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Harper's Tale - November 15, 2001,
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Gathering Hall
The room seems to loom as you enter, though the warmth within easily overcomes that feeling. It's huge, easily taking up a good third of the hall, and offering room for most people to sit and chat. The heat of the great hearth on the far wall spreads throughout, the merry crackling adding a peaceful undertone to the usually occupied room, heard even above the murmer of voices. Tables are all but littered about, pulled into and out of place by friends at a regular basis. Several more permanent tables and benches are settled along the far edge, an ever-full klah pot and several trays of various and sundry snacks almost always set out for the hungry and bored. The walls are decorated, tapestries denoting every part of Pern society strung about. Along the wall above the kitchen, in particular, is the pride and joy of the weavers: a string of dragons flying Threadfall. The vibrant flames and metallic hues of the dragons seem to glow as the flickering firelight strikes them. Above everything runs a long overhang, people passing to and fro, passing overhead of the figures and gatherings below. A handful of glowbaskets light the upper ends, the rest of the mainroom light brightly with candles and decorative lighting.
Various scents assult your nose as you walk in here. The rich smell of foods from the kitchen. The fire's smoke and heat. The sweet odors of various pipeweeds from the gossipers surrounding the hearthside table. The aromatic baskets do little here, except add their own faint undertones.
Clinging to a high beam are Fawnix, Skittles, Topaz, Krawall, Anrhydedda, Arboric, and Randle.
You see Bonehead here.
Obvious exits:
Kitchen Smith Infirmary Courtyard Grand Staircase Lower Level

Arakiel with swishing of veils, steps in from the Balcony Landing.

Liesana is sitting in a corner, staring absently off into space and tapping a quill lightly against her lips, as a notebook with a half-finished jotting of some sort lies open in her lap.

Arakiel stops at the bottom of the steps. Hmm... doesn't that harper ever learn? Taking a knife she flicks it at the harper.

Liesana is saved from a skewering by the strident alarm of her green firelizard, vanishing beneath the table with no second guessing, and a yelp loud enough to raise the dead. If you're going to woolgather around Arakiel, it's best to have quick reflexes. She's not completely unscathed, however. As she re-emerges cautiously, she's fingering at a large tear in the billowy fabric of one sleeve of her blouse. "Arakiel..." she grumbles, a trifle petulant. "That's my favourite shirt!" She's still only halfway up, so she can duck again if needs be.

Arakiel smirks, "have Dennia sew it and send me the bill." as she steps off the steps. "And what were you so engross in this time?"

Liesana continues to finger the tear, poking her fingers through it, and waggling them out the other side. "It won't be the same..." she mutters, still irked, before reaching under the table to retrieve the notebook she'd dragged down with her. "This? Not much. Just a lesson plan. So, what are you up to today, besides attempting to send me into raving hysteria?"

Arakiel smirks as she heads to the klah pots, "You shouldn't be studying here. You should be in the classroom if you are grading" She pours out a mug of klah. "Hmmmm......Just what I need."

Liesana chuckles. "I'd be down there, certainly, except that the drudges are busy cleaning up the latest mischief of the kiddies..." A wry smile. "Any luck finding a nanny yet? They must have stolen down during the night, but in any case my workshop has lovely painted pictures all over the walls and the floor."

Arakiel sighs, "I knew it. I bet Linnet or Niara were the ring leaders."

Liesana rolls her eyes. "It's likely. Although Niara actually didn't take part in it, there's no saying what fiendish plots lurk in that pretty head of hers, and she's a manipulative little brat when she wants to be... I think I'll have to investigate." The manipulations of a girl of ten vs. a Law-specialist foster mother. May the battle of wits begin.

Arakiel slides into her seat. "I imagine as The Harper of the Smith Hall, I expect you to keep the older children occupied and training them to be responsible adults."

Liesana nods. "Naturally. And most are quite willing students, if a little unsettled at times. But they /are/ children, and will cause mischief despite the best supervision. Currently, I have them learning a small play, based on Moreta's Ride, and they seem to be enjoying it. We may perhaps perform it some evening, once it's learnt."

Arakiel nods, "You should be having the children clean up their murals and not the drudges. They have alot of work to do."

Liesana nods. "A good idea. I was hoping to catch the ones responsible and have them do that, but if they all suffer for the actions of a few, well... That may prove useful, even if it causes a bloody nose or two later."

Arakiel nods. "Maybe if they all do the cleaning, then they understand that we don't put up with vandalism around here. And that they are thankful it isn't Evan they have to face but me."

Visions of kidlets tacked to walls with knives dancing through her head, Liesana can't help but agree. A nod. "Excuse me a moment..." She stands, and moves lightly down the stairs, calling off the cleaning crew, before returning. "Well, that's done. Now it's a matter of tracking them all down... Meal time should be a good time for hunting..."

Arakiel chuckles as she sips her klah, sliding into her chair, "There is that. You have to stay one step ahead of children. All our daughters knew how to use knives at an early age."

Liesana chuckles. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me, looking at their parents." she avers, and then muses a little. "Both my folks knew how to handle one at least tolerably well, but I was only starting to learn when the accident happened, so I never got beyond not stabbing /myself/ with one. Although in my line of work, the call for knives is not great."

Arakiel nods, as she sips her klah, "Around here, you have to stay on your toes. never know when there's going to be an accident."

