Trios and Trouble

Writers: Devin, Yvonne
Date Posted: 17th March 2024

Characters: R'lor, Reyela
Description: Reyela leads a trio in aerial drills.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 3 of Turn 10

R'lor

It was the first day of aerial drills and R'lor was splitting the
class into trios. "Next group - B'sharg, L'rel, and group leader
Reyela." B'sharg looked sour, thinking his brown entitled him to
leadership, but the young man needed to learn some humility.

Reyela, on the other hand, looked delighted. She and Brandith made her
way over to the other two weyrlings and their dragons. "Hi! I guess
we're flying together today."

"Congrats!" L'rel said with a grin.

B'sharg grumbled, "A greenrider as group leader." He shoved his helmet
on and mounted Hinmath.

Reyela's eyes narrowed. "Hinmath and B'sharg, you two can take the
left lead. L'rel, take right. I'll take the back point so I can keep
the three of us in line. B'sharg, before we fly-- is there anything
you want to say to my face? Or can I rely on you to take my orders for
the duration of this drill?"

The brownrider's chest puffed up, his body going hot with indignation.
**A greenrider ordering me around!** But all he said was, "Let's just
get through this." Maybe this would be a demonstration of why
brownriders should always lead.

R'lor finished assigning the trios and gave the order for everyone to
harness themselves. After reminding them to make sure they were
securely strapped in, he gave the signal to take off. "All right,
everyone up!"

"All right L'rel, B'shard-- on three. One, two, three!" Brandith

leapt into the air on three, her powerful wings sending clouds of dust
swirling into the blue skies.

B'sharg was momentarily distracted by the joy of flight -- it was
still a very new thing to be in the air with Hinmath. L'rel grinned
from ear to ear as his green beat her wings, carrying them up several
dragonlengths from the ground.

R'lor moved to the front so everyone could see him, waiting to make
sure all the weyrlings were in the air. Then he gave another signal.
}:Take position one,:{ Kularth said to reinforce the handsignal.

**Position one,** Reyela told Brandith, who relayed the command to
Hinmath and Kirrath.

L'rel chuckled at her eagerness as he guided Kirrath to the right spot.

**As if our dragons didn't hear Kularth.** B'sharg took Hinmath to the
left lead, maybe a bit slower than he should have.

Kularth corrected a few weyrlings who were out of formation and the
trios tightened up. R'lor held them there a moment before the next
command. }:Position two!:{

Brandith echoed the command while Reyela made the hand sign. Beneath
her helmet, she was smiling as she looked at her little trio. **Tell
Kirrath to bring it in a half winglength toward us, please.**

**_We_ should be leading,** B'sharg thought.

}:We should be in the lead?:{ Hinmath started to move to where the
leader should be as the trio changed position.

**No wait!** But it was too late.

Both Brandith and Reyela noticed Hinmath move just as his brown wing
hit Brandith's green one and knocked them sideways. Reyela's teeth
jarred together and she caught a glimpse of Kirreth and L'rel over
Brandith's shoulder-- too close. **Look out!!** It was half thought,
half feeling, half image-- and Brandith instinctively tucked her wings
as they rolled through the air beneath the other green pair. Reyela's
neck and back strained as she pulled herself upright against the force
of Brandtih's spin. **Tell Hinmath to get back into position and
Kirrith to stay put! Position two!**

L'rel yelped as Kirreth dodged upward to avoid Brandith. **What was that?**

}:Hinmath! Brandith! What happened? Get back into position!:{ Kularth
shouted, drawing R'lor's attention to the trio as well.

**Shard it!** B'sharg guided Hinmath back to where he should be.

}:I am sorry,:{ Hinmath told both his rider and Brandith.

B'sharg patted his brown's neck. **No, no. It was all my fault.**

**Tell Hinmath that we're fine, and that we're all just learning.**
Reyela wiped her mouth as Brandith relayed the message, and her glove
came away red with blood. She must have bitten her tongue. Of _course_
it was B'sharg who screwed up, but there was no point in getting angry
about it now. **Let's finish up strong. Position two!** The greenrider
raised her hand and made the sign.

When the drill was over, R'lor headed straight for the trio. "Reyela
what -- are you all right?" He stopped short as he caught sight of
dried blood on her mouth. "Do I need to send you to the healers?"

"I just bit my tongue." Reyela sent a sidelong look at B'sharg, then
stepped forward. "It was my fault, Weyrlingmaster. I didn't
communicate the change clearly enough."

B'sharg looked at the ground and L'rel gave him a dirty look.

**Ask the dragons what happened,** R'lor told Kularth.

"All right. Mistakes happen." R'lor's job was to teach them so
hopefully they wouldn't be making mistakes in Threadfall. "I'll have
someone else lead tomorrow and then you can give it another try the
day after."

Reyela nodded. **Dammit, B'sharg!** It wasn't fair that she was
getting a temporary demotion for what he did. But... she was also the
leader of her trio. She could talk to B'sharg afterward. Even for just
a weyrling practice, leadership meant something-- and in this case, it
meant taking responsibility for her team.

}:Hinmath says his rider said they should lead. He got confused and
tried to take that position, but it was a mistake,:{ Kularth relayed.

R'lor slowly turned his gaze to the brownrider. "B'sharg, is there
something you'd like to say?"

}:I am sorry. Kularth asked and I had to tell him,:{ Hinmath said.

B'sharg squirmed. "It wasn't Reyela's mistake, it was mine."

"When I dismiss the others, you stay after. We're going to have a discussion."

"Yes, Weyrlingmaster." B'sharg resumed staring at the ground.

"Good job, Reyela. You took responsibility even when you weren't at
fault. A true quality of leadership." R'lor said that as much to
praise her as to reinforce the lesson to B'sharg.

"Thank you, Weyrlingmaster." It _was_ B'sharg's fault that Brandith
got hit, and she did feel relieved that she didn't have to talk to
B'sharg herself about what had happened. But when R'lor dismissed
them, she did drag her feet leaving so that she could say quietly,
"Don't be too hard on him," as she left.

R'lor had to fight a smile. Reyela was certainly showing promise.

Last updated on the March 19th 2024

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Trios and Trouble