A Bit of Advice

Writers: Avery, Eren
Date Posted: 2nd February 2016

Characters: A'vel, Elmaldi
Description: Favelance hides and asks Elmaldi for advice about his father.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 8

Favelance was hiding from his dad, which was a not-uncommon state of affairs for him. Normally it was to avoid being seen as a disappointment. No matter how well he performed, his father had some criticism. Right now, though, it was because something had happened that he needed time to work through on his own. So he pushed into what he thought was an abandoned classroom, only to see someone else there.

"Oh. Uh. Sorry," he said immediately.

Elmaldi looked up as someone suddenly came into the room, not having expected to be disturbed - not that she was getting anywhere in particular with the paints today, as she wasn't interested in painting the scenery picture she'd been told to practice. Really, after sitting here for a good candlemark making no progress, an interruption was welcome.

Recognising Favelance, she smiled and shook her head. "It's fine, you can come in," she said waving away his apology.

"Thanks. I need to hide from my dad while I figure out what to say to him," he blurted.

Elmaldi leant back on her stool, raising her eyebrows in question. "Are you trying to think of something specific, or will any conversation starter do?"

"You're not gonna tell anyone if I tell you what's going on for advice, right?" Normally Favelance tried to keep his real feelings to himself, but he liked Elmaldi. The girl apprentices and students had grit for doing it depsite the difficulties they'd faced. The pressure on them to succeed was something he related to.

"I'd only tell my pictures," Elmaldi said, getting the sense that something more serious than she expected was going on. She couldn't exactly imagine what, but she wasn't the type to gossip anyway. To further emphasise the point, she shook her head. "Don't worry, I wouldn't tell anyone."

He held up the Search token he'd concealed in his back pocket to show her. "Remember the dragonriders who stopped by this morning?" He wasn't sure if she'd seen them. Couldn't remember if he'd seen her in front of them. He had been too distracted.

It took her a moment to realise just what he was holding, but when it clicked, Elmaldi's eyes widened in shock. "No way..." she gasped, leaning forward in her chair as she stared at the token. She hadn't been there to see the riders this morning, but she'd known they'd stopped by. She looked back at Favelance in disbelief. "You were Searched? You're going to be a dragonrider?"

"They said I could be. But my father - he'll _never_ approve. I'll have to be a choral expert and a perfect Harper. Never mind that my voice just dropped to high tenor." He grimaced.

That was a problem. Elmaldi let out a long sigh. "Yeah... I can see why you want to hide," She frowned in thought, trying to think of the best way to respond. "Do you want to go? To the Weyr, I mean."

"I think so. I mean, being a _dragonrider_," he said. But before he let himself get too excited, he continued. "I never got a chance to see all that much of it when we were there. My father wanted me to always be right there in the section for the Harpers, never to go see the dragons or the weyrfolk or get contaminated by their 'ways'."

Elmaldi could see the appeal: being a dragonrider was one of those things a lot of people probably dreamt of in secret - even she'd imagined the fantasy when she was younger. "Shame... if you'd had the chance to look around, you could have made a more informed decision," she sighed. "But, it's not like you'll _definitely_ Impress, right? For all you father knows, you'll be back in a turn. Would that not help sway him?"

Swinging her legs on the stool, Elmaldi shrugged. "Or you could just go, and avoid telling him completely."

"I thought about that. Mom would be mad. And I'd have to tell someone I went."

"That's true..." Elmaldi sighed at the situation, not able to see an easy option. "I guess... you'll just have to tell them. And not let them say no... or something."

"If it was you, how would you tell people?"

"Hey, I'm going to the Weyr," Elmaldi said bluntly: never one to mince her words much.

"And it'd work?"

"Well... it'd work in that you would have told people. The reactions vary, of course. It's not a fool proof way to make your father happy with the decision."

He nodded, then sighed. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I'm dumping this on you. I just can't figure out how to make it funny."

Elmaldi smiled and shook her head. "You're not dumping anything that doesn't require a bit of dumping," She scratched the back of her neck in thought. "I don't really know how else you'd tell him other than just letting it out."

"I guess so. But thanks for listening anyway." He did feel bad, so he switched the topic. "How's your stuff going?"

As soon as the topic was switched, Elmaldi grimaced, grumbling as she was reminded that her work was getting nowhere. "Paints aren't easy..."

"If you're doing art, do you have to do the other stuff?" he asked.

"Until I specialise, yeah, but I think it's obvious I'm an artist," she said with a nod.

"I wanted to do art electives but..." He left it unfinished. "Anyway I'm glad there are other paths that aren't singing and playing. Archiving sounded interesting too."

Elmaldi was almost grateful that neither of her parents were Harpers to force her into one path. "Sure, they're interesting, but wouldn't you rather stick to what you're good at? Then at least you know you'll get somewhere with lessons and practice."

"You know, I'm not sure I'm good at anything," he said.

"Maybe you'll find out you're good at being a dragonrider," she offered with a broad grin.

"That'd be a change," Favelance said with a self-deprecating laugh.

Elmaldi gave him a sympathetic smile. "You never know. And even if you're not a rider, you have music to fall back on, don't you?"

"True. When I become a Journeyman, he can't keep me here," Favelance said with more confidence.

"Exactly!" Elmaldi grinned wider as she saw Favelance's confidence growing. "It's only when we're Apprentices that they've got us under their thumb. And if you do decide to become a Candidate, then you won't be under his orders anyway."

"You're right. Thanks for listening," he said.

"Happy too. Thanks for saving me from work"

Last updated on the February 9th 2016

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A Bit of Advice