Take Your Shot [Hiko/T'lyron]

[Zen]

A'zael :: Bronze Fath

A’zael’s thoughts had been rather preoccupied the last several days with the decision of a new Wingleader. He hadn’t thought it would be this hard to decide, more like choosing a second, but it was different, and it represented so much. Trusting someone new completely with their own Wing was difficult for him to do. It had just been the three Wings for so long, X’ar and B’rax both seasoned Wingleaders that gave him nothing to be concerned about. Whoever he chose would be able to build up considerable sway in the Weyr with the position, would need to be someone he could trust to take his place in political situations, and someone he could trust his riders with. He toyed with the idea of a brownrider, but the incident with Rau had him wary. He didn’t want to let K’rin win this dangerous battle between tradition and progress, but when one side was willing to go to such drastic lengths, was it worth the risk? Maybe one day, but that day wasn’t today.

He didn’t know how many times he had stared at his Wing lists, the bronzeriders from each Wing, as if he didn’t already know who they were, as if the answer would mystically appear on the hide before him. K’rin and K’ton were not even being considered, of course. V’riy, N’ris, and Lo’qui were all rather new to the Weyr, he didn’t know them well enough. L’dar was too young. He had only recently made G’rett his second and would rather D’nel get some experience as a second first as well. F’mol… he may have made a decent enough second for X’ar but from his own experience with the man, he didn’t have quite enough confidence for the role. That left Ki’var and T’lyron. Ki’var was the more experienced rider, but he had also been known to drink a bit too much now and then and could be prone to brawls when he was in his cups. T’lyron was closer to him in age, and he’d never heard a negative word said about him, but he honestly didn’t know too terribly much about him. X’ar had nothing but good things to say, when asked. So it ended up that he had a first and second choice, at least. He had no idea if either man wanted the responsibility, but they were both seconds already so it wouldn’t be a huge step up in duties for either.

It would be a little less than a month until the new Wing could be formed, but he wanted the new Wingleader to be able to give his input on the makings of the Wing, to be able to survey the weyrlings preparing for graduation and put in his own requests, so it would be that whoever accepted the position would be something of a Wingleader without a Wing for a few sevendays, not that they wouldn’t continue their duties as wingseconds until then. With the three Wing lists laid out on his desk, and a fresh new hide with them, A’zael decided it was about time to put things in motion. Fath, ask Doriath if his rider can meet me in my office. It seemed like he’d been having a lot of meetings lately. Fortunately they’d all been positive. Fath relayed the request to Doriath, A’zaelmine wantstomeetyoursinhisoffice. A’zael sighed with fond exasperation, Love you buddy but it sure would be nice if you could relay a little clearer sometimes. Sorrysorry mine.

Hiko

[Hiko]

T’lyron liked fishing. He liked the gentle rocking of the little boats as they swayed against their tether, liked the smell of the sea, liked the sound of the waves as they lapped against the coastline. He was no great hunter of bass or fingerlings, and it was rare that he actually caught anything, but there was a serenity to the hobby that gave him a peace away from duty and rank.

Doriath, on the other hand, hated it. The very act of trying to catch one’s own meals was degrading, despite the fact that the bronze hunted for himself on the regular. But his rider? The man was his rider! There should be a plethora of cavern staff to see to his every need! He rumbled his disagreement, watching T’lyron reel in a rather soggy looking binding of parchment.

Oh, look. What a prize, the bronze snorted contemptuously.
It’s not what you reel in, heart.
Obviously, if that’s the day’s prize.

The bronze was in a mood, and it couldn’t be helped. T’lyron had grounded him from a recent green flight, and while he generally didn’t care for the company of greens, he detested being barred from a good chase. T’lyron, for his part, had wanted little to do with the aftermath, should Doriath actually have caught the green, for the dragon’s rider had been younger and very female. No, better to try and ground against such flights.
But, the bronze didn’t seem to agree, and had been surly for days. T’lyron offered the dragon a roll of the eyes and got up, brushing off the sand from his backside as he started packing up his few accessories.

By the time he’d finished bundling up the pole and gathering the little tackle box, Doriath perked up, blinking multiple times.
What is it?
The Weyrleader summons you. There was a very clear note of pride in the dragon’s tone, the request easily inflating Doriath’s ego.
“What new catastr- no. Good thoughts,” T’lyron sighed. Tell Fath I’ll be there shortly.

