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Liesana's Tale:

I was born at Keroon Hold in the dawn hours of a day in early spring, the only child of my parents, Eriln and Lienna. They were both herders, and were very good at their work...I come by my talent with animals honestly. When I was three turns old, my father taught me to ride a runnerbeast, one of the pony types that the Lordlings all clamour for. By the time I was ten turns, I was judged able enough to accompany my parents on long drives, taking runner herds to the different Holds for sale or competition. I had a wonderful, free, childhood, probably better that most Hold children.

Those three turns from ten to thirteen were probably the happiest in my life...until I joined the Hall, of course. My father, mother and I would travel all over Pern...I've been to all of the major holds, many of the minor ones, and once we went to Benden Weyr with a group of herdbeasts. I think my favourite times were when we were far from any Hold, on the road, sleeping and eating and singing by campfire. My mother had a lovely voice, though untrained, and I believe she was the one who taught me to love music. All was going well, until the spring of my 13th Turn.

I was traveling with my parents, delivering a shipment of racing stock to Ruatha. It was a long trip, and Threadfall was expected, but my father had read the charts, and knew we would pass a traveler's resting place in time to take shelter. All would have gone fine, but for an error made in copying the charts. It so happened that we were in a mountain pass when Threadfall approached. Well did we know that no dragonriders would aid us, they do not fly Thread over the mountains, as there is nothing there but snow and rock. We tried to flee, but nothing can outrun Thread, not even the fleetest of runners.

It was now that a strange piece of fortune came to my aid. I was mounted on a young mare named Storm Dancer. Barely four Turns of age, and still very green, she had been a gift to me for my recently-passed Turnday. With the Thread bearing down upon us like argent rain, the young mare panicked, and sent us both over the side of the trail, into a small, rocky valley. My arm was broken in the fall from the trail, and I eventually lost consciousness. But not before leading the mare and myself into a shallow cave at the head of the tiny crevasse in the pass. It was indeed a mercy that I do not remember what happened to my parents. 

I am told I was found five days later, by a search party dispatched on the grisly task of finding what was left of my parents, myself and the racing stock. They had not expected to find much more than the metal fittings of the saddles and bridles, and perhaps a belt knife or two. I can imagine their surprise and relief at finding a hungry runnerbeast still trapped in the valley, and a girl of thirteen turns, burning with fever from an unset arm, and apparently more dead than alive.

The rescuers returned me to Keroon, where I spent an uneasy three weeks in the Hold infirmary.  Uneasy for the Healers, that is. I was completely unaware of the outside world, tossing and turning in feverish ramblings. Apparently, I came very close to losing the arm, and as it was, it took me another Turn before I regained good use of it.

For six months after coming out of my fever, I wandered the Hold in a daze, not caring if I ate, drank, slept or bathed. Many were sure that the accident, coupled with my parent's deaths and the high fever, had permanently destroyed my mind. And for those months, I'm sure they were correct in their thinking. The events of that day were too much to comprehend, and so my mind, in order to survive, suspended all activity not necessary to my immediate survival. I did not act, I merely existed.

The mind is a remarkable thing, however, and after the half-turn's spell, I slowly became more myself, and by my 15th Turnday, one might say I'd made a full recovery. There was only one problem.

For so long, I had existed as both a physical and a mental cripple. The people of my Hold could see me only as such a one, capable only of minor tasks, and to be treated with the utmost care, lest I break. Can you imagine what it is like, to be an able, bright, active teen, restricted to duties and activities suitable for a half-wit? It is absolutely stifling. And so, with the help of my aunt, I left Keroon, and applied to join the Harper Hall.

I arrived at the Harper Hall on pleasant evening in the early spring, emerging from the ship I took from Keroon, and scuttling into the Main Ballroom of the Hall with nary a glance at Ista Hold.  I was quite sure what I wanted to do, and didn't like the thought of anyone attempting to dissuade me.  Journeyman Marius soon spotted the new arrival to Ista that was I, and called me into the office for an interview, where my composure lasted about five seconds.

Fortunately for me, Marius managed to see past the nervous facade sitting across the desk from him, and with the interview behind her, the latest Apprentice to the HarperCraft made her weary way up the stairs to the Apprentice Dorms, clutching a brand new knot in her hand.

It was quite a change joining the Hall. Suddenly I was immersed in a whirl of activity. Classes on such wide range of subjects I was sure my head would split trying to fit all the new knowledge in. New people, new places... Ista is far more bustling than my home. I made my first real friends since childhood, and now I can say that this is the happiest I've been in my life. I'm exploring a facet of myself that was previously barely known, and I'm finding that it's a larger part than I'd ever guessed. 

