It might have been a quiet day used to settle back in, but D'kor was still glad Lytah came soon after the evening meal to change the dressing. Though if she noticed that he seemed preoccupied, she made no comment, just worked efficiently before leaving quietly. He also might be exhausted but sleep did not come easily.

The next morning found him spend most of it with V'kai, surprised how enthusiastic the weyrleader was to his plans and suggestions. Though D'kor was stunned with his announcement of time frame.

"Today V'kai?"

"Why not? The weyr has undergone some dramatic changes in recent days. Such a radical proposal is not going to be easily accepted, will be even harder to bring in if you wait until everyone has settled. Sothath will relay to all the riders that there will be a full weyr meeting before the midday meal. I will make the announcement of your appointment as flightleader and you can start from there."

"I can have the afternoon of a meeting then of the bronze riders. It could work." A little daunting D'kor thought, but not a bad idea. Left too much longer and he might come up with so many reasons to the negative; he might never go through with it. Though he did argue against, and won, V'kai's suggestion that he retire formally as weyrleader. That would be too much. Even if figurehead only, D'kor needed the concept that the elder statesman was still in charge.

The meeting went pretty much as expected. Comments and conversation was low, but D'kor decided that overall it was not bad. He might end up with some problems of acceptance, but it was going to be nowhere near as bad as those he would have had as V'kai's replacement.

The first part of his address went quite well. Though he had almost total silence by the time he came to his main part.

"…the disease took its toll. Not just on us, but the whole of Pern, even though we took the brunt. We lost nearly a third of our manpower. Of a fighting strength of nearly five hundred, we have been reduced to just under three hundred and fifty. This is going to require us to make some major changes, some major adjustments. Which we are going to have to institute and accept.

The first of which will be to discuss the advisability of maintaining twenty-five wings, of an average of less than the minimum of twelve members instead of the usual thirty. Thus in order to lead the change, my first decision is to announce the disbanding of Alpha wing."

The silence then was total.

Lytah found that she needed to remind herself to breath. No, he couldn't have just said what she thought that he did. But a look at the expressions on her fellow wing members contradicted that assumption. Ex-wing members, she realized with a start, feeling the anger start to rise.

How could he do this to them! She found herself on her feet, the only sound that of her footsteps as she crossed the sort distance to him.

"Why?"

There were many things he could have said to pacify her somewhat. Shards, even a request to talk about it later would have sufficed or even the slightest hint of an apology in his look. Not the fraction of a turn away with the quiet words. "I have my reasons."

Her anger boiled. Yet even she was surprised with the amount of force behind her hand to his face.

That seemed to be the trigger. As she turned the noise erupted, riders started moving. She found her exit from the room blocked so she made her way to one side where a couple of her friends waited.

"He has to have something in mind," T'men was saying. B'rak just gave his head a shake.

"Be that as it may, he could have given us some warning before destroying us so publicly."

Yes, there was some truth in that, not like D'kor at all. She felt the beginning of calm return. Something to ask him at some stage in the future. In the far distant future.

"Lytah." She turned to face Ch'dan, not exactly enthusiastic about the rider's call. "I'm sorry about that, it was uncalled for."

"Tell me something I didn't know." Her patience for any rider of bronze was thin at the moment.

"Understandable. Look, I just wanted to say that I would gladly have you as a member of my wing. I don't expect an answer now, but please think on it." Then he was gone, leaving Lytah feeling more than a little confused.

"Now there is a surprise," N'eth echoed her own sentiments. "Would you consider it?"

Lytah gave a shudder as she turned back to the group. "The fellow aggravates me easily at the best of times, let alone to have him as my wingleader."

"I suppose it is a question that we all will have to think about though." T'men was getting to his feet. "But I, for one, need to get out of here, find somewhere quiet."

"Something easier said than done, I think." Lytah said. "But my place after the evening meal? We can ceremonially smash one bronze glass. Can I leave it to you guys to make sure all of Alpha comes, including S'lon? D'kor may disband us on parchment, but I have no intention of him splitting up the group, even if we are one member short now."

The weyr was still in some sense of turmoil by the time night had fallen. So much so that the Alpha members decided to avoid further condolences from other riders by collecting what they could and taking a meal together in Lytah's quarters. Not that they felt much like eating.

The only small comfort in an otherwise gloomy evening was that Alpha wing was just the first of a number to be disbanded. A number of the now smaller wings were also to be absorbed into the others, though not as openly.

Lytah sat back in her chair and used her belt knife to slice off pieces of fruit to eat. "All right then, no smashing of glass until we hear some justification of the action, or we all agree that it should be done."

