Problems

Writers: Jane, Vix
Date Posted: 1st June 2008

Characters: Hartam, Zandreu
Description: Hartam and Zandreu deal with some problems at the Tavern.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 10, day 3 of Turn 4

Zandreu smiled as a particularly noisy group of patrons staggered through the door he was holding open, disappearing into the night. He hope the walk back to the Hold would sober them up and that they weren't foolish enough to take an interest in the river while they were in their less-than-sensible state. He resisted the urge to slam the door on their backsides and instead shut it quietly, and with a feeling of satisfaction. It had been half a candlemarks work to convince them that they would have more fun at home, and without them the noise level in the Tavern appeared to have halved.

While the Tavern Master didn't like to pick and choose among paying customers (nor did he like to spoil anybody's enjoyment of a night out)
it wasn't right that one group should be allowed to spoil it for everyone. _All_ the customers were valuable, and if he had to ease some of them out to make sure others enjoyed themselves, then he would continue to do so.

Across the heads of those diners and drinkers who remained he nodded at Hartam, knowing the journeyman had been watching his progress.

Job done.

The harper finished the slow song that he had been playing, soothing and soft to try to aid the Tavern Master in his work. As he rose from his seat, he gave the two apprentices who had been accompanying him directions to continue. He nodded with satisfaction as he left the stage, the young harper launching into a well-played and more energetic tune.

"Do you have any ideas for how to approach them if they return?" Hartam asked as he approached the Master Vintner.

"I'll get the guard -" Zandreu peered around looking for the one on duty that evening but couldn't immediately see him. "- To back me up, but I think they're gone for the evening. Next time I'll know to move them on earlier."

"There are always a few who place their fun before that of everyone else," the harper nodded. "Unfortunately, I think a few patrons left earlier than they had planned because of that group." "Offer them free drinks, if you see them again. Those who left early, I mean, not the ones who needed pouring out of here."

Hartam raised an eyebrow in response. "Free drinks? That was usually frowned upon under the previous management." "Bhervehan, or the previous Hallmaster?"

The harper paused thoughtfully. "Bhervehan liked to keep operating expenses tight, but whether that came from him or the Hallmaster I've no idea." "Well I'm not so concerned with that. A healthy profit for the Hall, certainly, but there's also good will for the Hall which can't be counted in marks ... though the loss of it can."

"I can understand that," agreed the harper. "Play to the crowd and your audience will remain." "And come back." Zandreu looked up as the main door was wrenched open and his eyes narrowed as he studied the somewhat wildly dressed young man who appeared.

Hartam was uncertain whether to call for the guards or to approach, but had time to do neither. The man strode forward and placed himself in front of the two of them. "Who's in charge here?" "Me," Zandreu said without hesitation. "Zandreu. What's the problem?"

The man glared at him. "Noise." Zandreu glanced around the great room, finding it no noisier than usual.
"About average," he said mildly.

Clenching fists at his sides, the man replied. "Every night – noise every night until the wee hours." "The Tavern's noise is bothering you?" Zandreu remembered the cots to the south of the building. "You live that way? In the cots?"

The man nodded. "It starts quiet, but then they start passing by, shouting to each other and it wakes him and then there's no sleeping for us." His expression became more wild-eyed as he spoke.

"Wakes him?" asked Hartam. "Wakes whom?" "The baby!" The man turned his attention to the harper. "He wakes and screams and won't stop." Abruptly Zandreu remembered back almost forty Turns. _Babies._ "Ohhh,"
he said, his memories making him both sympathetic to and amused by the journeyman's situation. "Just when you've got him to sleep, no doubt?"

The man nodded vigorously. "And then the neighbor's canines start barking and won't stop and no one sleeps." The Tavern Master glanced at the harper. "Oh, the joys you have in store, Hartam."

The harper had no time to reply, the visitor to the Tavern speaking instead. "So what are you going to do about it?" "There's nothing I can do tonight," Zandreu admitted, "but I think the last of the noisy ones have gone. Tomorrow ... We'll can you come down and see me during the day? I might have an idea by then."

The man snorted derisively. "I assume that you'll 'sleep on it' and come up with some ideas? That's a luxury I'll certainly not have." "That's true," Hartam answered him. "But hopefully the Tavern Master's idea will result in adequate sleep for you in the future." Zandreu hoped so, too, though he couldn't for the moment imagine what it would be. "We can't do anything right now, in the middle of the night.
But tomorrow we can," the Tavern Master reiterated quietly.

The disgruntled neighbor opened his mouth and then closed it, realizing that he would get no satisfaction that night. "I'll see you in the morning." He stalked to the door, pausing on the threshold to add, "Early in the morning." And with that he was gone.

Hartam watched the man go with a shake of his head. "Well, good luck with that, but I don't know that there's much you can do for him." "I can see if there's a cot further away from the Tavern he can move into." Zandreu sighed. "But if not ... Then I've got a problem." He wondered if there was a way to guide departing patrons out to the road closer to the apprentice barracks rather than alongside the family cots.
Well, he would investigate that if he had to. "Interesting night," he said to the harper, his face lighting in a grin.

"Aren't they all?" The harper chuckled as he moved to give his apprentices their final instructions for the night.

Last updated on the June 7th 2008

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