Your Insight is Appreciated

Writers: Halyonix, Sia
Date Posted: 29th August 2024

Characters: E'kavas, I'serin
Description: E'kavas and I'serin have their first meeting after the goldflight
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 4 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh, T'mhas, T'gyrlan, M'kayre, Harki, K'rel

E'kavas

I'serin

Notes:
~~~~~~~

His first day and he had expected it to be full of meetings. There were a great many things that needed to be addressed during that transition of power. He had scheduled the most important ones in the morning, moving down the list in priority as the day went on.

Of course, lunch with Weyr--- Saibra -- had taken precedence, even if not for a formal reason, because simply because of where she now ranked in I'serin's life. I'serin suspected that there would be plenty of days where they would convene over a meal or klah to discuss business but getting to know each other a bit more would help with the appearance that they were a unified front.

So it was shortly after lunch that I'serin was now getting to his meeting with E'kavas, yet another survivor of River Bluff, like I'serin. His brow furrowed as he considered how many survivors were in leadership positions at Dragonsfall now. He'd have to ponder it further later. Right now, E'kavas was arriving and I'serin needed to focus on this. "Come in, E'kavas," he greeted.

The anxiety hadn't quite left E'kavas by the time afternoon rolled around and his meeting with the new Weyrleader got nearer. He knew I'serin. They'd flown in the Wings together at River Bluff. They'd been in the same flightrooms before. They'd even gone to the same parties, when J'nico and Revia had insisted he go too. But that all felt like a lifetime away now.

Still, he tried to be casually friendly instead of stiff and formal as he sat in the chair across from I'serin's new desk, setting the small pile of records and lists carefully in his lap. "Is this a sad congratulations or a happy congratulations, Weyrleader?"

The expression that passed over I'serin's face was hard to read. "It is a congratulations," he replied flatly, though it sounded as though he was resigning himself to a dark fate. "For Aluneth, it is certainly cause to celebrate. Chioneth was his first gold to catch." I'serin gave E'kavas a forced smile, trying to be supportive of his very proud dragon.

"Well, congratulations to Aluneth, then." E'kavas said lightly. "Roquath is being treated like a champion of brown dragons after hanging on for as long as he did. I can't imagine what they'd do if he actually won. All that to say better you than me."

I'serin huffed with wry laughter. "Thank you," he said, though he didn't feel grateful at all. "Not that I would let Aluneth hear me say this but Roquath did quite well, especially given the length of the flight. I gather that he didn't strain any muscles?"

"Oh he's hurting, but he deserves it." E'kavas said dismissively. "That he flies like a bronze is a blessing for how often he chases the greens. Means I don't usually have to be bothered with it. Every so often I get a panic over a goldflight, but now we have a while yet before the next one."

A while yet indeed. Which meant that until then, I'serin was Weyrleader. As much as he wanted to deny it, he had to succeed at this somehow. "Indeed," he said softly. "I suppose we should get down to the new business of running this Weyr then. Tell me what I need to know about Azure Wing."

E'kavas dove right in. "Azure flies well. Hardly any technical issues after K'reyel went down. He made sure they knew what to do and how to follow a change in leadership mid-Flight. It takes resilience. There's always an adjustment period, but they'll bounce back fast. It'd help if you talked with folks a bit before the next Fall. Make sure everyone knows what to expect from you."

Towards the end of E'kavas's report, I'serin was nodding slowly, obviously thinking about how best to accomplish that last part. Public speaking, yet another thing he had little experience in. "We have Threadfall tomorrow," he said softly. He leaned forward and jotted some notes down, possibly sketching out a to-do list in order of priority. "I have not settled on a Weyrsecond just yet," he admitted to E'kavas. "I...if it has not been painfully obvious that I did not expect to be in this position, despite studying for it, I cannot express it any further. The timing of it is near terrible. There are simply not enough hours in the day to place everything in order before tomorrow. Seeing that it will be my first Threadfall as leader, would it be possible for me to rely on you to lead Azure during the crossover maneuvers?"

E'kavas paused, the wheels turning in his head. He clearly hadn't thought about how soon the next Threadfall was. "I'd suggest having a very long, chatty dinner tonight." He said with an uncomfortable laugh. "We haven't had a Weyrsecond since R'enh took on Weyrleader, so I've been running crossovers in the interim and we've been splitting the duties that would have fallen to the 'Second. I'm happy to continue that until you make a decision, but I'd rather have a buffer if anything happens to you. Do you have any folks in mind?"

"A few," I'serin replied. It relieved him to hear that E'kavas, at least, was on his side, willing to help. "If I may bother you with your opinions on them." He proceeded to list all of the bronzes that were not in leadership positions just then but had prior experience in leading, realizing as he went down the list that most of them were former River Bluff riders. "I worry that selecting one of them could be a problem," he said to E'kavas after relaying the pattern. "Or perhaps the best outcome, depending on how I look at it. I had hoped that R'enh would take the position but...he declined."

"How is Mnoranth?" E'kavas asked. "If he's still capable, he's probably better as a Wingleader now that K'rel transferred back out. He's a transfer, too, but Vista Point by way of Dolphin Cove is at least different than River Bluff. T'mhas and Ghraisath are solid, if you want variety. They haven't had any leadership positions that I know of, so throwing them into a Weyrsecond position might be tricky, but they know Azure. M'kayre and T'gyrlan were both Wingleaders back home. I'd praise T'gyrlan, but you know I'm biased. Hanassath has only recently been cleared to fly Fall, but- and I say this fondly- T'gyrlan would benefit from having more to do. I flew in M'kayre's Wing. He's harsh, but doesn't expect more than what he expects from himself. He's a solid pick, though there might be some personality clashes with him and some of the wingriders."

I'serin's expression said that he was thinking all of these points over while he jotted down some notes next to the names as E'kavas spoke. The more he talked with others, the more M'kayre, who had started at the bottom of the list of possibles, moved up the list. "Elaborate please, on the personality clashes point," he asked.

"He's a dick." E'kavas answered bluntly. "Flying us hard is one thing, but that attitude on the ground doesn't win him any friends. Not that he seems to want them; he sticks with the other River Bluff riders. That's not going to fly-" the awkward half-grin that the pun was intended, "with folks like Harki and T'mhas. Our hot shots that have been getting away with dangerous maneuvers because they _can_." They were on his last nerve too. It's all fun and adrenaline until one tiny mistake. "They'll deal with it, one way or another."

Surprise registered briefly on I'serin's face at E'kavas's sharp wording. He wondered if part of the reason M'kayre was like that was because of the simmering resentment that many a River Bluff bronzerider felt about serving under Dragonsfall leaders. Would a position of power temper that or would it amplify it?

For not the first time that day -- and probably not the last time for a long while -- I'serin wished that R'enh would have accepted the Weyrsecond position. It would have dodged this issue for certain.

"I will add your insights into my considerations," I'serin said. "Thank you. And, in the future, please feel free to give me your honest opinion on matters. I...need that perspective. Is there anything else you feel needs my immediate attention during this transition?"

"Oh, I will. There's enough of us that remember sending you off looking for wingsail wax to make Aluneth fly faster." E'kavas said with a grin. Four turns age difference wasn't much, but Roquath and Aluneth double that. "Nothing else that requires immediate attention, but there's a few small things we should discuss ahead of Threadfall, if you've still got the time."

There came a remembering smile from the young Weyrleader before he said, "Of course I have the time."

Last updated on the August 30th 2024

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