A Secret from the Past
Sixtieth day of winter, forty-first Turn of the Tenth Pass
The Flying Mug
A few shades too bright for the lighting to ever be called quite dim, the interior of the Flying Mug reveals upon closer inspection the marks of a much-frequented bar. Although the tables all match and the chairs are of a set, one or seven chairs have a wobbly leg, a few tabletops have big gashes across them, and each surface has an intricate pattern of turn-old mug rings. A well stocked, well polished and well maintained bar stretches across the expanse of the wall, facing the series of shuttered windows looking out on the courtyard. The bar stools are better maintained than the chairs, with low backs. And they spin, too! An intricate 'mural' covers the ceiling and there's a 'note' on the wall.
Ylisa walks in, carrying a full and rather grubby shoulder bag made from once-cream linen. She secures a large glass of juice from Lem, then makes her way over to a corner table, where she starts to rub ineffectually at the grimy marks, frowning in annoyance.
Mennahea looks around for Realilina, nope no sign of her yet.
Tony sneaks in to the quietest booth, in the distant corner under the image of an 2/3rds full mug
Realilina walks in from the great hall.
Shortly following the first Harper, there soon appears a second making his way in. Fas slips into the Mug, and heads straight for the bar. As would be the habit recently, the pitcher and mug are produced for him without him actually having to ask for it, and with those two items in hand, he turns to search for a seat -- and glance falls upon Ylisa. "Funny," Fas murmurs after making his way over towards her, grinning absently. "I thought only Healers came here, nowadays. Mind if I sit, Journey?"
Majori comes in with hopes of meeting someone special but instead the Mug is full of harpers.
"Oh, there you are 'Lina!" Mennahea exclaimed when she saw her enter. "You late, does that mean nothing to you?"
Tony pulls out a knife and starts to undo the screws of the table he is at, and a strangly hollow noise is heard
Ylisa looks up, takes a moment to take in who's speaking, then smiles at Fasulkad. "Well, I certainly haven't been in for a while. But it makes a nice change." She frowns again at her bag, seeing that her efforts have just succeeded in rubbing the dust in, then sighs. "That needs washing. Still, at least it turned up." She glances round, looking for the source of the strange sound. "Good evening, Master Tony!"
Realilina smiles at Menna. "Why would it? At least I'm here now." She said, voice slightly snappy because of the impatiance of the older girl.
Tony is caught off by Ylisa's greeting, and the top of the table falls off, toppling onto the ground, and a puff of dust flys into the air
Tony coughs and then says 1/2 choking "Greetings Ylisa "
Majori sighs as she looks around. He's not here but the harpers are. Shardsit! Putting on her semi best cutsy face she walks in. "Hello, Master Tony and journeyman Ylisa."
Tony reaches in to the table column and draws out a glass sounding object
Seems that's close enough to a 'yes' for Fas, since he hooks a foot around the leg of a chair at the table, and pulls it out, before settling down in it. Mug immediately starts to fill as Fas pours klah from his pitcher, eyes flicking up also towards the sound, before he puts the pitcher down, and takes a happy sip of the fresh klah, seeming to ignore the falling table as if it were an every day occurance. And yet, as he turns to grin at Ylisa, he asks, "Ya' ever just /know/ it was going to be one of those days, right from the get-go?" Eyes turn to look back towards Tony, however, at the strange sound to be coming from a table, under the pretense of a polite, "Evening, Master Tony..."
Tony draws out a bottle, a rather BIG bottle, and then reattaches the table top
Tony picks up the Big bottle, and walks over to the others, while getting some small cups on the way.
Tony hands the bottle to Ylisa to inspect, while he settles down at the table.
Realilina turns her head to the source of the commotion. "Knowing practically no-one gets very confusing sometimes..." She said, sighing during the pause, "Must go and introduce myself I suppose. I'll talk to you later Menna."
Ylisa grins at Fasulkad. "I know exactly what you mean!" When Tony hands her the bottle, she takes it, looking at it curiously. "Did that come out of the table you were at? It looked as if you knew it was there." She smiles. "It looks like a very respectable vintage, too." Looking at the tag more carefully, "A /very/ respectable vintage!"
