Where Did I Come From

Writers: Mirren, Paula
Date Posted: 10th December 2015

Characters: Fymer, Torianna
Description: Searching the archives for clues.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 3, day 5 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Raghad

Sunstone was so big! Torianna couldn't help but look around as she walked, her cotton dress brushing the tops of her shoes as she walked. It was still early, but the day was already warm.

Fymer was carrying a large pile of hide records in his ink-stained hands. "Move out of the way," Fymer snarled when he found his path blocked by this waif of a girl who looked like she was wool gathering. Or she was some back water cotholder who's never seen a real hold before, gawking around like that.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her face was red as she scooted over to the side and pressed her back against the wall.

Taking a closer look at her, Fymer re-estimated her social status upwards, that was very well made dress from expensive cotton. "Pardon me miss, I didn't mean to be so rude," he said with more polite tone.

She gave him a wan smile. "I shouldn't have taken up so much of the corridor." He looked to be around twice her age, so she didn't really look too closely at him.

"That's all right," Fymer said. "I shouldn't been so grumpy. It's just that, well, they always want the stuff done _yesterday_." He rolled his eyes. She looked a little bit familiar.

"Oh. People are always so impatient," she said, not without sympathy. He certainly seemed nicer when he wasn't growling. "Do you need some help?"

"I'm sure you have better things to do than help an overworked harper," Fymer replied.

"Not really," she replied. "But if you don't want help…"

"I didn't say I don't want help," Fymer said quickly. "If you're willing, you can carry some of these," he patted the records. "As a reward, I can show you a place in the Hold that rare people have seen: the archives." Most people would consider it the most boring place and never even wanted to see it.

"Oh, that sounds interesting." Her mind ticked over quickly. What were the chances of sneaking a peek at the birth records for the time she was born…

"Most people find it very boring," Fymer chuckled. He divided his pile to two and gave the other half for her to carry. "Unless you're a harper. What's your name, miss?"

"Torianna," she replied. She carried her pile carefully. "I like to read and learn." She could have kicked herself. Her milk mother had told her not to tell anyone that. No one cared if girls could read or even wanted to.

"I'm Fymer, journeyman harper at your service," Fymer introduced himself. "I'm the Lord Holder's personal scribe," he added bit of a boast.

"Oh, I'm sure he keeps you very busy." Raghad was always busy. A Lord Holder must have a lot more work to get through. She looked suitably impressed.

"Yes, he does," Fymer replied. He searched for a subject to chat with her. "Where do you come from? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Citrus Bay," she replied, feeling like a bumpkin all of a sudden. Well it _was_ a small hold. "Have you been there?"

"No, I haven't. Although I know of the place. I rarely leave Sunstone these days," Fymer replied.

"Oh. You're probably not missing too much. It's pretty small compared to here."

"But prosperous, based on tithe-reports I've seen," Fymer replied. "This way," he guided her to right corridor when they came to cross roads.

"Well yes," she conceded, walking beside him. "My Da has worked hard to make it like that. It was a mess before he took over."

"Raghad? Holder Raghad is your father?" Fymer asked. He knew the old holder had a large family.

"He's my foster father," she replied. "But he's the only father I remember having. I was given into his care shortly after I was born."

"That's very interesting," Fymer said and held a door open for her. That name, that hair...that story. Something just clicked and connected in his brains. It made sense when he thought about it.

"Is it really?" She laughed slightly. "I'm sure it happens all the time. Well, at the Weyrs." She let out a soft sigh.

"Well, probably does happen all the time," Fymer replied. After all, he had been fostered by his grand-aunt after his parents died.

"I don't suppose…" she started asking but stopped.

"Suppose what?" Fymer asked absently. "You can put them here," he pointed a free table and lowered his own pile there.

Torianna placed the pile where he gestured and stood back. "You'd have birth records in here, wouldn't you?" She looked around the musty space. They should have records going back turns.

"Yes, all births, deaths and marriages are recorded and duplicates, or summaries of them, are sent to the Harper Hall," Fymer replied.

"Do they go back a bit under sixteen turns?" she asked. "It might be fun to find mine." Her heart was pounding, although she felt a little guilty for even thinking of this behind her foster parent's backs.

"They go back to the very grounding of this hold, so finding it might be a bit of a task. They are sorted by location and date, so where were you born exactly?" Fymer replied and asked. He was willing to help her if it confirmed his suspicions.

Torianna winced. "I don't know where, only when. At least, I think I know when." She couldn't see why anyone would lie about her date of birth. "I know my mother died having me."

"That does make it harder," Fymer said. Besides, if she was who he thought she might be, that birth record wouldn't be there.

"Could I maybe have a look at the records for that time? Maybe here and Citrus Bay?" Of course in her wildest dreams, her records would be at the Weyr.

"Yes, you can do that. They're public records. Just don't mess them up," Fymer grinned. "The master of Archives will tear his knickers if they've misplaced or in wrong order."

She stared at him for a moment before laughing. "We wouldn't want that." She approached the shelves and started looking through for the right dates at Citrus Bay. It didn't take long to find, but pulling out several revealed nothing.

"I guess I wasn't born there at home."

"Sunstone covers a large area and several minor holds," Fymer said, his attention on his own pile of hides, sorting them out to be archived.

"I know, I just…" She'd been waiting all her life for this opportunity. She could be moments away from learning who she was. She looked over at the records for the main hold. There were more, but still none that matched her. "I wasn't born here either." She sighed. "Where should I look at next?"

"It will take you days if you really go through all of Sunstone's holds," Fymer warned her. He managed to get a bit of sympathy into his voice.

"It'll be worth it," she said with all the determination of a teenager. She looked at another and found nothing. And another. "I'm starting to think I should be looking at the Weyr." She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Good luck with that, they don't just let holders rummage through their records," Fymer snorted with obvious disdain towards the Weyr. "You would have better luck in the Harper Hall."

Torianna frowned. "I'd have to get there first." She pulled out more records and again found nothing.

"Or you could write them a letter requesting for the information. They would look for it for you, eventually. It may take months before they get back to you," Fymer suggested. "It's usually the apprentices who end up doing non-urgent requests like that."

She sighed. "I suppose so. I've been waiting this long." She wasn't giving up on these archives though, if it took all night.

Fymer made a sympathetic noise.

She just sighed and went on looking.

Last updated on the December 14th 2015

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Where Did I Come From