Robinton was surprised that his Master was aware that Robinton had won so many of those races, and frankly amazed that his wins had disgruntled Fax. At the time, the runner-up had taken his losing in good part.
Fax awarded Master Lobira a sustained and disturbing look, gave Robinton a final contemptuous glance, and left. Robinton breathed a sigh of relief.
“Watch him! He really wanted an opportunity to humiliate you in front of the entire Hold,” Lobira said. “I can’t have that. Ruins discipline in the class. But if you wanted to do some work-outs with Mallan on the defensive moves you were taught at the Hall, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. For you both. And the apprentices.”
“I think I will, Master,” Robinton replied soberly. There was little doubt that Fax had a personal grudge against him. Or maybe it was against all harpers. In any event, Fax did not request a harper for his holding. That was his decision and his folk would be stinted by the lack, but only Lord Faroguy could require his holders to provide education. Since Fax’s holding appeared to be so much more profitable under his management, Lord Faroguy had little reason to question his methods. Somehow Fax managed to keep from his uncle the fact that his profits were obtained by whippings and threats of eviction.
Mallan and Robinton went through the drills on mats and, if Robinton was able to floor Mallan occasionally, the other journeyman was just as deft. At least they were each capable of quick, reflexive action.
With the pass shut by massive drifts, communication was now limited to the drums and an eight-hour evening watch was one of Robinton’s less agreeable duties as a journeyman. Even a blazing fire in the hearth did not keep the Drum Tower warm enough for comfort. The pacing of every drum-watchkeeper since the Hold had been carved out of solid rock had worn a trough around the perimeter of the Tower. One had to be careful not to stumble. One good thing, though – the Tower could be reached from within the Hold itself. Some of the Southern Holds had outside stairways to their drum heights.
Manning the Drum Tower was no sinecure and required close attention. Snowfall sometimes muffled incoming messages, and outgoing ones could cause minor avalanches, heard as distant thunders in the night and made eerier by the darkness. On clear evenings, when both Belior and Timor were full, Robinton could sometimes see the seven spires of the abandoned High Reaches Weyr. He wondered how it varied from the other two he had seen.
Probably not by much, but maybe he’d see if he could get in that one too, simply for comparison’s sake.
All the new surroundings and experiences struck fresh chords within him. Rather boldly, he composed a song for the miners” double quartet that was more suited to their vocal skills than many available ballads: a humorous tale of six verses and a chorus about a miner and his love, just their style. It was so well received that Master Lobira wanted to know where Robinton had been hiding it.
“Oh, well, it was among the stuff I brought up,” Robinton said,
caught unawares.
“Really?”
“Well, sort of. I mean, the melody was written out. I kind of rearranged it for the miners and added the chorus so everyone could join in.”
“Did you now?” Master Lobira eyed his journeyman and pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Well, if you say so.”
Robinton retreated as soon as he politely could. Master Lobira had only glanced at the last packet to come in from the Harper Hall before handing it over to him. There were such good voices and players here, and a new song could liven evenings so much that Robinton hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to sneak in his
new song. He’d be more circumspect and just adapt other music, already in the repertoire.
But he underestimated Master Lobira.
“You wrote these,” Lobira said, stamping into his bed cubicle one evening with a sheaf of neat music scores in one hand, his expression accusatory.
As Robinton was in the process of writing down yet another tune, he could scarcely deny it when Lobira snagged the hide out of his hand and began comparing them.