Too Young to Catch

Writers: Suzee, Devin
Date Posted: 19th July 2013

Characters: N'vanik, Cyradis
Description: What: Concerns of the Weyrleaders
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 13 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Meledei, R'enh, T'nom

N'vanik

Cyradis

N'vanik entered the room with a sigh. "Looks like Dragonsfall won't be
the only one with a small clutch."

Cyradis looked up from when she'd been sitting with her elbows on the
table rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to head off the migraine
threatening behind her eyes. She shook her head, "I don't even want to
look at either of them at this point," she said. "How could this
happen? Both Yumath and Mnoranth were chasing!"

She couldn't understand why one or the other of them hadn't out
maneuvered the barely adult bronze.

"Could be Elleth's inexperience. She doesn't know enough to outfly and
outsmart the young ones." He pulled out a chair and sat.

"I know it's hard, believe me." she looked at N'vanik. "But Elleth
should have selected the strongest bronze, not one not yet fully
mature." They couldn't afford mistakes like this. "Maybe it's because
she's so small."

He knew Meledei was sensitive about her dragon's size and he fought an
urge to defend her. "Or because Meledei is mad at R'enh and friends
with T'nom?"

She nodded. "Entirely possible," she said. "Meledei has a good head on
her shoulders and will someday make a fine 'second. But growing pains
can lead to mistakes." Cyradis shook her head. "This just tells me she
isn't quite ready yet."

She knew N'vanik had a soft spot for their young gold rider, so did
see for that matter. But in this it was her job to order her own wing.
"I need a strong second N'vanik."

"And you'll get one. Someone will answer my requests for another
goldrider eventually. And Meledei will be able to step up in time,
here or somewhere else." Although he didn't like the idea of her
transferring out. "She didn't have good training, early on. She's
doing the best she can."

At least that was something the both of them could agree on. "She's
made great strides, but this flight..." she rubbed fingers across her
brow. "The clutch will be small."

Dragonsfall's clutch had only been seventeen. "I know. Just what we
don't need in a sharding Pass. This is twice now that a dragon too
young has caught a junior gold. At least Taldeth is bronze."

"Yes," she agreed. "But even younger than Dragonsfall's brown by
almost full turn." How were they going to keep up their numbers if the
clutch was that small. The Weyr had only just come up to full strength
since the disaster she'd read about in the records.

"What do we do," she looked at him helplessly. N'vanik was a good
Weyrleader and while they still might not always get along, she
respected his ability and Loseth's.

"For now, we just accept that we'll have a small clutch and deal with
it." They might need to alter formations, move riders around in the
wings, but that was months down the road. "But in the future ... we
bar all dragons younger than two turns from chasing a junior gold."

She knew that while they'd been young they'd made mistakes just like
all young riders do but this one was hard on the whole Weyr and would
press every wingrider to harder work like when they were still coming
up to strength. "That brown was two," she said. "Maybe we should make
it three."

"Wasn't he a little less than two? And how old was that bronze of ours
that transferred to River Bluff? Was he a full three turns when he
flew the 'Second's gold? That was a good clutch." He wanted to be fair
to the younger bronzes, and even browns, but not at the expense of
clutch size. There had to be a good balance.

Cyradis nodded. "Yes the brown at Dragonsfall was just under two. But
the bronze we sent to River Bluff was a full three Turns. Thats
probably a good barometer." She smiled at him and reached for his hand
to give it a small squeeze. "Thank you N'vanik," He'd come up with a
pretty fair solution and no matter how roughly their relationship had
started, she appreciated his wisdom and skill.

"Maybe we can push our search for a mature 'second."

"I'll send out another round of letters." The only ones to answer his
request last time were over-eager young goldriders who wanted the rank
before they had the experience.

"I'd appreciate that," she said with a smile. "We'll get through this.
I know we will."

Last updated on the February 24th 2025

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Too Young to Catch