Here is the new opening scene of "Harvest," so I open the story with the main plot thread.
"Heya, Ekanu! Over here!"
Denifar's voice cut through the chaos of Ileara's deepwater harbor like a clarion horn through a tuning orchestra. Ekanu pivoted, one hand rising to shade her eyes from the midday sun, and spotted her friend waving from his perch on a post near the joining of dock and shore. His brown hair was ragged and falling in his eyes, his hands callused from metalwork and carpentry, and his shirtsleeves frayed. A stranger would likely have judged him a down-on-his-luck laborer, not a Scholar of the University with a growing reputation among his fellow mechanists.
Ekanu smiled to herself. Denifar tended to ignore anything without numbers or gears attached to it, unless she was nearby to remind him and keep him organized. In return, he dragged her back to everyday life when she got lost in music; it was a good partnership. She'd missed him, these past two years.
She slung her guitar case over her shoulder and began threading her way through disembarking passengers and offloaded cargo. Common and Hlaenish swirled around her in a raucous jumble of words, and the spring breeze assaulted her nose with the scents of salt, fish, sweat, and sun-warmed tar. She stifled a sneeze with her shirtsleeve.
"The air's much better at the chapterhouse," Denifar said as he leaped down from the dock-post, steadying himself with a hand on Ekanu's free shoulder. "They built it inland, outside the old walls from when most of Na'eraelu still belonged to the Empire. I think they wanted to make it neutral ground for Estarins and Hlaenor. Anyway, you'll love the place -- it's nothing but fields and trees for miles and you can see the wind running through the flowers."
"That sounds beautiful," Ekanu agreed. "And the people? Are they also lovely?"
Denifar tilted his hand back and forth, grinning. "A little yes, a little no, just like everywhere else. The mechanists are great -- the waterwheel project is going to be brilliant, better than firecrackers -- but there are always a few people who give me dirty looks and make a point of only talking Hlaenish when I'm close enough to overhear."
He clapped his hands. "But enough about me -- look at you! You're brown as a chestnut and your hair is so long. I like the braid, by the way, very pretty. Vinaeo and Shimat-Mek were good for you! And how was Estara? I assume, since you're here, that you read the letter I left for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you got home, but this project was too interesting to pass up and Master Farling said he'd trim half a year off my pledged service if I came here and got them to stop writing to him with questions every sixday."
Ekanu laughed. "I thought the years might change you, idaya, but you're like water, always the same. Yes, I read your letter and understand why you accepted this offer. I'm simply happy I was able to find a reason to follow you here. It's been too long since we saw each other."
"Mmm. Definitely." Denifar offered his hand with a smile. "What odds would you have put on their music mistress dropping dead barely a moon ago, just after her apprentice left and it was most convenient for us?"
Ekanu punched him in the shoulder before taking his hand. "Don't speak so lightly of the dead. It was coincidence, nothing more. And don't expect me to ignore my work and spend all my time with you."
"Fair enough, I'm horribly busy anyway," Denifar agreed, swinging their joined hands as they walked away from the docks. "Let's grab your bags and get you settled in at the chapterhouse. I'm sure the council is breathless with anticipation."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Harvest - Ekanu
Date: 2011-02-25 07:02 am (UTC)"Heya, Ekanu! Over here!"
Denifar's voice cut through the chaos of Ileara's deepwater harbor like a clarion horn through a tuning orchestra. Ekanu pivoted, one hand rising to shade her eyes from the midday sun, and spotted her friend waving from his perch on a post near the joining of dock and shore. His brown hair was ragged and falling in his eyes, his hands callused from metalwork and carpentry, and his shirtsleeves frayed. A stranger would likely have judged him a down-on-his-luck laborer, not a Scholar of the University with a growing reputation among his fellow mechanists.
Ekanu smiled to herself. Denifar tended to ignore anything without numbers or gears attached to it, unless she was nearby to remind him and keep him organized. In return, he dragged her back to everyday life when she got lost in music; it was a good partnership. She'd missed him, these past two years.
She slung her guitar case over her shoulder and began threading her way through disembarking passengers and offloaded cargo. Common and Hlaenish swirled around her in a raucous jumble of words, and the spring breeze assaulted her nose with the scents of salt, fish, sweat, and sun-warmed tar. She stifled a sneeze with her shirtsleeve.
"The air's much better at the chapterhouse," Denifar said as he leaped down from the dock-post, steadying himself with a hand on Ekanu's free shoulder. "They built it inland, outside the old walls from when most of Na'eraelu still belonged to the Empire. I think they wanted to make it neutral ground for Estarins and Hlaenor. Anyway, you'll love the place -- it's nothing but fields and trees for miles and you can see the wind running through the flowers."
"That sounds beautiful," Ekanu agreed. "And the people? Are they also lovely?"
Denifar tilted his hand back and forth, grinning. "A little yes, a little no, just like everywhere else. The mechanists are great -- the waterwheel project is going to be brilliant, better than firecrackers -- but there are always a few people who give me dirty looks and make a point of only talking Hlaenish when I'm close enough to overhear."
He clapped his hands. "But enough about me -- look at you! You're brown as a chestnut and your hair is so long. I like the braid, by the way, very pretty. Vinaeo and Shimat-Mek were good for you! And how was Estara? I assume, since you're here, that you read the letter I left for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you got home, but this project was too interesting to pass up and Master Farling said he'd trim half a year off my pledged service if I came here and got them to stop writing to him with questions every sixday."
Ekanu laughed. "I thought the years might change you, idaya, but you're like water, always the same. Yes, I read your letter and understand why you accepted this offer. I'm simply happy I was able to find a reason to follow you here. It's been too long since we saw each other."
"Mmm. Definitely." Denifar offered his hand with a smile. "What odds would you have put on their music mistress dropping dead barely a moon ago, just after her apprentice left and it was most convenient for us?"
Ekanu punched him in the shoulder before taking his hand. "Don't speak so lightly of the dead. It was coincidence, nothing more. And don't expect me to ignore my work and spend all my time with you."
"Fair enough, I'm horribly busy anyway," Denifar agreed, swinging their joined hands as they walked away from the docks. "Let's grab your bags and get you settled in at the chapterhouse. I'm sure the council is breathless with anticipation."