I hate fish. The stench from hell filled his nostrils, burning the insides, or so he thought, and it was so strong he wanted to gag. The packtail he was scaling was a slippery and gruesome sight, with most of its scales gone, the slick monstrosity oozed liquids he could only guess at. Sharding things, why cant I just be a dragonrider, why wasnt I born in a Weyr? He heard the harbormaster bellow that a storm was coming in and for everyone to hurry up. Ronelec groaned and moved his hands a little faster. The knife he had been holding delicately slipped and slashed his hand from thumb to pinky. "Shard it!" he yelled jumping to his feet. The packtail fell to the ground along with the erring knife. Next to him a fellow youth Garge snickered and his cronies all shot Ronelec looks that made him want to slap them one and all. He kicked some scales at them then ran for the infirmary. His healer mother took one look at him and sighed. "Again Rone? Which fish was it this time?" "Packtail mom, hurry up, I dont think much poison got in, but still" His mother nodded and took hold of his hand.

"Ok Rone, try moving it." she said some time later afterwards, Ronelec flexed his hand experimentally and was pleased when it moved on command. "Its fine mom, you did a great job." He said, hugging her. She smiled and put him at arms length, looking into his eyes. "Alright boy, back to work with you. While I was doing this, the scaling was finished. So the Harbormaster now needs all the younglings to mend nets then go on to their lessons." Rone groaned and gave his mother a pleading expression. "This time please tell me if searchdragons come mother." he asked, his blue eyes somewhat dull. She ruffled his curly blond hair, trying, but not succeeding to ignore his pleading eyes. With a sigh she nodded. "Alright, if I can Ill slip you past the harbormaster. You know he doesnt want to lose any of you to the Weyrs, keeps telling all of us that they have plenty of children to pick from and dont need to take his helpers." Rone grinned and hugged her again. "More like he doesnt want to lose his slaves. Thanks mom." With a wave he ran out the door, glad that since he had a bandage on his hand he probably wouldnt prick himself with a needle while mending nets.

Of course I would get the other hand, the hand that was holding the sharding needle. How do I do these things? "Rone, if I didnt know better I would say you were doing this on purpose." His mother said, wrapping up his other hand. Rone grinned cheerfully, holding up both hands when she was done. "Hey, at least I match" His mother laughed and cuffed him lightly on the ear. "Off with you scamp, learn your ballads then come back here and help me in the stillroom." Rone ran off once more, happy for the moment that these accidents did always seem to happen to him. Unfortunatley, in his musings, he almost ran right into the harbormaster. "Hold it Ronelec." The mans commanding voice made him skid to a stop inches from the big, burly fisherman. "And where are you coming from?" he asked, eyeing the bandages. "The infirmary sir." Rone replied meekly, his eyes on the floor. "Look up in my eyes boy. Are those real injuries or are you lying and that fool mother of yours is covering it up?" Ronelec looked up into the brown eyes of the Harbormaster, unflinchingly. "They are real sir, cut one with packtail, the other got stuck with a needle mending nets." The man frowned and grabbed his wrists. Rone winced in real pain when the mans grip tightened. "You cant do anything right can you?" Rone grimaced. "I can mix medicines and help around the infirm." He replied, wishing the Master would let go. He didnt, instead his grip tightened past the point of tolerance. "Sure you can, but thats not what the hold needs you to do, your mother has apprentices." Ronelec wretched his wrists free and jumped back. "I dont care what the hold needs of me! Im late for my lessons harbormaster and I must go. Now!" Trembling all over Rone ran for the safety of the Harpers classroom. The harbormaster fumed and took one step after the boy then thought better of it. Instead he went towards the infirm.

Harper Argeon watched as his students filed in with sharp eyes. All of them were tired but happy to get a break from all the work. The aged Harper didnt agree with all the work loaded on the youngsters, but the harbormaster refused to listen, said he needed their help. By Faranth, they are just children, not drudges. The harper sighed and put his pen down, one lad, Ronelec, looked rather shaken as he came in, hurriedly rushing to his stool and sitting quickly hands bandaged hands folded tightly on his lap. Argeon vowed silently to find out why the boy was so tense and afraid after class. "Alright boys and girls, Moretas ride please."

Rone sung as best as he could, but he was worried. The harbormaster had been really mad, he hoped the man didnt go and see his mother. The thought of that brute in the infirmary, yelling at the top of his lungs with all the sick people around made him shudder. Not to mention what would happen if he went into a characteristic rage with all that medicine lying around. He felt eyes on him and looked up from the music book and met harper Argeons eyes. He saw understanding there and the silent command to wait after class. Rone nodded slightly and sang with a bit more enthusiasm.

