Some Istan History
Fifty-sixth day of
autumn, fortieth Turn of the Tenth Pass.
Great Hall and Ballroom
Oldeara is busy puttering around the Ballroom. A couple of apprentices are snickering at the old journeywoman as the old woman is constantly doing a running monologue to herself.
Falada comes in from the Hold carrying a haversack over her shoulder. She smiles at the old woman puttering around and gives a little wave to Jueann. She looks road-weary, but happy.
Jueann is on her way to the office, seeing Falada, she returns the wave until her attention is caught by the apprentices. "I am *sure* you have better things to do?"
Majori is crossing the ballroom quite innocently, and for once, hasn't snickered at anyone. She raises an eyebrow at Jueann's comment, interpreting it as meant for her. "I'm sorry? I'm just going to the Archives. Should I not?"
Falada pulls her haversack off her shoulder and rummages in it, pulling out a rolled up hide. "Master Jueann... I wonder if I might ask you a question?" She speaks softly, eyeing the apprentice in sidelong glances as she comes forward.
Oldeara straightens, "EHH? WHAT'S THAT? BETTER STRINGS for what instruement? The strings are over there?" she points to the instrument cabinet. She's very hard of hearing. Don't know why Jueann keeps her around.
Majori almost jumps as Oldeara shouts, and glances reflexively in the direction that the elderly journeywoman points. Then she works out that Oldeara has misheard, and suppresses a grin. Realising that Falada's looking at her, she tilts her head questioningly at her, then reclaims her manners and asks, "Did you want me, journeyman?"
Jueann hmm, frowning at the apprentices darning them to say a word. Turning to Oldeara, "OLDIE... IT'S ALRIGHT." she has to shout for the old dearto hear her. Glaring at the apprentices again.
Falada shakes her head and gives a soft laugh. "No, dear... unless you like to paint. In that case, I am looking for a protg." She smiles dotingly at Oldeara, remembering the other apprentices teasing her when the masters weren't looking.
Oldeara putters to the instrument cabinet, "EHH? MASTER JUEANN? No need to shout. I'm not DEEF!" But she is. "In my day, apprentices knew their place. Let me tell you...."
Majori smiles at Falada and replies smoothly, "I haven't had many classes in it yet." She seems in no hurry to be moving on, though, and adds silkily, "I'm sure I'll enjoy it when I do."
Falada cringes almost imperceptibly as the old woman shouts again, eying her. Not fond of loud voices, this one. "Well don't put it off too long," she chides Majori. "You don't want to find yourself suddenly too old to be an apprentice and scrambling at the last minute to get your projects done."
Jueann sighs, rolling her eyes. Turning to Falada, "hello Falada. All settled in with the Smiths?" Shaking her head at the older woman. She really should find a spot for her.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to digging in the Archive Vault." There's a slight tension around Majori's mouth, hinting at mild annoyance. She snickers. "Funny, that. I'd always pictured an Archive Vault as being somewhere down in the depths, deep in the bowels of the Hold, or something!"
Falada nods happily. "Oh, quite. They really are a charming lot, the Smiths." She smiles and gives a little eyeroll. "They've been spending the past couple of sevendays, though, trying to decide who is responsible for a lot of wood shavings, moving them around the Hall. I don't think anyone even remembers where they started anymore." She gives a wave to the departing apprentice.
Oldeara still puttering around. "EH? The Archive vault underground? Seems I recall that it was at one time." Scratching her head as she looks around the Ballroom. "Eh... yes sir.... it was.... but it was moved... water damage from the Flood that killed the Ista Blood line. Ages ago. No true blood line exists anymore."
Majori hasn't in fact moved. She looks at Oldeara with interest, her curiosity piqued. "A flood that killed the bloodline? How long ago was that? There isn't an underground vault now, is there?"
Falada frowns slightly. "I remember reading about that. It was before I was born, I think. Tragedy, though, and the reason the Hold has been in contest a couple of times since."
Jueann blinks, "I remember something about that. " Turning to Majori, "When I was an apprentice, actually before I joined the craft, a huge hurricane came through Ista. flooded the whole island. Killing the entire Lord Holder family. That's why we've been having a terrible time with stewards, bloodline and such. Risana isn't the true Bloodline of Ista. But I didn't know if there are any tunnels left."
Falada pipes up with another bit of information gleaned from various sources in her apprentice days. "I spoke with a lady once... She recounted when Lord Malkin of Crom decided he had some claim on Ista. There were some people kidnapped and held, as it turned out, in the Hold itself. There was a tunnel that had been forgotten off of the dining hall I believe it was. That's where they were found."
"Really? Thank you. I hope we'll learn about that in our history classes. It's interesting to know things that happened right here." Oh, Majori's being the model of the keen student today! On that note, though, she sighs. "But I must go. Good afternoon, Master Jueann, journeyman Falada, journeyman Oldeara." She sweeps off towards the archives, brow crinkling slightly into a thoughtful crease.
Majori walks to the Archive Vault.
Oldeara putters off lost in her own mind to do whatever her mind is telling her to do.
Logfile from Jueann
