Saving Authority [D'ren]

Well rested, well fed and of course, well dressed, M'bal was a man on a mission. Straightening out his coat he smoothed the fabric down, it was soft beneath his fingers after a very meticulous and careful cleaning. Walking around his hut to where Gugaroth was preening his wings he gave the Bronze a mighty slap on his shoulder, laughing when he gave an indignant squeal and irritation filtered along their bond. "Don't worry Roth, I won't disturb your preening. I'm going to speak with D'ren, you should come and keep Ronarth company when you finish." M'bal said, laughing when Gugaroth's preening became much quicker. The idea of going to chat with another dragon was one of the best ideas in the world to the Bronze and as such he was not going to miss out on this opportunity.

Striding off, M'bal made his way to the Weyrleader's hut. He had wanted to speak with D'ren for a while now, but with S'kef stepping down from Weyrsecond D'ren's hands were very, very full. M'bal respected that of course and waited patiently for their arranged meeting, or he at least appeared patient. Every second spent waiting was a second he could be spending helping! Well... helping himself get into a better position of authority, that is.

Reaching D'ren's hut he gave his clothes another quick tug, making sure there wasn't a single unwanted crease on his person. His hands then brushed up to his hair, flicking a few strands away from his forehead and shaking his head lightly. Swiping his fingertips across his forehead he nodded in approval, no sweat so he would still smell like the spiced sweetsands not an awful salty abomination. Raising his hand he rapt the door three times, loud and swift. There was no need to dawdle or be fancy, this was official business.

D'ren knew M'bal was coming long before hearing the knocks on the door. Ronarth lounged just outside the hut, his mind active and vibrant but his body still slow-moving from sleep. He spied the approaching bronzerider well in advance and let out a loud rumble of greeting. Hello, M'bal the bronze said brightly.

Inside the hut, D'ren had been enjoying a calm morning. He'd slept in a little bit, though that still meant he got out of bed before most of the Weyr, and had spent a couple hours relaxing. He'd managed to get just a little bit ahead in his work, affording him the extra time to calm down and take some time for himself. He'd done so at Ronarth's suggestion, though hesitantly at first.  He could be using that time to get further ahead, after all!

D'ren was glad he'd done it. It was a good way to start the day. He was contentedly reading over some old letters and sipping klah when Ronarth alerted him to M'bal's approach. All right he said as he discreetly tucked the papers away and rose from his (entirely too comfortable) chair. The little break had been good for him, but he'd probably needed to start his day anyhow. He moved to the door and waited a few seconds before the anticipated knock came.

"Ah, M'bal! Come on in," he said. He didn't know the other bronzerider well on a personal level, but he'd been impressed by his performance in the past. The housecall was a pleasant surprise.

D'ren pushed the door open for this fellow bronzerider to come inside.

M'bal gave a smile and wave to Ronarth as he heard the Bronze's greeting. "Hello Ronarth. Gugaroth will be over shortly once he finishes his grooming." He informed the simple Bronze. He had no doubt that the two would get along like wildfire.

As D'ren opened the door he flashed the Weyrleader a bright smile, nodding his thanks as he strode into his hut. "Good morning, D'ren." He greeted. Glancing around he spotted a table and chairs, that would do well for a meeting such as this. It was a little informal, being held in a hut, though was it really that different from the weyrs of old? M'bal flicked his hands down his torso as he walked over to the closer of the chairs and rested a hand on the back of it for a moment to make his intentions clear. Drawing the chair out he sat, wondering for a moment if D'ren would offer any refreshments. M'bal had eaten his full already of course and while he wouldn't turn down klah it was the principle, of being a good host.

He waited until D'ren joined him at the table, taking a deep breath as he mentally ran through what he was here for. "I'm glad you've taken the time to meet with me this morning, I know you're quite the busy man. Given S'kef's resignation it must be double the workload, which I imagine must be horrid. Have you given any thought to selecting a new Weyrsecond yet?" Perhaps being quick to the point was a little out of style and would paint M'bal as a powerseeker, but he had faith in D'ren.

Even as a young rider, M'bal had striven to prove himself just as strong and capable as the other Bronzeriders and he believed he had achieved that. He was here this morning not to flaunt his prowess or to suggest he be the new Weyrsecond, though he clearly should be, no he was here to offer his help. Perhaps suggest some suitable candidates or assess any D'ren already had in mind. He would slip into the role, become Weyrsecond with D'ren being none the wiser. It was sly, but that's how M'bal operated. He wanted power and this was how he would get it. By being a steady soul to rely on, a fresh pair of eyes on the situation.

