According to a reviewer, the chapter didn't show up, so I've added the chapter again, hoping that it will work. Don't know why it didn't, though ff dot net hasn't been behaving correctly for me. It's taken over a day for then to send me alerts for when another chapter has been added for a story I have alerts out for. Anyone else having problems like that?
F'lar was pacing nervously back and forth in front of the Weyr's infirmary. Inside rested thirty people from this latest Fall-including J'ral and three others who were in a critical condition. It was just hours after the Fall ended.
After J'ral left, there was much confusion among the dragonriders. In just a short time, they were used to his voice as the watcher of the dragonriders, there to tell them when Thread was about to fall. Once he was injured, no one was prepared, not even F'lar. He, too, had started getting used to his voice.
Now F'lar blamed himself for what happened. He knew he shouldn't have pushed J'ral into action yet. The Weyr should've had practice with him giving warnings before today's Fall.
"F'lar," said a voice from behind the pacing dragonrider. He turned around seeing Lessa standing just outside the door to the infirmary. She had been among the helpers after the Fall, tending to the riders in a critical condition. "J'ral is going to make it. If Jameth had been just a second slower, they would've both gone between."
"Th-That's good news," F'lar said. He was still thinking about the Fall. "How about the others?"
"Not as good. K'ane is the worse of the three. His left eye is not going to be functional any more and his right is going to need time to heal, but he won't be able to fly Thread any more. J'anthen will need time to recover, but in time he might recover fully. A thick patch of Thread fell on his right arm, destroying much of his muscles in his upper arm. Finally, B'son is actually in the best condition. He'll need only a couple sevendays to recover from the scores he's received."
"And the others. They'll just need the usual couple of days?"
"Yes, F'lar." It was at that moment that she saw his expression. "Have you slept at all since the Fall ended?"
"What?" F'lar asked. "Well…no, I haven't. not with so many on the injured list. And J'ral." I keep thinking, 'Did I make the right choice? Sending him up the way I did? With no practice with the rest of the Weyr?'"
"I don't know, F'lar," she replied, placing an arm around him. "Let's go to the weyr and get some rest. You look like you could use it."
F'lar sighted, agreeing with her. He knew she was right, after all. "I think I should. Maybe we will be able to think better tomorrow."
As the sun started to rise the next morning, F'lar woke up first. He couldn't remember why he was disturbed by something, but it slowly came back to him. J'ral…the Fall…fellow dragonriders injured…K'ane permanently out of action…
"F'lar?" Lessa asked softly from the bed. She had noticed that he was awake. "Are you still thinking about what happened yesterday?"
"Yes, Lessa," replied F'lar as he quickly gathered clean cloths and prepared to get cleaned up. "After I get something to eat, I'll talk with the wingleaders. We have to know exactly what happened yesterday when J'ral went out of action. I know the wings know how to fly in an unpredictable Fall.
"Before J'ral's injuries forced him to land at the Weyr, there was only one, minor score. The rider didn't even have to go to the Weyr for treatment. Suddenly, just moments after he warned the Queen's Wing about a patch of Thread, which scored him, we had people do careless maneuvers, causing dragons and riders to receive scores."
He didn't even wait to hear a response from Lessa before heading to the bath. He was just concentrating on a conversation his dragon was trying to engage him in. F'lar, I've spoken to the dragons of the injured riders. All report the same thing. When J'ral went out of action, confusion reigned among the Wingleaders in all Wings except for yours, F'nor's and the Queen's Wing.
I know, Mnementh, F'lar responded quietly. I need to find out why the Wings got into a complete state of confusion. And for that, I personally need to have a conference with all the Wingleaders.
I've informed all the dragons for the Wingleaders. By now, they're informing their riders.
Have the riders meet me in the main conference room in one hour.
It shall be done.
As Mnementh's voice fell silent, F'lar got lost in thought, going over the whole Fall in his mind. At first, there was a slight bit of confusion as riders realized that someone other than their Wingleader or F'lar was giving instructions to them.
But within a few minutes, before the Fall started to grow unpredictable, all the riders settled into a fluid motion as Wingleader, Weyrleader, and J'ral gave instructions. J'ral's were more like warnings, but each rider took them seriously. It was remarkable that only one light scoring had occurred by the halfway point in the Fall.
That was when the confusion started. F'lar didn't know really what was happening in the other Wings, but he knew something was up. Within ten minutes, three more riders were seriously injured and many others. Luckily, after that point all the Wings were starting to fly normally.
F'lar, Lessa's starting to get worried. You've been in their for close to an hour, Mnementh said suddenly.
Shards, must've gotten too deep in thought. Inform the Wingleaders that I shall be a little longer. The meeting will be pushed back half an hour.
Of course, F'lar.
