Growth Spurts

Writers: Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 16th October 2011

Characters: Milga, Jylanya
Description: A young apprentice comes to the headwoman with a request.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 4, day 17 of Turn 6

Jylanya

Milga stood hesitantly at the threshold of the Headwoman's offfice.
Hands behind her back, she waited to be noticed. She didn't want to
disturb such a busy and important person.

Jylanya finished the sum she was doing before she looked up to see the
girl standing at her door. Her lips quirked into a smile of welcome.
"Come in dear," she said pleasantly.

"Yes, ma'am," Milga said and stepped in. She actually curtied at her.

"Is there something you need?" She could see the young woman was
almost ready to run at the least provocation.

"The master of apprentices sent me, he told me to tell you to make me
look like a respectable crafter instead of shaggy holdless girl,"
Milga rushed out the words, her cheek colouring with embarrassment.
Was it her fault that her clothes were mostly second hand or that she
was growing out of them? Even now, she was wearing sleeveless tunic
that had originally belonged to her cousin and pants that had seen
better days and were also too short, exposing ankles. She was
barefooted.

"Hmmm," said Jylanya standing. She'd known some of the apprentices
were in need of clothing but this was beyond bad. "He was right to
send you to me. " She stopped a moment and smiled at the girl. "How
about we go to the supply room and see if we have anything to fit?"

"Yes, ma'am, " Milga said with pretty, shy smile. Who girl didn't like
having new stuff. She was also relieved that the Headwoman wasn't
angry at her.

"Well," she said as she moved around her desk and grabbed her keys.
"Follow me then," she lead the girl down the hallway to the second
storage room. She'd shopped for just such items at the last gather and
even made arrangements with the weavers to have items made up and sent
incorporating the hall's colors.

She turned at looked critically at the girl. "What are you about 13?"

"Not yet, I'm 12," Milga replied. Her birthday was still a month away.
She followed the Headwoman, trying not to trip to her feet, which
seemed to grow faster than her legs.

"Yes, well you'll be growing quickly then." She walked briskly until
the arrived at the door. She put her key in the lock which turned
smoothly. It hadn't the first time she'd come but she'd had the
technicians come to oil all the locks so they now were in good working
order.

"Now," she said turning to the girl. Perhaps a couple of shirts,
smocks, and some shoes." She rummaged through the shelves and pulled a
number of items down holding them up to the girl's shoulders for a
quick judgement as to size.

"Well, that's the problem, growing," Milga said. "I do need new
boots," she added, watching the Headwoman look up clothes.

"As long as you don't grow this way." She puffed out her cheeks and
held her arms big around her like she was puffy with extra weight.
"But somehow I don't think Master Famell will let you get that way."
She laughed and reached up into a bin and pulled out some sandals
that could just go between her toes to hold the sole on her feet.
"These will do for now until we can have some boots made up. We'll
need to talk to the leather workers up at the weyr to do that. But
we're building lots of credit with them so that shouldn't be a
problem."

"Now, is there anything else you need dear?"

Milga just shrugged. Frankly, she didn't really care what she was
wearing as long as she was decent.

She smiled at the shrug and figured the girl didn't realize that she
could have just about anything in the storeroom at the moment.
"Alright, then why don't you take those things back to your room and
try them on. Then just give me back anything that doesn't fit ok?"
She looked critically at the ones the girl was wearing and added
"those," she indicated what the girl was wearing "are only fit for the
rag pile. So just toss them in the rag bin when you've changed."

The walked out of the storage room and Jylanya locked the door before
walking down the hall back toward her office. She sighed and promised
herself she was going to audit a few of the class rooms to see if any
of the other apprentices clothing was in similar condition.

Last updated on the December 16th 2011

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Growth Spurts