D'ren had some klah already prepared, so he saw no reason why not. He quickly poured some and offered it to M'bal, keeping his original cup to himself. He'd gotten in the habit of drinking it more lately, though he found himself discouraged after seeing what a shine B'jin's new ward had taken to it. That little healer was going to jitter right out of his boots one day if he kept that pace up...

"It is a nice morning, isn't it?" D'ren asked as he seated himself across from his fellow bronzerider. His usual weariness was absent today, polished away by a relaxed morning. D'ren's usual worries hadn't had time to get a good hold on his mind today, at least not yet. He did have some things on the agenda, but today was looking to be mercifully light. That was, at the very least, what he hoped for.

And then the topic of Weyrsecond came up. Were another man sitting in D'ren's chair right then, he might have been suspicious of M'bal's motives. Not D'ren, though. He was trusting, entirely too trusting most of the time, and M'bal had never given him a reason to doubt his good intentions.

"It isn't a problem, M'bal. And well, it's been a bit of a handful without S'kef, I will admit," D'ren conceded, sliding easily into business talk. "I got complaints on S'kef from time to time, but he was always very efficient and cooperative." D'ren wasn't sure how much he liked S'kef as a person, but he was an excellent Weyrsecond, and that's what mattered.

"I'm actually holding the position for him. He's technically on leave, you see." A smile appeared on the bronzerider's face. "But," he said, "I'm open to the idea of selecting a new one, or at the very least a backup." He frowned slightly. "The healers are talking like S'kef won't make it." That was terrible news.

M'bal gratefully accepted the proffered mug of klah, taking a deep drought from it despite being completely satiated already. "Yes, rather lovely even though we're headed into winter." He masked his distaste for it, winter should be cold with snow. None of this 'mild' business the south offered in its stead.

D'ren's easily trusting nature was well known to M'bal, or else he wouldn't be speaking so openly of such things to him. Any other Weyrleader would be likely to suspect of his intentions, but well, this wasn't any other Weyrleader.

He listened intently as his senior Bronzerider spoke, taking his words and scrutinising them as they were spoken. He knew the complaints D'ren spoke of, hell M'bal had left his fair share of mutters in the ears of drunken companions where he felt they would stay anonymous. S'kef was cruel and perhaps took a little too much pleasure in the punishment side of his job. Though he did as he was told, carried out the orders given to him. That was a good thing for a Weyrsecond to have. But did he have the skills to lead the Weyr should illness befall D'ren? M'bal didn't think so, nevermind that a Brownrider couldn't lead a Weyr.

"So I've heard." He commented mildly. Katila's entire population barely touched that of the dragonriders from the old Weyrs Benden and Fort. Even in Weyrs like those, word had quickly gotten about so for something to go unheard or unknown in Katila... Well it was unheard of. "Perhaps you should look for someone to act in his stead. After all, you wouldn't want to suddenly be completely lacking a Weyrsecond and with no one around trained or knowledgable in the skills to assist you." M'bal mentally crossed his fingers that D'ren could easily turn to P'rore or M'nas, the act-in Weyrleader and 'second from before Nirinath had risen. While no doubt he had referred to them in the early stages of his ascension to Weyrleader, it was most likely that he didn't get along with the two. After all, they had worked as a leading team at Fort, who knew what hardships and decisions they had had to stand tall and unified throughout.

"Is there anyone in particular you work well with? S'kef aside, of course." He asked, idly sipping his klah. He wouldn't suggest himself, no. M'bal came here to offer his services in picking a new Weyrsecond not to flaunt his own attributes. The angle he was attempting was risky, D'ren could easily not see how well they worked together or simply what an asset he was to his fellow Bronzerider. He had faith in it however, it was tried and true. If D'ren did pick another rider for Weyrsecond, he would simply cut off all his aid and D'ren would be hurting and begging for his help within hours.

"There are a few," D'ren said, leaning back in his chair and sipping casually at his drink. He'd been thinking about the question on and off, though at a slow pace. He didn't like thinking about it.  He didn't like thinking about the ramifications, the selection process, the inevitable backlash from all the angry hopefuls. People were insatiably hard to please most of the time. D'ren had long ago accepted it as part of his job, but it still drove him mad.

Besides, he didn't want to actually think about losing his usual Weyrsecond, who'd been with him for turns now. S'kef was hard around the edges, but as far as D'ren was concerned, losing him would be a tragedy. Losing anyone was a tragedy. But the thoughts couldn't be postponed forever. Sometimes, Pern dealt some cruel blows. He would have to prepare for the worst.

