“I started on pipes too, you know,” he said gently, and pointed to them on the wall.
The boy looked surprised.
“Did you bring yours with you?” Robinton asked.
“He’s never without them,” his grandfather said proudly and nodded to Sebell.
The boy reached behind him and produced multiple pipes which he had tucked into his waistband, hidden from view under his shirt.
Robinton rose and got his own boyhood pipes. He grinned at Sebell as he tried to make his adult fingers fit the stops which had been made for much smaller hands. Then he did a quick scale and glanced at Sebell. The boy’s grin was slightly amused as he repeated the scale, quickly and well.
“How about this one?” And Robinton essayed a more complex arpeggio.
The boy’s grin broadened as he set his lips to the pipes and immediately brought forth the same run.
“Which is your favourite Teaching Ballad?” Robinton asked.
The boy began the Duty Song, which was not the simplest of the Ballads, and Robinton joined by piping a descant around the melody. Sebell’s eyes twinkled at the challenge, and the two pipers ended the song with quite a flourish, for Sebell had variations of his
own.
Robinton chuckled. “Can you sing it for me too, while I accompany you?”
The boy’s treble voice was not the least bit breathy, so someone had taught him a few vocal tricks. It was a good voice, too, and he had a good sense of rhythm and pitch and imbued the words with appropriate feeling. Shonagar would be overjoyed to have a new student.
“He’s your kin, Rantou.”
“And kin of yourself as well, Master Robinton.”
“Why, so he is!” Robinton quickly suppressed a wish that this had been his son, rather than poor retarded Camo. “Why, so he is,” he repeated more firmly and held out his hand to the boy. “The
Harper Hall will be pleased to have you join us. Very pleased.” “He won’t expect any favours, kin or not.”
“I do him none by giving any,” Robinton said, and then smiled encouragingly at Sebell.
A tap on the door and Silvina entered with a tray of refreshments, including newly baked cakes which brought an eager expression to the boy’s face.
“Silvina, meet Sebell, grandson of Rantou, and by way of being a relative of mine from my mother’s hold,” Robinton said.
Having settled the tray on the long table, Silvina held out her hand to Sebell, who jumped to his feet and gave her a shy bow before accepting her clasp.
“A new apprentice?” she asked, smiling kindly.
“And a new treble for Shonagar to train. Pipes well, too,” Robinton said with pride. He couldn’t resist ruffling the lad’s hair in his pleasure at his coming. “I met Rantou when I was much younger than Sebell …”
“You are related to MasterSinger Merelan?” Silvina asked as she poured klah and passed around the sweetener.
“We were very proud of her, we were, Silvina,” Rantou replied proudly. “We all were,” Silvina said and her warm smile included the newest recruit to the Harper Hall, who grinned shyly back at her as she passed him the plate of cakes.
Sebell settled in, a quiet lad but endlessly curious about things musical. Heen his son, rather than poor retarded Camo. “Why, so he is,” he repeated more firmly and held out his hand to the boy. “The
Harper Hall will be pleased to have you join us. Very pleased.” “He won’t expect any favours, kin or not.”
“I do him none by giving any,” Robinton said, and then smiled encouragingly at Sebell.
A tap on the door and Silvina entered with a tray of refreshments, including newly baked cakes which brought an eager expression to the boy’s face.
“Silvina, meet Sebell, grandson of Rantou, and by way of being a relative of mine from my mother’s hold,” Robinton said.
Having settled the tray on the long table, Silvina held out her hand to Sebell, who jumped to his feet and gave her a shy bow before accepting her clasp.
“A new apprentice?” she asked, smiling kindly.
“And a new treble for Shonagar to train. Pipes well, too,” Robinton said with pride. He couldn’t resist ruffling the lad’s hair in his pleasure at his coming. “I met Rantou when I was much younger than Sebell …”