"Thank you." N'eth looked relieved. "I hate to see good marks go to waste."

"You could always give it to Ch'dan, he seemed interested." T'men's show of innocence was poor. She reached towards him with her knife, savoured his surprised look a moment before she speared another fruit from the bowl in front of him. Relaxing back she said "I would break it myself before giving it to anyone else not in this room now."

S'lon reached forward to refill his cup with wine. "To be honest, in hindsight, it was actually a clever move of D'kor's."

"Clever?" B'rak nearly choked on his mouthful. "Have you gone insane?"

"Think about what he wanted to do. Reduce the number of wings and leaders and amalgamate the flights into more balanced and efficient numbers. How could others complain about that when he showed he was willing to sacrifice his own position as wingleader and was not going to spare his closest friends."

B'rak shook his head. "Strange way to show friendship."

L'tul leant forward. "He already had the responsibility of flight leader. What would giving up wingleader mean anyway compared to that?"

"Giving up us." Lytah looked to S'lon to get his slight smile. "But just how traditional is it?"

"D'kor has shown me that he can achieve a great deal." S'lon answered. "And how little tradition had to do with any of it."

N'eth raised a hand to point a finger to S'lon. "You know, you might have a point there. Look here now. We many not fly together again, but that does not mean we will not see each other, spend more time like this."

"But why?" T'men glanced at each of them in turn. "Why split us up and want us to stay together?"

S'lon shrugged. "That I cannot answer. Though I must say, and now is as good a time as any, thank you for including me as part of your group."

Lytah

Zenth? The bronze's thoughts startled her away from the conversation.

Would you mind a quiet word with me?

Of course Zenth. "Excuse me guys, just need to freshen up." She stood, made her way to the bathroom. Once alone, she spoke quietly. "How can I be of service?"

Natoth says that you are not happy with me.

"No my friend. It is not you at all that I have been upset with. Can't say the same thing about your rider though. But that too might change. I think that we, as a group, have decided to reserve judgement for the moment."

D'kor was hoping for as much. He would like a chance to explain his actions to you all.

"That would be welcome. Just a shame it is after the event rather than before. Sorry Zenth, I shouldn't take it out on you. Look, yes, tell D'kor he can pay us a visit sometime without endangering his safety."

Would now be convenient?

"Now?"

He is waiting outside your quarters.

"Oh. Well then. I had better go and ask the others."

Lytah took a deep breath before she stepped back out into her main room. "Ah, excuse me guys." Now, how was the best way to ask? "How many of us agree that we need to talk with D'kor?"

T'men answered. "I think that fact has been established, and I would say all?" To get a nod of agreement around the table.

"Well, given that, guess who is waiting just outside?"

"You have got to be joking." L'tul voiced what seemed to be the consensus.

"Just get your dragons to check with Zenth then."

"No, that's all right." S'lon said. "The question is, do you people want to do this now?"

There was silence then. After a moment S'lon turned to her. "Lytah?"

Now why single her out? "To be honest S'lon? Get it over and done with. I'd rather not let it stew overnight if I don't have to."

"Good point." N'eth said. "Any volunteers to go and get him?"

Lytah resumed her seat with a tight smile. "Natoth, ask Zenth to tell D'kor to come in."

Zenth is pleased.

The silence was a little awkward, she decided, but that was the only thing that was. No look of apology, of repentance. Slight resignation maybe, as if he expected the worst and there was no mistaking the sense of authority. Oh, yes. Whatever his reasons, D'kor would do exactly the same again.

D'kor finally spoke. "I suppose you are all here because of what I did this morning?"

"Shards no D'kor." T'men had stood, taken a plain glass from a shelf. "Why would you possibly think that?" He returned to the table to pour wine and held it out to him. "Actually, we were discussing N'eth's latest abysmal taste in shirts."

"And what is wrong with my shirts?" Even Lytah had to smile at that as N'eth's expression was priceless. Trust T'men to know what to say to break the ice.

"Oh come on N'eth." B'rak said. "You would have to agree that the pink one is a bit much, even for you."

"I've said it before, it is not pink. Anyway…"

Lytah lost the focus of that perennial argument as D'kor spoke quietly. "Some things never change."

L'tul was closest to him. "But there is a lot that has. So, on behalf of the rest, I will ask. Why?"

"Because of what you are doing right now."

Lytah decided that answer was not really an improvement on the one she had received to the same question.

T'men spoke. "I must be missing something here. How does character assassination of our flight leader work for you?"

"Which actually proves my point. Despite what I did, what you might think of me now, you still invited me in, seem willing to listen to what I have to say."