T’lyron will be there soon, the bronze relayed back.
--

While it had not taken long for him to pack his belongings onto Doriath and back into the weyr, it was still time lost from immediately leaving for A’zael’s, and by the time he’d neared the man’s office, the better part of a half-hour had passed.
As he knocked on the door, he said, “Apologies, Weyrleader. I came as soon as I was able. What can I help with?”

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

While he awaited T’lyron’s arrival, he poured himself another cup of klah to mull over. It was finally happening. They were so close. He’d managed not to screw up terribly enough to lead Mavros into complete ruin and things were at last taking a turn for the better. This was a big step in the right direction. A’zael hoped T’lyron would be half as eager for it as he was. Every pair fighting in every Fall was growing exhausting and unsustainable. Burnout would lead to more accidents, more deaths, which would in turn make it harder for the healthy pairs to keep up and fill in where their wingmates were missing. This would finally ease the strain, and after the next two classes graduated? He could see perhaps a fifth Wing being formed. If all went well, it wouldn’t be long at all until they had two full Flights to rotate between.

He was musing over who might be chosen for the seconds in the new Wing when the knock came and he waved T’lyron in, grinning for the good mood the situation had put him in, “No problem, it was an unexpected call, after all. Come in and sit if you’d like. There will be plenty for us to talk about… potentially.” Well that was cryptic. He laughed softly, “Ah… I’ll get to the heart of it. After the most senior weyrlings graduate next month we’ll be forming a new Wing. That Wing needs a Wingleader. I’d like for that to be you.” He paused a moment and quickly added, “You can refuse, of course. There are other men I could choose, but you are my first choice. X’ar has nothing but praise to give you and the man doesn’t generally offer praise lightly.”

He gave T’lyron a moment to let the idea sink in, glancing down at his Wing lists. He realized he was going a bit fast in his excitement, but he couldn’t help himself, “If you agree, I’d like to get some input from you on who you might want in your Wing, particularly on the matter of Wingseconds, obviously-but… if you need time think about it, that’s perfectly reasonable as well.” He was definitely getting ahead of himself. He hoped T’lyron would agree, that they could start planning now, but that might be an unreasonable expectation. He didn’t actually know T’lyron that well on a personal level and had no idea how he would feel about the possibility of promotion.

Hiko

[Hiko]

Time to talk? T’lyron swallowed and took a seat across from his Weyrleader. What had happened? He tried to recall anything that he might have missed or done wrong in recent Falls, but nothing came to mind. If anything, the bronze rider had thought he and Doriath had been flying better than usual, as of late. So what could -

Faranth, the man was laughing. That couldn’t be a bad sign, right? A’zael’s next words halted any additional thoughts T’lyron might have had. Him? Wingleader? Was he ready for that responsibility? Doriath seemed to think so.
Say yes, the bronze demanded. You may never get another chance like this.
Are we ready, though?
If he thinks you are, then you are. Why doubt yourself?

The bronze had a point. They’d been wingseconds for X’ar for long enough, that if he truly had nothing but praise to share, T’lyron had to take the chance at properly leading. He let out a breath and offered A’zael a grin.
“If X’ar had really praised me so highly, and you really do plan on making a new wing, I’ll be proud to lead it.” Immediately he considered his options for seconds.
“As far as a second goes, I’d like to see one of the younger bronzes or browns in the role, to give them an opportunity to learn how to lead. I’d also want a green,” he added, raising his eyes to meet A’zael’s. It was no secret what had recently happened to R’get, and he knew it would be a tender subject.
“I know there are risks, but I still believe we should give the blue and green riders a chance.”

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

T’lyron’s agreement on the matter had A’zael grinning back, glad he had agreed so quickly. As he mentioned what he would want in his seconds, A’zael briefly nodded, because allowing a younger rider some opportunity was always good, but the surprise likely registered on his face when T’lyron mentioned wanting a greenrider as a second. A lot of mixed feelings ran through him over the matter. First was simply surprise that a second of X’ar’s would be so open minded, but it was a pleasant surprise as well to find someone who shared his sentiments about the advancement of blue and green riders and he was even more pleased that T’lyron had accepted the promotion. B’rax and X’ar were good men and good Wingleaders without a doubt, but even B’rax tended toward traditional, even if he was quite a lot more flexible than X’ar. It would be nice to have another Wingleader willing to grant opportunities to those that deserved them, regardless of the color of their dragon.

