Heading for Trouble?
Fortieth day of Winter, Fortieth Turn of the Tenth Pass.
Harper Office
The office is cheerful, the light reflecting off of whitewashed walls and ceiling. A pattern mimicking musical notation in colors runs along the tops of the walls, shelf upon shelf rising from the floor to meet it. Desks, cabinets and filing drawers are arranged about the room, workplaces for those whose job it is to keep the harpers and hall in order.
The air is fresh, tangy with sea and hides and well-seasoned woods.
Jueann sighs as she enters the office with a mug of klah and a platter of sweet rolls, fresh baked of course. "Another day, another stack of reports."
Ylisa catches the door as it closes behind Jueann by the simple expedient of putting her shoulder in the way, as her arms are full. She follows the Crafthead into the room. "And another pile of apprentice exercises." She sounds rather annoyed, and deposits what she's carrying in a heap on the nearest desk. Hides, a flute-case, a set of multiple pipes, and a writing-case spread across the desktop, and Ylisa makes a grab for a document that threatens to float away.
Jueann groans loudly. "I just finished up the last batch. I swear, the harpers generate more paperwork then any other craft I know! Now what's going on?" Setting down the platter and mug, she just stares at the pile.
"That? That's just my morning's work! You see why I normally carry a bag." Ylisa rolls her eyes. "Only, I've lost it. I can't imagine how. I've been dropping things right, left and centre, trying to carry all that stuff without it."
Jueann plopping into her chair, rummaging around for a moment, "Hmmm.... Want to add it to...." she pulls out a folder, "Ahh here it is... Want to add it to the list of missing things?" Opening up the folder, then looking up at Ylisa.
Ylisa glances at the folder, then says in surprised tones, "That's the list of things that were stolen, isn't it? Why would anyone want to steal my shoulder bag? There wasn't anything in it - I was teaching and had everything out of it. Besides, I was right there." She frowns thoughtfully. "Though, I know where I left it, and it wasn't on the bench when I went back to pack my things away."
Jueann shrugs, "It's missing right?" Frowning a bit, "Well, if it doesn't turn up, we can add it, I guess." She starts running down the list, "I wish I knew who's doing this. It isn't a fire lizard. They only go for shiny things or things that catches their eye." She sighs again.
"Well, my flute was shiny enough!" Ylisa is still sounding put out about that. "And Mimi's necklace, and Shyana's - oh, no, that was jade, but Majori's was shiny, I think." She chuckles, "But I don't see a firelizard carrying a flute, somehow, and I don't think it would have had much use for Majori's wretched hairbrush! Fortunately, she seems to have found another one."
Jueann grins, "Speaking of Majori. What do you think of her?" Leaning back in her chair, watching Ylisa a moment. "I got the oddest report about her."
Ylisa subsides into a chair. "Majori? I've only had her for a few classes. I think she's lazy, more than anything else - she could play her pipe quite reasonably, but she doesn't practise. I've had words with her about it." She smiles slowly as a wicked thought occurs to her. "And her vocal capacity might be better displayed singing rather than having hysterics over hairbrushes. I expect you heard about that. Or /heard/ that."
Jueann grins, "I think we all heard about the hairbrush." pulling out another folder, "Where did she say she was from? and her parents?"
"Tillek, as I recall." Ylisa ponders for a moment. "Her people are fisherfolk, I think. Didn't she say she came to Ista to get away from the fishing community? She came with a reference from a journeyman up there. She's certainly got the Tillek vowels - I keep wanting to take her aside for a few speech lessons."
Jueann hmms making a note. "Alright. Now about Kurrin." Changing the subject. "he has the making of a fair harper."
Ylisa smiles at the mention of Kurt's son. "Kurrin? He's a bright lad. He must be old enough to apprentice by now. Is that what he's going to do? I suspect he's more interested in runnerbeasts than music, though!"
Jueann hmms, "Well, what boy isn't runner crazy? At his age. Well. we need to talk to him and to Kurt." making a note on her to do list. "Hmmmm how's mimi doing?"
"All right, I think. I haven't seen her to speak to for a couple of days. One of us is always going somewhere!" Ylisa moves her instruments to one side of the table and starts to gather the hides. "No more missives from Nabol, I suppose?"
Jueann shakes her head. "Nope!" She sighs, "Thankfully Bramero is busy with other concerns at the moment and off my back. Master Oriana is being very quiet on the issue."
Ylisa nods. "That's good. His last one was rather disconcerting - especially as nobody has seen a trace of her in Ista. She must have shipped off to somewhere else." Recalling the rumours that were reported, she laughs softly. "She's probably down in Southern with her man friend and a little Nabol half-blood by now. Or married, even."
Jueann chuckles softly, "We can only hope but of course, we'll be blamed for not finding her before that happens."
Ylisa chuckles too. "If in doubt, blame the Harpers? That figures." With a questioning tilt of the head, she reverts to an earlier topic. "So what did you hear about Majori? I'll be seeing her later on for the pipe ensemble."
Jueann hmms, "That she's been appearing and disappearing. She's been showing up dirty. When questioned, she'll say she's running errands for a master. But none of the masters are sending her them."
Ylisa frowns, and sounds quite astonished when she speaks. "Dirty? At her age? Well, she won't be showing up dirty to my classes, if she doesn't want to get thrown out. Hmm." On that calculating note, she pauses for a moment. "Actually, she was late to the last practice. She said you'd sent her up to the Smith Hall ... for harp wire? Was that right?"
Jueann blinks, "I've sent no one for more wire. And if I wanted more wire I would go myself because Evan and Arakiel are friends of mine and I like to visit."
Ylisa's jaw slowly drops. "So, she's telling lies, as well as turning up late, not practising, and looking grubby? That's not good. Not good at all. Is it time for someone to tackle her about her behaviour, do you think? I don't think she has a mentor yet. Maybe you could assign her to someone?"
Jueann nods, "So it would seem." Checking her file, "Hmmm... She isn't assigned to anyone. If I did, I would feel sorry for whoever took her on. And at the moment, I wouldn't wish her on my worse master."
Ylisa gathers her scripts with a sigh. "Well, she'd better not try anything on me. And now I really must correct these. Why this group /still/ haven't got the idea of inversions, I can't imagine..." She opens her writing case and pulls out a pen.
Jueann smiles as she starts in on her stack of paperwork.
Logfile from Ylisa.
