A Potential Idea

Writers: Aaron, Avery, Estelle
Date Posted: 8th February 2024

Characters: A'kades, M'gan, S'kand
Description: Three ranking bronzeriders discuss families, and also an unconventional Weyr-Hold interaction concept.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 13 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Kadira, N'vanik, Irrkali

At River Bluff, A'kades had used to host dragonpoker games with fellow
ranking riders and found he'd really liked it as both a way to
personally unwind, and as an informal back channel of useful
information. People could discuss individual riders or vent about issues
that didn't yet require official response - nipping things in the bud,
if possible. So it was that as in his role as Weyrsecond, he enjoyed
inviting the other Wingleaders for drinks and games.

Today they were meeting at an tavern in the Topaz Sea Hold territory
which had been there for Turns and served riders with enthusiasm, thanks
to the proprietor being a distant relative of the Topaz bloodline, which
had also produced riders. It was safer than going to somewhere in
Emerald Falls territory, which is part of what he was thinking might be
a discussion issue.

"Evening, bronzer," said the jovial tavernkeeper, Jacyn, as he walked
in. "You here alone?"

"There'll be three of us," he replied, looking around. The tavern was
three-quarters full, mostly hall and hold folk by their knots, but there
were several small tables with weyrfolk knots. There were two bigger
tables open, one by a window and one by the back.

"Take anywhere you want," Jacyn said, gesturing.

A'kades settled at the one by the window and awaited others.

Getting out alone for recreational purposes seemed almost foreign to
S'kand. While he did his share of relaxing at the Weyr â€" less since he
had become a wingleader â€" it was rare that he made time to go further
than the riders' hall for a drink and a chat. Spending the bulk of his
time immersed in his work was what he was used to, and his free time was
almost always spent with his family. He felt almost naked without one of
them there with him.

Seeing A'kades seated, he lifted a hand to wave at him from the tavern door.

M'gan followed not long after, shrugging out of his riding jacket as he
entered. The atmosphere was warm and lively, and he could feel the
built-up tension of the past sevendays slowly draining from him at the
prospect of a companionable evening in the tavern. These last sevendays
since the Hatching, there hadn't been much time to stop and take a breath.

"Evening, S'kand. A'kades." He dropped the jacket over the empty chair
and tilted his head towards the bar. "What can I get you?"

"Evening, M'gan! Just a wheat beer, if they have it," said S'kand.
"Thank you. Next round's on me," he grinned.

"I'll take a darker ale," A'kades said. "Glad you could all join today."

"I think we could all do with an evening out." M'gan's wingriders were
angry, troubled and full of questions about what had happened, he'd had
to keep them busy, and of course Thread had not let up. He didn't
imagine his fellow wingleaders had it any easier. "Be right back." He
headed over to the bar to order the drinks.

"How's the family?" S'kand asked as they waited for M'gan to return with
the drinks. Better not to talk about work straightaway, if at all, when
it came to making time to relax.

"I'm very happy my children Impressed at the Dragonsfall hatchings and
aren't here." he asked, shaking his head. "Imagine if Kadira had
Impressed a blue at _our_ Hatching...."

S'kand's face fell a bit, but he tried not to let it show. He was glad
that his children had come nowhere near to the poisoned meat, but he was
still disheartened by the entire situation. It did not feel real, but it
lit a fire under him nonetheless to find some way to reach out and forge
better connections to the Holds.

"You must be very proud," he said. "I didn't want to bring up work, but
maybe this is as good a place as any to talk about it. I want to do
something, but what, I haven't yet discovered. What can we do to build a
better relationship with our people?"

"Isn't it funny how family can both be family, and work?" A'kades
murmured. "I'm so proud of both of my children, but the politics are...
well, they're concerning to me. The Holds here have restless enough
people who complain we steal the boys from their fields so they can't
work or inherit, and the girls from their place in the marriage beds.
Bad enough what they can say about women on green, but women on blue,
well..."

His voice trailed off before he said, "I wonder if the
poisoning was always a plan or if they were aiming to prevent something
like that from happening here, too."

He took a deep breath and ran fingers through his close-cropped hair.

"Who knows what they were thinking," M'gan said darkly as he returned
with the drinks. "It's beyond my understanding, harming a hatchling
barely out of the shell." He frowned. "I'd not thought of it that way
before, but it _was_ a blue who was the one to eat the bad meat. I hope
that was just a coincidence."

"Thanks." S'kand accepted the drink and took a long draft. "There has to
be some... deep misunderstanding. People don't just gouge holes in their
roofs when they know Thread is on the way. Or stab their guards in the
back when there are brigands on their doorstep."

