T'mir furrowed his brow as he gave G'ny a hand up onto Tolluth. "Tolluth says you are to report straight to the Council Room when we land." Genny grunted as she heaved herself over Tolluth's neck. She held on to the riding straps as Tolluth launched himself into the dark night air. The cold of between finally cleared the remaining fellis juice from her head. What could the Weyrleader want with her, especially at this hour? In passing the weyrwoman's hall, she felt a colder than usual vibe coming from Allika's quarters.
G'ny knocked on the wall outside the Weyrleader's quarters and strode into the anteroom that served as the Weyr's strategic conference room upon a verbal invitation.
"Ah, the girl of the hour. G'ny, come in. Henceforth, you will be training under T'ten to become L'can's junior Wingsecond." T'tor announced in his usual, direct manner. G'ny looked bewildered around the room. The four wingleaders – T'tor, L'can, M'tou, and C'lin, their eight wingseconds, and the Weyrwoman were gathered around the table. L'can gave her a small smile and wave from his spot at the table. G'ny and Saleneth, as only recently graduated Weyrlings, had previously just flown firestone packs in the practice flights officially. The "sweeps" out to the nearby Holds could hardly even count towards practicing formation flying. Greens were never given positions of prominence as they were expected to rotate two to three shifts in Threadfall. As such, even in Interval times, when Wings focused more on surveillance and practice for the sake of keeping tradition alive, it was customary to retain this hierarchy.
"Sir?" G'ny squeaked. Her eyes darted over to C'lin, whose service she would have to leave.
"Surely after Saleneth's performance this afternoon you must agree it would be proper?" G'ny stared at the Weyrleader dumbly, but meaning no disrespect. "You don't know? That's right, Allika said you were out. Your Saleneth put on quite the flight earlier. Outlasted all the blues and browns who chased her. Just bronzes left at the end, and L'can's Bremeth was the victor."
"Oh." G'ny could hardly feel her legs. What was the meaning of all this? Of course she knew there would be some things she had to deal with in light of Saleneth rising, but a meeting with the Weyrleader? A Wingleader involved?
"With that stamina and now that, hmph, bond with the Wingleader, or at least his dragon, we thought it would make sense." T'tor spelled it out plainly. "Everything clear now? You'll report to L'can's wing starting tomorrow. You know where they meet?"
"Yes, sir." G'ny squeaked.
"Ok, dismissed." Following the Weyrleader's instructions, G'ny stumbled down the hall in a daze, as if the fellis hadn't actually worn off.
"Well, you must be so proud of yourself, luring a bronze, and a Wingleader at that," Allika leered as G'ny approached the corridor off of which the junior queenrider's weyr was located. "Don't start getting any funny ideas that you have any more authority than a Wingsecond. A green that thinks she's too good for blues and browns –"
"Enough, Allika," footsteps followed from the direction from which G'ny just came. The voice and footsteps belonged to L'can. Allika glared at them both and retreated into her weyr.
"Th-thank you," G'ny stuttered, unaccustomed to anyone crossing Allika for her. "The meeting?" She asked pointing back down the hallway.
"Can be conducted without me. I wanted to talk to you given the recent turn of events. Walk with me down to get some klah?" G'ny nodded. L'can was tall and lanky, it took a few moments for their strides to adjust without one falling behind or the other pulling ahead. "Our dragons –"
"I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for all that. You must feel cheated of the full experience of your dragon winning a mating flight, and with a female rider no less." G'ny began gushing.
L'can smiled. "Don't worry. It was all still quite enjoyable as a woman of the Lower Caverns was more than obliging. You know, women quite fancy me. Although..." L'can trailed off momentarily, his dark eyes burning into G'ny's. She could certainly see the appeal. "I would certainly encourage you to reconsider. The ecstasy when a dragon and rider pair is intertwined is quite incredible, and with so few women riders it can be difficult to achieve the full, preferred effect."
G'ny had heard rumors that Bremeth had flown one of the junior queens in another Weyr prior to L'can coming to the High Reaches Weyr. In fact, it was when she became the senior queen and she caught the attention of and was flown by the incumbent Weyrleader that L'can made the move. Bremeth was one of the Weyr's largest bronzes and was certainly known to fly in his share of green mating flights, affording L'can all sorts of experiences with riders on the occasion of success and Lower Cavern women in the alternative. Mmm, it can't be all bad for you. Especially when you share my feelings. Saleneth's drowsy encouragement came through. Bremeth must have also had words for L'can as G'ny saw his eyes unfocus for a moment.
