For Your Consideration

Writers: Avery, Devin
Date Posted: 10th January 2018

Characters: N'vanik, A'kades
Description: N'vanik interviews an applicant for the soon-to-be-open Wingsecond position.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 24 of Turn 9

N'vanik

A'kades had been thinking about the potential for a transfer to
Dolphin Cove ever since his conversation with Jadirah earlier in the
month, but he'd been sitting on turning in papers for it so that he
could have time to deliberate on it and consider all angles of the
issue. Was she right that he was stagnating where he was at
Dragonsfall, that the quasi-familiarity was an impediment to him
recovering as well as he could?

Watching Vatirel - no, V'rel now - Impress had solidified his thoughts
in his mind. He wanted to transfer to Dolphin Cove Weyr, to fly
somewhere he didn't know and to be around to see support his son
through weyrlinghood. Maybe it would be the fresh start he needed to
begin to move forward in life, not just go day by day.

Now, hopefully the Weyrleader of Dolphin Cove would agree. A'kades
knew that the tropical Weyrs were very popular posts and that surely
more riders wanted to transfer into it than to other Weyrs. So he
likely had a number of applicants. A'kades would have to hope that his
past record of accomplishments and any recommendations from riders who
knew him would be sufficient.

So he got up before dawn, Dragonsfall time, and Volaith took them to
Dolphin Cove. He found his way to the Weyrleader's office and knocked
on the door.

"Come in." N'vanik was dealing with a mix of emotions and he was
trying not to let his negative feelings spill out on the applicants.
So instead he focused on the new little queen and the joy of her
arrival.

"Weyrleader N'vanik, my duty to you and Loseth," A'kades said as he
entered the office. He held papers under his arm and stood at his best
attention. "Congratulations again on the Hatching, and not just
because my son Impressed."

N'vanik's smile was genuine. "Thank you. Blue, wasn't it?" He hoped he
remembered right. It was hard to keep track of thirty-seven new
weyrlings, especially when one of them was a gold pair. "Please, have
a seat."

A'kades sat in the offered chair and slid his records across the table
to N'vanik. "V'rel and blue Rymeth, yes. I'm absolutely thrilled for
him."

"Vatirel, yes. I remember. He's been a Candidate for a while." N'vanik
didn't have a lot of interaction with Candidates but he recognized
some of the ones that had been Standing for Turns. "I'm happy for you
both." He skimmed over A'kades's records. "You were a Weyrlingmaster
Second at River Bluff, but you moved to wingrider at Dragonsfall. Is
that because the staff was full, or was that a choice?"

"The weyrlingstaff was full. Though I don't mind being an active
wingrider. I've been a Wingsecond before, and flying as a wingrider
has refreshed my skills with actually flying Fall in part of a wing."

**And you think you can replace R'ehn?** N'vanik bit back a snappish
response. No one could replace him, and no one would be good enough if
he kept thinking that way. "Tell me why you want this position."

"I know that as the Weyrleader, you have more on your plate than a
regular Wingleader does. He needs help balancing the flying,
administrative, and interpersonal parts of the Wing. You're
responsible for all the fighting dragons and the Wings as a whole, so
you need someone who can help make sure your Wing is as smooth as
possible for you."

"I can help you get that done because I have experience in a few
different leadership positions. I had a few Turns as a wingsecond
during the beginning of the Pass, so I have experience with the
administrative work of scheduling and reports, and also the position
at being at the front of a wing to lead it when necessary. Then I
became the Weyrlingmaster's Second, which gave me the chance to mentor
younger dragonriders and prepare them for the wings. I can find you
good candidates from the weyrlings, and I have new experience handling
bruised feelings when people can't play nice."

All of those were the qualifications he had. But any bronzerider
applying for a spot like this could have qualifications in their
history. What made him unique and a fit that N'vanik might appreciate?

"It's true that I'm as ambitious as any bronzerider. The other part
is, I'd like to transfer to Dolphin Cove because of V'rel, regardless
of the position," A'kades said.

"I originally chose Dragonsfall because I'm from the Opal Cove area
and I felt a sentimental reason to want to overflying it. I wasn't
offered a ranking position, I have no permanent attachments there. I
do have a son here, one who hasn't had the benefit of living with me
most of his life. His mother's choice and not mine, I tried to stay
involved," he qualified. "But I regret I'm not as close with him as I
am with my others."

"If I become your Weyrsecond, I can help you run your Wing
efficiently, and I can be there for my son."

N'vanik took a few brief notes on a scrap of hide. Finding a
bronzerider who could do the job wasn't the hard part. It was finding
someone he wanted to work with, someone who's style complemented
N'vanik's own. And with any bronzerider transfer, there was the chance
N'vanik could be bringing in his future replacement. He wanted to
bring in good people, like K'ran and K'sedel and even G'ran. "I can
understand wanting to be close to your kid." N'vanik had ached to have
Nisha living so far away and it was such a relief to have her at
Dolphin Cove now. "Can you tell me a little about your leadership
style?"

"It's evolved over the past two Turns. I'll be the first to admit they
called me a hidebound martinet when I was wingsecond. Very by the book
and disciplinarian. I like order and routines and dislike when
wingriders bring their personal problems into the drills.

But weyrlings needed a gentler hand. Some need a heavy hand laid on
them or they won't shape up. But others need gentler coaching through
their problems, or a positive example to aspire to. So I've learned to
mix those styles as needed for a certain situation or rider."

The Weyrleader's pen scratched over the hide. "That's good. Some
riders need more discipline, but I don't like too much strictness."
Someone like D'hol would drive him mad as a Wingsecond. "Is there
anything you'd like to ask me?"

"I do wonder what your preference is for your second, in terms of
duties. I've known some Weyrleaders who prefer their seconds to
function like a traditional wingsecond and focus on just the
operations of his wing. Others prefer to include their second in some
of the overall Weyr operational planning. I don't mind either way, I'm
just curious about the scope of my duties," A'kades said.

"I'm a believer in delegation. I like to have a life outside my
duties," N'vanik said. Some people let the job consume them, but even
in a Pass there was room for some kind of balance. "I want my 'Second
to able to handle a little bit of everything."

A'kades nodded. He could understand how N'vanik wanted to be able to
have his own life. If he'd been Weyrleader with - but all he had now
was his duty as a dragonrider, his bond with Volaith. And his
children, like V'rel.

"In that case, I don't have any other assets. Thank you for being
willing to consider me," he said to the Weyrleader.

The Weyrleader nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll review all the
applicants and let you know what I decide." He had to pick _someone_
and he should do it soon.

"Thank you for your consideration, sir," A'kades said, and let himself
out the office. He'd be patient and wait for the answer.

Last updated on the February 28th 2018

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