"When I was growing up, I remember there being a certain apprehension of
riders. We didn't need to revere them for fighting Thread. A lot of us
never saw them outside of Searches, where it looked like they were
stealing good children from being heirs or workers to go to a degenerate
lifestyle. Maybe you saw messengers or delivery, but..." His voice
trailed off as he thought about it.

"It's got to be the work of bad actors who are spreading the rumors and
hate around, and if we can deal with those actors, we can work on
rebuilding our relationships. But I worry we can't get them on our sides
again until we've resolved whatever's going on with the conspiracy, and
exposed it."

"If only we could find one of the conspirators and get them to talk."
M'gan's frown deepened. "So far, the only ones we can get our hands on
are these poor kids who've been duped and don't know anything of use.
They've been too clever about hiding their tracks."

"They've got gambits laid in wait we don't even know about yet," said
S'kand. "They have to. I think... going after them directly might be
biting off more than we can chew if our leads don't know anything. The
real trick," he said, "would be doing something big to show the folks
we're not who they say we are. If nobody believes we're... what did you
say, degenerates? Well, they'll have a much harder time finding lackeys
to run in and do their dirty work for them.

"When we're fighting, we're still so far away. They never see our faces.
They never see the scars. What greater love is there in this world than
the kind that lays a life down behind on the ground only to take it back
again when the people we're protecting are safe and whole? There has to
be a better way for us to... be real people to them. Instead of monsters
who take their babies away. If that makes sense."

A'kades was right. What reason did they have to see anything else? The
weyrfolk fought and died for the holders, yes, but that was new, and it
was distant. The threat of Thread was new and distant, but the threat of
dragonriders coming to take whomever they wanted? That was as old as
anyone still alive. There was so much more to their relationship than
the last few Turns.

"So... how do we do that?"

A'kades thought back to the Gathers of pre-Fall times, remembered
leading wings in drills for the Weyr Games because he loved order and
discipline, because proving how good his wing was was a thrill, how
there had been tricks at Gathers and racing events and - his eyes widened.

"Did either of you do any of the Weyr Games, before Threadfall? Either
the kind where wings or Weyrs competed against each other at a home, or
at Gathers where the holders could see? What if we did something like
that for Emerald Falls. Where the people could see us in the skies as we
are at our best. Acrobatic or racing competitions. A Threadfall flaming
drill with ropes like we do at practice. Then they could meet us on the
ground, shake hands and congratulate people who they were impressed by,
really get a sense we're just like them."

M'gan brightened immediately. He'd always looked forward to the Games
back at Vista Point, and still remembered how proud he'd been to lead
his Wing to victory at High Reaches in the rope-flaming contest, the
last time they'd been held before the Pass. "That's an excellent idea!
It'd give the wingriders something to work towards, too, and a bit of a
celebration after so we can all honor the winners, holder and weyrfolk
both. You think the Weyrleader would agree?"

"I think he wants a resolution to this situations with the holders, and
I think that he's willing to try anything. I can take it to him tomorrow
morning. And you're right, our wingriders would love it." He looked at
S'kand. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a grand idea! Sorry I didn't think of it myself,
actually." S'kand grinned. "I'd be happy to lend my support with
N'vanik, if you think he'd like to see we're in agreement. I'm sure he'd
know best who to send to discuss it with Lord Corowal, too."

"And then the training can begin." M'gan grinned. "You don't want to
lose too badly to my Cyclone wingriders, do you?"

"Oh, worry not, friend!" S'kand laughed. "We'll put up a challenge for
youâ€" I guarantee, one greater than you expect."

â€œIf Nâ€™vanikâ€™s wing doesnâ€™t win, Iâ€™ll have to listen to how I drilled
wrong for sevendays. But I look forward to it, win or lose.â€

Aâ€™kades was really pleased that theyâ€™d been able to come up with an
idea that might benefit the Weyr and the Hold. But that was still
thinking about work, and he wanted to think about other things too.

â€œSo weâ€™d been talking about families beforeâ€¦ Iâ€™m going to take a
restday and collect all of mine together for a picnic. Any new
developments on either of your end?â€

"Nothing of interest to report, I'm afraid, unless we count the fact
that Kariskan has taken to asking me every other day when the next
clutch will be laid again," S'kand chuckled. "A picnic sounds lovely,
though. I should ask Ristalle how she feels about having one of our
own."

M'gan just smiled mysteriously and sipped his ale. He didn't doubt
that the gossips had noticed how he'd accompanied Irrkali to the
Hatching. The events that day might have put it from people's minds,
but they wouldn't escape attention forever. He wondered what she'd
think of a picnic.

Last updated on the February 10th 2024

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A Potential Idea