Good Future Ideas

Writers: Avery, Chelle
Date Posted: 18th December 2014

Characters: P'nal, K'ran
Description: The two of them sit down and catch up.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 14 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: G'nir, Chioneth, Lissath

K'ran

**Best morning ever** P'nal's mental tone was decidedly sarcastic. The
Wingsecond
was priority for firewood due to his rank, which he thanked Faranth for.
Still, he bemoaned the fact that his weyr was still colder than the snowy
wastes for
the most part. Wing meetings were cancelled since G'nir was working on
getting this thing fixed but P'nal was helping him by running interference
with all
the complaining riders. Some of that was going to the Headwoman too,
probably.
He turned the glowbasket over but considered whether or not to wait to get
out of
his bedfurs. There were more of them than usual.

He touched his dragon's mind and found that Jodeth, too, was hunkered on
his couch
under layers of blankets. The brown was not enjoying this turn of events.
Still, he had hide to help things so he didn't complain as much as his
rider did.
Deciding to let the dragon sleep since he was not about to bathe him in
the Weyrlake
without getting hypothermia, he got up and dressed in as many layers as he
could. In
the end, he had long underwear, pants, a shirt, a sweater, a hat, gloves,
wool
socks,
a scarf, and a long coat he'd made himself which was fur lined. Many would
never
know who it was except for the knots he wore on the shoulder and his height.

All of that done, he made the trek down to the Dining Cavern. Hopefully
there would
be hot breakfast. He prayed there would be. There had to be. **Please
Faranth
let there be klah that never ends.** The stone corridors were like ice.
His booted
feet made slow going. In several spots the pipes had frozen, bursting and
leaking
onto
the floor. Then the water froze on the floor and people found themselves ice
skating. **Careful** Carrying the glowbasket it was hard to see the slick
places
before he
walked onto them, but he managed to make it to the land of fire and food
and people
without mishap. Of course folks were taking advantage of the heat from the
hearths
and the food.

"Shards, there aren't any seats left!" Apparently most of the Weyrfolk had
the same
idea he had. Sighing, he searched the crowd for somewhere to sit. The wall
sconces
were holding lit candles and each table had an uncovered glowbasket on it
so folk
could see. It lent an almost intimate quality to the scene. The noise was
quite loud
though
as people complained and yelled to people they knew and shouted invites to
other,
warmer places. Frowning, P'nal wondered why riders who had to face Thread
down
couldn't
be hearty enough to withstand freezing. Shells, High Reaches could do it!

K'ran was tired from all of the labor of the day. He'd worked as hard at
the physical labor as any of his wingriders, and everything hurt, but he
hadn't wanted to go to the infirmary when other riders had it worse.
Instead he was resting in the Dining Cavern basking in the warmth of the
fires and being grateful for stew and klah.

There was still some space at his table, so when he saw P'nal pass by, he
stood up and waved a hand. "Seat over here if you want it," he called.

Nodding and thankful, he sat down with a bowl in one hand and a mug in the
other to start. A piece of bread stuck out from the bowl. "Thanks. I think
I'd eat
anything right now as long as it was hot." And with that, he did take a bite
of the
soup and savored it, letting it warm his insides. Since K'ran's promotion,
he hadn't
had much opportunity to talk to the man.

"I never realized how bad Dragonsfall got without the creature comforts.
Makes you pity the riders who lived before all the technologists'
inventions," K'ran said. "We've been run ragged today."

"Yeah well High Reaches has been inhabited for a very long time and they
have
the same geothermal heat we have. Benden too. So I'd imagine if there hadn't
been such a thing, everyone would be in Ista." He shrugged, knowing he'd
certainly
be very uncomfortable if this was an everyday occurrence. "But yeah, it is
hard.
And particularly so when you have so many riders complaining and asking when
it's
going to be fixed and you have nothing to tell them except they're working
on it."

"I have to admit I'm missing Ista right now," K'ran said. "We're not
technicians, how are we supposed to know when it will be done?"

"Because we are their leaders. We are supposed to know everything remember?"
That was said with one of P'nal's typical smiles. He picked up the klah and
took a gulp. **Very nice**

"Right, the idea that we're infallible. I forgot that," K'ran said with a
little laugh. "I have to admit I want to go watch them fix it, but I know
I'll just be in the way."

