Apprentices with Potential

Writers: Miriah, Jane
Date Posted: 14th August 2014

Characters: Sahna, Vestian
Description: The new Hallmaster speaks to one of the apprentices.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 7

Vestian

The day after his knots were given, Vestian strolled through the Harper Hall
complex, hands clasped behind his back. While he would have much rather been
painting, he already found that his new position didn't lend for much free time.
He spent the morning looking in on the newly arrived apprentices, then speaking
to the Senior Journeyman who were walking the tables. While he couldn't greet
every single apprentice, he was making a point to at least visit a few, if only
to make his presence known.

Coming into the printing area, he paused to examine one of the many presses. He
knew of course, how they worked, but it wasn't something he particularly found
much interest in. Now, however, he would have to take an interest.

"Hello, um, Hallmaster," Sahna said, coming to a stop beside the man. "Sir.
Are you looking for somebody?" The noise of the presses in action often
surprised people but she knew from running errands in the press hall that her
words should be loud enough to be heard above the clatter.

Vestian turned quickly at the sound of the voice. "Not at all." He blinked at
her and held up a finger. "An apprentice correct? What's your name?"

"I'm Sahna, sir." She glanced around but nobody else seemed to be around which
meant there was nobody to bustle up and save her from having to speak to the
master artist recently promoted to Hallmaster. She didn't usually mind talking
to people but important people were apt to be a bother.

"Well, Sahna, perhaps you can show me around the area. I'm not as familiar with
the Printers as I should be."

"Oh. I could find one of the journeymen if you'd prefer?" she offered
hopefully.

Vestian's lips lifted wryly. "I don't bite, Sahna. And as I am not as familiar
with printing, I would like to look at it as you do. Show me what you are
working on today."

"Today is not a good day," Sahna confided in him. "I'm running errands. It's
to 'familiarise us with all parts of a working printery'," she said, and it was
clear that she was repeating an oft used statement. "But this is the press hall
or printing room, and we have three presses here. Luckily only one is running
now otherwise it would be much louder."

Vestian scratched at his goatee and then back at the printer. "So you're
running errands. I often did so during my apprenticeship." He looked back down
at her and put his hands on his hips. "Very well, I'll just take a look around
myself. But first." He held up a hand. "Tell me, young Sahna, what do you most
want to do here? Your goals."

Goals! Why did adults ask those sorts of questions? "I - er - most want to
pass all my classes and be a senior apprentice. And I like the old stuff best.
The handset type and the letterpress ... It's all done by hand and it can be
set up anywhere. Any Hold or Hall, whether they have electricity or not." She
waved a hand at the cylinder press that was roaring away without pause. "This
is only done at the Halls and some people -" all of them boys, from what she'd
seen, "- prefer this."

"Sometimes traditional ways have the most soul." Perhaps this girl had the heart
of an artist. That he could completely understand. "And have you been able to
work with the handset much?"

"On my errand days I have, and we will get to use it soon in our history of
printing class. We're still making the letters. My font is almost all done,
though. It's not very good, because I don't have the hand skills, but I
designed a 'g' that I loved the other day and one of the old journeymen who is
really, really good made it up into a punch for me." Now that she was on a
subject dear to her heart the words just flowed. "Would you like to see it?"
she asked, putting her hand to the pocket of her rather scruffy
errand-day trousers.

Her enthusiasm reminded him of his own at that age; he'd enjoying
making paints the traditional way and would gush to anyone who
questioned him about it. He nodded. "Of course."

Sahna rummaged in the deep pocket and then came out with the
finger-sized piece of metal wrapped in leather. "I have to keep it
safe," she explained, unwrapping it carefully and handing the metal
punch to the Hallmaster. "See - that's the 'g' I designed, at the top
here. He's filed away the rest of the metal up here to make the
letter stand out. And then I will hit it into softer metal to make
the matrix, and then use the matrix to hand-cast the actual letter
we'll use in hand-setting. I'll need more than one 'g' so I'll cast a
number of them from the same matrix."

Vestian looked down at it, tracing his fingers lightly over the
chiseled metal. It was good craftmans ship with a pleasant
design. "I like the design. It's very well crafted." He handed it back
to her carefully. "Do you have a design in mind for the rest of your
font? Any sketches?"

"A whole folder full of them," Sahna admitted ruefully. Although she always got
her work done she did spend too much time sketching out ideas for fonts.

"May I see them?" Vestian had a definite interest in her drawings; she may be a
printer, but there was still a great deal of artwork involved in designing fonts
and it looked as though she had a good head start.

"They're in my room," Sahna said doubtfully. "And I'm on errands today so I'm
not supposed to leave," she explained, not considering for a moment that the
Hallmaster might have more authority over where she went and what she did than
her own printer masters. "Maybe I could show you another time? I could -" she
paused, thinking herself mad for the suggestion she was about to make, "- bring
them to your office." She added a belated, "Sir," for good measure.

Vestian nodded. "Well, I'll not pull you away from your duties today.
When you have time, please do bring them by. I'm interested in what
you have planned."

"Is there any particular time I should visit? I'm sure you're very busy."

"Usually yes, but I think I can find time to squeeze in an apprentice
with potential." His lips turned up wryly. "Just come by any time
after your chores with your Master are done. I've always worked a
little late, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. And I am
interested in your sketches."

Sahna nodded. "I'll come as soon as I'm able," she promised, quite
intrigued at what the hallmaster would make of her design work - and
determined that she would never tell anybody where she was going.
Nobody would believe her, anyway! (Though she might tell Asley, if
the opportunity presented itself.)

"You'll be very welcome." He nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your
afternoon, Sahna." Vestian gave a brief smile.

"I'll try to," she said, thinking that her enjoyment did rather rest
in the hands of the journeymen and women for whom she was running
errands.

Last updated on the November 16th 2014

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