A few of the first friends I met, who remain very dear to me, are Kryz, Lionel, Fennara, Ambar, Kayla, and my second cousin, Tolia, now a Journeywoman and my mentor.   I ran into Lionel and Ambar very much as a consequence of meeting Kryz.  Kryz and I originally met at a no-holds-barred darts game in the Dorm Lounge.  Rather, it was myself and Fennara playing darts, with several audience members in attendance, alternately cheering, catcalling, or dodging ill-aimed darts.  Both Kryz and I tend to possess a rather carefree attitude towards things scholarly, and if the workload begins to affect our mental health, we often avail ourselves of 'adventures' in and around Ista Hold, such as picnics on the beach, rambles through the gardens, or the exploration of the sea caves.  Rarely, if a dragon riding friend of mine is available, other parts of Pern catch our attention, 'though we've done this only thrice.   Our escapes were spaced well apart, and well planned, so as not to arouse any unwanted attention from Journeyman or Master types.  Apprentices are quite another matter, though, as it's difficult to hide anything from people you spend the majority of your day with, and the beginning of my friendship with Lionel and Ambar was the result of Kryz and my self's greatest escape, an afternoon picnic on a Southern beach.

Now, let me set you straight, there is Nothing, with a capital 'N', between Kryz and myself, unless you count being best friends.  So, after a wonderful afternoon of swimming and sunning, and sharing stories of our homes, we dragged ourselves back aboard my 'rider friend's green, and made a circumspect return to the Hall, quietly congratulating ourselves on our audacity and success.  In hindsight, we ought to have saved our congratulations...

As we slipped into the Dorm Lounge, we realized we weren't alone in there.  Apprentices Lionel and Ambar perched on the sofas of the lounge like a pair of scavenging wherries.  Although the higher ranking Harpers hadn't noticed our absence - we'd had the afternoon off from classes - these two had, and what's more, threatened to inform on us if we didn't pay them a handsome bribe.  In Benden white wine, no less.  Hardly the basis for a friendship, but after a hasty prank involving substituting the fine wine for a much lesser vintage of Tillek, we all managed a hearty laugh at ourselves, and the merriment has scarcely stopped since.

After many happy times, and a few more serious occasions,  we've formed an inseparable core group that is always there for each other, whether it be for a shoulder to cry upon, a soundboard for a brilliant idea, or a victim for an equally brilliant prank.  I can honestly say that these true friends, and many others, are almost single-handedly responsible for making my time since joining the Harpers the happiest I've been in my life.  And we actually do get our studies attended to! 

Studies and work have increasingly taken up much more of my time, but at the same time, they also grow more interesting to me.  Perhaps it's some long awaited glimmer of maturity showing itself. Who knows?  Singing and playing my gitar will always be a sources of great pleasure, but over the past few Turns, Archives/Law has intrigued me, so much so that I now wish to specialize in them, 'though Law more than Archives.  Why archives-work appeals to me is an interesting thought to ponder, as it seems to be so far outside of the choices that my personality would indicate, but I belive that it ties in to the fact that being useful is something that is very important to me.  Not many pursue this particular specialty, and I've shown a fair aptitude for it, therefore I wish to make use of my abilities in an area where they would make the most difference.  While I think this is why I enjoy Archiving, Law has a much simpler explanation: I have always had a tendency towards mediation, and a strong sense of justice, so a field where these two things are combined is a fairly logical choice for me. 

For the future?  Immediate future will no doubt be spent increasing and refining my skills, and sifting through reams of project and classwork while attempting to keep my sanity.  The spectre of a Journeyman's Exam looms considerably closer than it used to, bringing feelings of both apprehension and excitement.  Already it oftimes seems as though many of the new apprentices are so young, though they are the same age, or  only a few Turns younger than I was when I joined.  More nebulous wisps of maturity?  What will the future be like at 25?  Or 30?  I believe I'd like to eventually settle and raise a family of my own, but after a lifetime spent mostly on the road, will I be happy staying at just one Hold?  Perhaps the life of a traveling Harper is for me, but perhaps it is not.  The future is an enigma to me, as it must needs be for us all, but I believe that I shall be happy in it, with family and  true friends beside me.

True friends make all the difference in the world, and I've made a handful of them here with the Harpers, and in other Crafts.  Having people to laugh with, cry with, indulge in forbidden wine with, or prank an unsuspecting Journeyman with shows me that people can care about me, without treating me like an  imbecile, and allows me to grow as well, by allowing myself to feel close to people again.  So, there's my history, and the future, though unknown, looks rosy.