Turn the tables

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 14th September 2010

Characters: G'nir, U'kaiah
Description: G'nir and U'kaiah know just where they stand...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 6 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Telemon, N'vanik, T'mahl, D'wrayt, J'darin (not nessessary by

the name)

G'nir

This was going to be interesting. In his interview-rounds with
Wingleaders, G'nir had gotten down to U'kaiah. Reading thru his history
had been...eye opening, so to say. Not to mention the note he had
received from the Weyrhealer. Oh, he was going to enjoy this one.

U'kaiah, on the other hand, just wanted to get this little meeting over
with. He knew all too well that G'nir's intention was just to gloat
over him. As his Wingleader, he had more than one occasion to put the
bronzerider in his place. And he had been right to do so. But now it
was that wherry's ass' turn to throw it up in his face. It was even
worse than N'vanik. At least N'vanik had never actually beat him. And
yet U'kaiah had managed to lose more than he ever had thought possible.
Well, one day it would be his turn.

He gave the door a quick tap and opened the door. "You wanted to see
me, sir?" U'kaiah tried his best to make the last word sound natural,
but just the uttering of it made his stomach turn.

"Yes, please, take a seat," G'nir replied and gestured towards the chair
opposite of his. His smile didn't quite reach his pale grey eyes.

The Wingleader didn't even try to fake a smile as he took the chair.
**Let's just get this over with.** He looked at G'nir expectantly.

"What have you been up to, U'kaiah? You seem to have managed to
infuriate our Weyrhealer?" G'nir asked straight away.

And wouldn't G'nir just love that. "It seems to be easy to do. The man
has no real understanding of how a Flight works. I suppose it's to be
understood considering the fact that he's never experienced one
himself."

"He's a crafer and non-rider, how could he?"

"My point exactly." And hopefully that was all that needed to be said on
the topic.

"You could have been bit more diplomatic. Sometimes you just have to
bide it and say: yes, sir," G'nir was on lecturing gear now.

"Diplomacy is not my job." And if G'nir was worth those knots on his
shoulders he'd stand up for his riders, even to Telemon, when they were
in the right. "He should know better if he wants to be a _Weyr_healer.
Things go wrong in Flights sometimes, it's a fact of life, and if he
can't handle that, he doesn't belong here."

"Enough of him," G'nir said. "Just so you know in the future: I don't
like and accept violence. One incident like that or likes in you past,
and you're back in the weyrling wing again, for good."

"Then you're as big a fool as he his," U'kaiah snapped back without
thinking. "Shall I make a survey of all the girls you've bedded in
dragonlust? Shall we keep track of all our riders? Maybe we should
post witnesses in every Flight room to take notes on the man's every
move. How about that? I'm sure the riders would _love_ that. You'd
have staff enough to fill out the Weyrling Wings to last you the Pass,
I'm sure. Of course, your fighting wings will look a little empty. But
maybe you haven't given that a thought yet."

"Keep your temper, U'kaiah," G'nir said with calm tone. He leaned
backwards and crossed his arms over his chest. "No wonder you're not
Weyrleader, if you can't control yourself better."

The bronzerider snorted. "You haven't seen my temper, G'nir. Only my
indignation. I think it doesn't bode well for the Weyr that we go from
a coward like T'mahl to someone who would put his own pride above the
Wings. You think I don't know that you're just looking for an excuse to
put me in my place? Even if it would endanger the lives of my Wing and
take out the best man you have Fighting Thread? And yes, G'nir, I am
the best you've got."

"I never questioned your ablities as a wingleader. I was in your wing,
remember. And now the tables are turned." G'nir kept his voice
reasonable and calm. He was starting to understand why the Weyrhealer
had been so angry.

"I don't see any tables having been turned. I'm still a Wingleader and
the best you'll ever get. Tables will only be turned if you try to
interfere with me and my Wing just to satisfy your own insecurity. I
_know_ what I'm worth." Even if the dragons didn't seem to.