"I do have a few lined up to...discreetly check out." M'bal was on that list, but D'ren decided to keep that to himself for now. He saw no reason to mistrust M'bal, but he also didn't think it would be very professional to mention it. "There are some brownriders that show promise. I'd considered B'ker, but he shares many of my own problems." He laughed a little bit, taking a mild jab at himself. He and B'ker were both so very prone to worrying...that was the last thing the Weyr needed a double dose of.

He listed a couple other potentials, though he left the previous standing weyrleader and his weyrsecond out of the list. He had no interest in either of them; they'd done enough to try and boss him around when his term began, the last thing he needed was to show weakness by asking them for help now.

Ah, Brownriders. Of course that was who D'ren would be focusing his attentions on. It made sense after all, they were more likely to be pliable, less arrogant and demanding of leadership or rights than a Bronzerider. However it left the chance of a Brownrider falling into a position of temporary Weyrleadership should something happen to D'ren.

"You do seem to get along well with Brownriders, in a working capacity anyway." M'bal commented, letting his gaze wander around the hut for a moment. He chuckled at D'ren's jab, he didn't know B'ker well, though he had heard enough to know what it was the Weyrleader was referring to. "Oh, do you really have that many problems? You've handled your terms of Weyrleader quite skilfully." M'bal stated it as a fact, not an opinion. Hopefully it would serve to buoy D'ren's confidence, to show that M'bal supported D'ren's decisions and actions. His face was smooth and his smile was gentle, enough to appear genuine while he kept his distastes submerged in his mind.

Ronarth! Gugaroth trumpeted his greetings as he backwinged to land near D'ren's hut. Hello! He chirped, trotting over to the larger Bronze. If the two weren't so varied in size one might get them mixed up at a glance given how uniform and similar their hides were.

"Ah, it appears Gugaroth has come to join us. Or, more join Ronarth." M'bal noted with a small laugh. Had Ronarth not been present it was likely that Gugaroth wouldn't have even thought to follow his rider for even a split second.

As D'ren listed some of the potentials on his list M'bal nodded or gave a slight frown to each, continuing to sip his klah. "Have you given any thought to a Bluerider?" It was generally frowned upon to give the more flighty Blueriders leadership positions, but there were certainly some diamonds amongst the coal. M'bal himself would only consider the best of the best, which given what was at Katila didn't include any Blueriders. Still, he felt it was worth asking, if only to suss out D'ren's stand on them. Till now he seemed supportive of the smaller colour riders, would he still prove that way when it came to his closest and most powerful comrades?

"Brownriders are steady," D'ren commented, his way of calling bronzeriders 'pushy'. They were. Most bronzeriders expected a lot in life. At Katila, the pie wasn't big enough for them to all have a slice. D'ren related better to brownriders, which should have come as no surprise. D'ren had lived the life of a brownrider back at Ista, forever barred from any truly powerful positions thanks to his flaming accident. He'd been quite infamous after that - or, more correctly, Ronarth had. D'ren found himself pinned in much the same position as the majority of Ista's brownriders; dependable and respected, but not suitable for anything over wingsecond.

How things had changed.

D'ren took another sip of his drink before helping himself to a quick refill. He offered one to M'bal, raising one eyebrow in inquiry. "I appreciate that," he said,  accepting the comment with a modest laugh. Some insecurity lurked beneath that. D'ren and Tsuen played a constant game of second-guessing and self-doubt, but they tried their best to never reveal that side of things. Decisions had to be made, and in most cases, the wrong decision was better than no decision. Time would tell, but  comments like that helped D'ren sleep just a bit better at night.

"I'm glad someone thinks so. It's like I was telling the new goldrider just recently. No matter what you do, someone is going to have a problem with it. Everyone has an opinion. You'll never please everyone, and people will always talk...it's good to see signs of unity, though." He spoke casually, unconcerned. That was a reality of life for him. M'bal seemed like the sort of person who could understand. Of course, D'ren kept it rather impersonal.  He didn't want to bare his throat to another bronzerider in an uncalled for expression of emotion, so as usual, he remained distant, compensating with amiable chuckles and playful winks. It was an easy act to keep up.

"Ronarth will enjoy the company," D'ren said as he took his seat again. He was aware of Ronarth's spirited greeting to the other bronze. Ronarth rose to his feet and chittered at Gugaroth, his wide wings fanning out on either side and his fail flipping playfully. Gugaroth! I'm glad; I was getting so bored. We never do anything anymore.

