Hapli

Impressed at Falas Weyr

Hapli is aged 17 Turns. She is healthy, has a muscular build, but is quite short. Her skin is fair, with a few freckles, and her wavy hair is golden blond and falls to her lower back. She usually keeps her hair in a braid. Her eyes are a medium hazel brown colour. She is plain-looking.

Her parents are both in the Tanner craft, and she was apprenticed at a young age. She was fostered out as her parents were busy with work, and often had to travel. Still, they often give her guidance, both with work and personal matters, and she thinks very highly of them.

She has a rather short temper and a sharp tongue, especially if she is interrupted. She is usually quite focused on her work, if she is interested. She rather likes her job as a tanner, and is skilled at her work, even as an apprentice. She is a quick learner and often comes up with creative ideas.

Jayavarth

Pet

Undra from Lauren's Adoption Agency

Story

After breakfast, Hapli started on the morning's work. She felt lucky that since she was a girl, she was not assigned to do the difficult and unpleasant job of tanning and dyeing the raw hides. Her duties were simply to check the finished hides for flaws, cut them into the correct shapes and sizes, and do some simple stitching.

She picked up a heavy stack of dyed leather sheets and carried them over to her work room, located far away from the tanning area. Her arms ached when she finally reached her table, but at least she was out of range of the odd smells coming from the tanning area.

She untied the bundle and examined the sheet of paper with the instructions on her work for the day. First she examined the leather for flaws. Then, she took out a graphite pencil, chalk, and a stack of templates, and began to carefully trace out the shapes on the leather. The Journeymen and perhaps one of the Masters would be coming to check her work later, and she wanted to do her job flawlessly.

I've been so doing well on this job for a long time already. Maybe soon they'll teach me more and let me do something more advanced, Hapli thought to herself as she finished drawing the first shape.

- - - - -

Hapli stretched and walked outside to have a breath of fresh air. The leathers were neatly cut and stacked on her work table. She had also done something extra, cutting up the remaining scraps of leather into thin strips. Sitting on the grass next to the door, she pulled out three strips from her pocket. One black, one brown, one green. She knotted them at their tips and began braiding the strips together.

Undra, her green firelizard, appeared above her and landed on her shoulder. She wore a patchwork collar made of different coloured scraps of leather, one of her owner's creations. Hapli gave Undra a pat, then resumed braiding the strips. She was making a wrist band for herself.

A sudden gust of wind and a noise of great wings distracted her. She looked up, frowning at the interruption. Sure enough, there was a blue dragon overhead, flying in to land. The dragonrider dismounted and walked towards the Tanner Hall.

"Why are you here? We aren't late with the tithe. I know we actually sent the goods early, just a few days ago, in fact," she told the dragonrider defensively.

The man blinked, and said, "I'm here on Search, not to ask about the tithe. Cool down, okay?"

"All right. Sorry I was rude earlier, but you startled me," Hapli replied. "Should I ask the other apprentices to come out? And could you tell me your name so I can announce you properly?"

"I forgot to introduce myself? Oh well, my name's P'mir and he's Siyeth. We're from Falas Weyr."

"And I'm Hapli," she said. She opened the door and shouted, "Hey, get out here everyone! P'mir and Siyeth are here on Search."

Her announcement brought an immediate response as the other apprentices ran out to the field. She glanced towards the other buildings and saw someone else, probably a Journeyman or Master alerted by the noise, walking towards their work room.

"Siyeth has chosen you, Hapli," P'mir said unexpectedly from behind her. She turned and blinked in surprise as he continued, "Are you coming?"

"Of course," she replied. "But I'll need to explain some things first." She could see the Journeyman approaching them.

"Don't worry, we'll wait for you," P'mir assured her. Hapli ran off to tell everyone the news.