Jaeleka's Turnday Gifts

Not long after the festivities at the Harper Hall, Zynassa heads there to visit her sister Jaeleka, and bring an early turnday present from A'zric. On the way, she meets Joran, a newly promoted Journeyman Harper.

Zynassa - Tuesday, April 17, 2001, 10:15 AM
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Jaeleka and Joran are sitting in the courtyard. He's on a bench, she's sitting on the ground in front of him. They appear to be casually chatting. At least there's no significant indication of 'work' near them.

Joran thinks, "Not flighty, I dont know of any other junior apprentices who had a subcraft already, I think it's more of a settling in, and firmly deciding. Besides, there's nothing wrong with changing your mind, and there's nothing wrong with doing something you're good at."

Zynassa comes in, waving over her shoulder at a man with a rider's knot who turns and starts across the field to the healer's. She calls, "I'll find you in a bit, T'mar! Just don't leave without me!" She bears with her a rather bulky carisack, and upon spying the pair settled in the courtyard, heads towards them.

Jaeleka perks up - /that/ voice is familiar.. "I guess, Joran.." Already she's scrabbling to her feet, turning about to see if the owner of that voice is who she thinks. "Nassa?"

Zynassa grins, offering arms out to her big sister. "I thought I'd have to drag you away from classes - Don't tell me you have a restday too?" She offers politely to the journeyman, "Ista Weyr's duties to your craft."

Joran waves casually, "Harper's duties in return to Ista, welcome to the Hall." he chuckles, "I'd ask what brings you here, but I'm thinking you're visiting."

Jaeleka nearly flies into Nassa's arms - well, almost. She is taller than the other girl. "I /thought/ it was your voice. And, just caught up on everything for a change. "

Zynassa squeezes her sister, careful of the sack, and then grins at both harpers. "Deed, I am visiting! And dropping off an early turnday present..." She grins slyly at Jaeleka and then says more formally, "I'm *so* sorry I couldn't make the festivities just past. I couldn't get away from chores quick enough. I heard you won a contest, Jae?" Her voice modulates on the last back into enthusiasm.

Jaeleka grins lopsidedly at her sister. "Yes, yes, I won a contest. Though I'm going to get a swelled head!" She gives Nassa another hug. "Oh, its okay you missed the festivities. YOu would have had fun, but I wasn't even free for most of it."

Joran chuckles, watching and inturrupts, "Hi, I'm Joran."

Jaeleka laughs and tugs her sister over to Joran. "This is my sister Zynassa. Nassa, this is J'man Joran.." - indicating his nice, new knot. "He just got promoted."

Zynassa grins at Joran. "Well met. And congratulations on your walking the tables." Then to Jaeleka she nods. "It was like that at Bitra. Wonderful gathers, but I never got a chance to really be *at* one. Always working. And I heard *you* got promoted too!"

Jaeleka nods. "They decided I can stay. Now to crack down and catch up to everyone else."

Zynassa's tone is confident. "Shouldn't take too long. And I'm bringing Yaz's apologies. He would have liked to come himself, but with all that's been going on..." She trails off, shaking her head slightly, and then deflects that train of thought, offering out the carisack. "Happy early turnday. There's something in there from him and from me."

Jaeleka takes the sack with a bemused look. "He's always busy. But I understand. Sent a message that he could visit me more than once a turn." Her voice teases as her hands open the carisack and pull the present out.

There are actually two, and it's not hard to see why the sack is bulky. The first and largest item is a gitar case, the hide evenly dyed a gorgeous harper blue. The second and smaller case is one for pipes. The pair match, as though they were cut from the same length of hide and run through the same dye lot. Both are lined with soft ovine fleece, dyed a dark ebony and sufficient to cushion and warm against the cold of between.

Jaeleka blinks several times. "Wow. You guys really went all out. They're beautiful." She peeks inside both cases.

Zynassa's tone is a trifle anxious. "We figured you'd get the use out of them when you walk the tables certainly, and maybe even before. Yaz really wanted to come himself but with Tamina and Germaine-" Again, that thought is cut off, and she darts a look at Joran before turning her attention back to her sister. "So you like 'em?"

Jaeleka nods, her eyes glittery with happiness - even if it looks like she might cry. "I'm glad I didn't throw you off the ledge."

