Runner Tails

Writers: AL, Chelle
Date Posted: 16th July 2014

Characters: Qorri, Caenir
Description: The two of them talk about the crafter's needs.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 7, day 18 of Turn 7
Notes: Reven, Arippa

The headwoman in any place was usually the contact for most crafters.
She made sure they had the supplies they needed and they provided to her
what the hold needed. So Qorri knew she would need to learn who did what
and where. First stop, the beastcrafters.

He saw her before anyone else, though Caenir didn't necessarily
acknowledge her until she was close enough. When the new headwoman
approached, he tipped his hat toward her and intoned a single word.
"Ma'am."

"Master Caenir, I presume?" She was judging by knots and turns, though she
wasn't sure.

"Journeyman." Caenir was careful to point out the difference in title.
While he was 'master' in the since that he stood in charge of the
Stables and, in general, their fledgling runner breeding program, he was
not officially a Master of the craft. That would, he hoped, eventually
change, but there were a few turns before that would come to pass.

"Ah very well then." Qorri stopped walking when she was close enough. "I'm
Qorri. Holder Reven has asked me here to assist his Lady with running the
household. As such I am trying to get to know everyone and discover just
what is needed. I understand that he is newly promoted as well so perhaps
not as
familiar with those things so I was hoping you could tell me more about the
beastcrafting operation."

"I see." Caenir motioned further into the stables. "I can give you a
tour and explain things as we go if you like."

"That would be wonderful." Caenir seemed affable. Something in her mind
reminded her of her late crafter husband. Qorri liked crafting men-they
worked.

"Then follow me." Caenir turned upon his heel to trek up toward the
stables proper. The bright sun was dimmed under a canopy of wood that
sheltered the runners when they were not out to pasture. "This is where
we house current runners and will house more as we acquire them." They
were large, spacious, though most of the stalls were devoid even of
straw. Several contained the golden grass along with other accessories
that indicated a runner occupied it when not grazing. There was plenty
for more, and plenty of room for the runners to move about in their
small homes. Whatever distant relation to Reven had held that hold
before events had occurred to pass it along to his friend, they had
planned to do very much the same thing. Caenir was simply going to
bring that dream to a reality.

"Do you plan to have more of a breeding program or a training program?"
Qorri knew there were different types of runners bred for different things.
The Weyr had only needed enough to carry passengers and that was all.

"Breeding, though any runners we retain will certainly be trained and
trained well. Right now, we don't have any runners that we don't
currently plan to keep." Caenir wondered if she wanted to see the tack
room. Probably not. He paused and let her look around a moment, then
continued through to the other open end of the stables. "Pastures are
back here."

"And the food for them comes from the Hold's stores, correct? How many
marks do you plan to make from them when sold?" After all, they couldn't
keep feeding the animals without getting a return. Then again, that was
really Reven's business. Qorri just had to account for the lack in
foodstuffs.

"It depends on the runner, the age at which its sold, how well the
breeding took. I can give you a list of prices of runners we've bought
with good lines if you want to get an idea." It was really the best way
rather than trying to grasp at amounts in thin air. "We've not had time
to establish our breeding line just yet. We've bought some to breed, got
a couple of mares quickened, but they haven't foaled yet."

That meant for now there were no profits. She'd have to discuss her budget
with the steward. After all, there were tithes to Emerald Falls to consider
that
took care of their protection and everything else. And then she had to
manage
the food controls. Once the farmers let her know what they had cultivated,
she
could determine what other needs there were. "When they're no good...what's
done with them?"

"We sell them, but they don't fetch as good a price. It depends, too,
on what they might be good for. A runner that won't breed well for one
thing might do well for another. For instance, a runner might not be
good to extend the breeding line, but might be an excellent runner for
working the fields, or make a good runner for the Beastcraft Hall for
teaching purposes. Some Holders who might not be able to afford top of
the line will still pay a decent price for runners that are just a
little 'sub par'." Caenir would also be sure to get a fair price
depending on the runner in question. He'd not let his best friend's Hold
pay for a bad breed.

She noted all of this in the back of her mind, walking through the
facilities.
So they didn't keep them for the most part. She nodded to herself. Qorri
remembered what things had been like during the Plague and afterwards. She
didn't
voice her thoughts, though. "Sounds like a good operation then. If you can
send me
a report of what you need every month in grain and medicine so I can make
sure we
have it for you-that would be easier."

"Sure." Caenir had been supplying that already to the woman who had
been filling the position until they could decide on a permanent
candidate. Now, he'd obviously deal with Qorri. "Not a problem."

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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Runner Tails