It's Not All About Design

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 26th March 2007

Characters: Ayona
Description: Ayona gives journeyman Valdean some advice.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 15 of Turn 4

Ayona peered over the man's shoulder, then rummaged in a deep pocket and pulled out a wooden case from which she extracted the lenses she had to wear these days for seeing fine detail.

"You've chosen a difficult pattern," she commented, reaching out to touch the curved carving in the soft stone that would be used as decorative work.

"Are you sure you'll be up to this assignment?" Valdean asked, worriedly, as he watched the old woman pull out her lenses. "It's intricate work and I need to make sure it will be perfect."

Ayona pulled the lenses down her nose and looked over them at the young man. "I was doing this work before you were born, Valdean."

"Maybe so, but your eyesight doesn't appear to be what it was." His face still showed concern. She had been recommended to him for being excellent at her craft, but he still held reservations, not least of which was actually using a female crafter. "I was surprised you were top of the recommendations... " he faltered, "not that I doubt your talent."

"You sound exactly like a man who doubts my ability as a masoncrafter -
and my rank." She thumped a sturdy finger down on the stone slab in front of him. "I got my masters knots forty-four Turns ago and if I need lenses to see the fine work, then you'd better believe I can see perfectly well when I'm using them. Personally, I think you're being overly ambitious with that design, but I can repeat it as many times as necessary." She eyed him again over the lenses. "We'll see how your copying holds up over the next couple of days, shall we?"

Newcomers to the Weyr - Southern Continent newcomers - were often disconcerted by her rank ... by her being in a craft at all ... but she had earned her knots, Turns ago, and earned the right to be respected by her juniors-in-craft, even those who were so young that they had never worked alongside women before.

"Sorry Ayona, there was no offence meant. I was just surprised, knowing the feeling in these parts, that you have been permitted to practise your craft, let alone be recommended for your work." Valdean felt like a youngling in this woman's presence. Forty four turns she'd been practising her craft for - longer than he'd been alive; he felt sure she had been tempted to point that tidbit out to him. "Do you think I should alter the design then?" His voice and demeanour had changed and he was aware of it, but angering her was the last thing he wanted to do.
Appeasement at all cost.

"Yes, I do. When you're going to be producing something again and again you need to keep it simple. By all means, keep this as a 'special' among the others, but consider simplifying the design for the bulk of them."

"I take your point." He nodded, "Then how about I change this area to only have this on it," he quickly sketched a new simpler scuffed design across the hide, "and then highlight every few paces with this one?"
he asked, pointing to the more elaborate design. "Do you think they'll match?"

He was duly impressed by her knowledge and advice, and curious as to how she had managed to get away with practicing her craft now. His sisters would be envious and more than a little curious themselves, may be they could use similar ideas to get past their father.

"Much better. It showcases your design and allows almost anybody to be tasked with the bulk of the production." She rubbed a callused hand over the stone slabs. While it was possible to get a similar effect with tiles, many masons clung to stonework as if it was their birthright.
"It's not all about design. Sometimes the practicality of the fabrication has to come into it, too."

"Yes I know, but I thought it would be fairly easy in any medium." He shrugged, "I guess I need to open my vision to more." His hand was busy, sketching again, "Is this too elaborate for the centrepiece? I only need one," he paused, "well I need two actually, but the second one is a little smaller.."

He knew he was stalling, but didn't want to return to the previous subject and have her get annoyed with him, but his curiosity was up now, and if he could just get Ayona's perspective, he may be able to offer help to his sisters.

"Any amount of complexity's fine in a one off - or a pair. Especially if you plan to do the work yourself."

Valdean nodded, "Can I ask...how did you handle the pressure to have children - didn't they make you? You know?" he had done it, so now he waited, not sure whether he would feel her wrath,or if she would go silent on him.

"When the craft ban came in?" Ayona snorted. "I ran away, to be honest.
Took my brand new master's knots up North. That doesn't reflect well on me, perhaps."

"But they've allowed you to practice now?" he watched from under his brows, still not sure which way her demeanour would go. "It's just..
my sisters..." he shrugged, "I know how much they would like to be more than breeders..but they have no chance, not with my father."

"Perhaps you should bring them here, to the Weyr. The Weyr support the right of women to apprentice, but they have to be willing to go against your father's wishes. And nobody _allows_ me to practice," she finished, her tone tart, "I was a master mason before they enacted the ban on taking _any_more_ women into the crafts. I remained a master mason afterward." She made an effort to erase the frown from her forehead. "I just left because I couldn't agree with what they'd done."

"I suppose I could suggest a move to them, but its a case of whether or not they have the gumption to actually get out from under fathers domination." Valdean nodded, silently agreeing with himself, "I'm sorry if I offended you Ayona, I didn't mean to infer...you know, that you are..." he was flummoxed, he didn't want her to think he thought all women were under the domination of men, but outside the Weyr, they were
- with little choice anywhere in these times.

"At your age, having been trained in the South, you couldn't know any better," Ayona said, reminded herself of that, as much as reassuring him. "Now, let me try and few of these simplified patterns and then I'll rustle up a couple of my apprentices to get to work on the rest."

With a nod of agreement, Valdean bent to the task with Ayona. She had given him something to think about, and also discuss with his sisters the next time he went home for a visit; but he doubted they would do much about it, fear or their father would be enough of a deterrent. His interest should be in this, his first major commission, so clearing his head of all other thought, he concentrated on what Ayona was teaching him.

Last updated on the March 28th 2007

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It's Not All About Design