But then he mentioned the risk, and even before he had, A'zael's concern over another greenrider ending up like Rau or worse had him wondering if it was such a good idea. It had only been a few months since Rau and Pallath were hurt. Rau was mending, he had returned to caring for Pallath himself, at least, with some assistance. Pallath would take longer to recover. The green had taken more damage than her rider. Should he deny T’lyron the possibility of a wingsecond that rode something other than bronze or brown? He had never presumed to tell B’rax or X’ar what they could or couldn’t do in their own Wings… but they also had turns more experience. T’lyron wouldn’t know it wasn’t an accident, and he couldn’t tell him. As K’rin had said, he had no proof beyond a gut feeling anyway. Was it too soon to take that risk again?

He sighed to himself, uncertain, “You’re right, they deserve a chance….” Perhaps, working with T’lyron, if they could fill his Wing with riders who wouldn’t be so opposed to a blue or green riding wingsecond, it would be alright. Leave the hidebound to X’ar and B’rax and form a more progressive Wing. T’lyron might not be an experienced Wingleader yet, which perhaps meant he should be a bit more cautious in how much freedom he allowed the man with the Wing, but he would rather give him the benefit of the doubt and treat him like he treated any Wingleader. T’lyron was not a child, not a weyrling fresh out of graduation, and A’zael certainly didn’t need Wingleaders that required him to hold their hand. If he was trusting him with a Wing then he should be able to trust his decisions about that Wing.

“Well,” he felt a bit more decisive about it now, “If you’re going to pick a blue or green rider for one of your seconds, it would be better if you had a rider with more leadership experience for the other. This will be a new Wing and starting out with two inexperienced seconds probably isn’t the best idea. Most of our blue and green riders didn’t even get the opportunity of leadership lessons during weyrlinghood. If they had a fellow second to work with that knew what they were doing, it would be easier for them to learn the position without putting the Wing at risk.” He glanced at the Wing lists again, “Perhaps Ki’var, F’mol, or G’brel? I don’t think B’rax would let his brother go, the two have been working together for too long, and I wouldn’t ask him to either. You must have worked with them all in some capacity, organizing after Fall sweeps and ground crew assistance. It would probably be good to have someone you’ve worked with before as well.”

G’brel was one of his own seconds, and G’rett was new to the rank, so he would have to do a bit of shuffling if T’lyron had a preference for the brownrider. But there would be plenty of shuffling with the formation of the new Wing regardless. “Did you have a greenrider in mind? I can only assume, since you specified green over blue.” He turned his attention back to T’lyron, curious what greenrider he thought would make a good second, “We will have to consider their dragon’s abilities in the matter… the smaller greens won’t last in longer Falls. And on that note… were you planning to fly your blues and greens traditionally?” X’ar and B’rax had both been rather against Rau’s idea of endurance training for the larger blues and greens so that they could last through entire Falls over the Western Continent. Since T’lyron was interested in giving green and blue riders the chance at promotion, perhaps he’d be interested in Rau’s method as well. If that was the case one of his blue or green riders could help lead the effort in T’lyron’s new Wing.

Hiko

[Hiko]

“In all honesty, F’mol wouldn’t be a bad choice. However, I’m hesitant to completely uproot X’ar’s formation by taking both of his wingseconds.” Frowning, he considered the options that would be left to the more experienced wingleader. He had no lack of good men under him, but he wouldn’t envy the man in the haste needed to pick not one but two new seconds. Still, F’mol was a good rider, a good wingsecond, and they had been working together for long enough, T’lyron felt that there was unlikely to be any real contention there.

“But,” he added slowly, finalizing the choice, “I know the man, and I know how he flies. As much as I would prefer to see a younger rider in the role, I know F’mol can do the job. If X’ar is willing to part with him, then I want him as a second.”

When A’zael then brought up his eagerness to find a green, T’lyron shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He’d put the cart before the runner, as it were, in specifying a green wingsecond.

“I only mention a green in the role, as having one in a leading position allows for a more all-encompassing leadership. Greens are notoriously the last considered in matters, and too often overlooked. By having a green second, there would be the opportunity for more discourse between the colors - at least, that would be my hope. Obviously, I see the need to practice on endurance for the smaller dragons - there’s no reason not to. It’s just good sense to shore up the resilience of the blues and greens, more so if they’re to make proper leading pairs.” He paused, then let out a breath, deciding then to make the plunge.
There was every intention that A’zael would deny him. But he had someone in mind, certainly - someone that he trusted, someone that he knew could be the empathetic, reliable backbone that he would need if he were actually to go forward with a wing under his command.

