First Report

Writers: Clancey, Jane
Date Posted: 22nd January 2008

Characters: K'hetah, J'darin
Description: K'hetah reports to J'darin after his first 'Fall as a Dolphin Cove Wingleader.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 16 of Turn 4

J'darin

**Is he in his office?** the bronzerider asked of his lifemate. The response was a moment in coming and then nothing more than a vague affirmative by a dragon who was lolling, wings extended, in the tropical waters of the bay.

"This move might have been a mistake," K'hetah grumbled to himself as he walked across the Bowl toward the Weyrleader's office. Loeth had taken to tropical life - to the beach and the warmth of the clear blue sea -
with an enthusiasm that his rider didn't entirely share. Certainly the place was beautiful but there was only so much swimming a person could do and -

}:Luckily I am a dragon.:{ There it was. Loeth's 'attitude'. Lazy was the word that sprang to mind, though he had worked hard enough during Threadfall ... Which brought the Wingleader's wandering thoughts back where they should be as he climbed the steps and knocked on the door of the Weyrleader's office.

He was in his office, and sitting tiredly starting at the hides resting there. He hadn't touched any of them.

After scrubbing Hasaarth to a shine, he had left his dragon sunning on the ledge, taking a well-deserved break after a particularly difficult Threadfall. The leading edge had started to sail on them a bit with windy skies, and it had caused some problems.

A pile of harness was in the corner waiting to be mended as well. With a sigh, he started to pick up one of the stacks. There had been no deaths, again, but several minor injuries that would make it a bit harder when they flew Thread again in 5 days.

The knock had to come twice before he heard it, and Hasaarth had to tap him mentally to focus him. That would be K'hetah, he expected, come to discuss his first Threadfall.

Good, he was interested to hear what his new Wingleader thought.

"Come, K'hetah. I was just wishing for a distraction."

"I don't sing or dance, but I'll do my best, sir," the bronzerider said with a grin. "What do you need a distraction from? Things seemed to go well."

J'darin laughed at his comment and shook his head. "No need for singing or dancing, just conversation will work! I hate the hide that tells me who was injured. Tomorrow, I'll have another look at it and see who's grounded and who's fine to fly again in a few days. And of course, there are those straps..." he pointed. "I like doing it, but other things always get in they way of me being able to spend time at a nice, relaxing, normal activity like mending and oiling straps.

"Things went fairly well, other than that odd behavior in the middle there. We corrected well, but still, a block of wounded that I can ill spare right now. Tell me what you thought, K'hetah?"

"If we'd been competing in the Summer Games we might not have won; but then the Summer Games never included Thread." He shrugged. "Our part of Pern was defended, and if the way we got the job done wasn't always pretty, well there was nobody with a score card. We'll tweak the drills to make sure we all know what we _should_ have done in that situation, and consider ourselves lucky - as we do every 'Fall - that things weren't worse."

J'darin nodded; that was a good way to state things. "You sound as if you've been leading Cyclone for months instead of a sevenday. That is good. I know that adding the younger riders has caused a little ripple in the competency of the Wing, but they seem to be fitting in seamlessly after a Fall or two. Perhaps we should add in that change we made in the air to the regular drill schedule in case something like that happens again."

"Good idea. I don't think we can ever have too many tricks in our firestone sacks when it comes to facing Thread." K'hetah knew he didn't need to remind the Weyrleader that his apparent adjustment to leading Cyclone was based on leading another Wing at another Weyr; that was why J'darin had wanted an experienced bronzerider. "I've been to see the Cyclone injured. We'll have a couple dragons watching a few 'Falls from the ground but they won't be permanently affected. And one rider who might be out for longer with a back strain injury."

It was easy to forget J'darin had only been wearing Weyrleader knots for not quite a turn; though it became obvious occasionally. Like now.

J'darin nodded; he had already been to see his wounded as well. "I've a few more in my Wing, but they'll alright in a few sevendays. We just don't have any room for injured riders. Still." He sighed softly. "I am glad to finally have an experienced bronzerider leading Cyclone, but even that doesn't make up for the simple lack of flaming dragons." He shook if off and focused on his Wingleader.

"As long as we still meet Thread and defeat it, we'll be fine. Have you put I'ster, your new, young Wingrider into a full Fall yet? Or will he start next Fall?"

"He flew today. No problems there. His dragon's mature and I'ster himself seems sensible. _He's_ not one of the injured. Experience might help overall but sometime 'Falls wise old wings are scored as quickly as fresh clean ones."

J'darin smiled at that, nodding in agreement. "Indeed. I've seen enough of my own supposedly older and wiser riders in the Infirmary, with the young, scarcely Blooded ones dancing circles around me in the Weyrlake almost right after 'Fall. Interesting, isn't it?"

"Experience counts -" K'hetah said with a nod, "- but so do a lot of things. And then there's luck, good or bad."

"Hard to say which I'd rather have." J'darin joked, then added, "I expected no less than a good job from you, but still, my thanks."

"You're welcome. Is there anything else we need to discuss? Otherwise I'm going to go and bathe. No amount of swimming in the sea or in the lake -" both novelties to him "- replaces a nice soak in a warm bathing pool."

Last updated on the January 27th 2008

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