Rone watched as the harper put up his harp and waited to be spoken to. Argeon turned around and motioned for him to sit in one of the stools littering the floor of the room, only closer to the front. Rone righted one and sat with hands folded in his lap. "Alright, whats going on now Rone?" The Harper asked, his kind old eyes soft. "Its the harbormaster sir. He wont let any of us see the searchdragons and is really mean to us even when we do what he wants. He drives us like slaves and is mean to our parents when they try to stop him." Rone said softly, eyes on the floor, his mind turning somersaults at what the harbormaster might be doing in the medical clinic while he sat here. Argeon started at the boys words, he didnt know that parents had objected to the treatment of their kids. He had figured they were all cowed under the Masters dominance. " I want to be a dragonrider sir," the lad said continuing, " my mom wants to help me but she cant. I got searched once, before I started work here, my mom said no cause I was too young. She said I could when I got older, but now Im older and cant see any of the searchriders!"

Rone took a deep breath and looked down coldly at his feet, trying hard not to cry. "I cant do anything right with the stupid fish sir, the Master knows it, my mom knows it, everyone knows it. But he still wont let me go!" Argeon looked outside his window and sighed. This was worse then just bossing around kids, he was infringing on their rights and the rights of their parents. "Lad, I'll help you all I can, tonight Im going to write to the Masterharper and ask for assistance." Ronelec nodded and looked out the window too. His eyes widened, then seemed to grow cold and calculating and when he next spoke it was with surprise touched with anger. "Great Faranth, he was at the infirm. Sir, I have to go, see thats my mom out there yelling at him." Argeon followed the boys finger and set his jaw. "lad Im coming with you, leave your books, come back for them later." But Rone was already out the door and running. " Shard it." was all Argeon got out before he too was on his feet, wishing his old bones could get him out the door faster and wouldnt complain so sharding much.

"I dont care if you need workers Harbormaster! This is going to stop, I wont have my son getting injured all the time and risking his life out on those skifs when you could easily hire some experienced fishermen and dockworkers. To me, my son comes first, not you or your grand schemes for this hold!" Rones mom shouted, her face red and her blue-green eyes fierce, while she glared up at the equally red face of the big harbormaster. The mans fists where clenched so tight at his side that they were white, and when Rone ran up, panting slightly, he only hoped the fisherman wouldnt strike his mother. But before the Hardbormaster could open his mouth to bellow back, or raise his hand to strike either Rone or his mom, the Harper stormed up, and, of all things, slapped the harbormaster himself.

Rones mom, Varena, went white in the face, while Rone quickly ducked behind her. Argeon crossed his arms across his chest and, standing pointedly in front of Rone and his mother, glowered back at the harbormasters furious face. "Now let the sense seep in through that hardened skull of yours harbormaster. These two have just been denied their basic rights, now before I call for reinforcements and have you forcibly removed from this hold, listen." The man sputtered a few words, but fell back a step, his face registering both shock and anger all at the same time.

As for Argeon, he had surprised himself, but he knew he couldnt stand down now. "Now, is it safe for me to guess that a dragonrider just recently visited the hold, one on search no less?" Still angry the Master nodded stiffly, while Argeon groaned inwardly. "What possessed you to deny them man? They protect us, keep us alive and our world free when the cursed thread falls. How could you even think of denying them their basic rights to search for one that would soon become one of theirs. For likely lads and lasses that would join in the defense of this planet!" When the big man didnt answer him, Argeon continued. "And what were you thinking, speaking in that way to a woman who patches up the damage that you do to both children and adults, who, technically, doesnt have to be here! Varena could easily leave and go back to the Healer Hall and wait for a new post somewhere else!"

The Master shot a quick glance at Rones mother, who only glared back him fiercely, quickly he looked away from her steely gaze. "I, Im not sure what came over me.." he sputtered, looking away from Argeon, his gaze settling on Rone, who now stood next to his mother. His next words were addressed to Argeon, but he looked at Rone the whole time. "I understand Harper, and Varena, I am sorry to have spoken so harshly." Argeon harumphed while Varena mumbled a soft "thats alright." But Ronelec didnt like the look in the mans eyes.

But before he could think to do or say anything, the harbormaster turned on his heel and quickly strode away, his generally smooth and powerful gate somewhat rocky and uneven.

   TBC

     ~LUna