S'lon spoke. "Which is what?"

"The weyr needed to have some changes made. One of those involved rearrangement of wings. I thought that leading by example would make the rest accept that easier. So I disbanded the only group I knew it would be impossible to break up.

But also in this room are the only people on Pern I truly trust. And yes S'lon, despite earlier words to the contrary, that does include you. With each of you, your loyalty to the weyr is unquestionable, as is your duty to your flight and weyrleaders. And I need those trusted people spread throughout the wings. For one things was shown to me recently, traitors can exist right under our noses and that nearly destroyed Fort.

I do not ask you to work for me, but I do trust you to help me prevent that ever happening again.

I know how I did that this morning was not correct, but it achieved its purpose. Every bronze rider has told me what they thought of my actions, every wingleader condemns how that was done. But they accepted the changes I wanted to make, as well as offer each of you at least five wings each to choose from to join."

There was a long silence then. Interesting, Lytah decided. He still hadn't tasted the wine and stood outside the circle of those sitting at the table. His words indicated that he no longer expected to be part of the group. And not once had he looked at her.

B'rak spoke. "You could have given us some warning lad."

"Yes." D'kor's smile was slight. "But I think it was more convincing as it was." He rubbed his jaw ruefully.

That snapped the last of the tension in the room; conversations broke out all around. Except for herself, she was thinking. She only spoke when she heard B'rak tell N'eth to go to his rooms for another chair.

"No," she said. "B'rak, you are going to throw D'kor out instead."

D'kor was the only one to not look surprised. He was moving to put his glass down on the table. "And that does not mean you just walk out either. You want us to report to you? Well, no-one is going to tell us anything if you are seen to be still part of the group. You cut yourself off and that is the way it will stay.

I will be surprised if your arrival here went unnoticed. So your departure will be cause of comment as well and you have been here long enough I think. Unless there is something else?"

"Actually there is one thing." D'kor reached inside his jacket to pull out a sheath of parchment. "I have lists of the proposed wings and hoped that you would scan them, tell me what you think before I post them tomorrow."

"That we can do." S'lon took them. "Can we get you to sneak back later?"

"I can get Zenth to fly me across to Natoth's weyr."

"It will be less conspicuous if Natoth comes and gets you," Lytah said. "Right B'rak, don't break any bones but don't be too gentle either."

B'rak gave a smile. "Lytah, you're all heart."

"And don't you ever forget that."

Lytah stood and stretched with a yawn. "Could I get rid of you lot now? Knowing my luck I'll have thread fall tomorrow."

"No, that is T'lor's wing," L'tul said, standing himself. "Which I should have remembered before I put my name on his list."

"Lytah." D'kor was the only one to remain seated. "Could I have a word?" He was straightening the stack of sheets in front of him.

"Only if you take off your jacket." That didn't come out the way she meant, given the expressions on those that heard. "I need to change that dressing."

"Are you sure?" She wondered why he looked so uncomfortable. "It is late and it is not causing any problems."

"There's a first B'rak." N'eth had finished stacking the plates on the table. "Lytah finally asks him to get his clothes off and he hesitates."

"And on that note of such good taste, we will leave. See you later."

Lytah looked up from collecting the medical supplies to acknowledge the departure of the last two through her front entrance. She returned to the table a moment later. "Your injury might not be causing any trouble but I am under strict instructions that this gets changed every evening for a full sevendays. After that, you can have it on your own. But I would not disobey orders from Sygull unless they were from the masterhealer himself. Now, stand up and let me get to that bandage."

She smeared a generous amount of ointment onto a wad while he unbuttoned his jacket and untucked his shirt. "What was it you wanted to ask?" she asked as she unwound the cloth.

"Why Ch'dan's wing?"

"Logical choice. The riders of the bronzes from this last hatching will still be too young when Coranth rises and though there are other bronzes, Tanneth and Zenth will be the two main contenders. It would not be a smart move to not have someone in the wing of your main rival."

"But does it have to be you?"

"You were not exactly inundated with volunteers there. Besides, he'd already made the suggestion."

"I bet it won't be the only one." The words were almost a growl.

Lytah straightened from fastening the new bandage, a little surprised. She hadn't expected him to show any emotion, let alone jealousy. "I can handle Ch'dan. I have been a rider of a green for too long not to be able to take care of myself against the suggestions of any blue, brown or even bronze rider who decides they want to try Natoth. Once was one time too many."

"But I thought…"

"Not tonight D'kor. It is, as you said, late after an eventful day. Natoth will take you home."