"Wingleader, whatever it is you wanted to tell me, do you think it could wait until practice tomorrow? It's been a really long day." G'ny said quickly.
"Of course," L'can replied, his attention back on her. "In fact, part of it was I just wanted to remind you – eastern side of the Bowl, when the sun is just above the rim. Try to come a few minutes early."
Usually a heavy sleeper, G'ny was up early the next morning. She sprang down to the kitchens in hopes of catching up Lawana before both women were overtaken by the flurry of the day's activities. They had become good friends in the just over two Turns G'ny had spent at the Weyr. G'ny wondered what the older woman's take on her new appointment would be. She was also vaguely curious about whether the Headwoman had heard the news yet or not. T'tor had made the decision only yesterday, but word can really spread like wildfire among the Lower Caverns if interesting enough.
"G'ny is that you?" The Headwoman's back was turned checking on a large vat of brewing klah. She never missed a beat. The kitchens were her realm and she knew of every individual who entered it.
"Yes Lawana, it's me. Good morning." G'ny chimed.
"Ah, an early rising befitting of a new Wingsecond." So she had heard the news. "And your visit home went well? Unfortunately I had some weyrbrats to shoo yesterday evening when you got back. You found some leftover roast wherry?"
"Yes Lawana, I ate," G'ny smiled and stretched her arms over her head. "It was really nice to be home. Ma seems to be focusing even more on Jenrery in my absence. Dad was pretty excited that he has all the ploughs in working condition, and he is almost finished with an improved way of delivering the seed, just in time for sowing season. So you've heard the news?"
"Heard it? It is practically echoing off every crevice around here. A Weyrling to immediately train for a Wingsecond position, and a green no less? Of course it will take time, but I know you and Saleneth will do just fine. You're both fast learners. And apparently she's a fast flier," Lawana winked.
"You've always known she's a fast flier, what with all the times I come here to brag about beating the boys at our drills. And I've seen you peeking your head out from time to time to watch – especially since you promised you would!" G'ny laughed lightly.
"Yes, but to be caught only by a bronze, and tire out the others, that's something," Lawana said with much more solemnity. "She's no ordinary green, your dragon. And you know Allika will only feel greater jealousy toward you for it. She is dying for her queen to rise. Already flirting with the Wingleaders and bronze Wingseconds, she is."
"Oh believe me, I've already had a taste of it. With all the stress of yesterday, I don't know what I would have done or how much of her berating I would have had to take if L'can hadn't come along."
"L'can came along? Now that I had not heard. Sounds like he's looking out for you."
"Eh, more like had some reminders about training tomorrow, but I was so startled by the news I'm not really sure what he was trying to convey. I do know that I need to head out early though for some instructions."
"Hmm..." The older woman was pensive. "Yes, you better go, child. Oh, and here, take these. With all this talking you've completely forgotten to touch your breakfast!" Lawana shoved a handful of still warm pastries wrapped in a cloth into G'ny's hand. "You've got this, girlie!"
"Thanks, Lawana, see you tonight!"
G'ny emerged into the sunlight from the ground entrance by the kitchens, the warm pastry Lawana had pressed her to take in hand. She then trotted over to the eastern side of the Bowl where L'can and Bremeth already awaited. No one else had yet arrived. Saleneth swooped down gracefully from their weyr.
"Good morning," L'can quipped as he rubbed some oil into Bremeth's hide.
"Good morning, Wingleader," G'ny replied.
"Haha, that's far too many syllables – the whole point of shortening our names is to get rid of those pesky things. They all get mixed up in flight. L'can's just fine." L'can laughed.
"Ok, L'can." G'ny said.
"Ok, so here's how we are going to run it: for the first week, or at least until you think you've got the hang of it, you are going to watch the full wing in formation from the rim of the caldera, got it? You must stay in the air the whole time – until authorized breaks, that is – focus on the angles of Tereth's wings and how the edge of the wing behind him responds. Saleneth, you will be listening in carefully to Bremeth's instructions and relaying them to your rider appropriately. Also listen in on Tereth's commands, I've instructed him to share them with you. Then you'll move to shadowing 50 feet behind the whole wing. Once you get that, then you'll fly directly above T'ten. At that point, Bremeth and I will start watching you to make sure you've got the motions right and quiz you on the hand and dragonspeak signals, and at our discretion you will move into T'ten's spot. Got it?"
"What about T'ten?"
"Once you are ready to take over, he is moving up to T'tor's Wing. So, got it?" L'can repeated. G'ny nodded. "Got it?" He turned to Saleneth. Her eyes whirred a blue-green as she nodded her head. "Good, just in time. Here comes the rest of the Wing."
