Under Pressure

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 9th December 2020
Series: The Hallmaster's Ladies

Characters: Thayde, Jalodwyn
Description: Jalodwyn presents her Master project to Thayde
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 8, day 16 of Turn 10

Thayde

Thayde dreaded his first meeting of the day, but it was a necessary
part of being the Hallmaster. It was his job to approve the projects
that senior journeymen presented in order for them to earn their
Master knots. This morning he was to hear from Jalodwyn on her
project.

He hoped it would be an amicable meeting, but he felt sure it would be
stiff and awkward.

"Have a good day in class," Thayde said, dropping a kiss to the top of
his wife's head as he left the breakfast table.

Enamra nodded, finishing her plate quietly, her mind lost in other
thoughts. "I'll try." Her eyes followed him somberly as he left. Once
he was gone, she straightened up the dishes, cleaning them quietly
before she dressed herself for her apprentice classes.

Jalodwyn was waiting at the door of his office, hands behind her
straight back. She said nothing as he approached. She hadn't wanted to
come here at all, but Yasha had convinced her that if she wanted her
Master knots as quickly as possible so she could leave, it was
necessary. She didn't want to stay any longer than she had to and
she'd already been working privately for a few turns on improving her
idea. So, she would have to bite her tongue, be civil and just get
this over with.

"Good morning, Journeywoman," Thayde said as he opened his office
door. He purposefully left it open as he circled around behind his
desk and gestured for Jalodwyn to sit. "Tell me about your master's
project."

"Good morning, Hallmaster." Her voice was brisk as she took the
offered seat. Her heart began to pound once again and her belly
clenched with a surge of nausea that she had to fight back. He would
deny this, just as Mertin had. Out of spite, no matter what Yasha had
said. Yasha didn't know him. To Thayde, she was nothing but a woman
who'd spread her legs for him and any man who came her way, just to
cause problems. **Civil. Polite. Keep it simple, like Yasha said.
Don't give him any reason to make it harder on you. The quicker you
get your knots, the quicker he can never bother you or Jalotha
again.**

Marshalling her resolve, she pushed the nausea down and took stead
breaths to calm her heartbeat. "I've been working on extended
freediving outside of the salvage bell on deep dives. A lot of the
wreckages we go are cramped and the bell doesn't fit nearby or the
deep diving suits won't fit into narrow crevices that should be
explored. We leave behind valuables everytime we have to abandon a
wreckage because the suits or the bell simply don't fit. I've been
extending my own lung capacity for longer dives, but I've also been
working on an airline extension that can be stretched from the bell
for a diver when they need to get a quick breath before they go back
to the salvage sight."

Thayde nodded as he listened to the plan and wrote down notes. "What
materials and resources do you see yourself needing for this project?"
he asked, looking back up at her and steepling his fingers together.

"I already have them." Her voice was prompt. "Except for applying new
fittings to a brass bell for testing. I already have a waterproof
airline with a resealable end without much leakage. The rest is
working on extending my dive time without needing air. I'm up to four
minutes of lung capacity." Mertin had insisted her project was far too
dangerous and hadn't allowed a brass bell to be fitted for any new
lines or for testing, despite her willingness to try.

The wheels were turning in Thayde's mind, for the moment, he was just
the Hallmaster, thinking about the complexities of their craft and
what challenges Jalodwyn would face with this project. "Do you have a
training partner when you are working on lung capacity?"

"Yasha helps me when we both have time. She marks the time and looks
for any improvement. And her Dika is there to help if necessary, but
so far I've been able to get back to the surface when I need to."
Other times, she simply did it on her own, attempting to stay longer
and longer under water until she simply couldn't take it and had to
take a breath.

Thayde nodded, glad that she seemed to be taking proper precautions.
"What obstacles do you foresee with this project?" It was a standard
question, he liked to make sure his dolphineers had already thought
ahead to problem solve things that would come up.

She studied him for a moment. "I don't have my own partner and I can't
rely on Dika when I'm out on salvage and it's used for the first time
after testing. Yasha and I don't go on duties together; we can't." For
obvious reasons. Someone needed to be back at their quarters with
Jalotha."The airline fitting might leak and not provide enough air for
an extended dive and it might need additional testing before it's used
on site. I might not be able to go past four minutes."

"Good." Thayde inhaled a little as he thought over everything she had
said. "I can't see any reason why your project should not be approved.
It's a good idea and would be extremely useful if it comes to
fruition. As you are working on it, if you come across more resources
or materials that you need, just submit a written request."

Jalodwyn's eye twitched at his response, not quite believing what
Thayde was saying. He was approving it? But why? What was he angling
for? Mertin certainly hadn't thought it was a good idea, so why did
Thayde? Suspicion flared, but she quickly tamped it down. If she could
get this complete, she'd have her knots soon and she could leave!
"Yes, of course. Thank you. I'd like to test the fittings on a brass
bell within a month. I have them, I just need technicians to install
them."

"Sure, we're going to have some technicians down from the Weyr anyway
on some other projects," he said, thinking of Yasha's. "Keep me posted
after you test the fittings."

Jalodwyn blinked. "So...you're approving it?"

"Of course. It's a good idea, Jalodwyn." Thayde said.

And he wasn't asking for anything in return? Suspicion flickered
through her eyes, but she also felt a growing sense of relief. Maybe
he wanted her gone just as badly as she wanted to be gone. "Oh. Well.
Then, thank you, Hallmaster."

"No thanks needed, it's my job as Hallmaster. Is there anything else
you need today?"

"No." The next words were harder to say. "Can be excused, Hallmaster?"

It was weird, hearing her ask that, so Thayde just nodded.

Jalodwyn rose and quickly left, head down and brow knotted as she paid
little attention to anything beyond her own thoughts. If she could be
successful, she might actually have her Master knots within a turn.
Only a turn. She could do that. She could bear up under this tension
for that long.

Last updated on the January 13th 2021

[Prev: Precarious Truce] Series: The Hallmaster's Ladies [Next: Mama Knows]

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Under Pressure