A Drunken Plot

Writers: Eimi, Estelle
Date Posted: 31st July 2005

Characters: Kelgan, Hotarew
Description: Kelgan and Hotarew come up with a scheme to teach the Harper Hall a lesson
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 7, day 13 of Turn 3

Kelgan stormed into the Dining Hall in a black mood, his scowl causing those holders who caught his eye to hastily look away. It was just past nightfall, an hour or so after dinner, and there had not been enough drinking yet for anyone to want to provoke the burly young herdsman into a fight.

Fortunately, he was more anxious to spill his grievances to a willing listener than to take them out on an enemy with his fists, and when he saw an empty chair near one of his close friends he headed over and dropped into it.

"Have you heard the news from the Harper Hall?" he growled, speaking the word 'harper' with utter contempt.

"And which news would that be?" Hotarew asked, equally moody.

"It's official. They've accepted some _girl_ as an apprentice." He poured himself a mug of ale and drank, grimacing at the taste. What with the embargo on goods from Amethyst Cliff, where the Vintner Hall was located, there was little alcohol available and what there was tended to be poor quality local brews. "Of course, they're saying it's all right because she's blind and can't do normal women's duties. But what I want to know is, where will it end?"

"Shards and shells, man!" The young man gave his companion an doubtful stare. "Are you _sure_ of that? It's not just another sharding rumor?"

"I heard a man telling Lord Enrizial myself," Kelgan replied grimly. "He'd been out riding and someone rushed into the stables to tell him. The girl's been given apprentice knots and is taking lessons with the boys. The Lord Holder's in a towering rage, of course, but apparently there's nothing he can do - the Hall is autonomous."

"By the Egg..." Hotarew hissed through clenched teeth. "As if things weren't bad enough when they let that cripple _sing_ with the men, now they are dressing her up as an apprentice as well?"

"It appears so. And that's not the worst of it. Do you think they're going to stop at one blind girl?" Kelgan poured himself another measure of ale, and topped up his friend's mug. "Soon all of our mothers, daughters, wives - the craft will be open to all of them. And then where will we be?" he demanded, thumping the jug down on the table. "Your sister likes to sing, doesn't she?"

His friend's clenched one fist around the handle of his mug and threw it back. The sound of the mug slamming back down on the table startled more than a few room. "That foolish girl heard rumors about the cripple singing in front of people. Even in front of Lord Enrizial! She's got it in her head that someday she will sing in front of people too. Our mother heard her talking about it with one of her little friends. Now this?" His other fist crashed into the table. "Mark my words, I will not allow that child to bring shame down on my family!"

"Easy, friend." Kelgan placed a gently restraining hand on Hotarew's shoulder, lowering his voice. "Do you know what Lord Enrizial said as he was leaving the stables after he'd been told? He said that he wished the Harper Hall and all its craftsmen would just...go away. Imagine if that happened! Then your sister, and all our families, would be safe."

"A whole Hall full of harpers doesn't just _go away_, Kelgan." Hotarew grumbled, picking up his mug and looking woefully at the lack of liquid. "I doubt even a Lord Holder could manage _that_."

"But they might." Kelgan refilled his friend's mug, his voice dropping to a whisper. The idea had been in the back of his mind all afternoon...though it had taken the effect of several mugs of the Hold's ale to make it seem like a _good_ one. "If they had nowhere to live...they'd have to leave."

Hotarew's eyes narrowed as took the mug. Over its rim he carefully studied his friend. After a good long gulp he whispered back, "Just what is in your head, Kelgan?"

"Harpers don't just sing and spread rumours," Kelgan said, his lips twisting into a malicious smile. "They also make instruments. There's a workshop full of those instruments at the Hall...and those instruments are all made from wood. Which burns very nicely."

The man studied his friend carefully. With one large gulp he finished up his mug and stood to refill it himself. Burn down the Harper Hall? There had been Harpers there for longer than Hotarew had been alive. It brought prestige to Emerald Falls to have the Harpers there. But with these new ideas coming in to poison the minds of their women and children, perhaps Kelgan was right. Perhaps the Harpers had outlived their usefulness. Sitting back down beside his friend with his full mug of ale he whispered, "But the walls are made out of stone. And there are _four_ wings."

"If we get up a good blaze and...help it along a little, then it shouldn't been too hard to make it spread." Kelgan grinned at the thought, thinking with drink-fuelled delight of the panic the harpers would be in as they poured out of their burning Hall. That'd teach them not to flout the laws of Emerald Falls right in the face of its holders! "And we don't necessarily want to destroy the whole thing. Just make them realise the error of their ways."

"I don't know, Kelgan. I don't want murder on my hands. What if something goes wrong?" Hotarew asked with narrowed eyes. He too wanted to show the harpers that their ideas were not welcome. But even the Lord Holder couldn't protect someone guilty of murder should they be discovered. He needed another drink and thinking about this.

Kelgan obliged by refilling his mug. "Come on! Those harpers will be out of their Hall as soon as they smell smoke. No-one's going to get killed. And how could anyone prove it was us? We'll get away quickly and our friends will swear we've been with them all evening, drinking."

Hotarew stared into his spinning mug of ale. Probably all the people who were just as enraged by this bit of news would rally to their side. They would be heroes, not criminals. And when the harpers cower in fear and give up their dangerous ideology, then his sister will lose hope and there would be no more danger from his sister's lose tongue.

"All right, Kelgan," Hotarew said as he picked up his mug, spilling just a bit on the table, "I'm with you."

"Good." Kelgan got to his feet, a little unsteadily. "I'll gather everything we need and meet you outside in half a candlemark. Now's the perfect time - they'll just be going to bed and no-one will be around to see us."

"All right. I'm gonna juss be here, having a quick drink 'fore we go." His friend replied, lifting his mug and sloshing a bit on his tunic. "And maybe one more. A drink for good luck." He added with a wink.

"To good luck, then," Kelgan repeated, raising his own mug and clinking it with Hotarew's. "And to the confusion of the Harper Hall!"

Last updated on the September 6th 2005

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Drunken Plot