Vaheri mused, turning
toward her own quarters. "I've no idea what colors of quilt and perhaps
I can do a quick repair or two while there."

"I'm not going to be much use, am I?" Rahona said following the
riverboat's headwoman and grimacing at Denna.

"You'll have to be known to these people," Denna said. "That's useful."

"And as you do, you'll also get to know how we live," added Vaheri.
"Now that you're one of us, you need to learn our ways."

"I know," Rahona said, thinking wistfully about how her children had
fitted in almost right away. "And I'm learning as fast as I can."

Last updated on the June 21st 2007

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EFH: The Headwoman's Commission