She Should Have Known Better

Writers: AmajoS, Eimi
Date Posted: 16th April 2007

Characters: Narrala, Almonteo
Description: Narrala nearly runs over the Hallmaster and realizes he's human.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 3, day 5 of Turn 4

Almonteo

Narrla's eyes widened abruptly and she stopped walking when she turned the corner and discovered the Hallmaster, who was making his way down the passageway. A small squeak escaped her throat from the surprise of suddenly seeing someone in her path, especially such an important someone. Thinking quickly, she stepped back to avoid the collision, not wanting to run the Hallmaster down.

"Good morning," Almonteo smiled and gave her a quick nod of thanks as he sidestepped the apprentice.

A small sound, a bit like a squeak, escaped Narrala's throat before she caught it. She quickly cleared her throat though and returned the greeting with a nod, "Good morning, Hallmaster."

"Are you all right?" Almonteo recognized her as one of the Weyr residents who had decided to take to Hall-life full time, though he couldn't quite place the name.

"Fine, sir," she fidgeted nervously, her fingers twisting in a strand of hair. "I mean, I'm fine. I didn't expect, well, to run into you or to almost run into you really, is all." Narrala blushed as she babbled the incoherent response.

She certainly was an insecure child, Almonteo thought with an almost amused chuckle. "Well, I think you had better get used to it, apprentice. I can't hide in my office all day, you know."

"Oh, no sir! I mean yes, sir." Then she laughed, realizing she sounded nearly witless. She'd wanted to make only good impressions on the Hallmaster and on the Masters teaching her and she seemed only to be able to make herself look foolish.

"Calm done, girl. I won't bite."

"I'm sorry Hallmaster," Narrala blushed. "I'm not usually this much of a wherry hen, I promise."

"May I ask if there's something wrong?" If there was something bothering the child, perhaps he could help. Or at least put her mind at ease.

"Oh, no sir. There's nothing wrong," she smiled sheepishly. Narrala considered briefly bringing up her difficulties. The teasing and pranks, the subtle insults and sneers. She decided against it though.
It wouldn't accomplish anything but to make her look sillier than she'd made herself look already. "I just wasn't watching where I was going is all."

"Ah, well, you certainly have to stay alert in these halls," he smiled.
"You never know who else isn't looking where they're going."

She laughed, not having expected the Hallmaster to have a sense of humor. Though why she hadn't, she wasn't sure. After all, a Hallmaster was just a man like any other. "Very true, Hallmaster. I'll strive to be more careful in the future sir." She smiled at him, feeling embolded by his joke.

"See that you do," he replied in a stern voice, but he gave her a wink and grin to let her know he was only teasing. The Hallmaster was glad to see she was relaxing a bit.

Narrala bit back a grin and nodded, "Of course, Hallmaster." She felt rather silly now that she thought of how worried she'd always been about the Hallmaster. She'd thought that, of all the tasks she'd have to accomplish this Turn in order to be advanced, it would be the most difficult to prove herself to the Hallmaster. That he'd be of the same mind as some of the more difficult Masters and Journeymen.

She should have known better. After all, wasn't the Hall here in the first place because his predecessor had allowed a girl to learn her Craft in his Hall? And hadn't Almonteo allowed the females of the Weyr to transfer into the Hall? She should have realized he'd be fair about it. Narrala was glad she'd nearly bowled over the man today. Now she could stop worrying so much about impressing him and focus on accomplishing the other things she needed to do.

Last updated on the April 17th 2007

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She Should Have Known Better