Old Man

Posted on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 @ 5:29am by Bluerider Ch'gall
Edited on on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 @ 5:31am

Mission: KVW
Location: KVW
Summary: A challenge is made.
Timeline: N/A

"Move it!!! Move it!!! MOVE IT!!!" Ch'gall nearly screamed at the young brown rider that had just graduated to Copper Wing out of the weyrling wing.

At that moment, the tall young man dropped his Firestone sack and whirled on the Wing Third.

"Listen, old man," the brown rider growled as he moved to stand toe to toe with his superior. "I've had enough of you and your overbearing righteousness. You're a Wing Third, not a Wing Leader. You're a blue rider, not a bronze or brown rider. And finally, you're old. I'm asking for a transfer to another Wing"

The rest of the Copper Wing riders stood frozen as silent as /Between/, as they stared at the two men who glowered at each other. Ch'gall and the brown rider were of the same height, but Ch'gall had the thickness of muscle from forty plus years as dragonrider. The brown rider had youth on his side. To the rest of his wingmates, it was obvious he didn't have brains.

Ch'gall's icy stare slowly turned into a lazy smile. Several intakes of breath could be heard from the Wing riders who saw Ch'gall smile.

"Just an old blue Wing Third am I? " he chuckled without breaking his stare. "You can't transfer to another Wing without my permission along with our Wing Second and our Wing Leader's approval. And even if you had approval, there's no open spots available in any of our wings. So here's what I'm going to do. Tomorrow is a rest day for our Wing. So you rest up, and first thing the day after tomorrow, you and I will do drills together."

The brown rider was confused. He had expected more yelling. Latrine cleaning duty. But not a smiling Ch'gall setting up a match race. His mouth opened and shut as he tried to think of something to say. Ch'gall saved him the effort.

"If you win, I will personally see to it that you get transferred to another Wing. If I win, you go wherevI choose."

Without letting the young man have a chance to voice his opinion, Ch'gall spun on his heel and yelled to his Wing, "Drills are over! Clean this mess up and take the rest of the day to bath your dragons!°

☆☆☆☆

The morning after rest day dawned bright and clear. It promised to be a hot morning and an even hotter afternoon. Yet Ch'gall was standing at the Firestone pit fully dressed in riding leathers waiting for the rest of his Wingmates to arrive. The brown rider arrived shortly after and stared at his Wing Third.

"What are you staring at boy? Get your riding gear on. It's time for our race " Ch'gall said with a slight sneer.

"B-b-but..."

"I SAID GET YOUR GEAR ON!!!" Ch'gall yelled.

The young man automatically jumped, then fled to get his gear. A short time later he returned with a slight sheen of sweat already visible on his face.

Ch'gall just pointed to a second pile of sacks in the pit as he took up his position st his own pile.

A green rider blew a whistle and the drill race was on.

Bag after bag of Firestone was filled. Then each bag was was hauled up the side of the pit at a dead run. After the first 10 bags were done, the second set of ten was started. The brown rider started to out pace Ch'gall and he laughed as he ran down the pit wall and passed Ch'gall who was slowly but steady making his way up.

"I'm looking forward to my transfer, old man!"

Ch'gall just kept running ip the side of the pit.

The third round began as the blue rider still had one bag left of his second set. But he kept going, never changing his pace.

As he was on his second bag of the third set. Ch'gall saw the brownrider stumble and drop his fourth bag. Ch'gall passed the other rider without looking at him.

His fourth bag found Ch'gall sweating and growling as he pushed himself up the side of the pit. The brown rider was now visibly struggling with his fifth bag.

Ch'gall and his fifth bag of Firestone passed the brown rider and his sixth bag. Then Ch'gall had his sixth bag at the top of the pit just as the brown rider fell with his sixth bag at the top. Ch'gall was brining his seventh bag up as the younger man was staggering down from unloading his sixth bag.

On his way back down, the Wing Third found the brown rider on his hands and knees throwing up bile on the ground, his stone sack half dumped from where it landed when he fell.

Ch'gall stopped, sat the young man down and gave him a drink of water from his water skin at his hip.

"Only a few sips or you'll throw it back up," Ch'gall said as he refilled the Firestone sack.

"Now get up and let's finish this."

He pulled the other rider to his feet then picked up the full sack and turned back up to the top of the pit. The brown rider stumbled after Ch'gall with the waterskin still in his hand.

The rest of Copper Wing were standing at the top of the pit when Ch'gall arrived. The brown rider staggering behind him shortly after. The Wing riders cheered their Wing Third, clapping him on the back and helping him out of his soaked riding gear. None of them knew what to do for the brown rider other than look at him uncomfortably.

"Well, help the boy out of his gear before he dies of heat stroke!" Ch'gall broke the award silence.

As the rest of Copper Wing helped their Wingmate, Ch'gall made his way to his office in the Weyr. An hour later the brown rider knocked on the open door.

"I want to.."

Ch'gall raised his hand to halt the apology.

"I hope you learned something about what it means to be part of team. That there is no difference between a blue rider or a brown rider, a man or a woman, a young person or an old person. Each one is a part of thevteam that makes up a Wing. A part of a whole."

He held out a rolled piece of parchment that was sealed with wax bearing the stamp of Copper Wing.

"Your transfer orders that you requested."

Again the brown rider started to speak and Ch'gall cut him off again, speaking as he rose from his desk to walk to the young man to hand him the paper.

"I'm going to have a long hot bath and enjoy my wife's famous bubbly pies. Enjoy your new Wing."

Without another word, the Wing Third walked out outbof the room.

The brown rider stared at the paper in his hand until Ch'gall's footsteps faded to silence. Slowly he opened the scroll, excited but confused at receiving his transfer. He scanned the document quickly.

Then the paper slowly fell to the floor.

The freshly dried ink showed his transfer orders.

To Tundra Weyr. The weyr that was located at the most northern habitable point on Pern.

Ch'gall ~Wing Third Copper Wing
Michele ~ [email protected]