A Name from the past

Writers: Kaysea, Paula
Date Posted: 5th September 2007

Characters: Eilomar, Alaveil
Description: Alaveil meets up unexpectedly with Eilomar and they share some news
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 25 of Turn 4

"Ee, Oo, Aar. Le, Loo, Lar. Me, Moo, Mar." Alaveil stood and sang out over the Weyr from the doorway to the Candidate barracks. Dusk wasn't a particularly good time to be practising his scales, but between candidates classes, chores and lessons, he didn't have much opportunity during the daylight hours.

Outside was the only place he could really practice at this time of night.
No one inside the barracks was too keen on his scales, though they didn't mind when he sang, it was just the scales became so repetitive.

"Fal la la la la la la la la." he sang up and down the scale again, listening to each clear note on the breeze, totally unaware of someone nearby listening.

**Not bad**, Eilomar had to grudgingly admit when he overheard the boy practising his scales. He had stopped to listen. That voice could be fine addition to his choir, and he should be harper apprentice, instead of candidate. He cleared his throat loudly to get his attention.

"Oh, er?" Alaveil peered out into the night air, "Sorry Sir, did I disturb you?" he asked, concerned that now he wouldn't be permitted to practice his scales out here, either.

"Not at all. That was quite well sung. Makes me wonder why are you here and not in one of my apprentice classes or choir?" Eilomar replied.

"I er, I've, I was Searched, Sir." he was flummoxed by the abruptness of the question, "I've been attending the candidate classes since I arrived at the Weyr."

"Are you a harper apprentice?" Eilomar asked, he couldn't see his knots from where he stood.

"Yes, well, er, my father has been my Harper. That is, he has had me in training since I could talk. My father is a senior journeyman, and he has been teaching me since I was little - teaching me and my - ." he hesitated for a moment, " - my sister, Sir."

"Really?" Eilomar grunted, well that did explain his skill. "Do I know your father?" Eilomar wondered.

"I'm not sure, he hasn't been at the Hall since I was little." Alaveil shrugged, "Journeyman Leveil is his name, he's posted at High Mountain Hold in the eastern barrier ranges. My grandma is there, and he requested he be posted there until... Well, until she passes on."

"The name doesn't sound familiar," Eilomar frowned. "But High Mountain hold does..." it took a while the memory to resurface under the layer of turns. "Oh, I think I was assigned there for a while as young journeyman.
Shards, that must be almost forty turns ago," he said.

"You would probably know my grandmother then, Sir." Alaveil answered a little more enthusiastically. "She was a Journeyman Scribe, journeywoman Levicia, Sir."

"Levicia?" Eilomar was quiet for a while, remembering. Oh, those days! He had been young and handsome then: with blond curls, blue eyes and fit body. Ladies found him irresistible. Levicia, she had been special. They had an affair and he might have even married her, but she refused to leave High Mountain with him when his assignment ended. "I knew her," Eilomar said little wistfully. "How is she?"

That she was grandmother now didn't surprise him. She probably married one of the local lads after he left, maybe that miner that was always buzzing around her.

"You did? I'll have to mention your name the next time dad sends me a letter." Alaveil answered enthusiastically. "Gran's doing alright, she's tough. She's had to be living up there her whole life."

"Yes, she has..." Eilomar said with strange tone.

"Of course, it didn't help that her man left her before my dad was born. Made it even harder if anything. Women looked down on her, men thought her easy..." Alaveil went on oblivious to Eilomar's silence.

Eílomar tried to push back the uneasy feeling his words were awakening.
Yes, Levicia and he had been close, almost got betrothed. If he did leave her in trouble, why didn't she send him a word? He would have done the honourable thing.

"The new Harper who came to the Hold, he sort of became my dad's fosterfather," Alaveil continued, "encouraged dad in the Harper craft. It didn't take much, he wanted to carry on in his fathers footsteps - but gran turned down the offer of marriage she received from the new Harper, said it was bad enough being left by one, she wouldn't replace him with another..."

**No. This wasn't happening, it wasn't real. This couldn't be happening to him,** Eilomar tried to deny the inevitable, try to hide from the truth that was tugging his concience, trying deny the past that had so suddenly come to haunt him.

"... err, Sir, is everything alright, Sir?" Alaveil had finally noticed Eilomar's silence, and stepped forward, reaching out a hand, and touching the Master's shoulder, "You look...ill?"

"Heart problems, excuse me," Eilomar said weakly. He really did feel like he was going to faint.

"Can I help you Sir?" Alaveil felt terribly guilty, he had waffled on for so long, totally ignoring the state the Master was getting into. "Can I help you back to your quarters?"

"I think you have to," the master harper replied. He didn't like walking back there all alone. What if he collapsed suddenly?

"What's wrong Sir?" Alaveil asked, slipping a steadying arm around the old Master. "Something I said?" he asked, though he couldn't think what would have set the old man off.

Eilomar just shook his head. He wasn't ready to admit it yet.

Last updated on the September 8th 2007

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A Name from the past