Discussing the Job

Writers: Avery, Chelle
Date Posted: 17th May 2015

Characters: D'lorn, A'kades
Description: A'kades and D'lorn have a work talk.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 4 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Orlaith, Anaeryth, Vilarth, M'galec

A'kades was carrying a tray from the kitchen with drinks. It was
probably too early in the day for beer, so he'd picked out juice and
klah. If this meeting ran over, at least they'd have some
refreshments. Besides, he had some news to share.

He knocked on D'lorn's office door and waited for a reply.

The greenrider gave his usual, "Enter," without even looking to see
who it was before he finished writing the line of script he was adding
to a weyrling's record hide. If he didn't, he'd forget his train of thought
and never finish it later. The weyrlingmaster's head came up after that
and he wasn't surprised to see the bronzerider but he wondered what had
brought him to his door.

"I wanted to have a talk about weyrling lessons, if you have time,"
A'kades said to the other man.

"Of course. I always have time for that." Setting some of his things aside,
he made room for the tray. D'lorn went straight for the klah. That was
always welcome in his book.

A'kades sat down and poured himself a cup. "First, I should inform you
that I talked to the Weyrleader today. He offered me the chance to make
working with the weyrlings more permanent. Will that bother you?"

That was an interesting piece of information. As it was, they'd had a
rotating staff recently. That was normal, though it did make things difficult
since it was hard to continually adjust to working with new folk. He wondered why
the bronzerider didn't want to go back to the wings. Training weyrlings was harder, in
D'lorn's book. "Is that something you want?"

"If you'd asked me last Turn I would have said I'd rather be a
Wingleader. But I've enjoyed the work, and I'd like to at least stick
out Orlaith's latest class."

"Hmmm...because I'm going to warn you-it's not always good days. And
watching young dragons and riders die, most of the time needlessly, is a lot harder
than watching older dragons and riders die in Threadfall." A shadow crossed his face and
he saw the look on the brown weyrling's face before he disappeared, never to live again.

The bronzerider thought he knew who the Third was referencing. "But
someone has to do it. We can't leave them unlearned."

"Aye someone does, but that someone usually doesn't last very long."
The past weyrlingmasters came to mind, but he didn't say anything.
Sighing, the greenrider looked up and then back at the desk. "If you feel
it's something you need to do, then by all means. Remember, though, they
are children for the most part. You can't treat them like you do your
wingriders."

That was a fair point to be reminded of. He had a tendency to be sharp
with people who weren't doing things right. "Do you ever feel like you've
been too soft on them?"

"Not in the least. We work as a team aye? M'galec and the others were always
the hard ones. I was always the teacher with patience. As a consequence, I
was the one they came to." D'lorn didn't mind. It was a setup that usually
worked. He knew they needed discipline at times.

"Seems a smart division of labor," the bronzerider agreed.

D'lorn wasn't a fool. He'd seen the new knots and he was wondering when
A'kades was going to mention the fact that he was now his new boss. He
continued to partake of the things the bronzerider had brought, ignoring the
wherry in the room.

"Would you have any problems with me taking over?" A'kades asked.

"I don't think that's a proper question. It's not my decision." He was
a greenrider. It was never his decision.

"But you had the job first, and I wouldn't want to saddle you with me
if you hated me." He thought of the way some people absolutely
couldn't stand M'galec. It made him wonder if intra-staff conflict was part
of the reason some burned out.

"And that is why I don't hate you. You see me as a person and consider my
feelings on the matter." It was a very easy observation. "I'm not going to
deny that you and I have very different styles. As long as we get the job
done and can work together, I don't mind." D'lorn didn't need more responsibility.
Not when he was still trying to sort out the latest disaster in his mind.

"Then I look forward to working together," A'kades said. "Are there any
concerns you have over the next months of classes?"

"The seniors will be graduating soon which means we are going the the
hardest part-Blooding. The juniors are heading for another big milestone-betweening.
We have the potential to lose weyrlings during both." He wondered if he
should admit that he might have a hard time himself. **Probably not. You don't know him
well enough. And it might be allright.**

"Do you want me to take the /between/ lessons?" A'kades asked. He
understood how serious that was. He wouldn't let them go if their
visual wasn't perfect. Even if he had to hold back half of the class
and piss off a bunch of people.

"I'd rather someone else do it since Anaeryth will be going through
for the first time." She was too valuable and he didn't want to risk it or have that
responsibility. This was D'lorn's first gold weyrling and at times it was a lot of pressure
when it came to things like this-especially after what had just happened.

"Then I'll do that. You're welcome to watch if you want." Or he could
stay in his weyr with Villith if that would be easier. He didn't want
to push.

"Any of the seniors you're worried about?" he added.

"Not particularly but sometimes in the heat of the moment, they crack under
the pressure and then they're lost. My only hope is those that get injured
only receive minor injuries. We'll see." He could fly threadfall. That was a death
that wasn't his fault.

A'kades nodded soberly. He'd come to really like some of Vilarth's
clutch, and he didn't want to see them fail when they'd made it so
far. "We'll see how they do. And then it'll be time for graduation and
wing assignments."

"Which we usually know a few sevendays ahead of time so probably need
to have a sit down with the Wingleaders soon." That was a good time-to
celebrate them becoming full riders and no longer their responsibility. It was also
good for the wings to get new blood within a Pass.

A'kades nodded. "Should be interesting. Anything else?"

"For now....no. But we'll need to talk about schedule changes and setups
soon." That could wait till another day. The man had just gotten promoted after
all.

Last updated on the May 31st 2015

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