F'lar automatically got himself dressed and saw Lessa waiting outside the main room, on the landing with Ramoth. Not even his Mnementh was larger than the Queen, whom took up most of the ledge. Mnementh was partially inside the cave, facing the gold dragon. He soon got up, sensing F'lar approaching.
"F'lar, it's about time that you got here. Was starting to get worried about you," Lessa said, giving her dragon one last caress before getting up and walking over to F'lar. "If I hadn't asked Mnementh to get you, would you still be in the bath?"
"Sorry, Lessa, but I was just reviewing the Fall yesterday before going to the meeting. Didn't realize how long it took."
"I see. Well, you better get something to eat. Luckily I thought to order some food to be brought up," Lessa said.
She led him to the table, which F'lar saw was loaded with bread and fruit, as well as some klah. He quickly bolted down some food and klah before getting up.
"Thanks, Lessa," he said just before leaving for the meeting room.
When he arrived, he was not the first one there. Already F'nor and several Wingleaders were waiting for him. Not soon after entering, the rest arrived in a group.
"Thank you all for coming on such sort notice, even though you probably expected a meeting," F'lar said, causing several heads to nod. "Before I get started, I would like to say that your wings flew great the first half of the Fall. Only one score, and not a bad one at that. You also responded well to J'ral's warnings.
"However, the real reason for this meeting is what happened in the ten or so minutes after J'ral got injured. After that point, only three wings-mine, F'nor's, and the Queen's-flew to near top performance. All the rest of you flew like green wings. What happened?"
There was silence all round the table before one of the men gathered, the Wingleader of one of the newer Wings, spoke up. "F'lar, forgive me for saying this, but weren't we all expecting J'ral to protect us all?"
"Yes, but that's not the point, is it?" F'lar yelled. "Your Wing was the worst of all. Only three people in your entire wing escaped without getting scored-one of which, K'ane, will never be able to fight Thread again! He's done, with only partial eyesight in one of his eyes. The other's gone."
"You're exaggerating, F'lar. There were ten of us that made it through the entire Fall."
"Only because the remaining riders were lightly scored and could make it through. Last night, Lessa told me everyone who was injured and what wing they were in."
"What are you talk-"
"Get out of here," F'lar said sternly. "You have no right being with a group of Wingleaders. As of this moment, you're removed from your capacity as Wingleader. Wingsecond F'lesson will take over from here on out."
"You ca-" the ex-Wingleader was starting to cry out when F'lar yelled again, "Get out now!" He didn't move, causing the Wingleaders next to him, F'nor and M'kal, to force him out of the room.
During this time, F'lar said to Mnementh, please have Golanth's rider join us in this meeting,
He's on his way, Mnementh replied.
"Sorry about this," F'lar said to the Wingleaders, who were all not too surprised about what just occurred. They knew it was going to happen eventually as the former Wingleader was a lazy, incompetent Wingleader.
"Don't worry, F'lar," said F'nor. "At least we've removed the problem which caused confusion among that Wing. The former Wingleader probably was glad that he didn't have to give as much warnings about Thread, thanks to J'ral."
"F'lar," M'kal said quietly, "I fear that I had a similar problem, but not to the degree as the other person. However, I recognize my mistake, even though it cost me a fine Wingsecond, J'anthen. How long will he be out?"
"I don't know, M'kal," F'lar replied sadly, but proud that M'kal admitted his mistake. He knew that M'kal wouldn't let what happened occur ever again. "Lessa doesn't know how long. He'll need to grow a lot of new muscles in his upper right arm before he'll be fit to fly. Probably several months."
At this point, a young dragonrider entered the room. Everyone recognized him immediately as F'lar's one and only son, F'lesson. "Wingleaders, F'lar," he said to the assembled group. "I'm here as asked, F'lar and I don't see my Wingleader with the rest of you. May I assume that you asked me here to fill his place for the meeting?"
"Yes, F'lesson, though not just for the meeting. As of now, you're the Wingleader of your Wing. The previous Wingleader's just been dismissed for continued incompetence and laziness."
"As you wish, F'lar. May I fill you in on the events of the Fall yesterday, as I saw them? The other Wingseconds will back me up, along with the rest of the Wing."
"Go a head," F'lar said.
For the next half an hour, F'lesson told the assembled group what had happened after J'ral was injured. When the Wingleader realized that J'ral had left the Fall for good, he grew silent in giving orders. F'lesson and K'ane started giving orders to their parts of the wing. The Wingleader did nothing, causing the rest of the Wing to follow the Wingseconds in charge of their group.
"That's what happened. Once K'ane left for the Weyr due to injury, I became the unofficial Wingleader. The true Wingleader still did nothing. As you know, once K'ane left, our performance changed dramatically. But the damage was done. All but nine others, including the Wingleader, stayed through the rest of the Fall, but only three of us left unscored."