Questions

Writers: Ainsley1, Vix
Date Posted: 14th July 2007

Characters: Yara, Mahantan
Description: Yara receives an assignment from the Master of Apprentices
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 4

Looking around with some interest, Yara entered the classroom, unconsciously comparing it with those she had sat in during her apprenticeship. She didn't allow much time for the moment of nostalgia as she realized that the person she sought was indeed here.

"Excuse me, Master Mahantan?"

He turned and tried to place her. A journeyman by her knots, but not familiar to him - not surprising since most of his time was spent with apprentices. "Yes?"

"I'm Yara, recently reassigned from the Northern Hall. I am supposed to see you about assignment of duties overseeing apprentices."

"Ah, yes - Yara. You're specializing in the medical aspects of the craft?"

"That's right, I am. At the other Hall I had some responsibilities tutoring apprentices in the basics, both medical based and general."

He nodded to that information. "I'm almost as new to this Hall as you are, so currently I'm acquainting myself with what the apprentices know and what they need to know. I could use some help with quizzing them as to anatomy and basic first aid."

"Certainly. When are you hoping to have all the quizzing finished?"

"That's the problem - as soon as possible. The classes are basically outlined for me, but some of the notes are sketchy and I don't know when and if some classes fell behind during storms and the move here. I really need to know that so I can re-evaluate the teaching program."

Yara grinned at the Master of Apprentices, "Well, I should be able to throw most of my energy into this for now. I haven't been assigned to much just yet. Do you have a roster of the apprentices?"

"I think I have an extra. . ." He turned to a stack of papers and shuffled through them. "Yes, right here." He handed the page to her. "I've read through most of the apprentices' files, but have decided to evaluate and get to know them on their own rather than to judge by anything that may have been noted in the past. For that reason, I'll leave you to form your own impressions about each."

Accepting the paper, the journeywoman felt a surge of respect for Mahantan. She knew several masters who would not have considered a junior journeywoman's input as important and was pleased that the Master of Apprentices wanted more than a report that was colored with his own impressions. Yara decided that she would most likely enjoy working with the man. "I will start on this today then."

He nodded thoughtfully. "This may make your task more difficult, but I'm not going to tell the apprentices that you will be summoning them. For one thing, I want to know how much they actually know, not what they can spew out after studying for a test. In addition, I want to know how they react to instructions from a journeyman. If any give you problems, I'd like to know of it."

"Well, that will certainly make it more interesting," Yara observed with a grin. "There won't by any chance be a few that have difficulties with my being not just a journeyman, but a _female_ journeyman?" Yara asked having already seem some evidence of the Southern culture even here in the Dolphin Hall.

"If there is any indication of that, I'll want to know." Mahantan scowled and shook his head. "I was brought up inland and instructed that women did _not_ craft, but it seems like nonsense to me now. Women can often do the job better than the men, so why deny them the opportunity?"

Yara shrugged, "You aren't going to hear _me_ arguing that point with you." The young woman offered a big grin, "I'm rather in favor of female crafters myself. Of course I wasn't here for the plague either," she added in a more serious vein.

"I can understand why some reacted to the extreme after the plagues," the Master stated. "But there's no reason for that continued over-reaction. Since our craft allows females, we need to do all that we can to promote the idea that women can use their brains and abilities and still have families. It simply takes more cooperation." He smiled sadly. "I found out much of this too late for my own marriage, but I'm trying to pass the ideas along to my daughters and to do the best I can for them now."

"I'm sure they appreciate it, sir. I always had a lot of respect for my Da when he recognized a better way and set about to show that to my sisters and myself."

"I'm glad to hear that and will keep it in mind," the master dolphineer told her, though he found himself wishing once again that he had been a part of his daughters' lives as they were growing up rather than just in the past two turns. Perhaps then the relationship between him and each of them would feel more secure. "So have you any other questions about the assignment?"

"I don't think that I do and I'm ready to get started putting some questions together if you don't have any further suggestions for me."

He grinned broadly. "Good! I wish you luck and thank you for taking on this assignment."

Last updated on the July 17th 2007

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