Mennahea grabs onto Realilina's arm. "Not so fast, are you forgetting that I know about the same amount of people you do? How 'bout I introduce myself too?"
Well, sense *he's* not here, Majori is going to play. She makes a bee line for Fas. "Hello..." she whispers in a flirty way. "What's going on?"
Tony says, "Oh yes, we used to hide many things inside the tables, "turning to Fas" so did your grand sire never tell you about the Hiding Places before he left ?"
Realilina sighs. "Fine then, just let go of my arm, your practically crushing it."
Despite the apparently appreciative vintage of the wine, Fas seems perfectly content to sip at his klah and ignore most of what's going on around it, except when he's addressed. "Master Tony's tearing the Mug apart in search of a few free drinks, I should say," he replies absent-mindedly towards Majori, before he offers a light smile back towards Tony. Play your part, now, Fas. "Ahh, sir... I think you misunderstand -- it was a rather harsh parting, as I understand it, and I haven't spoken to any other 'Fasulkad' in this Craft before..." He pauses for a moment, before he emphasizes, "/Ever/..." Which, in it's own respect, is a completely true statement.
Mennahea releases it. "Sorry, didn't mean to." She said before pushing the younger girl forward.
Tony says, "Fas, oh I'm sorry your grand sire left in such a hurry, but he did hide some thing with a group of us a long time ago, could you help me please for a second, and I am sure we can wake up the hall with Ylisa's scream of surprise. Tony grabs 2 chairs and places them under the small portrait one of the highest portraits near the trophy ledge, and then waits for Fas and Ylisa to join him.
Realilina glares at Menna before grasping onto her arm and tugging her over to the table where the mass of harpers are. "Um, hello." She said.
Ylisa is just in the middle of smiling at Realilina and her friend and offering a cheerful "Hello," when she hears her name on Tony's lips. She turns immediately, looking mildly alarmed. "What's that? I'm not given to screaming, Master Tony. 'Scuse me, Realilina." She walks towards the ledge. "What are we looking for? Do I need a chair?"
So many memories which Fas doesn't seem to remember -- as well he's not supposed to, under current premise, but in reality, he should have far more clarity of the past than those who've been around during the intervening years. "Oh, did he now?" he murmurs after Tony, before he gets up to follow. He's played this far -- he might as well play for a while more. Fas, being younger, hops up to the other chair rather easily, and reaches for the painting as well. "So, what exactly was hidden over here...? And no, Ylisa, I think Tony and I should be able to handle it -- unless it jumps at us..."
Tony climbs upon a chair, and waits for Fas, and says to Ylisa " There is a small hole behind this portrait, you will need you to reach in and see if some thing is hidden there."
Tony joins Fas in lifting the portrait and waits for Ylisa to reach inside to see if she can find a surprise
Realilina watches the other harpers with curiosity, wondering what in the world they could be doing.
Tony notices the two younger women and smiles.
Ylisa grabs the back of another chair and swings it into position next to Tony and Fas, then steps up on it. Grasping the edge of the portrait, she lifts it clear of her head and ducks underneath, then plunges one hand carefully into the hole. It goes in quite a way, almost up to the elbow, before she pauses, looking puzzled. "There's something here, but I can't quite - ah! Feels like hide?" She withdraws her hand carefully, now clasping a very dusty scroll. "Seems to be my day for dust!"
"Come on." Menna says, pulling 'Lina forward. "Let's see what they found!"
Tony and Fas return the portrid back to its original spot, noticing that Ylisa hasn't put her hand all the way in as yet, and thankifully doesnt appear to have noticed
Tony gets down and returns the chair to its position, and sits at the table, watching ylisa.
"Tunnel-snake hide, I'd bet." Fas murmurs quietly, for Ylisa's ears only as offered by her proximity, as he continues to hold up the portrait to allow her access to the recession in the wall, before he glances back towards those gathering. After the portrait's returned, he hesitantly questions, "Ahh, Master Tony, if this was such a secret, should we not have done that when the area was less crowded...?"
