Interruptions lead to friendship

Writers: Ames, Ang
Date Posted: 1st June 2013

Characters: Ernola, Elmaldi
Description: The two apprentices make plans for Turns End
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 13, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Z'hren

There was a song in Ernola's head that wasn't coming together as she
liked so she began whistling to her steps down the hallway. Note was
perched on her shoulder and eagerly helped as much as a green flit
could which sent the song skittering away. "Note, stop ... I love you
but you're only making it worse," the girl said gently as her finger
stroked the delicate chest.

She began again without thinking that she may be disturbing anyone.

Elmaldi heaved a sigh. Someone was singing again. She'd been
concentrating on her art and the notes had distracted her, leaving the
piece marred in a way she didn't think she could repair. **I should
stick to working in the art rooms,** she sighed again, dropping her
pencil. It was a good thing she had just been dabbling in something
new that held little value to her as yet, else she might have actually
been angry.

Standing, pad in hand, she peeked out to see who had gone so far off
in their song.

"Ernola?" Elmaldi asked, surprised that the other harper's tune had
sounded not quite right, when she often did amazing work.

In mid-whistle, Ernola stopped and blinked at Elmaldi. "Oh shells,
I'm sorry. I've disturbed you, haven't I?" she asked as she
approached the girl, noting the lovely color of her eyes. "I can't
seem to get this song straight and Note is distracting me. Were you
working on something?"

Note trilled softly and reached out to Elmaldi. The green flit was
trying to apologize as she looked between them both.

"It's alright," Elmaldi replied, surprised that she wasn't more upset
herself. "I was really just dabbling in something and it wasn't going
so well anyway." She looked at the little flit and smiled. "Hi, Note.
So what were you working on? A new tune?"

Still distracted, Ernola didn't answer immediately. She was frowning
by the time she had an answer. "Aye, a new tune for Turn's End. Ahh
shells ... I'll figure it out later," she gripped then immediately
grinned. Her brother always hated how quickly her moods changed.
"Was your work for Turn's End, too? Can I take a peek?"

"It wasn't for Turn's End. I was just dabbling in a new technique in
sketching. I haven't drawn full body figures much because they often
look unreal, and I was just trying my hand at it." Elmaldi normally
didn't like to share her drawings in progress, but she'd already
figured this one was destined for being lost along with her other sad
attempts. "You can see it if you want." She held out the tablet,
showing some circles drawn to try and position a person's body. There
was a rather large line off to the side where he pencil had slipped
when she's been distracted.

Taking the tablet, Ernola looked over the sketch but she wasn't of
that artistic bent. "It's ... interesting. Was it of anyone we know,"
she said then noted the line. Her eyes widened as she pointed to it.
"Did I make you do that?"

Note chittered happily at the sketch, her talon following the lines
better than Ernola would have expected. The young green squawked when
her person gave the tablet back.

"Not really," Elmaldi shrugged. It had turned out as bits and pieces
of different people, rather than any one person. "Don't worry about
it," Elmaldi waved a hand over the line. "I was getting frustrated by
the whole process anyway, and this gave me a reason to stop fussing
over it all. Now maybe I can work on something more to my liking." She
stood there a minute, not always good at making conversation.

Ernola smiled and tilted her head slightly. She always knew when
people were uncomfortable and found it a challenge to draw them out of
their shell. "And what type of work is more to your liking?
Landscapes? Dragons? Men?" she asked in a slightly flirty manner,
wanting to know where the girl stood.

Elmaldi stood quiet for a moment, but then like any good artist,
blossomed at the thought of discussing her _own_ work. "I love
landscapes the most to be honest. That's what drew me in to art in the
first place, the beauty around us and the beautiful landscapes I had
seen. I've not drawn dragons much. Haven't really had enough chance to
study them. People are exciting, but I prefer faces and close up
details over full body drawings like I was trying here." She gestured
towards her tablet. "I love imaging what the people in the pictures
are thinking and doing and I find that their face can reveal so much
more about them. Like yours for instance. I see creative, talented,
friendly. Makes me want to try and capture that on paper, hold onto
the moment and the feelings that are part of it." Elmaldi blushed a
bit as she rambled on more than usual. Something about Ernola made her
more comfortable than many of the other apprentices.

A single brow rose in surprise but Ernola was certainly a pleasant
one. She loved the blush that spread over the girls cheeks and she
involuntarily stepped closer. "I can see you do enjoy being an artist
and I would be happy to sit for you sometime. You can practice the
dragon build by using Note ... that's if you want to," she said with a
soft smile.

Elmaldi smiled at the offer. "That would be great actually. I don't
often have help in that way. Thank you Ernola. Can I help you in
anyway in return?"

"I'll think of something," Ernola answered with a chuckle, imagining
all the ways they could be spending their time together. It wasn't
often that she met another girl who could possibly be interested in
her but she couldn't guarantee that interest yet. "So, do you stay
around here for Turn's End? My brother is coming out on his brown.
Do you have family that will come?"

"My family can't afford to make the trip most of the time. We do find
time to see each other a few times a Turn, but not this Turn's End.
I'll be here, probably working on my art some more while everyone else
is off having fun," Elmaldi didn't mean it to sound negative. She
loved her work, but there were times she wished she could push herself
out of the shell she'd managed to create that often kept her away from
the festivities and fun.

She may not have meant to be negative but Elmaldi certainly was. "Oh
no ... no no, that's not going to happen," ERnola said before she
reached out and took the girl's hand in hers. "You'll come with us.
Or, I can have Z'hren pick up some of your family if you want them
here. And I won't take no for an answer!"

Elmaldi blinked at the way Ernola had taken her hand. She didn't have
many close friends around her since coming to the Hall and it felt
both odd and right to have someone who seemed to care about her as a
friend would.

"I would love to come with you. My family already has their own plans
as they did not expect to get to see me this Turn's End," Elmaldi gave
a wistfully sad smile at that. It was hard to feel as though her
family had moved on without her there, but she knew it was for the
best. This way she could study and become a renowned Harper among all
of Pern. At least that was the dream she hoped to have one day.

"Thank you Ernola," she said with a smile. "I don't have many friends
here. You make it easy for me to like you." She chuckled a bit at that
and the way it had come across. She hoped the other girl would
understand her intent.

Smiling wide, Ernola patted Elmaldi's hand but there was a twinkle in
her eyes as she read more into the statement than the girl was
probably willing to admit. "I have that effect on people," she said
with a wink and a quick flick of her wrist. Then she laughed at the
thought of spending all of her time at the Gather with this delightful
girl which set Note into the air with a squawk. "Oh hush you ... go
find something to eat."

When the green was gone, Ernola squeezed the hand gently then let go
with a happy sigh. "So it's a date. Shall we get something to eat
ourselves and make our plans?"

"Sounds like a plan," Elmaldi replied. She was happy. She had trouble
making friends and opening up to people, but Ernola had made this
encounter so much easier than she would have expected.

Last updated on the June 1st 2013

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Interruptions lead to friendship