"All right, lads, listen up. In light of recent events, Saleneth's agility and stamina of primary note, G'ny and Saleneth will be training to become Wingseconds in place of T'ten. No grumbling, I want you to given them a warm welcome, and don't worry, I've given them strict instructions not to get in the way. They will just be observing at first. No big modification to our daily routine, but I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page. Everybody got it?" There were nods and grunts of acknowledgement. "Okay, up and at 'em!" Twenty eight riders mounted their dragons and were airborne almost instantaneously. L'can took a moment longer to meet them at the head of the Wing. Wow, we've got quite the work cut out for us, G'ny thought as she scrambled less than gracefully up onto Saleneth. We've got this, so long as you learn to mount up properly, her dragon snorted back. The first day was exhausting mentally and physically. G'ny was so proud of Saleneth for staying aloft the whole time. G'ny suspected she was not expected to have made it. Staying in one position was especially tiring, but the pair soon thought to glide back and forth to reduce the load. She also supposed the Wingleader gave the group extra breaks when he saw how courageously Saleneth hung in there. Saleneth aside, G'ny's legs ached from the long hours in her riding gear. The pair would sleep well tonight.
Two months in and G'ny was really feeling like she had a handle on this Wingsecond thing. She had stepped in and T'ten had moved up to the Weyrleader's Wing in only a month and a half. This was in sharp contrast to the rumor she heard that some of the riders wondered if she would be ready by the next time Saleneth rose. There were thirteen dragons under her in all – they could pass as a full Wing in a pinch. During Interval, dragon numbers were lower, and given the leadership and training methods available, T'tor had made the decision to try to make fewer fully staffed Wings as opposed to greater numbers of smaller Wings. As such, the Winghalves were still large enough to break off and do drills of their own, which was greatly encouraged for greater versatility when flying.
The Weyr totaled 120 fighting dragons plus a few additional dragons who were not fighting fit. Of those were seven weyrlings from Saleneth's clutch, mostly greens, who had not yet proven themselves beyond carrying practice firestone sacks. Then there were another dozen or so Oldies who had retired out of service, including T'mir, although he stayed active by undertaking weyrling training. Numbers certainly were low, nowhere near the 500 capacity that High Reaches had for Threadfall. Azirith's last clutch was especially small and her clutches came far too infrequently. Some people rumored it may even have been her last. It was a miracle that she laid gold Mirith in this latest clutch. Mirith was anticipated to rise in about another six months. It dawned on G'ny how close High Reaches had been to phasing out its dragon population. She wondered if the Weyrleaders would have ordered a green to stay fertile if a queen had not come along in time. She had heard of the practice vaguely alluded to in one of the records during the Third Pass, but she couldn't recall the details at the moment. At any rate, it was less important during Interval when Holds only saw Weyrs for the tithes they were owed, reduced as they were in these times. Such serious thoughts her new responsibilities led her to have!
The greens under her seemed to especially appreciate one of their own in leadership ranks. Even the behavior of some of the more wily dragons and their riders stayed spot on to encourage her success. The blues and browns accepted her too. Apparently they really did take it to heart when none of them had been able to catch Saleneth. Fortunately, there were no bronzes beneath her, she had no idea how they would respond to her authority.
G'ny seemed to flourish as a leader, as she was very attentive not just how the dragons under her flew, but also how to convey areas of improvement. T'ten had them in really impeccable shape, but his methods had been a little heavy-handed and morale had been low when G'ny first stepped up. There were a lot of sensitive, but capable personalities in her group, and G'ny prided herself on tapping into each one. She had more than made up for T'ten's regression, as the vigor of her crew now rivaled that of the other top Winghalves. At one point, her greatest challenge was slowing her side down to match the pace of the left side of L'can's Wing.
Part of the cohesion must have also been that she and L'can too had grown closer. He had been impressed with how quickly she picked up the cues and how swiftly Saleneth adopted proper technique. He often made excuses to dine with her, sometimes with the presence of the other Wingsecond and other riders, but oftentimes without. The matter of their dragons' bond didn't hurt either. Saleneth would often relay messages from Bremeth before they were announced to the rest of the team by L'can. Questions from the Wingleader such as 'what did we do wrong today' carried no mystery for G'ny with Saleneth and Bremeth's link. The two dragons could be found near each other at nearly all days off, midday breaks, and evening hours. Sometimes one would playfully rub the other's neck with his or her nose or neck, behavior most other dragons did not exhibit towards each other.