Joran's look is definately curious at the hinted mentions, but he out and out blinks at the last, "Throw off the ledge?"

Zynassa does tear up at that, though she forces a laugh. "Well, maybe I'd have bounced anyway. I'm glad you like 'em. And I know Yaz will be too." She clears her throat at that, and then turns, almost relieved, to Joran and nods. "Jae didn't want a baby sister when I came along. Thank Faranth for Chaeth." She manages a wan smile.

Joran ventures cautiously, "Chaeth is whose?"

Jaeleka nods with a wry twist to her lips. "I didn't even want Yaz - and he was here first. When Nassa here was born, I figured the best way to deal with the problem was to just throw her off the ledge - just like I did with the rocker. Chaeth - mom's big brown lump - hey, she calls him that - sorta stepped in."

Jaeleka chuckles. "Its hard to throw anything past a dragon when they dont want you to.

Zynassa nods to Joran. "Our mother's a rider up at Telgar. Brown Chaeth's. Yeah, it is." She pauses and then asks, "Jae, would you mind if - assuming I can find someone headed this way - I bring Yina out tomorrow for a visit? It'd help for Mina and Yaz not to be worried about her with everything else that's going on. And maybe her auntie can get her interested in her teaching ballads."

Jaeleka nods, quickly and easily. "I'd love that - assuming I don't get nabbed with other duties."

Joran laughs at the mental image, "I can see a dragon not wanting things thrown off the ledge, definately children." he frowns a little, "Yaz, is older brother?" he's getting the hang of this family tree.

Zynassa nods to Joran, her throat tight for some reason, "A'zric, rider of Gelth and Weyrleader at Ista." She chews on her lower lip and then bursts out to Jaeleka, "It'd be good for her. He's so worried about Tamina, and now Germaine. The least he can do is not worry about Yina too."

Jaeleka nods at Joran. "Yazric - A'zric - is oldest. Then me, then Nassa here. Then the twins - Joar and Jarin. Then Zaemina - not too long ago. Oh, and Liah and Tamren for me as well. Tam's just a bit older than I am."

Joran blinks, "Shards, that's quite the family."

Zynassa nods. "It gets confusing with so many different partners in the mix. Mother... well, she's never been really conventional. We're all half siblings, but it doesn't really make any difference."

Joran laughs, "Right, rider. Family reunions must be a gather in and of itself."

Jaeleka chuckles at that. "I dont think we've ever had one? Nassa?"

Zynassa shakes her head. "Not as far as I know of. We've all got siblings. I think Zaemina's sire - he's Weyrleader down at Southern - has a couple of other kids sired down there as well. One with the Weyrwoman of Honshu, if I remember right. And then there's Kharisma and Kassima's line through Jh'rin, and Yaz's other siblings through Jano. Shells, all of Pern would have to come." She does manage to perk up a bit at that.

Jaeleka laughs aloud. "Kharisma - she's the one I did the lullaby for. I haven't seen her since she was wee little little."

Joran chuckles, "I'm in the middle of eight of us, but it's just eight, no extra siblings from other parents."

Jaeleka blinks. "I thought six was bad enough! Though I hope Jazmin is done. Its ahrd enough to keep track, harper training or no!"

Zynassa nods. "We were all surprised to see Zaemina come along. She has a niece older than she is by three full turns. That's Yina I was talking about. Yaz and Tamina's little girl. She's a handful."

Joran laughs, "That is odd enough, little surprise there. Shards, your brother must be a young weyrleader then."

Zynassa says somberly, "Not quite thirty turns. Just a turn or so shy of it. Mother had him before she impressed." She is quiet a moment and says, "And he may not be much longer. The healers - they're making Germaine step down again as senior. She was injured in Fall, and the blood sickness has come back. Yaz barely leaves the infirmary, with both Germaine and Mina in there."

Jaeleka quiets, "Thats terrible. I should make a point of seeing if I can run an errand to Ista and drop in."

Zynassa nods to Jaeleka. Clearly she's worried sick about her big brother. "Would you? I know you're busy and all, but this has just taken the wind out of everyone's sails."

Joran blinks at that bit of gossip, "Shards!"

Zynassa manages a smile, "Well, Germaine is just beside herself - she's always been such a fighter, and they say her life's not in danger. Not if she behaves herself. So we're all just hoping she will." This said with finality and some measure of assurance.

