Asha

[queenrider melody]

This story takes place in the 136th turn in the Ninth Interval. Parden any misspellings.
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It was a busy but joyful day at Camp Talor, for it was the day they were to entertain the new Master Miner, Monorat. "We don't have all day!" screamed a furious Talor. "You, girl!" He pointed at Asha as she ran by.

"Yes, sir?" she timidly asked the anxious miner.

"Go to Harper Kalt and tell him to pick up the pace with the entertainment! While you're at it, you might as well help him with it," Talor replied sharply, pointing to the cot hold.

"Yes, sir!" Asha exclaimed before she ran as fast as she could toward the cot hold. She rapped on the door and called, "Harper Kalt?"

"Yes? Oh, it's you, Asha!" Kalt said as he opened the door slightly. "Come in." Asha walked into the dark cot hold and turned around to see the last bit of outside light fade away as Harper Kalt closed the door.

"Did it work?" he asked her with a mischievous tone to his voice.

"It worked just as I had planned," Asha said as she settled herself in a nearby armchair. "When I ran by, he stopped me and directed me here. Please change the glows." Harper Kalt walked to a door where he found glows to light the room with. The room soon became filled with light.

"That's better," the Harper said as he sat in the chair directly across from Asha. "Now, what should we do for entertainment?"

"You know, we should always begin with an introduction ballad. How about this:
'Camp Talor,
Camp Talor,
All are welcomed at
Camp Talor.
From Miners
To Harpers
To Farmers,
Too,
All are welcomed at
Camp Talor.'
Then we should give them a lively dance song with no vocals but a fiddle and flute, accompanied by some drums," Asha began, going down the line of possible entertainment. "Then, as a break, a couple of slow symphonies with vocals and the flute with a possible violin accompaniment."

[queenrider melody]

An hour later, Asha and Harper Kalt were finished with the arrangements for entertainment. "I must go now, Harper Kalt," Asha said, standing up and making her way to the door.

"Do not forget about tonight, though," Kalt said, wagging a finger at her.

"You aren't that much older than me, are you?" Asha asked, for he barely towered over her.

"I am eighteen turns old and you are only sixteen, but yes, I'm not much older than you," Kalt replied.

"Oh my!" Asha exclaimed as she stepped outside. "It's noon! I must be on my way now. I will see you tonight, Harper Kalt." She waived a goodbye to the Harper and ran to her house.

Her dad was in his armchair, tired from his long shift.

"How did Tarask take it?" Asha asked, wondering if the camps second watch-wher could still take the shifts.

"He did just fine, hide still gleaming brown. It's a tremendous waste that the last female watch-wher died, especially with a male as young as that Atar's Masarask," her father said, pretty much saying what she had thought ever since last winter when the camp's remaining green watch-wher died.

Asha nodded an agreement to her father, making sure to have a blank expression on her face.

She truly wished to become a wherhandler, especially that of a green. She dreamed all the time of owning a watch-wher, and helping her father with Tarask was only second best.

"I must prepare for the performance tonight," Asha said to her father as she started to head to her room.

"Performance?" her father asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"I'm helping Harper Kalt with the entertainment for Master Miner Monorat tonight," Asha said to her father, hoping that he wouldn't ask why she spent so much time with the new harper.

"Well, I'm proud of you," her father replied, hugging her close.

Most people expected that Asha would become a harper one day, but she didn't think that it would happen. Yet others believed that Asha would become a healer. There were still a few people that was in Asha's state of mind and thought she should be a wherhandler.

"Now, go," her father pulled away and pushed her to her room. "Make me proud tonight and play to the best of your ability!" He smiled as she went into the bedroom and played.

[queenrider melody]

That evening, Master Miner Monorat arrived late.

"Master Miner Monorat!" Talor said excitedly as he shook the Master Miner's hand. "As you can see, Camp Talor makes only the best preperations for its guests. We have only the finest roasted wherries, the plumpest of herdbeasts, the best baked bubbly pies, and only the greatest Benden Wine!"

"Hmm, I approve, Miner Talor," rumbled Monorat as he looked down the table of orderves. "I see that there will be merriment and dancing tonight, won't there?"

"Yes, there will be," Talor replied timidly.

"My wife and I shall certainly enjoy our stay here, Talor," Monorat said, looking around the room. At some things he nodded, at some things he grunted, and they finally stopped when he said, "Let's go talk about your camp now. I here that you are short one breeding watch-wher."

The two of them walked out of hearing distance of Asha to discuss the conditions of the mine.

Asha was setting up the drums when Harper Kalt walked over to her.

"I think that this will be a very successful night," he said, sitting in his place with the violin.

"It sure will," Asha said, getting ready to sing. The singing of this song would be the most important event of the evening.

She stepped up to the platform and clapped her hands together. Then, she began to sing:
"Camp Talor,
Camp Talor,
All are welcomed at
Camp Talor.
From Miners
To Harpers
To Farmers
Too,
All are welcomed at
Camp Talor."

The audience clapped enthusiastically when Asha finished the introduction song.