Dragons Don't Plan Like That

Writers: Devin, Estelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 23rd October 2026

Characters: M'gan, N'vanik, Y'gel, Cyradis
Description: N'vanik and Cyradis visit M'gan in the infirmary.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 22 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: Z'ku
Follows "Take Him Out"

N'vanik

Y'gel

Cyradis

Panitath had risen and been caught, and the Weyr was quiet in the aftermath of another successful flight of the senior queen. The weyrfolk who'd indulged, giving in to the waves of their queen's desire, were beginning to drift back from bedrooms and other hidden nooks, some shyly, others with a spring in their step, and slipping back into their early-evening routines. The Weyrleader's bronze had been victorious again, and so there should have been little change expected, but for those who listened closely, the first hints of rumors were beginning to swirl. Something had gone badly wrong in that flight. Bronze Aughashyth had been seen gliding slowly back to the Weyr, supporting Isarth with his wing in tatters, and there had been others in the dragons' infirmary with gashes and bruises and injured joints. The unsuccessful bronzeriders were beginning to emerge, with confused tales of a pair of dragons trying to challenge Loseth, bring him down.

In his infirmary couch, Isarth was sleeping, exhausted beyond his capacity for pain. One wing was folded at his side, the other stretched out on supports, the sail stained with redwort along a great ragged tear that was held together by the stitches of the dragonhealers.

His rider was sitting beside the huge bronze head, his head pressed against the warm hide as if to reassure himself that Isarth was still with him. M'gan was pale, his eyes deeply shadowed and he looked ten Turns older than when he'd walked into the flight, but no one had been able to convince him to leave his dragon long enough to see a healer himself.

**Oh, Isarth,** he repeated silently, over and over. **Isarth, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.**

N'vanik tried to keep a handle on his anger as he entered the dragon infirmary. The sight of Isarth's bandaged wing tugged at his sympathy and made it easier to approach M'gan neutrally. He didn't know if the former Wingleader was involved in this fecking mess. "How bad is it?"

"Not permanent," Y'gel said softly as he came around the side of Isarth's wing. He'd been examining the work he and the other healers had done. It was more than he could say for one of the others. "What happened up there?"

"I don't remember clearly. There was a tangle on the other side of the pack, two dragons collided. Isarth was focused on Panitath. He was free of it and he had an opening, so he moved up, but it was too early and chaotic and..." M'gan's face twisted in remembered agony. "I'm sure it was an accident. She didn't mean to hurt him."

"Kugath deliberately knocked Loseth out of the chase, and Pryloth made sure he was in the way so Loseth couldn't dodge. Dragons don't plan like that, especially in a Flight, so I'm sure S'zor and L'mel cooked up some kind of plot to make Loseth lose." N'vanik clenched his fists, remembering the shock and fury of that moment.

"She didn't," Cyradis said as she came into the infirmary. She walked directly to M'gan. "I'm so sorry M'gan," she said putting a hand on his arm. "I'm not sure what got into her that day." She turned her head to look at N'vanik. "I'd like a little chat with S'zor and L'mel."

"Well," that flight was rough on so many of the bronzes.

"I was planning to rip them a new one," N'vanik told Cyradis. "Maybe it'll make the point even clearer if make them face both of us in your office." He was eager to vent some of his -- and Loseth's -- fury.

M'gan looked up at the Weyrwoman, eyes hollow as the guilt rushed over him again like a wave. Now, hearing those names and looking at the Weyrwoman face to face, seeing her genuine concern, he couldn't imagine how he'd ever considered involving himself in something so wrong, so completely antithetical to the ancient customs of dragonkind. And Isarth had paid the price.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." His head dropped, his hands covering his face. "I never thought they would..."

N'vanik's attention snapped to him. "Never thought they would _what_? What do you know M'gan?" the Weyrleader growled.

Cyradis put up a finger toward her Weyrleader. Her brows came together and in a much softer voice repeated "Do what?"

"There was some talk among the bronzeriders." Ashamed as he was to admit it to the Weyrwoman, he felt he owed her the truth. "N'vanik has been Weyrleader for a long time, and not everyone is happy with his decisions of late. We thought if we shared what we remembered of Panitath's past flights, there might be an advantage there. L'mel suggested going further, though I don't know how he meant to do it, and no one else supported him. I suppose he must have made a plan with S'zor in private." It wasn't hard to imagine that pair deciding to go behind the others' backs.

"So there were _more_ of you involved in this?" N'vanik clenched his fists, his anger making Loseth stir from his nap with Panitath.

"It was just talk." M'gan's defensive response sounded hollow, even to him. "No one would countenance actually pushing Loseth out. You must know there are those who think you've been in charge long enough."

“Now I understand why Panitath was so angry.” She wanted to yell but controlled herself. “The dragons decide. The riders comply,” she growled. “As long as Panitath wants Loseth she gets Loseth. Neither you or any other bronze rider will take that choice out of her talons."

Loseth was fully awake now and growling. "Panitath is _ours_!" N'vanik glanced at his Weyrwoman and said a little more calmly, "As long as she'll have us." The _nerve_ of them, plotting behind his back! S'zor wasn't much of a surprise. The man had made no secret of how much he disliked N'vanik and thought he should be Weyrleader instead. N'vanik wouldn't have expected something like this from L'mel, or M'gan for that matter. "Who else was involved?"

M'gan shook his head. He'd brought this on himself, and S'zor and L'mel deserved their fate, but he didn't see why he should ruin the career of a promising young rider like Z'ku for a foolish mistake. "I take full responsibility for what happened. I ought to have shut it down."

"Yes, you should have," Cyradis agreed. Her eyes were black with anger. "And it proves that you were _not_ worthy to be Weyrleader at this time and Panitath knew that." Her heart pounded as she realized where she was going with these thoughts "... and neither we're S'zor or L'mel. No bronzerider becomes Weyrleader without the cooperation of their queen and obviously she didn't cooperate." How much more deeply she understood: 'dragons decide and riders comply.'

N'vanik wasn't going to point out the time Panitath chose Yumath but Loseth claimed her instead. She'd chosen him every other time. "You've sure made some sharding bad decisions lately."

"True enough. But what does it matter?" M'gan asked, with some bitterness, though it was mostly self-blame. "You can't do anything to me that's worse than this." He gestured towards Isarth's damaged wing. They'd not be going anywhere for a while, and if he was banished eventually he couldn't think of anyone here at Dolphin Cove who wouldn't be better off without him.

N'vanik looked up at the bronze, his expression softening a little with sympathy. "Always worse when they pay the price for our mistakes."

"If there was any way, I'd take his injury a thousand times over." M'gan slumped, his face in his hands once more. "He was worthy to lead, but I've ruined his chance. He deserves better than me."

**He sure does,** N'vanik thought darkly. "I'll leave you to take care of him. But we'll talk more about this later." He needed to find out who else was involved in this so none of them would ever pull a stunt like this again.

Last updated on the October 27th 2026

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Dragons Don't Plan Like That