"Oh yes. Besides if Derwill is anywhere near there, I'll be somewhere else."
The
technician was somewhat interesting but most of the time he never managed to
make
anything work. P'nal had yet to understand how he'd made journeyman really.
"Plus they want someone to blame and we happen to be it. Well besides G'nir.
And he's too busy asking the holders for firewood and everything else."

"I hear he's pretty annoying to those who corner him, but he hasn't asked
me anything," K'ran said. "I suppose you're right that we're held
accountable for it, even if it's silly."

"Makes people realize just how important crafters are to the Weyr though."
Biting off a piece of the bread, he thought about his own craftwork and made
a note to finish the set of straps he'd been embellishing for someone.

"That's a truth. I think sometimes we focus so much on Weyrs versus holds
that we forget the crafts are the third leg that keep us running. Did you
train at yours here or at a hall?"

"I was Searched as a journeyman. Hall trained but I continued my studies
here.
Since it was the Interval there was plenty of time to do that. I never
bothered
working for Master since a Weyr's Master Tanner has plenty of work." He gave
a rueful laugh at that. "With a dragon I'd never have been able to do
enough. Then
Thread came and well..things changed."

K'ran nodded in understanding. "Your skill is a useful one to have, too.
Do you do much commission work for others?"

"Sometimes small things like belts and jackets and the like. Not anything
that
takes a lot of time." He was particularly proud of the hand-tooled
saddlebags
he could attach to Jodeth's harness. "Specially since I was promoted. Even
more to
do now."

"Isn't that a fact," K'ran agreed. "It's been an adjustment getting to the
work, but I think Cyan's been doing alright under my leadership. I wonder
how many young bronzers see the knots and don't think about the effort?"

P'nal didn't know how bronzeriders felt since their concerns were far
different
from his. "I've been reading in the Records. In the old days, the
Wingleaders would
usually develop the younger bronzeriders so that when it came time for
someone
to step down, there was already someone to fill their place. They knew
how to run
drills, lead the wing in fall and so on. Maybe it would be good for
one of them to be
Third."

"I know the blue and greenriders have always enjoyed being able to
take on the Third position because it's the highest they can aspire
to," K'ran said after a moment. "That said, there's certainly some
merit in that idea, because they do need the experience. Thanks for
giving me something to think on."

Nodding and considering the merits of the idea-it did make sense in a Pass.
"Aye in an interval those things didn't matter...since we didn't really have
the
same needs. Now, though, we might have to change the wing leadership with
a moment's notice so people have got to be ready." He himself was beginning
to think it would be good to start working with a younger rider to learn his
duties.

"Even if they don't get official rank, giving them a chance to lead drills
to see who might deserve that jump. Have you run it past G'nir?"

"Honestly, we had such a hard time finding a replacement when U'kaiah left,
I think the problem is that Dragonsfall doesn't have enough young bronzes.
Once he calms down with everything going on, we might discuss it certainly."
Indeed, it had been a problem when the spot came open and something
was mentioned
then but P'nal couldn't remember and then with everything, they'd done
nothing
about it.

"The numbers certainly aren't in favor. Maybe we could arrange for a
few transfers just to add new blood. In addition to better training
what we have here." Though then they'd have to trade away some of
their own riders...

"A lot of the tropical riders don't like to come here." P'nal shrugged,
knowing it was
a fact of life. "Our best bet is from Weyrs up north that are used to it. Or
we start getting
larger clutches." It would be sometime before Lissath would be breeding but
that would
help when the time came.

"That is true. Chioneth's clutch was solid and the new blood infusion will
help. Unfortunate that we'll have several turns before they're suited to
rank. But grooming the ones we have now, who maybe haven't gotten enough
encouragement and support, is a good idea."

"And will keep them from maybe going to warmer pastures, if you get my
meaning."
Dragonsfall needed to keep what they had and entice more. A difficult
situation, but
a Pass was never easy. "So here's to the future." He clinked his mug against
K'ran's
and downed some of it.

"To the future," K'ran agreed, tapping his glass back.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2014

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Good Future Ideas