Alike In Some Ways

Writers: Avery, Estelle
Date Posted: 14th October 2021

Characters: M'gan, R'kehr
Description: R'kehr gets some advice from M'gan over lunch
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 5 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Irrkali, S'kand, K'ran

***

With both his dragon and himself freshly bathed after drills, M'gan
headed for the dining cavern, intent on grabbing a hearty meal before he
was obliged to return to his reports and paperwork.

He filled his tray, thinking over the morning's work. While the Dolphin
Cove wings didn't have to contend with the freezing temperatures and
snowstorms that he'd faced back at High Reaches, there were other
challenges that he wanted to prepare his wingriders for. That morning,
he'd taken them over the coast to the southeast, where the strong winds
and unpredictable air currents made staying in formation a challenge for
the younger and smaller dragons, though the seasoned riders were used to
it. Their lines had been ragged at first, but he was pleased with the
improvement by the time they'd returned to the Weyr.

He found a spare seat and tucked in, idly wondering whether the Queen's
Wing had also been drilling that morning. He couldn't see any of the
goldriders - nor Irrkali. Perhaps if he worked hard at those reports, he
could ask her to meet him for dinner...

R'kehr spotted M'gan taking a seat off to the side, and veered over with
his tray. "Hey, Wingleader. Busy?" he asked.

M'gan looked up, brightening as he recognized the young bronzerider.
"Not at the moment. I'm taking a break. Never thought it wise to work on
wing reports on an empty stomach, especially after drills." He gestured
towards the chair opposite with his fork. "Have a seat, R'kehr. How are
you today?"

"Wing reports of the kind you can't offload to your wingsecond?" he
asked as he threw his leg over the chair and settled down. "I'm good.
Thadath is eying a bright green on the rim - one of yours, good thing
your drills are done already. Though maybe she'll be too tired to rise
until tomorrow."

"Neriath? She was making some rather showy turns in the air this
morning, catching the eye of every male dragon in the Wing. I worked
them hard, though, so Thadath might well have to wait." M'gan took a
bite of baked tuber. "How's things in Rapids Wing? Getting on well with
S'kand?"

"Well I have no drills tomorrow, so I'm okay if she waits," he said with
a laugh.

"I am," he said. "I do the best I can in drills with my nine, and I'm
looking for some ways to show I'm responsible. Spending extra time with
someone after a session to check in, that kind of thing."

"That's good," M'gan said, approvingly. Not all young bronzeriders would
take that time, unless one of their riders was obviously struggling -
and sometimes, not even then. "How are you getting on with your nine?
Any particular issues?"

"Spending some time getting our newest graduated weyrling in, T'oliv. He
was held back because of age and he's struggling to speak up around
older people."

"That can happen." M'gan himself had never lacked confidence, but he'd
seen it enough in his time in the Wings. "Is he hold or weyrbred?
Sometimes I've noticed the holds don't always encourage young people
to speak their minds." He thought for a moment. "Or sometimes, a rider
just finds it easier to speak one-to-one."

"T'oliv is holdbred, and he's been in the weyrlingmaster's wing for
almost a Turn after graduation. Brownrider. Good lad, just...quiet and
cowed," he said. "Foreign to me, but I am doing my best to integrate
him."

"It was hard for me to understand too. My old Wingsecond helped,
actually. He was from a Northern hold. Quiet, but when he did speak, the
riders listened. Now he's Weyrleader of High Reaches." The older
bronzerider smiled, though with some regret. "He taught me that being
quiet and thoughtful can be a strength, that it's only a problem if you
don't use your voice when it counts."

R'kehr considered that. "I know I'm not seen as quiet and thoughtful.
But Wingleader K'ran was often, and...maybe I should think about how
K'ran would have integrated him. Not that I don't want to take lessons
from you too," he added in case he insulted M'gan. "It's nice to have
different perspectives and know not all bronzeriders are the same."

M'gan smiled, understanding. "It is, and it's always worth getting the
perspective of those with a different style. We're rather alike, I
suppose..." He hesitated before taking that further, and changed the
subject. "I never met Wingleader K'ran, but he has a very good
reputation. I've heard it from more than one rider. You could do worse
than talk to him about your young brownrider."

"I probably will seek him out. You'd be flattered if someone you led at
High Reaches came to speak to you, right?"

"I suppose I would. As long as they'd given the matter some thought
themselves before /betweening/ all the way to the South to seek my
opinion," M'gan said with a touch of amusement in his voice. He prized
independent thinking in the young bronzeriders he led. "But I can tell
you have, so I wouldn't be concerned about that."

He beamed at the praise. "I just want to show my skills off. I really
wanted to be one of the bronzeriders chosen to work in the Weyrwoman's
wing, but I'm slightly too young. In a couple months..."

The older bronzerider grinned. It was true, they _were_ very alike.
"Your time will come, never fear."

"When they let me do it, I'll have to get tips from you. And you'll hear
it first."

"You can rely on me for any advice you need." He looked at the young
man, wondering. Was now the right time? Not here, in the dining cavern.
He smiled. "And then you can feel free to forget it and forge your own
path."

"Is that what you did?" he asked cheekily.

"Ah..." M'gan cleared his throat. "If I did, then I usually wished that
I'd paid attention to my elders, afterwards."

R'kehr grinned. "Well, that’s a lesson I'll keep in mind."

"I look forward to seeing how that turns out." M'gan finished the last
of his meal and sighed. "I'd better be going. Those wing reports won't
write themselves, sadly." He rose. "Let me know how you get on with your
young wingrider?"

"Good luck with your reports, sir. And I'll be happy to." R'kehr tossed
him a jaunty salute and bent down to finish the rest of his meal.

Last updated on the February 6th 2022

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Alike In Some Ways