You Already Know What to Say

Writers: Chelle, Clancey
Date Posted: 11th April 2011

Characters: P'nal, J'darin
Description: P'nal visits J'darin, who happens to be an old clutchmate of his, with various concerns.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 25 of Turn 6

J'darin

He knew it was customary for a Wingsecond to talk to the weyrlings about
their duty to the Weyr, as dragonriders, and those sorts of things. P'nal
had never given a talk about anything like that before. Actually, the only
talks he had ever given were to the Wing about meetings and drills and those
sorts of things. Wondering what on Pern J'darin expected him to say, he went
to see the Weyrlingmaster, who was actually an old friend of his.

He scratched at one of his hides, frowning a little. The classes were going
well enough, even though he was struggling with his own private issues, and
the weyrling class was very entertaining, as they always were. What was
causing his frown now was a little confusion over the next group of
lectures. He was wanting to try a few new ideas and needed to discuss them
with E'naer. When the knock came, he called out 'enter', trying to remember
if he was expecting anyone. He glanced around his office really quickly. Was
it messy? Did he have klah or anything to drink? Yes, and no. He sighed,
then peered up to his door to see who was visiting.

Opening the door and shutting it behind him, the brownrider walked inside.
"Hey there," he said easily, taking the seat before it was offered with an
air of familiarity. "So about this thing.. G'nir asked me to do it this time
around. I guess it's probably a test. Frankly, what am I supposed to say,
J'darin?"

It took the bronzerider a few moments to catch up with his old friend. What
thing? His brain worked a little slowly, but he eventually connected the
dots. He must mean the Wingsecond lecture coming up in two sevendays. "Oh!
The lecture. Sorry, P'nal. I'm quite distracted lately." And that was
certainly true. A young blond weyrling was the main cause of it, but he'd
never admit that, even to an old friend. "G'nir asked you, hmm? He has alot
of trust in you, then. That's good." Even though that lecture was
customarily given by the Weyrleader's Wingsecond, it showed trust that G'nir
had let a brownrider, and especially one so new to his position, take it
on. J'darin was still trying to adjust from P'nal the brownrider friend, to
P'nal the brownrider Wingsecond. He was not sure he'd put a brown in that
spot, really. But then, P'nal was a good, solid brownrider and he deserved a
shot at it. Frowning internally at his meandering thoughts he wrenched his
mind back to the topic at hand.

"Well, the younglings need to understand what it means to be responsible for
not just the people on the ground and the Thread in the sky, but also for
their fellow wingriders. Talk to them about that, and about what it's like
to lead a wing, and how important it is for all colors...all colors... to do
their part in fighting Thread. It will help them figure out their place in
the Wings. We do alot of that kind of talking, of course, but it's nice to
hear from one of the leaders in the Weyr besides E'naer and myself. They
also need to understand duty rosters, and how scheduled in the Wings works,
etc. Think you can do that?" He grinned to take any sting out of it.

"Well yes...but I am going to write something up and have you look at it
beforehand." He wasn't exactly the best at speeches and he could just hear
himself saying something inappropriate to the younglings.

J'darin chuckled a little and nodded. "I'd be happy to do that, P'nal.
You'll do fine. You already know what to say, you just need practice saying
it, hmm?" He grinned at his friend. "Feel better? Wanna have a drink and
tell me what it's like being Wingsecond, riding a brown? It's a big change
for you, my friend!"

"Well yeah..." He poured himself a little bit and had a seat. "All I've
heard is Cyan Wing this and that, but we just did our reviews and I've got a
lot of good feedback. Most of our riders see an improvement in the wing and
I think the leadership changes made most of the problems. We've got a good
solid bunch, with a couple of wrinkles to iron out. I hope to have us back
up there within a few months." It was no secret that with G'nir running the
Weyr, P'nal was doing most of the work, but he didn't mind it.

"Sounds like you're settling in just fine. I was a Wingsecond for a
while..." He thought P'nal would remember when he was, since they had
Impressed here, together, so many turns ago. "I'd be happy to help if you
have any questions or concerns. You do have a good group there, though I'm
still waiting to see about G'nir. We work together, but of course not quite
as closely as you do with him. Any problems with the other bronzeriders in
the Wing?"

"Not directly just yet, though I know there are some grumbles. They have
enough respect for the queen's choice and G'nir's choice not to outright do
anything. Besides, that goes back to duty anyway. You don't do that type of
thing in a Pass." P'nal wasn't a fool. He hadn't given anyone any reason to
doubt the Weyrleader and he didn't intend to. "Oddly there's a
greenrider..do you remember T'bel?"

A few moments passed while J'darin searched his memory. He didn't tend to
associate with male greenriders as much as he did female greenriders, though
it had less to do with his beliefs - living in the Weyr for so long had
cured him, mostly, of any Hold-prejudice - and more to do with his
personality. He liked women who liked men, and seemed to gravitate more
toward other bronzeriders for male friends, when he had any. He was a man of
few friends, to be honest. But P'nal had been one when they were weyrlings
together. "Perhaps. I do know that he is the weyrmate of the Da of one of my
weyrlings, a youngling called G'wen. What's wrong with T'bel?" Curiosity
tinged his tone. So few people shared with him the gossip of the Weyr,
perhaps thinking he was above being interested in it, or just not liking him
or what they'd heard about him.

