A Proposition

Writers: AmajoS, Estelle
Date Posted: 29th May 2019

Characters: Leofren, Kefnek
Description: Leofren is sent to the Hallmaster for daydreaming in class, and receives a proposition
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Keayd

Leofren sat on a chair outside the Hallmaster's office, swinging his
legs nervously while he waited for the Master to finish dealing with the
journeyman who'd been there when he'd arrived, and wondered how
everything had gone so wrong that he'd ended up here. He seemed to have
been unlucky with Journeyman Verrow from the start.

It had begun last sevenday, when the man had asked him to go and fetch
that book on flavouring herbs from the archive. Leofren had run there as
fast as he could, and he would have run back with it, but once he'd got
his hands on the book he couldn't help having a look inside. The
drawings inside were the most beautiful he'd ever seen, exquisitely
detailed, with notations in tiny but delicate handwriting explaining the
distinguishing features of each plant. He'd just had to sit down for a
moment and read a few more pages. And then, before he'd known it, it was
starting to get dark and by the time he'd hurried back to the
journeymen's study with it, Verrow was the only one left there and
seething with annoyance at having been unable to finish his work on
account of the missing book.

Ever since then, it seemed like no matter how hard he tried, he always
did something to irritate the journeyman. In class today he'd tried to
sit quietly and listen, he really had, but the man was talking about a
grape he'd read about two sevendays ago and there was a mother feline
basking just outside the window, in the sun, while her two kittens
played alongside her. He'd started idly drawing them on his slate - and
then, suddenly, he realised the whole class was staring at him and that
the journeyman had asked him a question, and he had no idea what it was.

That was when he'd got sent to the Hallmaster, with a note that even he
didn't dare open. Leofren fidgeted uncomfortably and wondered what was
going to happen to him. What if he was sent home? What would Master
Stryce say? What if he got thrown out of the Craft altogether? If only
he hadn't looked into that book...

Kefnek followed the Journeyman to the door, "I look forward to your
report by tomorrow evening," he held out a hand for the younger man to
shake and then watched him go. He was slowly making progress through
the pile of things to do. He had a meeting with one of the Hall's
woodcrafters soon to find out the feasibility of there being another
score of oaken barrels made, but glancing out into the waiting room
outside his office, he saw the man had not arrived yet. There was an
apprentice though, seated in one of the chairs and fidgeting.

"What are you doing here," he asked gruffly. He hadn't sent for an
apprentice to run any errands so that either meant the boy had a
message for him or that he was here for some misdeed. Judging by the
anxious expression, he felt safe assuming the latter.

Leofren gulped and offered him the note, his hand shaking a bit. He had
never spoken to the Hallmaster before, but he did not sound like he was
in a cheerful mood. "Journeyman Verrow sent me, Hallmaster. He told me
to give you this."

Kefnek took the note and read it, then regarded the apprentice. "Come
in," he said before turning and reentering his office. He sat behind
the desk and gestured to the seat in front of it, inviting the boy to
sit. "Did you read this?" He held up the note.

"No, sir." Leofren sat nervously on the edge of the seat. "But...I think
I know what's in it."

"Is that so?" He leaned back slightly in his seat and crossed his
arms. "Please, enlighten me."

The boy hesitated. "Um...I was in his class - Journeyman Verrow's - and
I got distracted. You see, there was this feline outside the window, a
mother with two kittens, and it was so interesting. The kittens were
learning to play with each other, and the mama was just lying there
looking sleepy, but as soon as one of them would get a bit rough with
the other she'd stick out a paw and give it a bat on the head, just like
my Ma would with me and my little brother when we were playing and..."
He suddenly remembered who he was speaking to and his voice trailed off.

Kefnek peered over at the boy, eyebrows raised, for a moment before
asking, "Do you find your lessons so dull that stray felines are more
captivating then?"

"No, Hallmaster! Not usually," Leofren replied, alarmed. He didn't want
the masters to think he wasn't interested in the Craft. If anything, his
downfall had been that he was _too_ interested. "It was just that I'd
already read what the Journeyman was teaching and I thought I'd just
look outside for a little bit and I didn't realise how long I'd been
watching them..."

Kefnek rubbed at his chin thoughtfully for a moment and then said, "what
was he teaching? Explain it to me."

"Oh, it was about the white wine grapes, the Tillek variety. They come
from the North originally, but they're sensitive to climate, and here
where it's cooler they have a crisp taste, a bit like a sharp, crunchy
redfruit. Of course, I don't know from personal experience, because we
haven't been allowed to try any, but that's what it said in the book by
Master Herthan that..." Leofren remembered that he was also in trouble
for not fetching a book in time and quickly changed course. "Well, he
was teaching us about that, and what soils they grow best in, and the
different ways to alter the flavour."

Kefnek regarded the boy thoughtfully for a moment. When he was here and
did not match up with what he read in Verrow's note. Well the ridiculous
story about the feline did, but this Apprentice did not seem to be
insolent or lazy. Easily distracted perhaps, but that did not always
mean stupid or lazy. In fact boredom often came from not being
challenged enough.

"Interested in wines, are you? Is that why you read ahead?"

