All Sorts of Change

Writers: Emma, Noola
Date Posted: 16th March 2010

Characters: Thanja, Maryal
Description: Thanja and an old Master discuss the trials of Weyrlife and the changing of times.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 5

Ninety-seven turns old Maryal barely waited for the call to enter
after she knocked on the Hallsecond's door. Age had it's privilages
after all. The younger woman might outrank her, but the old harper had
been a Master for fifty-five turns - much longer than Thanja had been
alive even.

"Hallsecond," the old Master nodded a greeting as she lowered herself
into an empty chair with a small sigh. Her joints got stiffer every
turn. How much longer until moving around was more trouble than it was
worth?

"Master Maryal," came the response.

"You're looking well, dear," the old woman settled back into the chair.

"As are you," Thanja returned the compliment. Nobody would guess her true
age, from her appearance or attitude she came over as a woman much younger.

"Thank you," Maryal smiled. "I don't suppose you'd call down for some
klah and pastries, would you, Hallsecond? Say what you will about
being in the Weyr, the food is quite good." She paused a bit before
continuing, "Though teaching a class with all the racket the dragons
make - among other distractions, is a trial at best." Maryal did not
teach many students, her arthritis bothered her too much to do so. But
she did teach an art class three times a sevenday for senior
apprentices she'd handpicked herself.

"I'm guessing you've seen one or two dragonstruck apprentices then," Thanja
said as she rose to her feet to summon an apprentice to run to the kitchens.
Her sweet tooth was known about, so it wouldn't be a surprise that she'd
asked for something, and she was sure that if nothing else, Plumage would
appreciate tidbits.

"Oh, yes," the old Master sniffed with mild disdain. "Even amongst my
own students. It's silly is what it is, as if being a Harper weren't
fulfilling enough." There were more benefits to the Hall being at the
Weyr than just the food. The increased number of girls in training
being chief amongst them in Maryal's mind. But the dragons were a
different matter. Not that she had a thing against the beasts. The
world would be doomed without them, of course. She respected the
dragons and their riders for what they faced to keep Pern safe.

Living with dragons, however, was a trial at best. They were ruining
the apprentices, driving them to distraction, their constant noise
interrupted both sleep and classes, and the Flights! She couldn't even
think of the Flights and the effect they had on the riders. It was simply
too indecent to contemplate.

"Perhaps it is for the best that they get it out of their systems though,
rather than forever having them thinking about what might have been."

"I suppose so," Maryal shrugged. In her day, apprentices didn't sit
around daydreaming about dragons when they had lessons to learn. But
then, much had changed since her day.

"Although I'm guessing that some will have soon changed their minds." Thread
was capable of leaving terrible injuries, and Thanja was sure that some of
the apprentices had seen the riders who had suffered that way and thought
twice.

Maryal nooded, "That is true. Hard to romanticize something when you
see the scars it leaves behind. Or at least, it should be." There
always seemed to be some silly children who thought the glory outshone
the price. Which was good, in a way, she conceded to herself.
Otherwise who would ever want to be a dragonrider? No one sane, that's
who! And then were would Pern be?

"Exactly, or more people who can dispel some of the myths that have built
up."

"Which is beneficial knowledge for harpers, for certain. If only it
wasn't such a disruption to classes," the old Master sighed. Still,
despite herself, she was feeling less disgruntled about the situation.
There was a reason the young - relatively young in any case - made a
fine Hallsecond.

"They'll wish we were back at Emerald Falls soon enough."

Maryal made a noncommittal noise in response. There were plenty of
people who already wished that. She herself felt ambivalent over it.
She longed to go back to familiar ground, certainly. However, she
hoped if such a thing came to pass - and surely it would someday. They
couldn't take up space in the Weyr forever, after all. Hopefully when
it did, they'd take the female apprentices with them when they went.

"And when we're there, they'll want to be back here, something tells me our
youngsters will moan whatever."

"That's the truth, isn't it?" Maryal snorted with undisguised amusement.

"I just hope that the young ladies can deal with the change."

The old Master eyed the Hallmaster a moment before asking, "Can deal
with the change?" That was interesting wording. It was one thing to
suppose what would happen, another to discuss it like it was going to.

"Emerald Falls is not quite so 'liberal' shall we say."

"An understatement to be sure." Maryal replied with a slow nod, though
she still wondered at the phrasing, she decided not to press the
issue. If there was something she was meant to know, she felt certain
that she would be told in a timely manner, like everyone else.
"Though, I can remember when it wasn't like that at all," she added
wistfully.

"It isn't like that where I grew up either."

Ah, that was right. Maryal remembered hearing that their Hallsecond
had come from the North to the Printer Hall in this hemisphere before
the two Halls had had to consolidate. "I imagine it was a shock to
you, then." The Printer Hall had not been so stringent about the Ban,
but it was part of the culture of the South now. Even in the
permissive Halls and Holds it could be felt.

"But times do seem to be changing, don't they, Hallsecond?" Slowly but
surely and with plenty of growing pains, but changing none the less.
She supposed that if one lived long enough, one was privileged to see
all sorts of change. Good and bad.

"And all being well for the better."

Maryal nodded her head as she sipped her klah. Mostly for the better,
anyway.

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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All Sorts of Change