Black Beaches

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 14th September 2010

Characters: Fayazel, Puwul
Description: Fayazel spends an evening in Puwul's company
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 11, day 2 of Turn 5

Fayazel was thoroughly disappointed. They had Holders enough to keep
business in the black that night, but not a single one was fit to look
at twice, and the only dragonrider to find his way into their little
corner of Pern was a worn out retired brownrider. That wouldn't be
nearly so annoying if there had been someone to take his mind off it
with some decent, intelligent conversation, but the only one to look up
from his mug of ale had been a farmer who he suspected was more
interested in his ovines than was natural. What a dull way to spend the
evening. "Puwul, another glass of red, if you wouldn't mind."

"Coming right up, Fayazel," the Tavern master said and poured the dark
red liquid from the bottle to his empty class. "You look down," he said
with conversational tone. It was slow night, so he had good time to be
social.

"Down? Me? No," the Hallsecond said as he swirled the wine in his
glass. "Bored, is more like it. I was hoping for a bit of lively
conversation to unwind from a long day, and that man certainly wasn't
it."

"Farmers rarely are very lively. Must be all that sitting and watching
crops to grow," Puwul agreed. As a retired seacrafter, he had
prejustices of his own. If you asked him, farming wasn't real work. The
grain grew all by itself.

"Or the backsides of beasts," Fayazel sighed, wishing there was a nice
backside in the place to admire. It looked as though he would have to
rely on the tavern master for entertainment, of an entirely different
sort. "Have you sailed to the North in your travels?"

"Oh, several times." The Ista's Lord Holder had issued a reward for his
head once, he wondered if it was still valid...

"Where was your favorite place in the North? I'd like to hear about it."
Fayazel had no wish to go there himself, but he like many people had a
touch of curiosity about their distant cousins to the North.

"Always liked Ista's black beaches," Puwul replied.

The Hallsecond's eyebrows twitched slight. "Are they actually black? I
had always assumed it was a poetical exaggeration."

"They are actually black. Volcanic ash or something, someone once tried
to explain it to me," Puwul smiled.

Well, Fayazel was duly impressed. "And was it as hot as people say?"

"Let's see, black sand, midday's, tropical sun...let's just say you
could have boiled water on it," Puwul grinned.

"Hmmm, it's sounding less inviting by the minute!" He supposed there
was something to be said for enjoying the beautiful of a black sand
beach, but if he couldn't curl his toes in it and feel the grains under
his bare feet, what good was it?

"Trust me, the reality is far from romantic harper verses!"

"I never trust a harper." Especially when he talked all romantically.

"They have their uses," Puwul shrugged.

"They do make pretty music, I'll grant you," Fayazel nodded. "Speaking
of which, why don't _we_ have a harper on staff here?"

"Well, the one we had got twin babies, and he wanted more regular
workhours, so off he went to teach in some hold. Haven't been able to
get a new one to replace him."

"That's a shame. We could use some music around here. Perhaps it's
something I should talk to the Hallmaster about." The place could use a
bit of livening up.

"Aye," Puwul agreed on that.

"Of course, the Harper Hall is accepting female harpers now. I'm not so
sure that would be such a good idea in a place such as this." Drunk men
eying the serving girls could be trouble enough.

"Some of the locals might choke on their ale," the Tavern master agreed.
He was himself too old to care. He had been young before the Plagues
hit. "And that's always bad for business."

"Then again, it might be a curiosity." Fayazel didn't care so much for
the gender. Just what was good for business. A female voice, well
trained, could sound rather sweet. And he did like the idea of a classy
establishment.

"It's a worthy of a thought," Puwul said.

"And another drink," the Hallsecond said, tapping his now empty glass.
"And some cheese. Do you have any cheese back there?"

"I'll check from the kitchen," Puwul said when he refilled the glass .He
left for the kitchen and returned few minutes later with plate filled
with cheese and crackers.

"This is so much better than what the kitchens served tonight. I hear
the last Hallsecond's wife was quite a cook. I'm sorry I missed those
days." Not that the food was _bad_ really, but Fayazel could be quite
the snob when it came to wine and cuisine.

"Good thing then, that my wife happens to be excellent cook," Puwul
grinned.

Cooking had been one thing his wife had done well, too. Probably the
only thing. "Don't tell me that, Puwul, or I might have to forego my
duties and trust myself to your gracious hospitality."

"We serve lunch too," Puwul just said, hiding a smile.

"Hmmmm..." Fayazel pursed his lips thoughtfully. "What is on the menu
tomorrow?"

"My son is going to try catch some river fish tomorrow morning. If that
fails, there's meat-tuber-casserole."

"Either way, I'll be here." It sounded much better than anything that
might be on the Hall's menu. At least, it would be less noisy without
all those apprentices, which always makes food go down easier.

"I can even give you a discount," Puwul said with straight face.
"I'll be here as soon as the candle burns to the lunch break," Fayazel
grinned, lifting his glass to salute the generous tavernkeeper.

"I'll be waiting," Puwul said. "With delicious lunch."

Last updated on the September 25th 2010

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Black Beaches