Liesana nods, and fingers her sleeve again with wry humour. "As so aptly demonstrated... I suppose I should get someone to teach me how to use a knife properly, and I've been meaning to ask, but things keep getting in the way."

Arakiel chuckles. "Well either Evan or I can teach you when you are ready."

Liesana smiles. "Well, I've a spare hour or so between now and my next chance to capture kiddies... Could you show me some basics?"

Arakiel takes out another knife, "here." She flips it to the harper. "Take this."

Liesana catches the knife, easily enough if not particularly gracefully. Examining it briefly, she attempts to ape the way she's seen the things held. A nod to Arakiel. "Okay..."

Arakiel frowns as she stands, "Ok, now attack me."

Liesana stands as well, eyes a little wide, but with a game look on her face. Attack Arakiel... she may regret this... A little hesitant, she moves in at the Headwoman, arm holding the blade sweeping out towards her at about chest height.

Arakiel grabs the frailing arm and pulls the harper off balance as she steps to one side. Notice, Ara wasn't armed but she is now as she takes the knife from the harper.

Arakiel smirks, holding up the blade. "First rule never give up your weapon."

Liesana nods, and rests her hands on her knees. "Right... I can guess at the reasoning behind that..." she murmurs. "So how do I keep that from happening?" She's gone and slipped easily back into the 'eager apprentice' mode of earlier days. Hopefully Arakiel doesn't mind questions.

Arakiel giving the harper back the knife. "you need to be familiar with the weapon and not to be afraid of it. Here. Take it."

Liesana nods, and does so, turning it over and inspecting it, hefting it from one hand to the other, running a finger along the blade. "Not be afraid of it..." she muses. "Like a runnerbeast."

Arakiel nods, "When you are comfortable holding it without dropping it, getting hurt, and it feels like a second hand, we'll do the next lesson."

Liesana nods, and returns to her seat, still toying with the knife. "Another hand... Yes..." she muses, weaving her wrist through infinity loops. "That may take a while." she quirks, as her grasp grows too tenuous, and the knife drops to her lap. "But that you for showing me the first one."

Arakiel chuckles, "not as long as you think. How long did you to learn to use an instrument?"

Liesana chuckles. "Learn it? A month or two. To actually sound good is another matter. Probably at least the better part of a turn, and I'm still refining." Growing a little more confident, she tosses the knife from hand to hand. Nothing fancy, no spins or twirling, just some gentle tossing.

Evan glides silently in from the Balcony Landing.

Arakiel nods, "With anything, it takes time. and you started late in life. Evan was about your age when he started."

Evan nods to Ara and Liesana as he comes down the stairs. "Good evening Liesana, Ara."

Arakiel nods to Evan as she stands in the middle of the room, "Evening Love. I've been showing Liesana how to spar."

Evan raises a brow, "Oh? I'm surprised that a harper would want to know how to use a knife." He glances at Lisana, "I wish you luck... My wife is never an easy teacher."

Liesana continues to play with the knife, rather like a kid with a new toy, curious and examining it closely. "Aye. I tried to attack her, and she took the knife away." she quips. "Evening, though. And one thing you learn as a Harper is that learning a little about the people you live with is a good thing. And there's an awful lot of knives around here."

Arakiel shrugs, "At least she isn't afraid of them too much. She'll do. I guess. At least she didn't hide like you did love."

Evan frowns, "Hide? Hide from what, dear? I don't remember hiding from you when you were teaching me."

Arakiel chuckles, "Just seeing if you were paying attention, love. I was thinking about the dragon."

Liesana suppresses a giggle at the thought of /Evan/ hiding, covering it by turning her attention to the knife blade, and allowing a few wisps of hair to fall into her face. She glances up a few minutes later, listening to the two converse.

Evan chuckles... "Ahh, but it was you that hid from the dragons. Admitedly it was only to try to kill it, but still."

Arakiel chuckles, and shrugs, "And I would've kill it too."

Liesana reaches up a hand to stroke at her firelizard, the knife temporarily abandoned as a hungry creel requires attention, and a handful of jerky. The conversation taking a turn away from her, she also retrieves her notebook, and the half-completed lesson plan therein.

Arakiel without looking sideways, Ara flicks another blade at Liesana.

Ah, but this time Liesana wasn't quite so immersed in her own thoughts. The ducking is a little more controlled this time, with her notebook acting as a shield. A rather... weak one. A glance at the knife now sticking through the pages. "First the shirt, now my notebook... Arakiel..." she grumbles, ready to duck further.

Arakiel shrugs, "Well she is learning. Isn't she love?" She asks Evan as she still isn't looking at the harper.

Evan frowns at Arakiel, "Don't kill her dear. We wouldn't get another one."

Arakiel chuckles, "If I wanted to kill her, she would be dead already."

"Thank you, I think" intones Liesana dryly as she pries the second knife from her notebook, giving the ruined book a distasteful glance, before attempting to write around the damaged center.

Arakiel chuckles as she retrieves her errant blade. "See, no blood."

Evan shakes his head. "I just hope that she doesn't jump into the path of one by accident.

Arakiel frowns, "Evan. I'm always careful. You know that."

Liesana chuckles, and abandons trying to work around the damage in her book. "Trust me, if there's knives flying, the /last/ way I'll be jumping is towards one."