In the early morning, J'don sat on the edge of his weyr with his feet dangling over the edge. At his side was a warm steaming mug of klah with his not-flitt curled around it for warmth. Hadar was not an early riser. The little thing definitely preferred to be up at night instead of the day.

Mellith sat behind him, looking out over the bowl and the start of the day. They felt like this was their duty and had been doing it since they were a young pair of fresh new riders. Now, they were much older, much wiser and familiar with the hustle and bustle of the morning.

"So, what do you think?" J'don asked, tilting his head back to look at his bronze. "A bluerider leading a Wing, it's odd huh?"

Mellith made a face and J'don felt the wave of disapproval. The Weyrleader thinks it's a good decision. I stand by what the Weyrleader decides.

"It's driving you nuts isn't it?" J'don laughed. He could feel how deep his dragon's annoyance was, and underneath it all he felt the jealousy, the longing. He didn't think Mellith was power hungry or anything like that but the bronze did want respect.

A blue doesn't have the stamina a Wingleader needs! They have to stay the whole fight and no blue can do that! Mellith shifted in irritation, wings rustling and tail flicking back and forth.

The bronzerider chuckled again. "They did well that Fall over Ruatha. Seem very competent to me. You gotta relax, sour puss. Let 'em prove themselves huh?"

The bronze rumbled and huffed out a breath. Your pet is drinking your klah.

J'don looked down and Hadar was nose deep in the cup, drinking greedily. "Hey!" He tugged the cup away, laughing loud enough to be heard by any other rider awake at the time.

Blues do just fine keeping up when they pace themselves. All butted in from his weyr. I like the fact with them stepping up frees Iella and i to do catch and treat. Iella can do what she prefers doing during a fall then sitting on my back worrying about who's not going to make it because she isn't on the ground to tend to them.

The brown let out a breath as he put his head back on his paws. Honestly... I almost wish I hadn't chosen her. I love her to death, I love helping her... but she's a different kind of fighter then we need in the air.

"Al, what are you grumping about?" Iella asked as she wandered out rubbing her eye with the heal of her hand, Silence draped over her shoulder like a sleepy cat. "Morning J'don, Mell, and... I forget what your little one's name is."

Mellith looked over at the brown, torn between his mentor nature and his annoyance at yet another person at the Weyr thinking that blues were good wingleaders. It just didn't sit right with the bronze.

You and yours can better focus on healing after the Fall is over. We need everyone in the air. Mellith said at last.

"Oh, you're just not winning this one, Mell, give it up," J'don said, deeply amused.

The bronze huffed again, hunching his shoulders and wings. Luckily, J'don could focus on Iella instead of his sourpuss of a dragon.

"Hadar," he said, raising his glass to the other dragonrider. "Morning. You're looking particularly lovely this morning."

No, we need every hand on both jobs. Al countered half rising. While I'd prefer to be fighting in the wings more, we've been contributing just as much as anyone else. Caught three the last fall, one while they where still in formation. Got all of them back and on the ground. Two of whom will fly again, and all are still alive. If Iella and i hadn't been doing that job they wouldn't have made it out of between.

Iella raised an eyebrow, getting the background vibration of Al talking with Mell, but not the words. "I don't want to know what's got their blood up this early do I?" she asked as she made her way down and over to J'don's weyr. She gave the bronzerider a sleepy smile with the hint of a blush. Silence raised her head and gave Hadar a sound less greeting warble. "It's sweet of you to say that, but I don't."

Hey now, take it easy. J'don said to his dragon when he felt the bronze's ire rise at being challenged by the younger brown.

Mellith didn't reply to him, but focused on the brown. Healers heal and dragonriders flame. This is how things work, how the Weyr works.

J'don rolled his eyes. "Sourpuss here is all upset over things changing. He's a big wherry about new things. I'd just ignore him. He'll huff but won't do anything more than that."

Since he was a gentlemen, he offered her his cup of klah. "Never doubt the word of a bronzerider. We're very often right."

Hadar perked up instantly at something to investigate. He scrambled up J'don and then leapt into the air, circling Iella and making all sorts of curious noises.

So you see my issue being paired with a healer. Al replied with a smirk in his voice. For her to do her job, I can't do mine.

"Ah, then I'll stay out of it as I was opening my mouth in favor of change when T'iran was debating it. Times change, and we need to change with them." Iella replied as Silence pushed off and hovered near Hadar cocking her head back and forth.

"Thank you." she said accepting the cup and takeing a deep sip.

Mellith glared at the young brown, annoyed. You chose your healer.

J'don rolled his eyes at both dragons. He couldn't believe both of them couldn't agree to disagree. "Mell's a old stick in the mud. I've spent my life trying to get him to relax but there's no hope for him."

"No problem," he said, getting to his feet. "I've got plenty this morning. You want more, you just need to ask."

Hadar mimicked Silence's head movement, then darted forward then back and trilled excitedly.

I know. I didn't when i chose her.

"And Al's stubborn when he wants. comes from butting heads with me. Al, hush and go back to sleep." Iella called to her partner. She let out a soft gush of breath as she tapped her thumbs against the pottery in her hands. "I should fly with the wing next fall. He's antsy and grumpy. I've kept him grounded form Falls for over half a bloody Turn cause I couldn't fly for one reason or other. He's also getting a little fat."

I AM NOT!

"Are too dear. No, instead of going back to bed, got fly around the weyr for a bit before breakfast." She was rewarded by Al turning his butt to them with loud mental grumbles as well as vocal ones.

"Kind of lost my craving for it." Iella continued as if the by play with her partner hadn't happened. "One mug will hold me until I get some tea."

Silence let out a silent coo and darted her head in to nuzzle Hadar's cheek and neck. It was almost like a mother caressing her child. She'd been at his hatching, he was hers even if he looked a little odd to her eyes.

J'don didn't bother to hide his laughter at the brown. He couldn't hear the other side of the conversation but he could guess what was said and it was funny.

"Well, you could also cut back on how many herdbeasts he gets," he suggested, smirking a bit. "A little less meat, a little more exercise, he'll be fit and trim again in no time. That is, if he can still get up in the air."

Even Mellith rumbled a slight chuckle at that one, feeling very smug that he was in better shape than the junior dragon.

"You want to call down to the kitchens? They can send up anything you like." He gestured to his weyr, "Go on in."

Hadar melted under the affection. He nuzzled back and then rubbed himself along her side, turned and did it again.

"It's hard enough reminding him to blood during flights, so reminding him to eat less dureing normal feedings? Pift not likely to happen." Iella said with a shrug. 'Thanks, but no, I'll grab something when I take Telly to nursery while I'm tending to my morning duties."

Iella shook her head as Silence and Hadar caressed, flirted, and did what flitts did. "I wonder if those two can interbreed."

Probably not. Wher and dragon is what I think.