Jaeleka nods again, very seriously. "I'll ask. Maybe I can tackle a few other things while I'm there and make it worth sending me. I didn't know things were so serious."

Zynassa clears her throat. "Well, one of the other queens will be sure to rise soon. Omfaleth or Qirith. Or... Neith." This last said with a bit of worry, before she goes one more cheerfully, "Isadith's a marvel. She hardly leaves the infirmary door."

Joran frowns, trying to follow all the unfamiliar dragon names.

Jaeleka winces at one in the list of names. "Thats not very promising."

Zynassa says briskly, "Well, if it's Neith, I'm sure Reye or Fluria will help Grissa keep up with things. At any rate, I came to deliver presents, not bad news!" She scrubs her hands together, as if to wash them of the gossip. "Have you all heard of any upcoming gathers? I've a new dress I'm dying to wear. And there's a clutch up at Telgar - think the twins might get searched for it, Jae?"

Jaeleka ooos. "A clutch at Telgar? They might. Seems the girls in our family aren't having the luck. But we'll have to see. I'd be happy for them."

Joran chuckles, listening to the sisters.

Zynassa smiles faintly. "Not so much as an ear twitch around me, nope. Which is fine with me. I'm still trying to figure out if I really want to apprentice with the herders or not. Seems like an awful lot of hoops to jump through, just to breed runners, when nature takes care of most of it." Her tone is faintly aggrieved. "Still, I hope they get searched. Benneth's the queen. First flight too - they were beginning to think she might never rise. One of the browns caught her. Good sized clutch too. Won me some marks from Yaz."

Jaeleka chuckles.

Joran laughs softly, "Betting with the Weyrleader, the advantage of siblinghood I suppose."

Zynassa grins slyly at Joran, "We've Bitran blood in our veins. I'll wager with anyone who's willing to."

Joran chuckles, "I'll keep this in mind next time I think of a friendly game of dice or cards with your sister."

Jaeleka nods at Joran, her eyes twinkling again. "I even fostered there. Mind you, I was usually in more trouble than not, and they weren't sad to see the last of me when I left for Telgar. I used to win all sorts of things off the other littles. Some of it wasn't even theirs." She laughs at Nassa.

Zynassa assures the journeyman, "We're harmless, really. I don't even have my own set of dice or dragon poker deck or anything." Her expression is bland and even a trifle innocent. "It's just a way to pass the time."

Jaeleka smirks, adding, "Besides, its more fun to bet on the outcome of other things - thing you have less control over."

Joran nods, "Un hunh, and I just draw pretty pictures now and then to pass the time."

Zynassa tsks and murmurs to her sister, "Wager. /Wager/. Cotholders bet."

Jaeleka places the back of her hand to her forehead and sighs deeply. "And we're above that."

Zynassa winks at Jaeleka, and then asks Joran, "You're an artist?"

Joran shakes his head, "Archivist who spends half my life illuminating manuscripts it seems."

Jaeleka settles back with a smile, her attention split between looking at her presents and listening to Joran downplay his craft. "He does beautiful work, and if you bug him enough, he even waxes poetic."

Zynassa can't help exclaiming, "I thought archivists were all dottering old men who never saw the light of day." She relents from her teasing and adds, "And honestly, I never thought of records needing illustrations, but I suppose they do."

Joran chuckles, "Currently it's a ballad for a minor Lord to give to his insipid new wife."

Joran winks, "The dotterers are the masters."

Jaeleka nods, looking up from the gitar case. "He does /excellent/ work."

Zynassa grins. "The masters. I'll remember that. And oh? Which insipid one?" Always on the look out for new gossip, she is quick to pounce on that one.

Joran rolls his eyes, "The Lady Garlia of some tiny Hold in the middle of utter nowwhere."

Zynassa grimaces. "Garlia. What an unfortunate name."

Long distance to Jaeleka and Joran: Zynassa has got to grab lunch while the grabbing is good. ;)

Zynassa gathers up her now empty sack. "Well, I should scoot over to the healers, see if I can find T'mar. He was picking up some scrolls for our weyrhealer. Joran, well met, and congradulations again on walking the tables. Jae, I'll look for you tomorrow and bring Yina, all right?"

Zynassa doesn't wait for an answer, perhaps catching sight of the blue that brought her out in the gather field. With a wave, she trots out, empty sack flapping behind her.

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