A Tardy Singing Lesson

Writers: Eimi, Trishtar
Date Posted: 31st December 2007

Characters: Junvia, Ehsar
Description: A rather late Apprentice Junvia arrives to her very first singing lesson with a Journeyman Ehsar.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 7, day 23 of Turn 4

The hall beat with her foot steps as Junvia ran to her lesson. She was late! It wasn't that she had slept in or anything of the sort, living in a tavern, the young girl had learn to wake up with the sun. Her klah colored hair was bounced harshly off her back as she ran, quickly unraveling from the braid. She had thrown her hair into a quick braid as she ran out her room door; she had been finishing up some the studies she had been assigned the previous day, but before she knew it was time for her first singing lesson.

Junvia ran into the closed door as she came a abrupt halt, her feet sliding out from beneath her as she attempted to catch herself with outstretched arms only to lend on the hard floor with a yelp.

"Oww..." she moaned as she gingerly picked herself up from the ground and knocked on the door bent over like an old grandmother. there was going to be a bruise for sure.

The journeyman looked down on her, an eyebrow cocked in both annoyance and curiosity at the hunched over, tiny little girl. "I assume you are Apprentice Junvia?"

The girl looked at the man meekly through as she nodded. She slowly brought her back straight, "I'm really sorry for being later, sir. I hadn't meant to be. I was just trying to finish up some study that I had gotten, but time flew so fast. I really hadn't meant to be late, sir.
Truly."

Taking a breath after her small rushed explaination and apology, Junvia stared at her feet. Her toes were grinding the ground as she waited for a response from the man. She hoped that he didn't think her lazy or impertinent or anything. She really hadn't meant to be late.

"Hmmm. Well, don't do it again. I like to start my lessons on time. I have my own Master projects to work on. I can't just spend time waiting for apprentices. Understand?" His voice was not mean or condescending, but it was firm.

Junvia sighed in relief inwardly as she flashed him a quick and awkward smile, "Yes, sir." She was not planning on being late anytime soon or ever again.

"All right then." He waved her inside and pointed to the music stand, a silent command to stand behind it. "Let's get started. What do you know so far?"

"Sir?" Junvia wasn't quite sure what the journeyman was asking her. Was he asking her about what pieces she knew? If so she knew most teaching songs and some other pieces she had overheard from working at her father's tavern. Or was he asking about something else? She gave a slight glance at him then frowned... she didn't even know who he was no less his name. The young apprentice wanted to sigh, she had gotten off on a bad start with her new teacher.

"Have you learned to read music?" he prompted, seeing her confusion.
This apprentice was certainly green.

Her cheeks warmed at the question as she nodded her vigorously. She wish she could pound her head against the music stand, but thought better of it and began to twist at her loose braid. "I learned a little before I came here from travelling Harpers and from a bit more the other day during lessons," Junvia paused for a second and weakly added, "but I'm not very good at it, sir."

"You will get better," he stated as if it were just a fact. In a sense it was. She would improve, or she would be sent home. Reading music was a basic skill every harper needed to learn to a passible degree. "What kind of singing training did the Harpers give you then?"

Nodding her head her cheeks flamed once more in embaressment. She might as well have been a fruit. Junvia meekly said, "Just what they teach all the other children."

"All right," he said with a nod. It wasn't unusual. Most new apprentices had limited training. "Then let's start with a teaching ballad you already. You pick it, I'll just listen."

Junvia twisted her hands as she nervously chose "Another Turn Older,"
explaining that she had learned it from the customers at her father's taverns. After the shaky explaination, she closed her dark eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened the anxiousness that had been there was gone. Junvia opened her mouth and poured a song with raw and untrained emotions. It wasn't an emotional song, but the girl hadn't been taught to think about anything else, but the purpose and words of the song and so her mind was far from that of consciously singing the song with the potential skill she had.

"Hmmm," the journeyman hummed thoughtfully as the song finished. Her voice was much more mature than he had expected, which gave him hope.
"Not bad, but there is a lot of work to do. Sing it again."

Junvia blushed again, but this time in pride as she sung the song once more. She tried to think about _how_ she was singing the song, but by the second line she was too far into the song.

"Yes, your voice is nice, but your technique is severely lacking. We will work on that. Master Eilomar will tear you apart if you sing that like for him." Of course, just the fact she was a female would already put her low on the rotund choir master's list of favorites. "But we have no time to work on it today. Perhaps if you are on time next time we meet we will have more of a chance to work on it."

"Yes, sir. I will. I mean, I won't be late. I'll be sure to come on time, sir," she rambled on for all that she had braved through singing in front of the journeyman.

The jouneyman nodded, his mind already turning to other things. "I'm sure you won't. You're excused."

Last updated on the January 1st 2008

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A Tardy Singing Lesson