With her plans in ruins and the master busy with old stories, Majori sighs. How to get the cute harper apprentice's attention on her? She sighs dramatically.
Realilina follows. "What'd you find Ylisa?" She asks, cocking her head slightly.
Tony says, "Fas in the harper hall this size, I think 1 or 2 little hidy holes wont hurt that much, are you sure your namesake, never ever showed you any ?"
Ylisa turns away from the others, lifts the scroll, and blows the rest of the dust off it. "Not sure yet, 'Lina. Let's open it and see, shall we?" She sets the document on a table and gently unrolls it, revealing what's written. "Music....oh! It's a copy of 'Dragon's Joy.' Do you folks know that one?" The question's aimed at the apprentices. "It used to be very popular. Master Abram wrote it." She frowns, looking more carefully at the manuscript. "Not very neat. That's odd..."
"Well, it /is/ hard to be showed secret hiding spots from a relative when you've never spoken to that relative," Fas admits with a light shrug, before he adds with a side-long glance towards the Master, "And I /would/ like to point out that we're /not/ in the Harper Hall, just now, and I'm not sure how happy the current Lady Holder would be to know the Harpers were once digging holes in her walls..." Attention, however, once again shifts, and this time it's back to Ylisa as Fas approaches her once again, and leans to peer at the hide. "Discrepency?" he asks lightly.
Realilina face brightens up. "Music? Can I see it?" She asks excitedly.
Mlina wanders, lost in her own little world, in from the great hall.
Tony says, "Hmm, when I was young and growing up n the Hall, there was nothing in the building / cavern that wasnt considered part of the harpers domain."
Cyanide slowly lids his little eyes and falls blissfully asleep.
Tony says, "I remember us hiding a scroll in the hole near the water hole in the bath cave, but the scroll went mouldy."
Mennahea shrugs. She never /had/ cared much for music, the major differance between her and her little sister.
Realilina walks over beside Ylisa and peers at the music. "Hmmm..." She said quietly.
Ylisa is still frowning at the hide, though she shifts it a little way across the table so that Realilina can see it. "Not exactly. See how it's got all those crossings out? They aren't mistakes, I don't think. They look more like different harmonies - draft versions. I wonder... this couldn't be Master Abram's own hand?" She looks up at Tony. "It would have been written about then, I think."
Majori walks through a door into the great hall.
Tony says, "I think you should find a few different hands work in there, there is a secret to the writing of that ballad."
Andria skips in. She's dirty from working in the gardens and her hair looksithasn't seen a comb in ages. "Wow! People!" Waving to Lem, "Can I have some cider? Please?" Lem gives her a dirty look and says, "you know your father won't let you have any, so why do you keep asking?" But the little gardener sighs and shrugs.
Mlina wanders in, humming to herself, for once minus her blue firelizard. She looks to be headed towards a table, but detoured to the huddle of people around what she gathered to be an old scroll. "Ballad? What ballad, may I ask?" She smiles warmly, brushing back some of her frizzy hair from her face. "Oh my..." She peers over at the scroll. Looks old." She glances at Andria when she comes skipping in.
Tony opens with a giant POP the 30 turn bottle of wine/ port and starts to pour a few glasses
Ariennye enters into the room, a little smile playing about her lips as she is actually in a good mood today. She snags a glass of juice for herself and slides into an empty chair at an empty table, letting her bag drop down to rest by her feet.
"Interesting view on hall boundries," Fas admits back towards Tony with a light chuckle, before he tilts his head to also look at the hide. An older apprentice by far, and once considered all but a perminant fixture in the Records Room for a time, Fas has a few recollections of that particular time period himself, yet states no opinion on the handwriting, but merely observes it quietly. He hasn't, after all, let thoughts trail on about his grand sire for nothing. Standing up, Fas takes a step back to let others in. "Looks like it might be an original draft of 'Dragon's Joy,'" he answers towards Mlina absently. "That's current speculation, at least..."
Andria hears the POP. Ohhh... "What's going on? Can I have some?" She's still considered under age. "What did you find?"
