A/N: Hello all. Here is the next chapter. I know it's short, but it is a transition chapter that is required in the overall story plan. Thanks to all who reviewed. I had someone ask where this is going. If I told you that it would be like revealing the ending to a book you haven't read yet. There is a destination, but revealing it would spoil the story and the surprise. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is a very minor rewrite. Just corrected a couple of things. Don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: The Dragonriders of Pern is a trademark of and copyrighted to Anne McCaffrey. This is fan fiction and garners NO MONEY WHATSOEVER for the author.

Chapter Four

D'vid was finishing up the weekly readiness report. Most wing seconds hated doing reports. D'vid wasn't overly enamored of it but really didn't mind it. It was just one of the tasks a wing second had to do. And it freed up his wing leader for more important duties. He had learned a lot from the Old Man.

That's how D'vid thought of his wing leader; the Old Man. T'nish wasn't that old but he wasn't young either having celebrated his fifty-first birthing day three months ago. But he was one hell of a wing leader.

He heard a dragon land on his ledge. Sulanth informed him it was Grath, and his rider needed to see D'vid.

D'vid stood and went to meet his boss.

"Wing leader. The weekly readiness report is almost done. I would have brought it to you. You didn't need to come to me."

"I know, son," T'nish told him. "That's not why I'm here. I need to speak with you."

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm being transferred to Monaco Bay Weyr," T'nish told him. "I asked for the transfer a turn ago and there's finally a spot open."

"Sir, you're leaving Benden?" D'vid didn't like this at all.

"My old bones don't like the winters here anymore. I wanted to tell you, my second, first. I have recommended you be promoted to fill the vacancy my leaving will cause."

"I don't know what to say, sir." D'vid was at a loss for words.

T'nish could tell the young man didn't like this. "You've been a joy to me. You've made my job as wing leader much, much easier. You've also learned a lot. You're ready to lead a wing."

"But I don't even come from Pern!" D'vid protested.

"What, in Faranth's name does that matter? A bronze dragon chose you, not even a candidate, out of the stands. That's good enough for me. F'lar hasn't yet approved the promotion, but a wing leader's recommendation on his successor is always taken very seriously."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, sir," D'vid said. "You don't know how much your faith means to me."

"It's only what you deserve," his superior told him. "You implement my decision very well. You have given me good counsel and have suggested things I would never have thought of. If F'lar doesn't promote you, it's his and the Weyr's loss."

D'vid stood facing the man. "You've been like a father to me, sir. I appreciate all you've done for me. I'll have that report completed in no more than a half an hour."

"Save it. Give it to my successor. I hope that you won't have to give it to anyone except the weyrleader. I leave tomorrow morning at the tenth hour." With that he extended his hand to shake. D'vid grasped his arm in the forearm clasp.

T'nish walked to his dragon and mounted. Grath crouched, gave a mighty leap and they were gone.

D'vid went back to the report but just sat there thinking. T'nish leaving? He was truly sorry to see the Old Man go.

Well, it didn't matter in the long run. The report had to be done when the new wing leader assumed command. He was grateful for the recommendation but didn't think he was old enough to be a wing leader at just twenty four.

He had just put the finishing touches on the report when Sulanth informed him that Mnementh said the weyrleader wanted to see D'vid in his weyr. He folded the report neatly into thirds and tucked it into an inside pocket of his riding jacket.

Sulanth landed him on F'lar's ledge and D'vid dismounted. The bronze dragon then took wing to wait on the rim for his rider.

D'vid walked to the entrance of the common room and announced himself.

"Come in, D'vid."

He walked in and saw F'lar sitting at his desk reviewing records. He looked up and smiled. He motioned to one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. "Sit down, bronze rider.

D'vid gulped and sat. He still wasn't quite used to the informality of the Weyr.

"Grath tells Mnementh his rider has informed you of his transfer."

"Yes sir. I'll be sorry to see him go. He's been like a father to me."

"Yes," F'lar said. "He is one shard of a great wing leader. He also recommended you for promotion to wing leader in his place. Did he tell you that?"

D'vid nodded.

"Do you think you and Sulanth ready to lead a wing of dragonrider pairs?"

D'vid couldn't believe it. He was actually being interviewed for the position of wing leader. "I'm ready, sir, but I understand that you might have reservations due to my youth and the fact I wasn't born on Pern."

