Offered and Accepted

Writers: Jane, Francesca
Date Posted: 26th July 2009

Characters: Swift, Leisenn, Taraglan
Description: Leisenn offers the Hallsecond position to Taraglan and he accepts it.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern, Dolphin Hall
Date: month 3, day 16 of Turn 5

Taraglan finished rubbing oil into Peti's hide, smiling at the happy feelings emanating from the little bronze. Although he disliked doing anything potentially messy on his desk, it had been drizzling outside all day and Peti had been complaining for candlemarks. Now the firelizard glistened in the low light emanating from the glows. "Go on," Taraglan said with a smile, sending him to his spot on the windowsill. The dolphineer carefully closed the container of oil and moved the rags from his desk, pleased that not even a drop of oil had escaped.

As he wiped his hands on a rag his thoughts turned, as they did almost constantly, to the Hallsecond position at the Southern Hall. He had been relieved that Leiana was not just content but excited at the prospect of a move. And the boys had been pleasantly surprised by what they had seen there, from the local pod, to the building, to the wonders of the Weyr. Even Kaimi was beginning to understand what a move would mean. Now, all he could do was wait to hear from the Hallmaster.

~ ~ ~

"Are you sure he'll take it to _Taraglan_?" Leisenn asked Swift.

The kitchen-hand laughed. "I'll know when he comes back if he did, since you introduced Red and I to Master Taraglan while he was visiting. But I can't actually guarantee he'll do as he's asked. Perhaps I should get Journeywoman Trellyn?"

"No, no. We'll try this. It's not as if the letter's personal or particularly private." Certainly it wasn't at the Dolphin Cove end.

She glanced over the letter again:

**Taraglan,

**The Hallsecond position is yours under the terms we discussed if you care to move down here. As discussed your wife would be welcome to pursue her craft here or at the Weyr but would fall under the Craft Ban if she were to move beyond these locations.

**Leisenn Hallmaster Dolphin Cove Dolphin Hall**

She rolled it up and handed it to the elderly man.

Swift placed the small letter in the tube attached to the small blue firelizard. "Now, we talked about this, Red. Master Taraglan. Right now."

The firelizard chirped his agreement and took to the air and circled around the room.

"You'll need to go /between/!" Swift called, trying to transmit that to the firelizard in the hard to understand way that connected him to the small creature.

A small bugle was cut off mid-note as the blue disappeared. Swift laughed. "Oh dear."

Leisenn joined the man in laughing. "Oh dear, indeed."

~ ~ ~

Peti reared up in surprise as the unfamiliar blue popped into the room, causing Taraglan to drop oil container he had been moving from the desk. Oil began to ooze onto the floor from a crack in the ceramic pot. Ignoring the mess for now, he turned his attention to the blue who was now standing uncertainly on the corner of the desk farthest from Peti, attention torn between the firelizard and the man.

"Hello there," Taraglan said, seeing the message attached to the firelizard. "You must be Red. Or at least I hope you are." He wished he had thought to keep some morsels with him to thank the blue, but he had given all of them to Peti earlier. "Let me get that message from you and then we'll see about getting you a treat." As he approached the firelizard, he sent a silent request to Peti to help calm the blue. After some trouble, he managed to slip the message out of the tube. He quickly scanned it, smiling at its contents.

"Now, just wait here while I get some food for you." Carefully stepping around the puddle of oil, he went to his doorway and asked a passing apprentice to get his wife and some meat for the firelizard. Taraglan turned around in time to see the blue launch himself off of the desk and disappear /between/.

"Hmm. Maybe I won't need that meat," he said to himself, walking back to his desk and taking a seat. He and Leiana had already decided that he would accept the position if Leisenn offered it. Both boys had agreed to come as well, with the bribe of a firelizard egg for each of them. And Kaimi had no say in the matter but was excited as well. Now, all he needed to do was write a response. A draft was quickly written, then a final copy made. He looked it over one last time:

**Hallmaster Leisenn,

Thank you for the job offer. My family and I have already discussed the matter and the five of us are eager to move to your Hall. As agreed, we will arrive on the 28th of the month and I will start my duties two days after. Please feel free to send me any additional information before then.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Taraglan**

It was not perfect but it would do. The blue firelizard had not returned so Taraglan strapped a message tube onto Peti and slipped his response in. "Go to Leisenn, at the Southern Hall," he told the bronze. He smiled as Peti disappeared /between/. Tonight they would celebrate. But first, he needed to clean up the oil.

~ ~ ~

"Hallmaster?" Swift called from the corridor as he entered the open doorway with Red on his shoulder.

"Is there a reply?" Leisenn asked, turning from her work-bench under the windows.

"No, I'm afraid not," the kitchen-hand admitted. "He came back very quickly, though, and the message has been removed."

"That's hopeful. Does he seem to ... indicate that he might have reached Taraglan?"

"All he can show me is another firelizard and a lot of oil. I'm not sure it that's a hint," the man said, turning his head to inspect the blue hide that was far too close for him to focus on.

"Ahh, well. No doubt a reply will come if it got there, and if not we'll try to more traditional method tomorrow."

Almost as soon as Swift excused himself and Leisenn turned back to her work another firelizard appeared, flying around the room and then setting himself down - as most seemed to know to do - on the perch that Mosler's firelizard had used.

"Are you Taraglan's friend?" Leisenn asked politely as she removed the small message from the tube. "Yes, I see you are. Do you know the blue firelizard that visited just before? You could find him and get something to eat."

Before she had finished speaking the firelizard was aloft and then gone - whether back to his master or off to find Swift's Red she didn't know.

But she had her answer; the Hall was to have a Hallsecond again early in the next month.

Last updated on the July 26th 2009

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Offered and Accepted