Tony looks at the young girl and seriously considers a request, then pours a small cup of water and adds into it a few glups of wine.
Ylisa peers at the music again, humming a little as she looks at the details, then singing a few snatches that catch her attention. "A dragon's joy is in the bond / He forges with his faithful friend.... In flying high to meet the foe, In duty done for those below... In land made safe from burning Thread / And people whole and free from dread...." Reverting to speech, she comments, "Yes, that's a bit different, and there..." She turns her attention back to Tony. "A secret?"
Tony pours a 2nd cup of water. Tony turns to the girl, you can drink the first cup if you promise to drink the 2nd cup of water straight afterwards.
Tony looks to Ylisa. Tony says, "Do you see the siggles under the bottom corner of the back of the scroll?"
Andria blinks up at Tony. "HUH?" Taking the offered glass.
Mlina bobs her head at Fasulkad with a thoughtful look on her face before brushing her hair back again. "Really? The original draft, you say? Now, wouldn't that be worth a pretty mark to the record-keepers?" She wriggles her fingers in that general direction, a curious gawker and bystander butting in on something she doesn't understand. She tries to remember what they had been saying when she'd stepped forwards, but abandonded that in favor of answering Tony. "No, I don't see..."
Tony says, "they are all our signatures of the contributers, but you may find its different to the current verson, and the hall history tells you about why the changes."
Tony says, "Ylisa why don't you sing it, as it is written rather than the one you know"
"I don't think he expects you to see from all the way back here," Fas admits with a light chuckle to Mlina, before he takes another step back. "I think I'll cut out on this one. My mug's somewhere in there, but I think I'll give it up as lost, and see if I can't find myself some somewhere else..." And with that, Fas beats a quiet, unobtrusive retreat from the back of the crowd.
Tony hands Fas a drink of old port, and whispers "I think this is worth while finally celebrating. Even if you may not be the original contribiting writer."
"Ahh... I see. Fasulkad, is it? Yes. Yes. Most likely." Mlina mutters for a moment to herself before nodding again., then turning to find that the man had cut out on her and their little conversation. "Shells." She blinks once, then turns back to the paper. "What /are/ the differences?" Mlina's curious. Too Curious.
Light smile plays on Fas' face at the offer of the drink, but Fas hands it back with a polite smile, admitting, "I'm not much one for drinking, actually, but if you'd like, I'll stick around for a bit longer..." And with that, Fas makes his way back next to Mlina. "Yes, Fasulkad it is, Harper Apprentice. You can call me Fas. And you are?" he asks, popping back up where, a few moments before, he was not.
Ylisa continues to scan the hide, turning her attention from the music to the verses. Suddenly, she jabs a finger at the last two lines. "What on Pern...! /That's/ not in the version we sing!" She doesn't sing it, in fact, just recites. "Though Ista's Lord forswear his word, the Weyr will still protect his Hold!" Picking up the hide, she turns to Tony. "So, you're saying that this song, that /everyone/ thinks was written by a Master Abram, was actually a joint effort, and /these/ were the original words?"
Ariennye takes a quiet sip from her glass of juice, content in her little corner and lost in some little musings of her own. She catches slips of conversations across the room, and turns her gaze toward the knot of harpers, openly listening for a moment.
Tony says, "Ylisa , many years ago, Master Abram had an idea for the song, but got stuck on some some bits so he came down here to ask us an opinion, we all collaborated and stuck our noses into the work. The a Master came in and we hide it, only to be told that the Harper hall must spread the word that some one else of better character must be the hero, and the ballard was rewritten to that end."
Mlina looks more than startled when Fas comes /back/ to where she'd already expected him to me. She sucks in her breath, then lets it out. "Oh dear, oh dear. You managed to startle me, young man." She gives him one of her kindly smiles. "Mlina, Healer Apprentice of some sort. I rather admit that I've been here much too long, but still." She gestures towards her knot. "Purple and White, my dear, purple and white. And I shall call you Fas. You're something of a celebrity, are you not?" The smile never leaves her face, and she's drifted a few steps away from the scroll and Harpers. She, of course, does not recall a Master Abram. Glancing back, she sighs lightly. "Oh dear, oh dear. I dare say someone will have to explain things for me. What does he mean by better character be the hero?"