"Oh, thread take that," F'lar told him. "So what if you weren't born here? A bronze dragon chose you even though you weren't a candidate. That's all that matters there. The dragon knows.

"About your youth, yes, that's a concern, but the fact that T'nish recommended you counts for quite a bit in my eyes. And any other weyrleader's for that matter, unless he's a fool. The fact you think you're ready speaks volumes. You also have previous military training in the Confederation Navy. I was very impressed with your former compatriot, petty officer," F'lar paused trying to recall the name. "Russell, I believe his name was. I saw him draw a weapon and it looked like it materialized in his hand from between. You obviously had the same training or you wouldn't have been chosen as a guard for your former Captain. The fact you were selected to be a guard for your former captain demonstrates your ability to follow orders. T'nish said you know how to give them as well. I'd like to offer you the position of Wing Leader of Third Wing."

D'vid couldn't believe his good fortune. He took a deep breath and said. "Thank you, weyrleader. I accept your generous offer and I will not disappoint you." He withdrew the readiness report from inside his jacket and unfolded it. He proffered it to F'lar saying, "Here's the weekly readiness report. I was going to give it to the new wing leader, but since I am now the wing leader, I'll give it to you."

F'lar glanced at the proffered report. "Keep it for now. After you choose your wing second, make sure he sees it. I expect readiness reports from your wing continue in this form. They're always concise and to the point and I want them to stay that way."

"I'm to choose my wing second, sir? I thought wing seconds were assigned by the weyrleader."

"That depends on the Weyr," F'lar told him, "I prefer for my wing leaders to choose their own seconds. Get me a short list of no more than three or four candidates and I'll interview them. Don't even have to be from your wing. You'll be present, of course, and can ask any questions you like during the interview. After the interviews, I may make recommendations as to who should be promoted, but the final decision is up to you. You're the one who has to work with him and you as wing leader are responsible for his actions and the actions of your wing."

That actually made sense to D'vid. And when he thought about it, a Navy captain probably chose his senior staff in a similar fashion instead of them just being assigned to him.

"Thank you for your confidence in me, Weyrleader. I will see that it is not misplaced," D'vid told his new boss.

"That I'm sure of, rider. Get me that list of candidates and we'll begin the interview process. That's all."

"Yes sir," D'vid replied and called for his dragon. Sulanth was just landing as he reached the ledge.

I can't believe it, Sulie. We're actually wing leaders.

It's no more that we deserve, Sulanth told his rider. Although I'll miss Grath. He's a good teacher and a good friend.

D'vid smiled at that. They say that the dragon reflects the rider and vice versa. Sulanth landed on his ledge and dipped a shoulder to aid his rider in dismounting. D'vid went to his work area and began going over his notes on the other riders as to which brown rider he thought would be the best wing second.

Benden's entire fighting complement, with the exception of the green rider who was on watch on the rim, were present the next day to see off the former wingleader. All but one wondered who would be promoted to wingleader. There were three bronze rider seconds among the wings including D'vid.

After the farewells were said, T'nish and Grath stood waiting for F'lar to inform the Weyr of the new command structure. F'lar had Mnementh inform the dragons of the Weyr who the new wingleader was to relay to their riders. Most of the riders were stunned. This was an offworlder, not born on Pern.

Seeing the looks on the riders' faces F'lar addressed the assembled riders. "I see you are all surprised by my decision to promote D'vid to wingleader. You shouldn't be. He is a bronze rider, regardless of where he comes from or where he was born. Do you question the decisions that your dragons made when they chose you?"

"NO, WEYRLEADER," came the thunderous response of more than three hundred riders in unison.

"Then you shouldn't question the decision of Sulanth who chose D'vid," T'nish called out. "The dragon knows. I expect Third Wing to follow D'vid's orders as you would my own."

He looked at F'lar. "I'll be going now. He'll do fine. I'll miss this place, but I won't miss the winters."

F'lar smiled at that. "Good luck, T'nish. Our loss is Monaco's gain."

They clasped forearms and then T'nish mounted. Grath sprang into the air. At the proper height he winked between.

A/N: That's a wrap for this chapter. Sorry it's so short but that's all that really needs to be said. I know, I could have gone into detail as to who was chosen for D'vid's wing second, but that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever. Don't forget to review.