A Hard Turn

Writers: AmajoS, Suzee
Date Posted: 25th April 2019

Characters: A'chas, D'ale
Description: A'chas and D'ale discuss recent, and not so recent, tragedies at the Weyr.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 22 of Turn 9

D'ale

"It's been a while," A'chas handed his visitor a steaming mug of klah.
"I hope I remembered how you like it." They'd been fairly good friends
for turns, having both grown up at the Weyr before it was actually a
Weyr, but had drifted apart. D'ale's time away from the weyr had
contributed and A'chas's own loss made it difficult for him to reach
out to try to rekindle the friendship, though they did have a good
working relationship.

"Hey there," D'ale smiled and took the mug. "Mmm I need this. It's
cold out there."

"I'll be glad when winter is finally over," A'chas replied agreeably
as he took a seat with his own mug.

"I think we all will," D'ale nodded. "It hasn't been an easy winter."
He lifted his steaming mug. "But as they say, Spring is coming."

"Indeed," A'chas lifted his mug as well. His old friend was right, it
had been a hard winter. A hard turn, in fact. The recent tragedy at
the Hatching had been only the latest.

"It's been difficult on everyone, down to the lowliest drudge." He
shook his head. "Yanley's told me the lower caverns are almost as bad
as the wings over this loss."

"It's bad enough when one of them dies to Thread or in a training
accident, but on the Hatching Sands." A'chas shook his head. "You
don't expect that. Makes it hit harder, I think."

"Yeah," D'ale agreed. "It doesn't matter how many times you see it.
You just wish there were something you could have done."

A'chas nodded grimly. "Yes. It's like that for any death." His
thoughts, like they always did, especially this time of year, turned
to Jadeah. Her death and the fact that he hadn't been there for it
haunted him. Could he have done anything if he'd just gone with her?
Maybe not. But at least he'd have been there.

"True enough," D'ale half smiled. "I never expected the threading my
son's mother went through. She was very lucky to live through it." Not
that Kenza had thought that at the time. But there had been many since
who hadn't lived and hadn't gone on to fight Thread again.

A'chas nodded, "That first Fall was treacherous. I don't think any of
us were really ready for it." It had been one thing to know it was
coming and to train for it and to have read the records, it was quite
another to have been in the air and seeing that deadly silver rain
glistening in the sunlight for the first time. "Noreth has a couple of
scars himself from that Fall."

"I think we all do," D'ale nodded. "Whether or not they're visible to anyone."

"Spoken like a true harper," A'chas said with a wry grin at his old
friend. Then, to change the subject, "Did you come see me for anything
particular? Not that I'm unhappy to see you, of course. It has been
too long since we've just sat and enjoyed a mug of klah."

"Yes," he smiled. "Never could put one over on you my friend." He
lifted his mug. "I'm a little concerned about some of the younger
riders in Cyan. They've had a significant loss with the way Paetri and
Camilth met their end. I think we need to pay some special attention
to make sure they settle down without them thinking I don't trust them
to do their jobs. Do you think you and Noreth could do that for me?"

A'chas nodded, "Yes, I see what you mean. I'd be glad to help anyway I
can. Noreth too." Noreth perhaps especially. The brown was used to
keeping an eye on him, watching out for his moods. He was turning his
dragon into a mother hen. But, it would be useful in this task.

"I appreciate that A'chas," D'ale nodded. "Anything we can do to
settle them down out there."

"Yes, distracted riders will only cause more accidents," A'chas
agreed. He'd seen it often enough over the turns. Sometimes, after a
tragedy, wings flew better than ever, with each pair focused on not
letting it happen to them. However, sometimes, the opposite was true
and you had riders who were so nervous or who kept thinking about the
accident or the lost dragon or rider or both that they weren't paying
attention and that was more than dangerous. That could be deadly.

"We'll get them through this like we always have," he smiled.

Last updated on the April 26th 2019

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A Hard Turn