Gambatte

Name meaning: Luck; Good Luck; Lucky
Language of origin: Japanese
Pronunciation: "Gom-Bat-eh"

He is your new good luck charm ro bring you some luck and cheer on bad days.

Scout

When Arwen approached Gambatte with her offer to be her mate and help her one day lead the clan, he was shocked. He was new to clan, having been dropped off on the border by Runewander's clan. Kaho had found him, just a young dragon, asking to see the clan leader with a message from Runewander's clan. Taking him to her immediately, the young dragon had expressed that his previous clan leader was sad for Karli having only gotten one egg out of her previous pairing and so was sending him along to be another baby for her to care for. Karli accepted him immediately, taking him under her wing.

He joined the scouts as soon as he was old enough, thankful to Kaho for having found him. He was a quick study and an asset to the team. With Karli taking such an interest in him, he grew up side by side with her daughter, Arwen. They were thick as thieves when young, getting into all kinds of trouble together. When Arwen started trying to figure out her place in the clan, Gambatte sat by silently, letting her choose. He knew she was meant for great things and he was content to just be included. So when she asked if he would consider being her mate and joining her, he was in shock. That shock led to surprise and gratitude. Of all the dragons in the clan she picked him to be by her side, something he had never thought would happen.

Just days after Karli announced that her daughter would be training to be the next clan leader. She assured the clan that she didn't intend on turning it over for a long time but that she still wanted to make sure she had someone to take over just in case. At that time she had also announced that her daughter had chosen a mate to help her lead the clan and who it was she had chosen. There were many cheers and happiness at the announcement, except for one: Contralto. Once again, someone else was surpassing him in the clan and he couldn't stand it.

The dissent started out small. Grumbles about how Karli's daughter had essentially picked an outsider to be her mate instead of choosing from any of the second or third generation dragons in the clan. Grumbles that she must not think they were good enough for her. That led to grumbles that maybe Karli didn't think any of them were good enough for her since she hadn't chosen a mate from any of them either. Contralto was the biggest complainer, reminding everyone constantly that their leader still didn't have a mate.

Gambatte offered to step down, allow Arwen to choose a mate from one of the nests to be hatching soon in the clan. She refused, explaining that she trusted him more than anyone else in the clan and that this was her decision to make and she had chosen him whether the clan like it or not. Karli had listened intently as they talked, exchanging knowing glances with Tempest. Gambatte was proving more and more every day that he was exactly the kind of leader the clan needed. Karli decided she needed to settle the grumbles before they got to be too much. She called a meeting of her advisers, including Arwen and Gambatte in the meeting and suggested that she do exactly what the clan was complaining about.

"I think it's time I chose a mate. One from our clan, from one of the nests hatching in the near future. It may seem strange but if chosen carefully, he can be raised to be a great leader. He can learn from King and from Cerimi and Ratha on how the clan works. He can sit with me and Arwen, learning about the every day running's of the clan. It won't be easy but it might make them happy if I did that."

King nodded. "But from who would you pick? Not choosing a mate for love is going to make life very hard for you."

A sad smile settled on Karli's face. "I'm a leader. I don't always get to do things the way I want them. I think that even if I never fall in love with him I can still care for him the way I'm supposed to. And he care for me."

"He hasn't even hatched yet. How do you put that kind of pressure on a child?" Cerimi seemed genuinely confused.

"I had that kind of pressure. I handled it just fine," Arwen pointed out. Cerimi agreed turning back to the others.

"Contralto's biggest complaint is that Arwen didn't choose a mate that is second or third generation to our clan. I think picking a third generation mate will be the best idea." Karli looked at each person calmly. "Stark and Rey should be hatching a nest soon. I was thinking I could pick my mate from them."

"But won't that enrage him more? Not only is Arwen of Shade's line, who we all know Contralto hates, but then your mate will be of his line as well?" King seemed skeptical that Contralto would accept this fix.

"He can't complain about whose line I pick my mate from. He has never specified who it should be. Only that it needed to be a second or third generation. He can't turn around after I pick one and state that isn't good enough. At that point he might as well demand that I pick one of his children to be my mate."

Cerimi bowed her head, avoiding the other's eyes. "That's what he's hoping for. He's hoping that you will choose from him. I have tried to explain to him that he can't make you pick one of our children, but lately it's all he talks about."

Arwen touched Cerimi's wing gently. "Maybe once Mom has picked a mate he will get over it."

Gambatte looked at Arwen. "Until we start having children. One of them will be chosen to take over after you. And the same demands will be made of him or her. It will never stop. He wants power."

"That's not the worry right now. The worry is that he will cause a coup that will overthrow me as leader. And he is not the person we want to lead the clan. So for now, to appease him and keep him at bay, I will take a mate from Stark and Rey's next nest."

Shade spoke up, having kept silent for the whole discussion. "I will speak to my son. He will understand." Karli nodded her thanks and broke up the meeting.

Gambatte turned to Arwen, stopping her. "We will always have to be on our guard, defending ourselves from him. Wouldn't it be easier to just exile him from the clan?"

She shook her head. "That shows weakness and that we fear what he has to say. We don't fear it, for what he is saying is wrong. Instead we keep leading like we should. Either he will come around or he will leave of his own accord, but it will not be because we made him leave." Gambatte smiled, brushing her face with his wing.

"I forgot what a smart mate I was getting." He knew that it would always be tough helping her lead, but he was willing to do it for her and for the betterment of the clan.