"Blues?" D'ren inquired. He left the dragons to their play and quickly answered the question. "I see no reason why a man should be excluded from consideration for riding blue or even green. None come to mind right away, though," he said. In all likeliness, he would probably select a brown or a bronze as tradition dictated, but who knew what magnificent specimen might come along! D'ren had once secrely considered B'jin, but that ship had sailed as of the previous autumn.

There was a tactical pause. "What about N'gelt?" D'ren asked. He supposed M'bal might be interested in the position himself, but he had no proof. He trusted the other bronzerider to be honorable and honest, so if he wanted it, he would have spoken up, right?

D'ren's comment earned him a small laugh from M'bal. "And we are temperamental." He responded, voicing the unsaid words the fellow Bronzerider had insinuated. M'bal wasn't blind, Bronzeriders got the best of everything in a traditional Weyr, that was precisely why he had been sent to Igen Weyr. He wasn't one to deny it, but he certainly didn't claim equality amongst the colours. He was quite comfortable with his little excesses in life even if they were much smaller at Katila. His gaze took in D'ren, wondering for a moment if the Weyrleader had ever wished his dragon lacked his metallic lustre.

When offered the klah refill he nodded, shifting the mug closer for D'ren to pour. "Oh of course. You can never please every single person. T'would be rather boring that way, I imagine." M'bal replied, holding back a sneer. D'ren had done very little to please M'bal over the turns but he wasn't about to let him in on that little secret. "You are succeeding with the majority though, or that's what I hear anyway." A truth.

That's no fun! Would you like to do something with me? Gugaroth's disappointment was clear in his lament. Even though he wanted M'bal to succeed and attain all his goals, he certainly appreciated the companionship they shared with little responsibility piled onto them. We could go for a fly, or perhaps go see how the little one is? Maybe she would like to play. An image of Krypth flashed between the two Bronzes, sadly Gugaroth was yet to learn of the baby Gold's distaste of Bronzes. He bounced with excitement in his trot, his wings flapping somewhat to keep his balance.

M'bal inclined his head, D'ren certainly was 'fair', to put it nicely. He was relieved to hear that D'ren currently hadn't considered any Blueriders, or heavens, Greenriders, for the position. To have one of those flighty and moody men in a position of such power was a terrible idea. Certainly, there might be one magnificent one amongst them... But M'bal saw no such man at Katila.

He pursed his lips at D'ren's question, thinking on it for a moment. He held no close ties with N'gelt, the Brownrider was too crass and socially awkward at the best of times for his tastes. "He might have some potential. Though perhaps more as a Wingleader or Wingsecond... His prejudices are too strong for a Weyrsecond, I think. A Weyrsecond interacts closely with the Weyrlady... With no Goldriders able to take the position N'gelt would be... ill-equipped to work with her." Even if M'bal hadn't been aiming for Weyrsecond he would have spoken no differently, to put a woman-loather like N'gelt into a position where he would have to work with a woman quite often... It wasn't a nice thought.

Sipping at his klah he frowned a little. "Will you be performing some kind of try out? Perhaps taking the men you're considering for the job for a day's work, or something to that effect." He gently steered the conversation, trying to suss out how much of a chance he had at achieving this position.

"N'gelt does have some prejudices," D'ren commented lightly, but they didn't seem to bother him much. The duties of the Weyrwoman and Weyrlady differed enough from Weyrleader and Second that D'ren was sure N'gelt would get over it. N'gelt seemed like the kind of man who would say 'screw that woman's work, let her take care of it'. That would be even a welcome change from S'kef, who was very invasive of the Weyrleader and often very critical, at least in private. S'kef always had taken it upon himself to be D'ren's personal spy and snitch, even when he'd never been asked to.

Perhaps a change was a good idea after all, though it really had come at a bad time. D'ren needed someone who wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty, and those were few and far between. N'gelt, however, was certainly one of them.

Of course, other considerations were floating around in his head now, too. M'bal's motives didn't seem so questionable. Sure, he was probably trying to hint at himself for the position, D'ren had assumed that much by now. It took a while to notice, but it was there. The fellow bronzerider seemed helpful and supportive all around, a good choice to at least keep close. There would always be trials to come, and it never hurt to have more allies. There were so many with divided attitudes towards Katila. As time wore on, the urgent need to survive was no longer enough to hold them together. It was nice to find someone who really, truly wanted to see it succeed.

D'ren kept his thoughts to himself and just smiled at M'bal. "Thanks for your input," he said.

He slowly rose to his feet. "I have considered something similar to that...an application process, if you will. I've also been keeping an eye on those I am most interested in."

He winked.

"Thanks for stopping by, M'bal...but I really am exhausted. Perhaps we'll continue this conversation again soon."