"Yes! Well, in Journeyman Keayd's class, he told me that they select the
vines, which ones can grow, so that the grapes are sweeter and juicier,"
Leofren said, frowning as he tried to remember exactly what the
journeyman had said. "And I wanted to know how it was done, so I looked
at that book, just to get an idea, because he did say it was a course
for the second-Turn apprentices," he went on apologetically. "And then I
got onto the part about different soil types, and climate, and...well, I
just really like reading. There are so many books here! Lots more than
back at the hold."

Yes, as he thought, this one wasn't lazy. He needed focus, and
discipline, but those were much preferable to sheer laziness in Kefnek's
opinion.

"There is a reason lessons are taught in the order they are, Apprentice.
Each lesson builds on the ones before it and if you skip around, you may
miss some vital building block that makes it more difficult to
understand later lessons and techniques." His voice was stern as he
spoke. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Hallmaster." The boy's shoulders drooped a little, but then
suddenly he realised something. If the Master was bothering to explain
to him about the proper way to learn lessons, maybe he wasn't going to
be sent away after all! "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to not pay
attention to Journeyman Verrow. I won't do it again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep boy," Kefnek responded sternly.
Then, after a moment of eyeing the apprentice he said, "It sounds to
me that you're easily distracted when you are bored, would you agree?"

"Yes, sir. My Mama used to say that," Leofren agreed. "She said I was
like one of those birds that can't resist picking up shiny things, when
it should be finding leaves and twigs to build a good, sturdy nest. She
said I had to learn to like being bored, because it would mean I was
doing something useful for a change. But it's not easy. Sometimes it
seems like everywhere I look, there's something interesting to learn.
Especially here."

"It is entirely possible to be doing useful things without being
bored," Kefnek leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. "You
simply need to be challenged more than you are now. I have a
proposition for you, if you are interested."

The apprentice sat up a bit straighter. "Yes, Hallmaster?" He was not
quite sure what a proposition was, but it sounded intriguing.

"I would be willing to take you as a personal apprentice, if you are
interested." It had been a while since he'd had a new apprentice, the
last one he took had become a Journeyman several turns ago. "Now,
before you decide, know this: It will be a great deal of extra work.
You will not only attend regular classes, you will do any and all
extra assignments and work that I give you."

Leofren's eyes went round and, for once in his life, he was almost
speechless. To be the personal apprentice of any Master was a great
honour, but the Hallmaster! That was worth any amount of extra work.
Maybe he would get to read special books that couldn't be found in the
archives, or learn hidden secrets of the Craft. Or finally taste some
wine...

He found his voice again. "Thank you, sir! I'll work really hard, and
stay out of trouble. I won't let you down, I pr..." He remembered what
the Hallmaster had said about promises. "I mean, I give you my word, as
a Crafter."

Kefnek's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He wondered if the boy
realized that giving one's word was the same as a promise. Setting
that aside, the Hallmaster nodded, "Very well."

The boy fidgeted in his chair with excitement. Wait until he told the
others! And if he could earn the marks to pay the runner, he could write
to his mother. She would be so proud, she might even forgive him for the
distraction in class that had brought him here.

"Is there anything I can do for you now, sir?" he asked.

Kefnek regarded the boy a moment and then nodded. He reached into an
drawer in his desk and pulled out a small notebook. Several small sheets
of paper, bound with string, with a rawhide cover. He handed it to his
new apprentice and said, "Every time you find yourself distracted I want
you to write it down. I want you to write down what you were supposed to
be doing at the time, what you want up doing instead, why you think that
was, any trouble you get in because of it, and why you think that was."

"You don't have to do it right then, in the moment as long as you can
remember all the details later. I want you to keep that Notebook on you
all the time. If I pass you in a hallway and ask to see it I want you to
be able to pull it out and show it to me."

"Yes, Hallmaster." Leofren took the notebook and examined the blank
pages with delight. The apprentices were given materials to complete
their work with, but he'd never had a little book like this all to
himself. He imagined the words he could fill those empty pages with...
Then he realised, first, that he was supposed to be paying attention to
the Master, and second, that he had a question. "But, sir, what if I get
distracted while I'm writing in the notebook?"

"Then write that down too. The goal is for you to start paying
attention to when and why it happens. That way, we can work together
on making it happen less. I don't expect it to happen overnight, and
it'll be hard work. Breaking bad habits is always hard. It's necessary
though. Our line of work requires hard work and attention to detail.
You'll never be a Vintner if you can't pay attention to what you're
supposed to," Kefnek replied, his tone stern but not unkind.

Leofren looked up at the Hallmaster with worry in his eyes. What if he
couldn't learn to keep his mind on his tasks? He'd never been able to
before, even with the threat of a scolding from his mother or the Tavern
Master, unless it was something that interested him enough that he
became lost in it altogether. But, he though hopefully, the Hallmaster
had offered to help him. That must mean he had a chance. He tucked the
notebook into his pocket. "Yes, sir. I'll try. I _do_ want to be a
Vintner."

"Then you will be," Kefnek replied. "Now off with you. You have classes
and chores to get to, I believe."

Last updated on the June 3rd 2019

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A Proposition