You Found the Place

Writers: Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 6th January 2009

Characters: Teahtu, Raskee
Description: New Vintner Hall apprentice Teahtu meets up with Raskee again.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 13, day 15 of Turn 4

Teahtu had packed exactly what had been on the list the Hall had sent
his mother; no more, no less. Trousers, socks, boots and shoes.
Undergarments in the required amounts. Belts, shirts, tunics (one for
best, two for working). The list entry for 'Personal items (a few only,
and not of any value)' had caused him the most difficulty.

He was unpacking his small bag when the first of the apprentices arrived
in the dormitory and he glanced up to find that he knew one of the first
through the door. It was Raskee, the boy who had shown him to the
office earlier in the day.

"Hey, you found the place." Raskee motioned to the bed in the promised
'no bad snorers' section.

"I've found a lot of places since I left you," the new boy admitted.
"But you were right about me ending up here. They said to tell you that
you could 'look after' me for the first few days." Grey eyes surveyed
the other boy, assessing how sensible the other boy would be about the
instruction. Teahtu didn't think he needed much looking after; he was
perfectly capable of finding his way around (or would be in a day or so)
and he was sure of his ability to pick up all the other information he
needed. It he hadn't been _sure_ he wouldn't have come to the Hall to
apprentice.

Raskee nodded, "No problem, I was going to do that anyways." He flopped
down on a bed across from the boy ready to wait till he finished
unpacking. "What was your name again? I'm bad about remembering stuff
like that."

"Te-ah-tu. Teahtu." Sometimes people didn't pronounce it correctly the
newcomer was pleased at the chance to make that clear. "I'm to report
to Master Tirreld tomorrow morning, for assessment of my current
competency." It was a grand sounding title but Teahtu suspected it was
going to be nothing more than a series of written and oral tests. "How
long have you been apprenticed?"

"Officially since I turned twelve, but I've been helping my father since
I was little." he kicked at the floor with his heels as he waited, he
was always the fidgety sort. "How about you? Did you do any
apprenticing where you're from?"

"Not regular apprenticing. I studied, though, with an old person who
used to be a vintner." Teahtu considered that statement and corrected
himself. "Still a vintner, I suppose. It's not something that lapses
after a time."

"Nah, ol' Watani's still at it, and he's gotta be a hundred turns old."
Raskee wasn't sure just how old he was, he was too scared of the
grouchy man to ever ask, still, it had to be old.

"Is he a master vintner?"

Raskee shook his head, Teahtu was slowing down his unpacking with all
the talking, but he didn't mind. "Nah, supposedly he refused saying
it'd take too much time away from his vines."

"Hmm." The new boy was puzzled. "I can't imagine ever _not_ wanting to
be a master in the craft. Can you?"

"My father is happy as a journeyman," he replied with a shrug. "He's
been saying for turns that he's going to start working on his mastery
project but he just keeps putting it off."

Teahtu blinked, surprised that there were now two vintners he had heard
of who lacked the sort of ambition he thought an intrinsic part of life.
He would have to give that some thought. "I was told to report to
another apprentice. A senior apprentice. Swaylen. He's supposed to
'look after' me as well." Teahtu's tone made it clear that being looked
after by two apprentices was even less appealing a situation than being
looked after by one.

Raskee stuck his tongue out in distaste, "He'll either like you or he
won't. He won't beat up on you or anything, but he has his favorites."

"Beat me up?" Teahtu repeated blankly. "Why would anybody do that?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Some people like to pick on younger people
or smaller people. Get them to give them food or do their chores. You
can tell on them but that just makes you a snitch. If anybody tries to
bother you the smartest thing to do is to stand up for yourself. You
might get a bloody nose the first time, but at least you'll keep your
lunch."

Teahtu filed the information away for consideration. "So, this Swaylen
doesn't do that? But he 'has his favourites'? Are you one of them?"

"I'm not important enough to be one of them." Raskee snorted and
dismissed the whole thing as uninteresting. "You finished yet?"

"Yes." He glanced down at the books in his hand and then placed them
carefully in the box at the foot of the bed. He closed the lid. "I
believe we have free time now, until lights out. What do apprentices
usually do with their free time?"

Raskee shrugged, "Whatever we want. They've been giving dance lessons
for the upcoming Ball, that's new. Um... we could go and play some ball
if you want, the courtyard is pretty lit up in the evenings." He
shrugged again. "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"I'd like to see the records room," Teahtu said firmly. Dancing? Ball
games? How would he ever get through his apprentice stage wasting time
like that?

"Sure," He was just settling in Raskee supposed, it wasn't _his_ idea
of free time, but as long as Teahtu didn't expect him to start going
through hides with him he supposed it wasn't a bother.

"Now?"

Raskee climbed off the bed he'd thrown himself down on and stood up.
"Come on, it's this way."

Last updated on the January 10th 2009

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