Family is Important

Writers: Paula, Vix
Date Posted: 7th October 2007

Characters: Tamah, Hartam
Description: Tamah visits The Tavern in search of his cousin Hartam.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 6, day 1 of Turn 4

Tamah thanked the rider who had given him a ride to the tavern and set out to look around. This was his first visit to the tavern. The benefit of living in a weyr that you could always get a ride almost anywhere. The harbour master got an ale from the counter and then wandered close to the harper stand. He chatted with some other patrons and flirted with the serving maid.

"Alright, a quarter candlemark break and then back here to play," Hartam instructed his apprentices. He descended from the stage, starting toward the serving maid, but stopping at the sight of a familiar face. It had been a while since he had seen him, so could it be? He stepped closer. "Tamah?"

"Hello, Hartam. Long time no see," Tamah grinned. He was the reason why Tamah had come all they way to Amber Hills hold. There were other Tavern closer to the home after all.

The harper clasped the man's arm enthusiastically. "It's great to see you!" He turned to the serving girl. "Bring a drink for me and one for my cousin and keep his mug filled while he's here tonight -- on me."

"That's very generous of you," Tamah grinned. "Word got around in River Bluff that you might be found here."

"Really?" Hartam smiled, though his expression appeared a bit guilty. "I really should notify my mother and my sister and let them know that I'm here."

"A letter would be kind. When I was sailing across Pern, I did write regularly to my mother. Some times I arrived home before the letters did, but hey, I did write!" Tamah said and grinned.

"I always meant to write," his cousin admitted, "but somehow didn't get around to it."

"And your the harper, and I'm just an uneducated seacrafter," Tamah said with rueful headshake. The uneducated-part was of course wild exaggeration. You didn't grow up in a weyr and escape education. No matter who unruly ruffian you were.

Hartam nodded thoughtfully. "Funny thing about that - I've written dozens of letters over the past turn and yet none of them to my family. The letters are always other people's news to other people's friends and family and never my own."

Tamah shook his head. "That must be like 'the shoemaker's sons have no shoes'."

"I suppose it is," the harper admitted. "But how are they? My mother? My sister? My niece and nephew?"

"Nehara and Tambila are fine, so is Tamaca. L'car is injured, hadn't had much contact with him since his injury and T'din died in a Fall," Tamah listed out.

Hartam nodded, guilt building within him. "I knew about my nephews, but I've only visited once since their . . . since that Fall. Are they really coping well?"

"You want the real truth or just pretty words?" Tamah asked.

The harper felt a cold sensation in the pit of his stomach as he realized he would not get his wish of all being well. "The truth."

"Well, L'car's become a hermit, he doesn't want to meet anybody and it's been a long time since I last saw him. Tamaca, she's kind of adrift after her brother's death. She abandoned her apprentice-studies and just kind hangs around aimlessly."

"She's no longer a harper?" Hartam felt this revelation more than the other, remembering his pride when his niece had followed in the family tradition.

"I think she's earning some marks with scribe work, but she's thrown away her knots," Tamah said.

"Just like that?" Hartam was not sure whether to feel angry or sad for his niece. "She has no plans for the future, nothing that she's working towards?"

"Nothing based on what I last heard from her mother," Tamah said.

The harper sighed. "I definitely need to visit them." He glanced toward his cousin. "And your family? How have they been faring?"

"Just fine. The children are growing and my mate has managed to stay in one piece," Tamah said. Sometimes it was hard to be a dragonrider's weyrmate. He was always worried when she flew against Thread.

"That's always a good thing," Hartam offered a smile with his comment, though he glanced away and then back again, still deep in thought. "You've given me much to consider, Tamah. I think I need to arrange a visit to River Bluff."

"I'm sure you can find a friendly dragonrider to give you a ride," Tamah said.

"Transportation isn't the problem," the harper agreed. "I simply need to establish a time and do it instead of getting tied up in other tasks. I owe my family that much."

"Family is important," Tamah said. Even his seacrafter father had seen the effort to stay in touch with Tamah and his mother.

"Yes, it is." **And now more than ever.** Hartam's thoughts turned to that expected new family member, the one he had never thought to have and decided that he really did need to mend fences with family members - all of them, especially Tayette.

Last updated on the October 8th 2007

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Family is Important