“I’d like S’fin as my other second. He’s a hard worker, reliable, and, frankly, the perfect liaison between the rest of the wing and leadership. People like him.”

Zen

[Zen]

A'zael

“X’ar is an experienced Wingleader. If you would like F’mol then I’m sure he can work it out. I’m more concerned with ensuring you get the best start you can as a new Wingleader. Besides, all the Wings will be getting a bit shuffled as it is to establish fairly balanced Wing strength between us all,” A’zael assured as T’lyron voiced his concern in X’ar losing both his seconds at once. It would be an adjustment period for everyone as there would be many new wingmates to get used to working with for the entire population. It meant that their next several Falls after the shuffle might be a bit messier, too, with the shake up to what had become so routine. Wingmates spent quite a lot of time together and tearing them all apart and rearranging them was going to throw some for a loop, but it was necessary to make sure T’lyron’s Wing wasn’t filled with nothing but new graduates, which would be just as disastrous.

He began the new Wing list with T’lyron of Bronze Doriath at its head, and beneath his first (tentative) Wingsecond, F’mol. If X’ar really wanted to keep the man, A’zael wouldn’t force the issue, but for the past several months X’ar had been lamenting the loss of D’nel to B’rax’s Wing after he had moved the younger bronzerider in order to give X’ar a new transfer instead who was older and more experienced. He was sure he knew one of the men X’ar would promote, at least. He was rather eager to give young bronzeriders a chance at leadership, which was hardly a bad thing.

A’zael was rather pleased to find T’lyron more of a mind with him the more they spoke, and he nodded at his reasoning, “Rau… R’get and I definitely saw a better discourse in our Wing while he was…. He made the blue and green riders feel like they had more of a voice.” They’d get back to it. Apparently T’lyron was beating him to it. The name T’lyron gave him was completely unexpected, however. S’fin? A Wingsecond?

He’d never thought of his brother as someone to put in a leadership position. S’fin was so unassuming most of the time, not to mention how often he let others walk all over him because everyone else’s happiness seemed to matter far more than his own. But then had a flash of guilt over never considering him before, because how many times had he sought his brother’s counsel during his own leadership? And hadn’t it been S’fin that went back to the feast to smooth things over after he’d made an ass of himself? S’fin’s tendency to fade into the background and never seek acknowledgement made it far too easy to forget his contributions, and A’zael found himself rather ashamed of the fact.

So perhaps his brother deserved a chance… though he couldn’t help but wonder how T’lyron had seen it when he hadn’t himself. They weren’t even in the same Wing and as far as he was aware, S’fin didn’t tend to spend a lot of time with bronzeriders, other than himself, and that was only because of their relation. He frowned thoughtfully as he considered the space beneath F’mol’s name. Well, if T’lyron wanted to take a chance on S’fin, then they would see how it went. He jotted his brother’s name down, “It is your Wing, T’lyron, and I can’t very well deny you a decision I’ve made in my own Wing. We should be careful-... choosing your wingriders, I mean. If we try to keep more open minded riders in the Wing, things will go smoother, having a greenrider as your second.” He couldn’t allow both his brothers to come to harm over hidebound ideals. He looked back to T’lyron, pleased at least to finally be making progress on the new Wing. “If there are any riders in particular you’d like to see in your Wing, let me know and I’ll see what I can do when I rework the Wings. I’d also like you to join the other Wingleaders in observing the weyrlings during their drills so you get a better feel for any you might want to tap into your own. I’ll need to make their Wing assignments soon.”

Hiko

[Hiko]

A’zael’s confidence in T’lyron’s likelihood of being able to attain F’mol was a relief, but the bronze rider couldn’t help but feel as if they were talking more about chess pieces, rather than actual human lives. He supposed it was a necessary evil, but he didn’t like the taste of it. Even so, as they began discussing the merits of what wingriders might be most conducive to a new wing, T’lyron’s focus shifted immediately.

“I want C’rys as soon as she’s graduated,” he said without having to second-guess. The girl was private, but ambitious, and he’d found her to be intelligent in the few times they’d spoken during her weyrlinghood in the past - and more to the point, she had a talent that would be immensely useful during Falls.
“She can hear every dragon, and I can think of nothing more beneficial. Beyond her, I’ll take any experienced riders you think might work well under S’fin. As far as the rest of the weyrlings, you can be sure that I’ll be watching them closely during the remainder of their training. I’ll give you a full list by the time you need it.”

Zen
Short, but it's there for you. <3