Tony says, "The rumour was that the Real Hero of that time was banned from the Hall, and if the truth was ever truely known, then the Lord must excute his own child, "
Tony says, "Now that the Lord is dead and the child has moved away to parts unknown, perhaps the truth can come out."
Realilina stares at Master Tony, slightly appalled. Did he not know the rules? Her attention is then diverted to what he had said, "Huh?" She said, partially confused.
Grin breaks slightly on Fas' face at the reciting of the original lyrics, but is quickly drowned down a normal-sized version of the same that hides the mischivious remeberings of times past. Glance slides back over towards Mlina as she starts to escape away from the general throng of people, and he moves to follow slightly, chuckling over her words. "A celebrity -- me? Now, perhaps you could explain why /I/, of all people, am a celebrity...?" Grinning Harper continues to look at Mlina. This should be interesting...
Tony turns to Realilina. "Some times child, the harper hall must alter the event for the safety of pern, and we must Trust our masters who see the whole picture to guide us on such issues." Tony says, "To be a master is often a case faith , pain and honour all rolled into one"
Mennahea has no idea what this mass of harpers are talking about. She decided it would be best to move out of the way so other people could see.
Ylisa is looking at the Master in something approaching horror. She, of course, does know the ballad. "So it was the renegade harper who protected the eggs, and the son of the Lord Holder who tried to destroy them, not the other way around? And when the Lord vowed to execute the people who did it, he'd have had to kill his son? Ohhh!"
Tony beckons Mennahea towards him, and then from beind her ear, draws out a small dried flower and gives it to her with a magical smile.
Realilina takes a moment to think, then slowly and slightly nods her head.
Sip, sip. Ariennye is about halfway through her glass now, drinking slowly as she is mostly listening to the conversation of the harpers. Not that she has an ear for music particularly, but as they're just talking at this point, her interest remains captured. The young woman drags her bag from the floor up into her lap, idly toying with the flap that keeps it closed.
Mlina blinks slightly at Fas's grin. "Ah... what? Yes. Aren't you? Haven't I heard things about you? Oh, dear. Maybe that was someone else. I'm horrible with names you know. But I honestly could have sworn you where that one that caused a ruckus a while back. Something about appearing from no-where and all." She flaps her hands slightly in distress. "Did I get that wrong? Oh my, I would be so embarassed." And to prove it, her face blushes a lovely burgandy. "Are you? Or... not?" She brushes absently at her clothes.
Mennahea is vaguely surprised, but she manages to smile back.
Tony smiles. "Magic is often fun to show a few off hand tricks."
"Oh?" Fas' eyebrow raises slightly, but mind quickly turns to absorb the question, and quickly pull out a response. "I think you have me slightly mistaken, but only slightly -- I was transferred here to the Istan Hall recently, so I can understand a little confusion of an Apprentice appearing so suddenly and gaining a Senior knot..." Hand brushes absently at said knot, and he keeps a grin as he looks at Mlina. "No worries, being taken for someone else seems to be a hobby, of late..."
Tony says, "Ylisa I think that the piece should have a new home, don't you?"
Mlina's face fell, slightly, her eyebrows slanting towards eachother in concern. "Oh dear, oh dear. You mean you're not that man who appeared with a 'rider one day? Maybe I am going rather batty. Perhaps it runs in the family." She lifts a hand and makes to gently pat Fas on the arm. "Don't worry, though. I've been like this most of my life. But you're a new transfer? Well, not so new, I imagine. I've seen you around. And if I remember seeing you, you must be very visible indeed." A small smile grew on her face. "But -well,- how else have you been mistaken for, then? You certainly seem unique to me." Her too-kind tone shows that she's just trying to be nice with that comment, which is probably why she's sure she's seen him before.
