New Apprentice

Writers: Jane, Paula
Date Posted: 24th November 2009

Characters: Milga, Leisenn, Milsaki
Description: Milga and her father meet Leisenn so she could enter the hall as an apprentice.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 6, day 2 of Turn 5

Milga followed her father along the dolphin hall's corridors. They had taken a wrong turn somewhere, and now they couldn't find the Hallmaster's office. The hall itself was bigger than their home-hold and the weyr... Milga's head spun when she thought about it. She had seen glimpse of it when they had arrived by the ship. "Can't we just ask someone for directions?" she asked her father with a silent voice.

"And admit we're lost?" Milsaki kept his voice low and silent too, shaking his head.

Milga sighed and smoothed the fabric of her dress with her hands. She hated the dress, it was terrible. It was new and the cloth was good quality, there was nothing wrong in the _dress_ itself. It was just absolutely wrong cut and colour for her. It was tight on the shoulders and below the shoulder-line, it hung like a limp sack on her. Milga knew her stepmother did it on purpose. _Her_ daughter's dresses all fit perfectly. She didn't want Milga to look pretty. Since Milga would rather wear pants anyway, it didn't generally bother her. But today, she did want to look good, in front of the Hallmaster. Today, she would fulfil a dream, and became an apprentice dolphineer. If they ever found her, that is.

"Can I help you?" asked the slightly-built, grey-haired woman as she reached the top of the stairs and saw they pair. They were unfamiliar to her, something that didn't happen often these days.

"We are looking for the Hallmaster's office," Milga stepped forward and said since her father was too worried about losing his face to admit being lost.

"You're very close." Leisenn indicated the open door not far ahead of them on the other side of the corridor. "And I'm Hallmaster Leisenn."

"I'm journeyman Milsaki and this is my daughter, Milga. I've been writing with you about her apprenticeship," Milsaki stepped forward and and introduced them. Milga faded back to the background.

"Ahh, yes." Leisenn held the door open for the fisherman and his daughter. "A pleasure to meet you." She smiled at the dark-haired girl to include her in the welcome.

Milga popped a curtsy and of course she had to trip on the hem when she stepped in side.

Leisenn's smile widened. She couldn't help it. Those growing Turns often made the boys clumsy, but she supposed the girls suffered as well. "Take a seat, both of you. We can go down to the dining hall and have some refreshments after we've discussed the apprenticeship. It's for you, I believe, Milga."

"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied and flashed an eager smile. She had waited for this day for so long!

"And it seems you _want_ to apprentice?" Not everybody did and Leisenn had to accept some of them. It didn't always work out well for either the Hall or the apprentice.

"Yes, Ma'am. I want it very much," Milga replied seriously.

"Well, I have my reservations. So close to the weyr and all. Even boys from our hold rarely got a change to apprentice, not mention girls! She would be first girl to apprentice in three generations," Milsaki said.

Leisenn turned her attention on the fisherman. "And yet you're here, with her. Why is that?"

"Let's just say I was worn down by the womenfolk," Milsaki said with a smile. "You can not beat them when the all unite to one storm front."

Milga smiled faintly. The only thing where she and her step-mother had ever agreed on. Her apprenticing. Of course, Milga was very aware that Fatila's motives had been very selfish ones: she wanted Milga out, so her daughters would become Milsaki's favourites.

"More credit to you for listening to them," Leisenn said. "As you can see, women can achieve rank in the Dolphin Hall, if they care to and work hard to achieve it, much like men can in other Halls."

"I don't doubt that. I'm just worried she might be facing deeper waters than she can handle," Milsaki said.

"We'll do our best to teach her to swim before she gets into any sort of deep water," the old woman said.

"I didn't mean that literally," Milsaki clarified, in case the hallmaster didn't understand his manners of speaking. "She actually swims like she were half-dolphin," he sounded proud of his daughter.

"Well, that's a good start. And are you familiar with dolphins, Milga? Do you come from a coastal Hold?"

"It's an island, and yes, there's pod in local waters. I know them all by name," Milga replied.

Leisenn couldn't think of an better indication that the girl had come to the right place. "Excellent. Perhaps you'd like somebody to show you around while I discuss a few more things with your father and we sign some documents. The Headwoman will be in her office now and I know she'd like to meet you."

"Yes, ma'am," Milga said obediently.

Leisenn watched the girl leave and then turned to her father. "It seems to be what she wants - and you brought her here for this reason. Shall we sign the apprenticeship papers?"

"Yes," Milsaki said. "I just wish she'll be happy."

"Do you think she'll get homesick?" Leisenn asked as she gathered the apprenticeship documents and a pen.

"I don't know," Milsaki said, "She never been away from home before. I have one more question, her expenses. She's a growing lass and will eventually need new clothes and stuff. Who provides that? The hall or am I supposed to pay something?"

"No. If you've bought the things we required -" there were a couple of changes of clothing and personal items, and the like, but not too much since as soon as practically possible the Headwoman would move the apprentice into clothes that went some way toward concealing the differences in each young person's background, "- then we'll look after the rest. We'll provide for her as if we were her parents." Though these days, for women, that wasn't an exact analogy.

Milsaki nodded, finally satisfied. His daughter would be well care for and that was what he really cared about.

Last updated on the November 30th 2009

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