"He seems to have a chip on his shoulder when it comes to authority and I
don't know how to get him to trust me. I can't show favoritism but I can't
ignore his issues either." He shrugged, thinking it was a hard situation.

J'darin nodded. That was a hard situation. Greenriders often took your
corrections for prejudice or arrogance, instead of the true correction it
might be. And in some cases, they would be right. But not with P'nal. "I
would suggest pulling him into a private meeting and telling him that he is
more than welcome to disagree with you, but not in front of any of the other
members of the Wing, and that any time he wants to argue, your door is open.
Then be prepared to take all his anger and aggravation calmly and without
reacting. If he continues to exercise his problem in front of the entire
Wing, you would then be within your rights to punish him. All you can do is
try, P'nal. Sometimes they just want to be difficult, no matter how nice and
reasonable you are."

"Well it's not really in front of the rest of the wing except for his
tardiness, but I think I have that solved. It's the way he thinks about
things. It's almost like just because I have rank I am automatically the
enemy and so is G'nir." Frowning, he tried to explain it better and touched
on the important part. "I don't want to tolerate disrespect to G'nir or
myself, but at the same time I would rather he talk to me rather than not."

"Hmm. That is rather better than arguing in front of the Wing. I've come up
against riders who automatically assume rank equals enemy before, in all the
colors." He frowned, considering. How would he have dealt with that
situation? "There may be no cure for that attitude except time to see that
you are definitely on his side. Try just telling him outright that if you
can respect him, then he should be able to respect you. I would also give
him an example of disrespect that he's given you or G'nir." He smiled a bit.
"Make him a bet that he'll change his attitude about you all by himself
within two months, and see if he takes it. That will make him see that you
demand respect, but you also want to earn it, not force it on him."

"Mmm...I'll see how it goes and then if he turns out okay, no harm done."
P'nal sincerely hoped that T'bel would be a good member of the wing and
would get his issues in check. "Seems like it's almost time for another gold
to go up."

"I hope it works for you, P'nal. I'll be happy to help out if you need me.
I'm happy to speak to him if your attempts don't work, though hopefully it
will come from you. " He smiled and sat back a little as the brownrider
brought up a gold Rising. "Mmm... perhaps. I think you're probably right.
Hasaarth usually knows when one of the lovely ladies is thinking about
flying high. He misses his gold mate, I think." He said, a little quietly.
He loved being a Weyrlingmaster, but being a Weyrleader seemed what he was
designed to be, and do. And, now, he didn't see that in their future. But
having a gold mate might be nice for his proud bronze, even if it wasn't the
senior queen.

"It's sort of funny, though with Teseada being D'nev's little girl." P'nal
knew those things happened but.. D'nev was one of his pals.

"Funny to you, maybe, P'nal. But to me, she is an attractive, if young,
goldrider. And that is one area where I follow the same trend as all
bronzeriders everywhere..." He grinned with a bit of embarrassment, though
P'nal surely knew it about him, given his history. "I have a long-standing
weakness for goldriders. I have to admit though... feisty greenriders are
starting to change my mind a bit!" He was thinking of one in particular, but
he didn't say who.

"As a brown, I'm partial to greens though we've been known to chase after a
junior gold from time to time." He'd had his share of furmates, though none
of them had ever stuck. P'nal was okay with that, and he enjoyed what life
he had before thread took him. "What do you think of Hygalia then?"

"Hasaarth has become fonder of greens lately... " A sly grin on his face as
he remembered. He paused, considering his second question. "Hygalia... I
like her. I don't really know her very well, though, and haven't spoken to
her over-much. I do think she will be a good match for G'nir. What I would
really like is two solid, stable leaders. D'wrayt was here so long and so
stable, and that is good for the Weyr as a whole. I think we may have them
in Hygalia and G'nir, but time, and dragons, of course, will tell."

"D'wrayt was certainly stable aye," he agreed, thinking back. "I have been
around the Weyrwoman in wing meetings and she seems sensible. I haven't had
much personal contact with her though." She had produced a good clutch and
that spoke for itself.

"Sense is something we could sure use around here, P'nal." He grinned a
little, just teasing. "Somedays it seems in short supply, and not just among
my weyrlings!"

"Honestly, I think that goes along with the whole having winged beasts in
our brains thing. After all, if we're influenced by their baser
instincts...as it were, it would only follow that we'd not be able to
concentrate as well." At least that was the excuse he used.

J'darin burst into laughter at that and nodded in hearty agreement. "A fine
reason, my friend. A fine reason. Sometimes, I wonder. Do we become more
like them as the turns go on, or do they become more like us? Hasaarth and I
have been together almost 18 turns... and it seems the same bond that we had
in the beginning, but stronger.... " He shrugged, not sure why he was
turning so philosophical all of a sudden.

"I think it's both. We meet somewhere in the middle. That way as time goes
by, we become one rather than two halves joined."
}:I'll always be with you:{
**Until the sun no longer shines**

J'darin grinned at his friend and raised his empty mug. "I'll drink to that.
Maybe later we can grab a drink for real?"

"Aye when we're off duty. Can't be setting bad examples." He smiled and gave
J'darin a slap on the shoulder before making his exit.

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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