Tony says, "So Fas, perhaps you have a brother ? or as your Grand Sire was such a ladies man, perhaps a Distant Cousin, and thats why you keep getting mixed up for some one else ?" Tony says, "I still remember your grand sire romancing 4 different girls at one gather day, and being sent home by Master Tumani before the twins father found out. I can understand getting comfused by two identical girls who like to swap places"
"Ahh, as luck would have it," Fas admits readily, chuckling lightly as he turns slightly, and gives a nod back towards Master Tony, near the crowd pouring over the old score. "The Harper with the Masters' knot over there seems to think of me as the spitting image of my grand sire..." Grin is offered towards the Master, and the Apprentice quickly explains away, "Ahh, no. In this case, I was mixed up with a rumor, sir. Actually, it probably /was/ a rumor about me -- all rumors have a grain of truth among them, just seems this one got a little exaggerated before it reached Mlina, here..." Grin is returned back towards the Healer, and he shrugs lightly at Tony's comment of his grand sire's supposed romancing. "Earlier, he said they were just sisters -- now they're twins..."
Tony says, "Now Fas, Twins can be sisters too you know"
Ylisa is still scanning the hide. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to put it in the archives now," she ponders. "They are all dead, after all. Except perhaps the Harper, but he vanished." A thought occurs to her, and she looks curiously at Tony. "He was supposed to have vanished, joined some renegade band... was that true?"
Tony says, "Hmm, I dont know, we were all posted to different places just after that"
Tony says, "I guess so we didnt put all the pieces together."
Tony says, "Are you sure that they are all dead, there is always rumours these days, of long gone people from the past, mysterously reappearing again"
Tony says, "Though I would never know how any one could time travel" Tony turns to Fas, Have you ever heard any rumours of Time Travel?"
Ariennye leans back in her chair now, finishing off her drink. She pulls her feet onto the chair ledge in front of her, skirt modestly covering her. Her hair falls forward around her knees as she rests her ching on top of them, long arms loosely circling around her legs as she takes time to watch now, gaze roaming slowly around the room.
Ylisa chuckles. "Not without a dragon. Lessa's Ride, and all that? I'm sure Fas knows /that/ ballad!" This conversation is getting a little challenging. Ylisa proclaims loudly, "Well, between the wine and the ballad, this has been an interesting exploration. But Lem's not looking too happy, maybe we shouldn't take the place to pieces any further just now? And... is there any of that wine left?"
Tony pours some more wine for all who wants it.
Mlina laughs lightly and shakes her head. "Well, isn't that silly. Is your grandsire still around, then, that you'd be mistaken for him on a regular basis?" She is curious about this, looking for a place to settle, her interest in the new-found hide waning with her lack of knowledge. "Hmm... but Rumor? That's probably true. It must have been an exaggerated rumor, then. Sometimes people who gossip can be rather silly. I know that there are a pair of drudges that gossip by the latrine whenever they go. They're rather noisy." She finally found a spot to sit, realizing just as she settles her weight that she'd forgotten to get something to drink. "Shells." She murmures, before looking up at Fas. "Sisters? And... oh my... time travel. That is a nasty rumor there. To think! You could go and visit your grandchildren's children to see if they've gotten along alright."
"Still quite a detail to leave out, though," Fas responds back to Tony with a light chuckle, before turning his attention back towards Mlina, though ears still keep track of the conversation behind him -- but finds himself quickly drawn back into the conversation as he addressed. "Time travelling, Master Tony?" Once again, a light smile makes it's way to Fas' face as he tilts his head, and offers simply, "From what I've been made to understand, it's a relatively taboo subject beyond the Ballad of Lessa's Ride..." A nod is given back towards Ylisa with an accompanying grin as he admits, "Aye, one of the required Ballads to know for anyone looking to be a Journeyman, important as it is to Pern's history..." Finally, he turns back to look at Mlina, previous conversation closed, at least for the time being, in his own mind. "'Fraid that it's actually just Master Tony whose had that mistaken recently. It hasn't really been an issue before..." As for the rest of it, Fas shrugs lightly, and chuckles. "Yes, I'm a Harper, so I know how rumors can get blown out proportion rather quickly..."
