DCW: Not A Group Decision

Writers: Clancey, Emma
Date Posted: 19th June 2007

Characters: K'deren, J'darin
Description: K'deren reacts to the order he received from J'darin.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 4
Notes: Follows "Heart of a Weyrleader"

K'deren

J'darin

It didn't take much for the news to spread. And knowing he had to be hot on
the heels of that news, K'deren made his way to the Weyrleaders office. It
wasn't fair on some of the youngsters, some of them just would not be ready,
or mature enough for the wings.

J'darin looked up grimly as Hasaarth told him who was at his door.
His office had escaped some of the damage, but not all, and there were
definite water signs about on some of his unorganized piles of hides.

"Come in, K'deren." He said with a quiet sigh. He had known his
decision would not be popular; but Hasaarth agreed with him and, whats
more, believed in the dragons and their lifemates. They _could_ do
it. They would have to do it.

He didn't have anyone else.

"Sir," said the Wingsecond smartly. "I'd like to speak to you about your
decision."

"You may speak freely, Wingsecond. As will I. " He said quietly.
He didn't even want to argue; he'd already been arguing with himself
for candlemarks. "Whats on your mind, then?"

"The youngsters," stated K'deren simply as he took a seat without asking.
"They're too young at fifteen turns to fly with the wings."

J'darin raised an eyebrow. He'd already been over this ground in his
own mind several times. "Their dragons are grown and mature.
The Weyr matures us all faster than a Hold or Hall would. Some of
these youngsters are only a few months from joining the Wings anyway.
Do you _really_ think a few more months will mature them all that
much? Mostly they get under Y'sani's feet and he doesn't know what to
_do _ with them! What real difference do you think it will make,
K'deren?"

"Some of them are deliberately kept back because they aren't ready," shot
back the Wingsecond. "Have you thought what trouble they could cause,
getting under the feet of the more experienced riders who'd have to baby-sit
them? We could suffer more losses that way." A sign of the temper of his
youth began to show as his tone became angrier. "Shards, I don't want deaths
that could be avoided on my conscience."

J'darin exploded out of his seat at that remark.

"And do you honestly think that I didn't feel torn in two every time
the dragons keened yesterday? I lost FOUR MORE riders to /between/
yesterday K'deren. And twenty something to injuries! Because I didn't
have enough! Do you honestly think I don't feel every death
personally? Its my decisions that send them up there to fight. And
die. After O'dan, how could you not understand how hard this is for
me?"

He took a breath, his tone dropping from a shout to something slightly
calmer. "You have only a Wing to care for; I have the entire Weyr plus
all the non-Weyr folk that depend on us to save them! Who's going to
fly Thread now, brownrider? If not these younglings? They have to fly
Thread sometime."

He sank back to his seat, his head hanging in his hands and his tone
haggard and torn. "I've already been over all this in my mind,
K'deren. Believe me, I'm being harder on myself than you _ever_
could."

"I _do_ understand that this was a hard decision to make, believe me I do,"
said K'deren more reasonably. For once the Weyrleader seemed almost human,
that reponse proved he did seem to have a heart after all. "But some of them
really don't seem ready, and I don't want to force them into it. Unwilling
riders may cause more problems. Perhaps we should check with Y'sani first?"
It was a compromise offer, one that he hoped J'darin would accept, and one
that might protect some that were just not ready.

"I doubt there is a single one of those 15 Turn olds - there are about
10 or 12 I believe - that isn't eagerly awaiting their chance to fly
with the Wings. As far as if they aren't ready, Y'sani is supposed
to be coming to discuss them with me. I'm not sure how you beat him
here, actually. I can't think of any that aren't ready, but my mind
is made up. I will listen to him, but thats all I promised. If I
don't have enough riders, more riders will die. More and more. I'm
not going to let that happen if I can stop it somehow."

"May I be involved in that discussion?" It was a subtle way of reminding the
Weyrleader that he lead the Wing for the moment. Some other Weyrleaders
might have at least let him have the rank temporarily, he knew it could
never be permanent though.

"No. I had planned to speak with Y'sani privately, and that is how it
will remain. The Weyrlingmaster will know better than either of us,
K'deren. I've already made the decision; its not truly up for
discussion. Y'sani will give me a list and we'll spread out the
younglings evenly. This is not a group decision, in this case. I,
and I alone, will bear the burden for who flies and who doesn't." He
had not planned on including any Wingleaders, temporary or otherwise.
This would not make him popular, but he did not care. No one would
understand until they were in his position. He hadn't understood.

}:I understand. They will fly well. I am telling Donneth so right now. :{

Donneth repeated the words to his rider, along with calming thoughts. "In
that case, perhaps I should leave now."

J'darin looked across at him, silent for a moment. "I appreciate and
understand your concern, K'deren. Thank you. I will take that all
into account in my discussion with Y'sani. This was a hard enough
decision to make without discussing it to death. Thank you again."
He trailed off, unsure how to end this discussion. He was broken in
two about this entire situation already; he needed his Wingleader's
support, not criticism.

But he was used to criticism from everyone around him. The odd part
was.. he was a good Weyrleader. He wondered why no one ever noticed
_that_?

K'deren got to his feet. "Thank you for seeing me about this."

J'darin rose to his own feet, nodding. It appeared there was no end
to his disagreements with this brownrider, but that seemed to be
simply the way it would be. "You're welcome, K'deren. Keep up the
good work."

"Sir," said the brownrider as he left.

Last updated on the June 21st 2007

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DCW: Not A Group Decision