Speculation

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 19th August 2015

Characters: F'lin, Riveenata
Description: F'lin and Riveenata gossip about the vacant Wingsecond spot.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: K'sedel, M'galec, K'lvin, V'kellyn, A'kades, Y'gel, K'reyel, R'masu, R'yin, Ciara

"So who do you think K'sedel will choose as his Wingsecond?" F'lin asked the question idly, but was keenly interested in the answer. Even as a weyrling, Riveenata seemed to have her ear to the ground and knew all the gossip before he'd even gotten wind of it.

"Who's available to fill it right now?" she mused as pondered the question. "He probably isn't going to poach another Wing's 'Second for himself, but maybe he would take a Wingleader. You're the bronzerider, which would you rather have, leading your own wing or being second to the Big Man himself?"

"As much as I'd like to think otherwise, I'm not qualified to lead a Wing. Yet." The bronzerider shrugged, both honest and disappointed about his own lack of experience-- and relatively few Turns. Opportunities for advancement in the Wings didn't come along often enough. "I'd like some training first, and K'sedel's been doing this for a long, long time. And besides, when I do lead a Wing--" he grinned, "--it'll be Rapids."

"Such confidence in yourself," she said, laughing. "I had been more wondering if you thought a Wingleader would step down from their current role in order to take on being Wingsecond instead - like if K'lvin would do it. If they'd all rather keep their own spots, it might be a steady bronze or brownrider who's not currently in a Wing position. And then it's a question of who's got the temperament and some prior experience..."

Riven narrowed her eyes as a thought came to her. "Hope it's not M'galec."

"Flame that. I'd transfer." F'lin shuddered theatrically. M'galec had made his weyrlinghood unpleasant, and there was every reason to think that the older bronzerider would transfer his loathsome attitudes to the fighting Wings if he had the chance.

"Don't want him in the weyrling Wing, don't want him second in command of Rapids..." She tried to figure out who else. "Maybe if one of the Weyrlingmaster staff stepped down, but both of them are pretty new to the job, why would they want to lose it?"

"There's too much turnover in Werylingstaff anyway. K'sedel wouldn't do it. I know Tsaera counted herself lucky whenever she found someone who was willing to stay on staff instead of begging to be transferred out." Weyrlingstaff burnout was high at any Weyr. Good Weyrlingmasters were worth their weight in gold. "I don't know either... maybe Y'gel? But he's already busy as Dragonhealer. I doubt he'd want to double up, or leave his current position."

"There's a couple master dragonhealers who aren't bronzeriders who could take it over if he did leave it," she said. F'lin was right about the weyrlings. "Think he'd pick a brownrider? I think R'masu's done some leadership before and he's solid."

"Maybe," F'lin muttered. She was right. R'masu would be a good choice and he'd lead the Wing well, but F'lin wanted those knots with every fiber of his being. "So would R'yin, if we're talking brownriders. And who knows, there's every possibility that K'sedel will open the position to riders from other Weyrs."

"R'yin and Ciara had a thing. Would he be comfortable working with the other man so closely?" Dragonrider mores were different from holder ones but she could still see how it'd be awkward working so closely with someone who might still covet your weyrmate.

"Oh right! I'd forgotten." F'lin grimaced. That was exactly the sort of thing that a Wingsecond should remember. "Not R'yin then."

She scrunched her nose, looking for other ideas. "Maybe he'll pick my dad." R'ven had been a steady brownrider for almost 30 Turns, after all.

"He'd be good." Unfortunately. F'lin was beginning to realize that he hadn't thought so much about the competition, just about the outcome and how it would feel to wear those knots on his shoulder. "Think he'd want it?"

"I've never asked, but I don't think so. If he wanted it, he could have stepped up when A'kades got hurt and lost his spot," she pointed out. "I don't think he's nearly as ambitious as, say, me."

He raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Riven-- to _really_ look at her. She was pretty enough, with golden skin, black hair and eyes as blue as a dragon's hide. But maybe it was that spark of ambition they both shared that drew him to her. "Are you thinking about taking A'kades' place?"