Tony says, "Yes, sisters, buit this was before Thread has started to fall, and every picked on harpers and no one believe that there would be no more Thread"
Ylisa takes a glass of wine and sips it gratefully, then her eyes widen in surprise. "That's good!" Setting the glass down, she picks up the hide, holding it carefully. "Master Tony, do you want to take charge of this?"
Ariennye unfolds from her chair long enough to get another glass of juice, giving a small sigh after the first sip as the cool liquid slides down her throat. Once back at her little table, she folds her legs up again, allowing the fingers of one hand to drum idly on the tops of her knees.
Mlina wanders, lost in her own little world, through a door into the great hall.
Tony says, "Ylisa if you like, or perhaps an jnr can take it to the archives"
Dennell walks in and goes to the bar. After a brief transaction with the barkeeper, he takes himself to an inconspicuous spot and sits where he can see the door and as much of the room as possible. He scans the faces of the crowd, including all those Harpers, as if he were looking for someone, but whoever he wants doesn't seem to be there. He sips his wine slowly, glancing at the door from time to time.
Ylisa hesitates for a moment, then tells Tony, "Oh, I can put it in the archives, if that's where you think it should be. Do you think that's wise, though?"
Other person Fas was having a conversation with having had to depart, Fas turns back to the rest of the room, and stretches absently, before he gets up, and starts to head back to Ylisa's table. Where, after all, his klah was left, before it got hidden behind the sudden crowd. "Would you put it back where it was found again, now that everyone knows where that is?" Fas questions as he re-takes his seat.
Tony says, "I would think that perhaps if it was to be rehidden, a few people should know about it"
Ariennye puts her bag up on the empty table in front of her...empty except for her glass, that is. After a moment, the bag is left alone on the table as the young woman takes a drink of juice. She watches the latest arrival moving across the room, lips quirking absently as she sees the rather large knife on his belt, and then turns her attention back to her cozy solitude, opening the bag in front of her and slipping her hand inside, rummaging about.
"A few is more like many." Realilina said, "Maybe it should be hidden elsewhere?"
Ylisa hesitates. "Well, even though it's a while back, do we want it to be thought that the Harper Craft manipulates history? I don't know." She purses her lips. "I've never been convinced that it was right to do it. Still. " She smiles and holds out the rolled hide to Tony. "As you said earlier, we should be guided by our Masters. It seems that it's partly your ballad, so I think it's your decision."
Tony takes the hide "It certainly is of interested, how the Lord got the changes he wanted "
In his scanning of the people present, Dennell's glance takes in Ariennye, and rests on her bag for a moment before passing on. Tony's words attract his attention too, but he listens without watching too obviously, taking occasional sips of his wine and glancing at the door from time to time.
Tony stands.
Tony says, "Well I must be off to find dinner"
Tony waves and makes his way to the door
Ylisa seems to relax as the Master leaves. With a smile to the apprentices, she remarks, "Well, our new Master seems to be quite a character. But I think he's got the right idea about dinner." Finishing her wine, she too heads out.
A light shrug passes from Fas as hand wraps around his own mug, and he quietly takes a sip from his long-abandoned drink, ignoring the fact that it turned to room temperature long ago. "Political playing, I'd guess. There's far more Harpers who can be shifted around to reappear elsewhere with different names than there are Lord Holder's sons. Say a Lord Holder's son went bad, it's said the whole line's gone bad. Same thing's said of a Harper, it's just one who gets themselves kicked out..." A wave is offered after Ylisa.
Ariennye watches as the harpers begin to leave, not looking like she's going anywhere herself, though. Her hand stops moving around in her bag, not so much looking for something to pull out as seeking to make sure something is still there. Inevetably, her glass finds its way to her mouth again and another sip ensues before bag and glass rest on the table and the young woman leans back in her chair once more.
Dennell finishes his wine and sets the glass down with enough force to suggest that he's mildly annoyed about something. He's still sitting on his own: perhaps someone's stood him up. He slips out without a word to anyone.
Logfile from Ylisa
