Straighten Up and Fly Right

Writers: Devin, Clancey
Date Posted: 18th April 2014

Characters: N'vanik, Dysali
Description: Dysali and Lillyth make a mistake in drills and get called out.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 17 of Turn 7

N'vanik

}:Loseth says his wants to see you. Did we mess up?:{ Lillyth sent
to her rider, a hint of worry in her tone, though it quickly faded.
She was sure they had done well, but, then, she always thought she
was perfect.

Dysali groaned as she dismounted, shaking her sweaty curls from under her
cap.

They had been out of position badly in the last set of drills for the
day. Lillyth ..and her rider, it had to be said ... had been trying
to show off their agility and Dysali had misjudged where she should be
in the formation, leaving a gaping hole that lots of Thread could get
through because she wasn't where she was supposed to have been.

**Tell him I'm coming right away.** She hoped she was presentable
enough. She had not had too many one on one conversations with her
Wingleader - and Weyrleader, she added mentally - beyond the normal
routine.

They had just finished drills and she spied N'vanik near Loseth and
headed toward him.
**Go to the lake, Lillyth. I'll be there soon.. I hope... **

N'vanik stripped off his riding jacket. Even on somewhat cooler days,
it was too hot to wear a moment longer than necessary. He gave the
greenrider a stern look. "You were out of formation, Dysali." And it
wasn't the first time.

She quailed inside, her head dipping down in shame. He was right.
"Yes, sir. I am sorry. Lillyth and I get ...ahead of ourselves...
sometimes. I misjudged how far we needed to shift and how fast, and
it left a big hole. We were lucky not to foul up with anyone else in
the Wing. " She wanted to say it would never happen again, but she
knew it would be a lie, probably. Still... maybe it was time to work
on the recklessness she felt when flying.

Maybe. But it was easier than any other emotion, and it kept the
loneliness away.

"If you get ahead of yourself in Fall, you could end up with another
scoring. How many have you had now? Two, or three?" He gave her a hard
look. Apologies only went so far and mistakes could cost everyone
around her.

She raised her chin. Not much, but just a smidgeon of fire showed for
a moment as she encountered that hard look in his eyes.

"Three. 1 as a weyrling during the disaster where lots of other
riders got hurt, 1 in my first Fall, and 1 a couple of months ago. "
Only the most recent 'Scoring was one that she felt responsible for
causing and it showed in her tone as she listed them. "Sir, we will
work harder. It will not happen again. The last thing I want is
another 'Scoring. So far, Lillyth has not been hurt nearly as badly
as I have and I will do whatever I must to keep her safe."

Maybe it was time to 'grow up' and quit fighting the entire world
every time she flew Thread.

Maybe.

Her chin dropped as she thought that through and what it might mean
for her. What was she thinking, even talking back a little bit to
the Weyrleader himself? Her eyes went to the floor and she blushed.

"And your fellow riders, too. When you get hurt, it puts everyone else
at risk," he said, thinking of the time he'd been knocked out catching
Pierka and Liddith.

"Yes, sir. I know. " She knew better than most. Like I'ster. Her
eyes looked distant for a moment, then she focused back on N'vanik.
"We will do better." She didn't know why they kept pushing the
limits every time they flew. It felt right to win at something, but
it wasn't much of a win if she got other riders or worse, Lillyth,
hurt. She didn't know what else to say. What could she say? She
was wrong and she knew it. She'd be lucky if he didn't ban her from
the Weyrleader's wing.

"Good. I want you to study the formation charts and make sure to do it
right next time. If you keep making mistakes I'm going to ground you."
Sometimes a little threatening did the trick.

A little is all it would take with her. She wasn't so tied to her
independence and need to run away from her emotions that she would
refuse to listen to the Weyrleader. Her Wingleader. She did not
want to leave this Wing. When they were not fighting everyone else,
they flew well.

"Yes sir." was what came out of her mouth instead. She sounded
slightly more submissive than she had a moment ago when she had dared
to talk back to him.

She raised her chin and met his gaze. "You will not be disappointed
in us again, sir."

"Good. You're dismissed, Dysali."

The finality of her dismissal echoed in her head for a long time after
that conversation as she and Lillyth retreated to clean up.

She had alot to think about, now.

Last updated on the May 4th 2014

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Straighten Up and Fly Right