"I wonder who's the insecure here,." G'nir said. "I'm not interfering
with you or your wing. You do lead a good wing. Why fix it if it isn't
broken. I'm reprimanding you because of your own behavior. You take it
to the heart or you'll suffer the consequences. So far, I been thinking that
the warning from Weyrhealer was enough punishment for you. Don't make me
change my mind," the older bronzerider warned. His eyes were cold and hard
as flint. "Do you _want_ a public humiliation?" Inside, he was enjoying
enourmously showing U'kaiah his place.

"And I'm saying you're attempt at reprimanding me smells like a man who
just wants to prove himself better than another, and not because he has
the best interest of his Weyr at heart. As I told Telemon, take my
knots if I ever did such a thing when I was in my right mind, but you
can't control dragonlust. You can't tell my dragon not to Rise, and you
can't tell me not to follow his instincts. You can't tell _any_ rider
that. Not even the Weyrwoman herself has that kind of control.
Punishing me would do nothing. It would just make you one Wingleader
short, and a whole lot of riders in danger. Your threats don't scare
me, G'nir. But I think how close my dragon got to that gold should
scare you. Weyrleaders come and go, but I am constant."

"Sit down and take a few calming breaths," G'nir instructed. A flicker
of amusement flashed in his pale eyes. He was feeling very superior
right now. At least he wasn't letting his temper to run amok. "Consider
yourself on trial for next three months. I expect you to behave yourself
and provide top performance from your wing. If you don't behave, you're
out of your beloved weyr faster than you can say transferr-request." The
coldness was back.

U'kaiah's eyebrow quirked slightly. "Is that what you're former
Weyrleader did for you and you failed your little trial? Because he
sure didn't seem to think you were worth keeping around. That _is_ how
you ended up back here, isn't it? That's what your file says. And even
with all that leadership experience, it sure didn't seem like T'mahl
thought you were worth more than a wingrider even though there were
Wingsecond opportunities open."

"Shut up, U'kaiah. Just say: Yes, sir, and be a good boy," anger flashed
in G'nir's eyes.

And now U'kaiah was enjoying the upper hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, _sir_, did
you think I as your Wingleader didn't know ever intimate detail of your
file before I even met with you the first time? Did you think you were
kicked out of your last Weyr because the Weyrleader thought you were
_over_ qualified?"

"I was overqualified," G'nir stated. "And if I hear you spreading tales
about me...well, I have three ex-weyrleaders at my hands. I'm sure one
of the would be more than willing to take over Cyan wing."

"I know my job, and I know records are confidential. I haven't ever yet
been accused of gossiping like a biddy, so you don't have to act so
afraid of me," though U'kaiah did enjoy watching G'nir squirm. "If
someone starts spreading rumors that you're unfit for your current
position, rest assured, it won't be coming from me."

"If you say so," G'nir's voice was coloured with suspcion. Like he would
take anybody's word like that.

"Well, you'll have three former Weyrleader's words to take on that
score. After all," he leaned in, a slight smile twitching at the
corners of his lips, "I outlasted all of them, too."

"Amazing that, if this is how you acted on them too," G'nir sounded
sarcastic.

"Oh no. I've always treated a Weyrleader with exactly the right amount
of respect he deserves." U'kaiah shrugged, glad that had had this
little chat. "Maybe it's because I didn't have their files memorized.
I don't know."

"I will not tolerate no nonsense from you.. or anyone. I expect you to
show the respect my rank demands in public. I don't care a wherry's
arse what you think of me in private, as long as it stays private," G'nir
leaned forward.

"G'nir, I think very little of you, as I think you already know. But I
have never disrespected a Weyrleader in public, and I don't intend to
now. It's my job to set an example for my riders, and respecting those
in authority above them is part of that." D'wrayt had instilled that
conviction in him as a young weryling, and it was a lesson that had
stuck. Of course, it had been easy when D'wrayt had been his
Weyrleader...

"As long as we understand each other," G'nir said, watching U'kaiah
carefully.

"I think this has been a very informative meeting, sir," the Wingleader
said with a slight twitch of his lips. "I believe we both know where we
stand with each other."

"Yes, I think we know that," G'nir replied. Despite the three
ex-weyrleaders and all the other bronzeriders in the Weyr, he considered
U'kaiah as his worst rival, the worst threat. Perhaps he saw a little bit
of himself in the younger bronzerider. Not a comfortable thought.

Last updated on the September 25th 2010

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Turn the tables