Mireilla's Life before Harper Hall
Until her twelveth turn, Mireilla was raised in the most part by Naeli, her
maternal grandmother who is a hunter and independant trader. They traveled a
fairly steady route that began in summer with heavier trading and supply
gathering from their 'home' in Fort Hold. Before first frost, they would set
off for the northern regions stopping in Ruatha, Nabol and Crom holds before
wintering in a hot spring and cave area just off Telgar Weyr. Then, in spring,
they would make their way back to Fort, trading winter pelts and the
embrodiered crafts and clothing that they created in the longest of the ice
bound days in the far northwest.
In the realm of experience, Mireilla has helped her grandmother with hunting
and trapping for both food and hides. She also was trained to help with the
embroidry, and though neither her grandmother nor her birthmother, Gainey (who
often divided her time between searching for Eil's lost father and traveling
with them) ever attained any rank worth mentioning, both were harper trained
and spent their few leisure hours crafting rough, simple instruments and
either singing or playing in the wilderness for both pleasure and instruction.
However, even with the trade and traveling, Eil has been protected from the
more sordid incidents of life because both her grand and her birth mothers
shied away from crowds and only stayed in hold or weyr long enough to trade
their goods, escape thread, gain some marks or supplies, and return to the
wild. So, Eli seems fascinated and enchanted by everything around her.
Finally, on Eil's twelveth turnday, her grandmother took her to the Harper Hall
at Fort Hold where an old friend, Delron, suggested that a girl with good
background and skilled hands (but little else to reccomend her) should be sent
to the hall at Ista Island for evaluation and training.
Mireilla arrived at Ista Island on an autumn day at dawn after traveling from
Fort for 27 days (33rd turn/10th pass).
Mireilla's Life in Harper Hall
At 12 turns and 3 months old, Eil was accepted as a junior harper. As such, she can be
found (when not in regular classes) in the instrument workshop using her 'skilled hands'
to adaquetly craft the tools she will need to "Follow that Dream".
Eil remained a junior apprentice for 2 turns and 9 months.
