Maping an old Home (Open)

[shawncameron]

It was good to be home. Or so Killian tried to think. It had been many turns since he had walked this Weyr and the place felt alien to him. At first the Harper Hall had had this feeling, everyone acted so strange and he was given those strict orders not to speak of dragons or the Weyr. But soon he had gotten used to it, and nearly forgot a few times of his own that the dragons where in fact not extinct. And now here he was, his nose constantly under assault by the oil dragonriders used on everything from there riding leathers to there own dragons.

Slowly Killian made his way down the halls, one had running along the left wall the right taping out the rhythm of his steps. The room was large, that was good if he remembered right the number of weyr brats he had grown up with. He reached the last corner, the point where he had started, and turning a perfect 120 degrees he began to walk diagonally cross the room. It would be very important for him to map this place out first and most thoroughly.

[E]

Small Somadin had been mistaken for a weyrbrat once again by one of the lowercavern women. Part of him wanted to complain loudly that he had lived here his whole life, people should at least realize he was a candidate now. The other part had grown so use to being considered younger than he truly was due to his size that he gave in without a word to the extra chores assigned to him as he was walking through the caverns.

Today there was apparently a Weyrbrat attempting to get out of lessons by failing to refresh the glows in the old harpers classrooms. The old harper had been a friend of his, one of the few who actually remembered Somadin’s age so the candidate was not upset in being asked to replace his glows. Basket in hand, Somadin opened the door and stop.

It wasn’t the darkness in the room that stopped Somadin, he was not afraid of the dark in a room he knew so well, it was the steady tapping sound that was coming from the darkness. Frowning, he fumbled with the basket of glows for a moment before opening the cover to brighten the room. Almost jumping in surprise, Somadin remained standing in the doorway. For the life of him, he could not remember ever seeing the young man who was now pacing the room with a large stick, tap-tap-tapping his way across.

[shawncameron]

Killian didn’t stop as he heard the door open, he was almost to the end of the room if he pictured the circumference correctly, and he didn’t want to loose count now. But when he did reach the end he stopped, he was only a few steps from the door but he hadn’t heard anyone come in sense the door had been opened. Tilting his head slightly Killian faced the open portal missing it by a few feet and looking threw the wall instead.

“Hello.” He listed carefully; yes he could hear breathing, “I’m sorry did you need this room for something? I was just trying to get my bearings but I can come back at a later time if it would be more convenient.” The Harper smiled at the wall; reaching up to run his fingers threw his gray hair and taking a few measured steps closer to the door.

It had been so many turns, and a pang of sadness thrummed in his chest as he realized that he probably didn’t know this person. He had been so young when he left the Weyr he hadn’t known many outside his family even then.

[E]

Somadin stood in the doorway, staring hard at the man who now spoke to him. Everything was ringing the wrong bell in the young teen’s head. The man, though speaking to him, was not actually looking at him, but at the wall next to him. What stood out even more was that the man was supposedly getting his bearings in a room in the dark. How did you find your way around in the dark?

“N-no.” he answered truthfully, “I don’t need the room, I was just told to bring fresh glows…” Was the man a thief? Thieves worked in the dark so they are not caught, but there was nothing of value to steal in the classroom.

Deciding he should finish his chore first, he moved to the first corner and began switching out the glows. Climbing back down, he turned back to the stranger and frowned again. “You said you were getting your bearings… but the room was all black inside. Surely you couldn’t find your way around in the dark… It… It just seems strange. – Are you a thief?” he finally asked, blurting out the last part. If the man was a thief, Somadin wasn’t sure what he should do.

[shawncameron]

Ah so it was a boy, and doing chores. Killian adjusted him self to the boys voice, lowing his head and finally facing the door, but by then the boy had already walked in and though Killian followed his foot steps he was still off by a bit, looking over the lads shoulder as he listed to the glow basket slid open with a light scrape no one else could hear.

Killian continued to smile as he listed to the young lad, not sure if he should tell the boy or just wait for him to notice, until he mentioned the thought that he, Killian, might be a thief. The laughter was so sudden and so full as to fill the room. Still snickering Killian took a few more steps in the direction of the kids voice, shaking his head and once again running his long fingers threw his gray hair, pulling it back for only a moment before it swung forward again.

“And what would you do if I was?” as he got closer the Harper finally managed to face the boy squarely, looking strait threw him and into the darkness that was all he could see. “no, I am not a thief. My name is Killian and I am the new Journeyman Harper assigned to this Weyr.” He bowed at the waist in a formal greeting to the lad.

[E]

Somadin watched as the man ran his hand through his hair, pulling it back to allow Somadin the sight of his eyes… A sight that sent shivers down the small boys back. Taking a step back, he pushed against the wall with his back, swallowing softly. Something wasn’t natural about those eyes…

“A Harper? But they don’t send new harpers here…” he said, more to himself than to the man before him. The question spoken was not the one nagging at the back of the small boys mind. Unable to keep the nagging voice inside, he finally spoke the question in a whisper. “What’s… what’s wrong with your… with your eyes?”

Even as he asked the question, soft as it was, Somadin felt insecure around that which was strange and unexplainable to his young mind. He had seen a lot of things growing up in the Weyr, but a man who no longer had pupils, but cloudy orbs for eyes was not one of them. On top of it all, the man had been walking in the room in the dark and Somadin could of sworn he still wasn’t looking at him but through him. It made him want to run in fear, but being a full 15 turns old, Somadin didn’t want to be seen as craven either.

[shawncameron]

Killian frowned at the boys question, being able to read tones he knew it wasn’t directed at him but the lad had a point, they didn’t send new harpers here… but how was he supposed to explain that no one at the hall knew the Weyr existed or vice versa? But then the real question came out and Killian sighed.

“There’s no need to whisper, I’m blind.” He pulled his hair back again and held it for a moment before letting the gray strands fall again to frame his face. “It happened such a long time ago, I forget that most here don’t remember or know me so it must seem strange.” But he was used to people being disturbed by his eyes and empty stare. He tried to shrug it off in a hope that others would do the same, though it rarely worked.

[E]

“Your blind?” Somadin asked, almost sounding confused for a moment. “Like you can’t see anything?” As soon as he spoke the second question he blushed realizing how silly it sounded. Dumping the rest of the glows into the second basket, Somadin moved closer to the man.

“I must have sounded daft… My name is Somadin. You said yours was Killian? And you’re a harper?” Standing closer to the man, Somadin had to look up in order to look at the taller man’s face. The man was strange, almost alien with those eyes and the Ash-grey hair but now that Som looked at the man’s face he could tell he was younger than such grey hair suggested.

[shawncameron]

Killian smiled his sad smile as he let his hair drop once again, “not a thing, but there are some advantages.” He listened as the boy moved off to fill another basket before returning to stand before him. The Harper tilted his head down though he was still looking over the lads head.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Somadin,” Killian bowed slightly in formal greeting, “and yes I am a Harper, Journeyman Harper Killian at your service.” He came up from his bow his smile never reaching his eyes. “And you, I wonder, are you one of the candidates? I don’t remember reading your name on my list of weyrbrat students.”

[E]

Somadin nodded to answer the harpers question, only to pause with an open mouth. Well shards and shells he can’t see me nodding… your such a dimglow Som. After silently kicking himself, Somadin answered out loud for the man’s benefit. “Yes Sir, I’m a candidate. Though you wouldn’t know it asking the lower cavern women. Nobody can seem to remember than I’m old enough to be.” The last part was said with a scowl on his face.

He was use to it, to be honest, but that didn’t mean it didn’t bother him at times. Somadin was proud to be a candidate, having no parents to have spoken up for him he had gone to the candidate master on his own to secure his own place. It had been scary, but the Candidate Master was a fair man. If only Somadin had managed to impress… Now there were nights he wasn’t sure if he was in fact where he was suppose to be… but he knew there would be more hatchings, so the doubt came in waves while the confidence took its own turn in the young boys heart.

[shawncameron]

Killian frowned brining his hand up to rub his smooth chin as he thought. “Now we can’t have that. If you are a candidate then you should be treated like one. Hmmm.” He remembered his own apprenticeship, though his situation was much the opposite with the masters giving out chores conveniently forgetting him. Probably afraid he would break something. But thee was one master who fixed that.

Snapping his fingers Killian smiled down at Somadin, his gray eyes looking right threw him. “I have an idea. When I was an apprentice I was often overlooked when it came to chores. Now your situation is the opposite but I think we can fix it the same way.” This would be a long shot but he really did need the help and it would get the boy out from under the cavern women. “What if I took you on as a kind of assistant. You would do work for me in the place of your regular chores and I will be sure to only give you the amount any other candidate would have so you will have more time to prepare for the next hatching.”

[E]

Somadin tilted his head to the left as he considered the harpers words. A harpers Assistant? He’d never heard of the idea but then again he’d never heard of a blind harper either. Playing with the idea, he finally asked, “Is that allowed? I mean, a harper taking an assistant? I’ve never heard of it.”

Pausing again, he added, “And what would I be doing? I guess I’m just lost as to what a harpers assistant would do… I’ve heard of a Weyrling Master Assistant… or a Cooks Assistant…” he left it trailing off there rather than repeating the fact that he’d never heard of a Harper’s Assistant. Even so, you could tell from the curiosity in his voice that he was interested in the idea.

[shawncameron]

Killian laughed lightly, “Well as you’ve probably noticed I’m not like most harpers.” He smiled sadly threw the boy then turned slightly walking off to the side till his staff hit the leg of a chair and he took a seat with a sigh. “I was hoping to ask for some help anyway. You see it’s very difficult for me to read.” He smiled again but held up a finger, “but not impossible. I will need to have many of the notes and music here rewritten on hide if it isn’t already, and I will need the writing pushed far enough into the hide that I can feel it with my fingers.”

He absentmindedly felt the details of the groves in his staff with the tips of his fingers as he talked. He was isn’t sure the head woman would go for it but it was worth an attempt and if it could be anyone Killian would like it to be this young boy Somadin, there was just something about him. But they would have to just wait and see, if he was even interested in the idea.

((ooc: like I said in chat, Killian will defiantly ask and if the headwoman says no. well then too bad for Somadin, it just seemed like something Killian would offer as he was thinking of asking for some weyrbrat to help him, maybe even as extra work for a punishment, anyway.))

[E]

Somadin listened to the harper intently, following him over to the desk. Considering the idea of reading with his fingers, Somadin supposed it wasn’t impossible, though he couldn’t see it being easy either. Letters were hard enough without being able to see them! Numbers were Som’s forte, but as long as he was careful about it he supposed he could copy things. And pushing hard on the leather certainly couldn’t be hard.

“I could help with that, even if they didn’t let me be your assistant. There are times I don’t have much to do – which often turns out to be when I get the extra chores tossed on me anyways.” Pausing a moment to take a breath, he continued. “I’m not the greatest at letters though, but if I can see what I’m writing… that’s easy enough. Numbers I’m a lot better with. With practice I bet I can get better with my letters though.”

To be honest the idea of this new and unique challenge excited Somadin, and he hadn’t had anything to honestly look forward to since the hatching… and being left on the sands.