Interlude

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 16th July 2014

Characters: Alina, L'pin
Description: L'pin continues Alina's music lessons
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 19 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Panitath, Chaysea, Kapera
Notes: The Game: 2

Alina

"How have you been?" L'pin asked Alina. "I'm sorry I haven't had as much time to spend with you lately."

The Candidate shrugged, but she was smiling. "That's all right. I know how lucky I am to have you teach me to play the pipes at all." The pipes in question lay in her lap, idle. While she still desperately wanted to play the gitar, the chords were difficult to memorize in the short periods of time that she had lessons. The pipes she could take anywhere, though, and often did.

"It's going to get busier for everyone in the last few days before Panitath's Clutch happens," he mused.

"I enjoy this time," he told her. "It's not that I don't enjoy working with weyrlings and candidates, but I so rarely get to use my Harper training."

Which seemed like a waste to her. To be able to play music, and not have the time for it. "Were you more a Harper before Thread came back?"

He nodded. "It was so much easier then. You could have a dragon and a Craft. It was like being on top of the world."

He let out a sigh before continuing. "Now when you Stand, you know you have to risk your lives. Those of us before, we didn't know what would happen."

Her fingers tightened around her pipes, and she glanced down at her lap. Her parents had sent her away knowing that was a possibility, no matter how distant. That maybe she could Impress a dragon-- and what then? She shyed away from the thought. "I've memorized that last song you gave me."

He was glad she skipped away from the topic. He hadn't meant to be morose. "Do you want to play it back for me? I'm glad you liked that one."

"Sure." She lifted the pipes to her lips, took a deep breath, and began to play. The tune was a sprightly, simple thing, but she played it confidently, even when she missed a note or the changes between chords were a little sloppy. She played it twice through before lowering the pipes and looking shyly at her teacher for approval.

"Your breath control is improving," he told her. "I realize it's hard to shape the outgoing air flow, but it sounds very good."

"Thank you." The breath control _was_ hard, but she was practicing. And getting better. Maybe she'd never be Harper-good, but it pleased her that she could play something. "I'm still having trouble moving from an A flat to a C, but my fingers are getting better."

"Does it hurt, or is it just unfamiliar? There's some hand stretching exercises for the former."

"It doesn't hurt, but I could do hand stretching exercises anyway." It couldn't hurt.

He showed her a few. "These help with flexibility, and it might make things a bit easier. Do a few repetitions before playing, and a few after."

She nodded, staring at her hand. It was changing-- between the Candidate classes, new chores, pipes and gitar, she was growing new callouses and losing her old ones. Blinking, she lowered her hand. "Will you... after the Hatching, will you be too busy to continue with music lessons?"

"It depends on how we rearrange duties," he told her. "But I can try to ensure a free candle mark, and space to meet in. The worst is that we might have to use a rest day. Would that be acceptable?"

"Of course!" She smiled in relief. Her music lessons with L'pin were the best thing about the Weyr so far. Maybe the second best-- being chosen to work with Kapera was perhaps the best. It would crush her to lose that time, but she'd heard how needy Weyrlings were, and L'pin was on the Weyrlingstaff. "Rest days are fine. I don't do much on rest days anyway."

"Aw." Well, some people preferred their solitude. "Then I'll make sure to let you know and set up a time. I have an in with the Headwoman,"

At least one of them did. "I'd like that very much."

"Very good." He picked up his own pipes and played a few notes to limber up his own hand. "Is there another piece you'd like to do?"

"Mmm..." Her mind sprang instantly elsewhere, to a long-held and somewhat shy dream. "A love song?"

He couldn't help the soft smile that sprung onto his face when he thought about a special someone of his own. "You know, I believe I know just the piece."

He riffled through the hides he kept in this room, and then pulled out a simple pipe piece. "This was crafted a century ago by a harper from a shepherd background," he told her, showing her the hide so she could see the notes and lyrics. "He took a sprightly local tune and slowed it down and made it romantic." Because of its origins, he thought it would be playable.

She hummed the first bar, a bit haltingly. "It's lovely. Did he write it for someone?"

"He did indeed. Her father married her off to another man, thinking a Lord's son was better for his daughter than just a Harper. But Master Bereklon became a famous composer in the end. I wonder if the man ever regretted it."

She sighed. It was such a romantic story... "I wonder if she ever regretted it. My parents had a love match, you know."

"That's very fortunate of them," he said sincerely. "Mine did not, but they grew into genuine affection. Were they going to let you try to find one, or arrange?"

"If I could have, sure." Alina made a face. "My cothold was very small. But if I couldn't find anyone, I know that they would have found someone good for me. I suppose... I suppose they still hope I'll find someone, now that I'm here."

This kind of consoling wasn't his usual, but he remembered an example who he thought might help. "There are still women who make matches after visiting the Weyr. There are those who believe that it's an honor to have been found special to the dragons, especially in certain Crafts."

"Perhaps." It _had_ been her hope, to find a crafter, but hearing L'pin say it aloud made it sound foolish and unlikely. So she changed the topic to avoid thinking on it further. "Shall I try playing this?"

"Go for it," he said, not wanting to push her.

Alina lifted the pipes to her lips and began to tentatively find her way through the song. The music washed away the worst of her uncertainty, and for a
moment, she felt light again.

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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Interlude