The harpers are the storytellers, minstrels, and the teachers of Pern. They beat out messages from the drum heights, they entertain at the gather, they teach the ballads that will keep the knowledge of thread alive through the long intervals...
EXCERPT:
“You’ll want to put these on,” D’vin said, pulling a pack off his back and removing something blue. He shook it out and handed it across to Pellar.
Pellar shook his head and waved the offer aside, appalled that the dragonrider would offer him the clothes of a full apprentice harper.
“They’ll fit,” D’vin said, extending his hand again. “Master Murenny swore on it.”
Pellar gave the dragonrider a questioning look.
“He said that they’re yours,” D’vin told him in reply. For a moment the confident rider looked uncomfortable as he asked, “You’re not upset that there’s no proper ceremony, are you? Master Murenny seemed assured that you’d take these from a dragonrider.”
Harper clothers? Apprentice? A full apprentice? Proper? Pellar dodged past the clothes and grabbed the rider in a fierce hug, clapping him firmly on the back.
Even though Master Murenny and Zist had said he could be an apprentice, he had always been half-afraid that they didn’t mean it, that maybe they were just humoring him – until now. Proper clothes! He really was a harper!
I have told D’vin that you are honored, Hurth said, adding a low rumble to Chitter’s high, happy warbling.
Pellar stepped back and bowed apologetically to D’vin.
The bronze rider smiled, drew himself up to his full height, steadied his expression, held out the blue garments in both hands to Pellar and said formally, “Pellar, I have been requested by Murenny, Masterharper of Pern, to present you the formal garb of a harper apprentice. Do you accept?
With equal formality, Pellar nodded and gave the dragonrider the same half-bow he’d seen other apprentices give on their induction into the Harper Hall. Then he took formal delivery of the precious blue garments.
The previous paragraphs are from Dragon’s Fire by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey, copyright 2006 Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey.