Personality
   She's usually very peaceable, but when Arieka is angry, boy, she's furious. She likes to listen more than she likes to talk, because she loves to know the latest gossip. She's usually somewhat aloof at first meet, but warms up to people pretty fast unless they prove to be otherwise unreliable. That's a bad thing, too, since she can carry grudges better than she can carry pebbles in her pocket. She hates to be laughed at, and tends to be sisterly to all her friends. Arieka might take some prodding to get her going on an assignment, but she works hard once she gets into the swing of things.

History
   Arieka originally hails from High Reaches Hold, but her mother, Mave the harper, soon moved Arieka away to be an apprentice at the Smith Hall under MasterSmith Yanopis. Arieka doesn't know who her father is because Mave has always refused to tell. Her situation has cost her much of her pride, since as a child she was very vulnerable to cruel taunting by other children calling her a "bastard whorling." So she and her mother moved away once Arieka turned 11, and has been promoted to a senior apprentice through hard work in the time since. However, her mother feels the yearning to pick up her lute again, and has suggested that perhaps Arieka should find her true passion...

Abilities and weaknesses
   Arieka usually runs into problems with authority figures from time to time when she forgets her place. She also tends to burst out in anger every once in awhile if she doesn't get her way, but as long as a tight rein is given to her, and she is given an artistic means to release her pent-up emotions, she tends to take to assignments with great energy and enthusiasm (unless it's scrubbing dung heaps.) Arieka is independent and works best under pressure, but tends to hesitate on decisions quite a bit if she is given time. Her intuitions often serve her well.