In Need of New Friends

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 14th April 2007

Characters: Hartam, Tayette
Description: Hartam learns a little more about Tayette
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 3, day 13 of Turn 4

Hartam smiled as he entered the Vintner's dining hall, noting a familiar face here and there. Though his main assignment was that of Tavern Harper, he was officially posted here at the Vintner Hall and was expected to fill the legal and some of the more general teaching needs of those who lived and worked at the Hall. To that end, he needed to make himself available here, and one of the ways he had found to best accomplish this was to take regular meals here instead of at the Tavern.

He seated himself at a small table and looked around, waiting for the official lunchtime.

"You be wanting something, Harper?" The old woman was cleaning the tables down and setting a bowl of fresh bread in the middle of each table, in preparation for the noon meal. "If you want something sooner, I can have Tayette bring it out?" she nodded back towards the kitchens, where a figure was just emerging carrying another tray of bread baskets.

"I don't want to be any trouble, but wouldn't mind a cup of klah whenever it's convenient." Hartam turned in the direction the woman had indicated, an eyebrow raising as he recognized the woman he had met while practicing outdoors one early morning. "Tayette, eh?"

"Aye, Tayette," the woman nodded, "you know her?" Her face creased into a frown, "Or have you just _heard_ things?" Even here at the Hall, the gossip about the woman still occurred, hadn't she suffered enough?

"I met her briefly, played some music for her, but she never told me her name." He watched the woman in question, then turned back to the one at his table with a smile. "I'm glad to put a name to her face. It's only proper that I greet her when next we meet, isn't it?"

The old woman smiled, "She needs friends, and if you've a mind, that'd be nice." She finished setting the table, "She's had a bad time of it...."
she shook her head, and glanced around the room, "kept as no more than a drudge by her husband and his new 'wife'." she nodded, "Poor Tayette, kept there for turns, beaten if she so much as looked the wrong way at the little scut!"

Hartam blinked at that bit of information. "I see. I'll watch that I do nothing to upset her."

"It's terrible what women who can't breed have to suffer. . ." the old woman shook her head and tut-tutted. "...Men! When I think of what it was like before the plagu - "

Now the harper nodded in understanding. He had hidden behind his craft, more interested in creativity than procreation, but had still occasionally been subjected to questions of why he had not taken a wife or fathered children. "To some, offspring is everything. I've never understood that view, but realize that it exists."

"Humph! It does, and not too far from these doors!" her head shook emphatically, as did her hand as she pointed at the dining room door. "When I think..." she started again, then turned, "I'll go and see if Tayette will bring out your klah." She turned back towards him for a moment, "Please, don't let her know what I told you, I don't want her thinking I am gossiping about her willy-nilly..." she looked at him imploringly.

He raised his forefinger to his lips in a symbol of silence.

Tayette stuck her head around the door of the kitchens and looked to where Binta had said the Harper was sitting. It was the same one from the sevenday before, she hadn't forgotten what he looked like, even though the meeting was brief. Binta hadn't said much more than he wanted a klah and something to eat, so ducking back into the kitchens she went and prepared a tray for him.

She moved through the tables easily, she had had plenty of practice, mainly through them when occupied, so maneuvering through with the tray in her hands was nothing. She hadn't looked directly at the Harper, knowing where he was seated was enough. She reached his table and started to unload the tray as she spoke, "Binta said you wanted some klah and something to eat, so I hope this will do?" Finally she looked up, her green-grey eyes meeting his for an instant, before she lost her nerve and dropped her gaze again.

"Indeed it will." He tapped the table gently, where her eyes seemed to be focused. "The other woman - Binta? She told me that your name is Tayette?"

"Yes..." she looked up again, her eyes narrowing, as she became defensive.
"..that's my name.." Was this another who had heard the rumours, she wondered.

"Ah, good." He extended his hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Tayette.
And my name is Hartam." He winked at her. "We didn't really introduce ourselves when last we met."

She looked puzzled for a moment, then when he held out his hand, to shake, she was gobsmacked. "You're ... Hartam?" she brushed her hand down the seam of her tunic, as if to clean it, before holding it out to shake his.
"Ple...pleased to meet you too, Hartam." she gave a small smile, and blushed at the wink he gave her, dropping her eyes again, as if he would see right through her with his gaze.

He took her hand in both of his, trying to return the smile - though it was a bit unnerving to have her always looking away. "My name means something to you?"

"I just - didn't realise you were the new Harper at the tavern. . ." she had heard of him from the other kitchen workers who had been to the Tavern, "I've heard of you." she spoke quietly, her hand was still caught in his, his grip was warm and comforting, comfortable. "I. . . I should get back," she said, her head turning back towards the kitchens, "I have .
. . work to do, but. . . " she paused and turned back to him, "if you need anything. . ."

"Yes, I'm the Tavern Harper - and you've promised to come to hear me play sometime," he reminded her. He let go of her with one hand, still holding with the other. "I'll let you get back to your work, but we need to meet."

She blinked once, then again, "Excuse me?" she asked, her eyes wide and for once locked to his, "We need to meet - why?"

"The song you helped me to write - I think it's finished, but would like to play it for you before I perform it in public."

"Why?" the question was blunt, she could feel herself trembling and hated herself for it. Would she never trust another man not to hurt her? "I...
I can listen to it when everyone else does," she had to force herself to speak normally, "I don't need to hear it before." She looked down at his hand, could he feel her fear?

"Ah, but you had a hand in its writing. As a courtesy, you should hear it first."

"Please," her eyes met his again, imploring; realisation dawned - his green eyes held no threat - they weren't Karvea's, creased and flashing with ill-will. The Harpers hand felt comforting, warm, secure and steady as it held her own. She gave a sigh of resignation, "Okay, but here after the meal. . . " she was prepared to submit, but not alone - never alone.

"Of course." He released her hand and indicated the food and drink on the table. "Thank you for all of this."

She gave a brief nod, "If you need anything else," she nodded towards the kitchen, "I'll ... just let me know." She turned away, her hands gripping her tray tightly. Her pulse was racing as she walked back to the kitchen, but her hand, the one he had so recently released, felt warm and gave her a feeling of comfort, she couldn't explain.

The harper smiled as he watched her go. The woman might need friends, but then, so did he.

Last updated on the April 14th 2007

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