An Unexpected Change

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 20th February 2009

Characters: T'mahl, Kapera
Description: There is a change of leadership at Dragonsfall, much to everyone's surprise
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 5

Kapera

In the haze of a goldflight, it was easy to lose track of who'd won. As
Kapera drifted to consciousness, she knew that Riyanth had risen from
the deep mix of smug contentment and somnolence that the gold always had
afterwards. She remembered the beginning, how the gold had bugled, the
effort of iron will to keep Riyanth from eating. And she remembered the
feeling of flight, of soaring, of taunting the males. But who'd caught
her?

She rolled over in the bed and looked at the man next to her. Then she
started in surprise.

The man lying next to her was not her Weyrleader! The man lay bare
before her surprised gaze. He was not nearly as long as D'wrayt, nor as
broad. This man's hair was much darker, with just the hint of grey
along the sides. His muscles were well defined and compact, unlike the
bulky strength that the longtime Weyrleader had exuded. As her eyes
traveled down his body she could see those muscles were mishapen along
the hip that lay beside her, covered in an old patchwork of scars, as if
he had been sown together haphazardly like an amature's first quilt.

Shardit, but she hadn't expected this at all! She'd expected D'wrayt,
acknowledged that U'kaiah was a strong contender, and privately hoped
for someone else entirely. But T'mahl? She barely knew him. He was a
good man, dedicated, but her interactions with him were fewer than those
with the Headwoman; it was just how their duties worked out. For him to
win... But the dragons knew.

The bronzerider somehow knew subconsciously that eyes were on him as he
shifted, turning towards the goldrider and slowly opened his eyes. He
had to
blink a few times before his mind began to register that someone was in
the bed next to him. They flew open in surprise as her face became
surprisingly familiar. "Weyrwoman?"

"T'mahl." she answered. "Congratulations, Weyrleader."

The bronzerider blinked a couple times, his brain still not focusing.
"Where's D'wrayt?"

"You won the flight, he didn't. He's certainly not in the room with us."
she told him.

T'mahl sat up, pulling the sheet around him as he let it sink in. **I'm
Weyrleader...** He rubbed at his face as he took a deep breath. "All
right," he finally said. There was no use debating it or denying it.
This wasn't a dream, and it was time for action. "We should call a
meeting of the leaders and prepare an announcement for the Weyr."

She nodded. "Announcement tonight at dinner? Riyanth can call the
dragons now." She knew that a few of them would still be shaking off the
flightlust, and then wondered if T'mahl was at all interested. She was
too rattled to respond- this was nowhere near the outcome she'd
predicted!

Lingering lust was the last thing on T'mahl's mind. He had joined the
circle of bronzeriders as most of them did, but no one could have
predicted that D'wrayt's bronze would not reaffirm him as Weyrleader.
Dragsonfall had enjoyed stability in the Weyrleadership for turns, even
while other Weyrs watched leaders come and go. They had grown
comfortable in that fact. Until now. **There had to have been some
mistake...** the bronzerider thought as his brow furrowed. **Some
unexpected gust of wind or an injury we never heard about...**

}:I was the best. I won,:{ his Uluruth replied matter of factly. The
bronze saw nothing strange in that fact. He was the Senior Queen's mate
now, as he should be.

"I wish I felt as confident as my bronze does at this moment," he
muttered to himself, looking around for where his clothes might have
ended up.

"The dragons always know." she told him. "I'm sure you'll do fine." He'd
always been a competent Weyrlingmaster, which to her meant he should
have leadership skills that ought to translate over.

Wasn't this something he had been training for all his life? Of course
he'd do fine. Well enough, at least. He just wasn't so sure he wanted
to do it. "I will do everything I can to make this Weyr succeed,
Weyrwoman. You can count on that."

She reached out and pressed his hand. "I believe you. I'm willing to
work with you and show you as much as I can, though our duties are
different. I think we can work well together." Or so she hoped. T'mahl
was an older, experienced rider; he'd be able to tell her new things,
show her leadership skills maybe. He turned out excellent weyrlings,
after all.

T'mahl looked down at her hand and felt a spark of excitement, and
uncertainty. The anticipation he could recognize as dragon lust, but
the nervousness came from the sudden realization that this woman was
joined to his bronze's new mate. He wasn't sure what kind of
relationship she had previously enjoyed with D'wrayt - whether they had
just been partners in business or in pleasure as well. Did she
expect... _more_ from him? "I am sure we will lead this Weyr well."

"I look forward to working with you, Weyrleader." she told him, trying
to reassure him with one more smile. Then she turned serious. "We'd
better get that meeting if we want to get out an announcement."

Last updated on the February 28th 2009

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An Unexpected Change