"Nah, I'd have to take D'lorn's. Us lowly greenriders don't get to be 'Seconds, just Thirds. And I was a trio leader." But not a nine. She'd resented that.

"You'd be good at it," he said, and he meant it. "But really, you'd be good at anywhere with the Weyrlingstaff. Lowly greenrider or not," he added, nudging her with his elbow.

"You think so? I'm not sure I could do it for awhile. I want to see what actually being in the Wings is like. Maybe some day get past mop-up duty."

The bronzerider rolled his eyes. "The Queen's Wing isn't mop-up duty." '

It sure felt like it. They didn't get as much of the Thread as the higher level wings, and a lot of the riders were the injured and pregnant, out of peak condition. Although she knew protecting the golds was paramount, it still felt like not enough. But how much of that was her, and how much Savith's pride and aggression?

She decided to go back towards the last topic. "Why d'ya think K'reyel left anyway? He had a good thing going here...Wingsecond, plus he'd won Weyrleader before. What's cold Dragonsfall got going for it?"

F'lin shrugged and stretched his legs out into the sunshine. The day was hot, but it was pleasant to lounge around in the shade with a friend. "Wingsecond to his father. Maybe he just wanted to work with someone else for a while."

"He felt like he'd been under K'sedel's shadow?" she hazarded, supposing she could see it. Another Weyrleader would teach him other skills. But still, to go away. K'reyel had lived at other places than River Bluff, so she supposed it wasn't entirely weird for him. But for her... "I just can't imaging leaving River Bluff. It's all I know."

"It's not so bad. I came from Topaz Seahold, remember. But yeah... I wouldn't want to leave here either." He surveyed what he could see of the Weyr from their seat; the edges of the cliff, the sea beyond, the green sway of trees in the clear, tropical sunlight. This was home, now.

"You have experience being elsewhere. I don't." She sighed as she thought about it. "Ever wish you'd gone to Dolphin Cove? Had you been there before?"

"I have an aunt there who rides green. It's nice enough, but it's not home like River Bluff's always been." He paused. "I guess it's because of Tsaera. It was her Weyr, so it felt more like 'ours' than Dolphin Cove did. And it still does even though she's left."

"Even though you'd have been protecting Topaz' territory? Or would that have made it worse?"

"Worse how?" he asked.

How could she put it politely? "Well...because it was your home. Would it have been weird to fly Fall over it?" With it damaged and all, she thought.

He shrugged again. "I dont know. Probably not. I tend to look up instead of down during Threadfall."

"Fair enough. I don't feel weird flying over here, but I get the impression people who're so attached to their lands can feel either proud of saving them or widgy about making mistakes. I don't know that much about the outside...maybe I'm wrong."

F'lin laughed. "You mean 'much about Holders'? They're just people too! And it's no different than flying Fall over your own Weyr. For me, I'm proud of what I do and I don't want to make mistakes either, but I think that's a human thing, not a Holder one."

"I guess that makes sense. Sometimes I think it's bad for weyrfolk to not know much about holders. But then I think about going out there and getting judged just for being a woman."

"Aw. Don't forget that the people who end up at the Weyr from the Holds are generally here because they're running from something. We mostly hear the bad stories." The bronzerider gave a crooked smile. "But most Holders out there are good people. They don't understand you just as much as you don't understand them."

"That's kind of sad," she said. "At least there's people like you who've seen both sides. You seemed to adapt pretty well," she said, elbowing him in the ribs, but not too hard.

The bronzerider flinched. "Yeah, but I had family on both sides of the fence. That helps."

"I bet it does."

F'lin was silent a moment, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine while he could. "I feel about ready for dinner. You hungry?" he said after a moment. As if on cue, his stomach growled.

"Sounds good to me," she said. "And then what are you doing afterwards?"

"Whatever you're doing?" The bronzerider waggled his eyebrows at Riven.

"I can think of a few plans," she said with an answering grin. "And if you're really nice I'll show them to you."

F'lin stood and offered Riveenata a hand up. "That's convenient. I'm always really nice!"

"That's what I like about you, my handsome young bronzerider."

Last updated on the September 6th 2015

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