A Quieter Life

Writers: Aaron, Sia
Date Posted: 13th June 2025

Characters: E'kirim, Mirima, Irrim
Description: Irrim decides to leave Dragonsfall
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 11 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: A'ris, K'aur, Reima CW: A little cursing, but K'aur deserves it

The late afternoon sun slanted low through the pathway leading out to the weyrledge of E'kirim and K'aur's weyr, one column of light casting a stripe onto the stone floor. The hearth burned hot and the electric lights buzzed, but not nearly as loud as the call-and-response of dragons overhead. Even Norrianth wasn't quiet, though he had been dozing out on the weyrledge until Irrim got closer. His mind was…floaty, when he was napping; like someone talking pleasantly in their sleep.

He greeted Irrim with all the warmth and happiness of a puppy, a feeling that mentally bowled her over. She didn't know how E'kirim dealt with it all the time. }: Irrim! :{ The bronze called at the same time that E'kirim greeted her, their voices blurring together into one singular voice.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" }: Come play, or scritch, or go flying, or- :{

Irrim winced and sent back a vague impression of fondness- he was her brother's dragon, after all- tinged with a gentle **sssh, please** but it was like trying to quiet a hurricane with a blanket.

"Tell your dragon to stop yelling." Irrim said instead, looking pained.

E'kirim's bright expression turned confused, and then knowing. His eyes unfocused and, eventually, Norrianth's volume went down but didn't fully quiet.

"I have to talk to you and Mirima." Irrim said solemnly. "And I can't do it with Norrianth like that. It's hard to hear myself when I have to talk over him."

“We’re here,” said Mirima. “What do you need?”

Irrim hesitated. She'd been so full of purpose the entire walk up, but now , with both of them staring at her, the task felt monumental. "It's too loud here." She finally said, "The dragons. They've always been loud, and I've been working with the other people here that can hear them too, but- I can't. It's like a crowd constantly talking. It's never quiet. It hurts too much. I thought it might stop, if I Impressed, but I don't know for sure if that would help. And I know K'aur had Expectations of me, because of Lanniya, but I can't spend the rest of my life like this."

“Eh, K’aur is too far up his own ass to hear you,” said Mirima. “Fuck his expectations. What do _you_ want? We'll make it work.”

E'kirim snorted, then ducked his head like he should have hid it.

Irrim shot him a look. What she _did_ want was to go back home to Amber Hills, but K'aur had quashed that idea by moving their entire family to the Weyr. She didn't begrudge her Mom for taking the opportunity to have a better life at the Weyr, even if it meant just working in the Weyr kitchens versus the Hold Kitchens, nor did she with E'kirim getting Searched and Impressing, but…she doubted anyone would want to take a foster from the Weyr, especially an older kid whose Mom was just some drudge. Her friends' families didn't have the space to take her in.

"I hear the Printer Hall is willing to make exceptions and take apprentices late." Irrim continued. She didn't really care about the printing presses and it all looked difficult, but she could work as some kind of assistant. Or wash out and work in their kitchens, instead. "You've been writing a lot, Miri. Do you think anyone there would take me?"

Mirima had never considered getting closer to the Printers for the sake of her writing. She had always wanted to stay close to family. But… well, it made more than a little sense. Mirima was too old to have another chance at a dragon of her own now. Other than family, she had little to no reason to be at the Weyr in particular. If Irrim needed to get away from all the dragon noise, and she needed someone to go with her, the Printer Hall was just about the best place for the both of them to end up.

“What if I went with you?” she ventured.

E'kirim glanced over at her. "Wait, really?" He asked. "I thought you were happy at the Weyr. You were searched at the same time as K'aur."

“I am happy,” said Mirima. “But Irrim isn't.” She shrugged. “I’m too old to keep Standing now, anyway, and I wouldn't mind being closer to the publishers if I am going to make something out of my writing. Maybe someday that book dragon can deliver my books to people.”

"Yeah, sure." E'kirim said with a shrug. "I can take you, if you can get permission to go. I'll break the news to K'aur-- I assume that's why I'm here at all."

"You assume correct." Irrim said. "So, Miri? Do you think you can ask and see if they'll take another apprentice?"

“I'm not sure whether to think he'll give a shit or not,” said Mirima. “But if he needs someone to tell him it's not his decision, I'll do it. As for me, I’ll get you your apprenticeship, Irrim.” Whatever she had to do, it could not be that difficult. She had things to offer.

"He's got a lot of ideas about what folks _ought_ to be doing." E'kirim said. "I'll have a chat with him when he gets back."

“Well, good, because that's not a fight I care to have,” Mirima chuckled. “I appreciate you falling on that particular sword.”

"It's my sword to fall on. I'm the one stuck here with him." E'kirim said dryly and gestured around at the shared weyr.

Irrim let out a slow breath, one she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her shoulders slumped as tension slowly eased out of her. "Thanks. Both of you. I thought maybe you'd try to talk me out of it."

"Why?" E'kirim asked. "It's not like you're asking to jump off a cliff-"

}: Rude. :{

"You're trying to breathe. That's fair."

"I just…" Irrim hesitated, then looked down at her hands. "I thought if I stuck it out a little longer, maybe I'd get used to it. Or I'd Impress and it'd get quieter. It seems like that happened with A'ris, and that's great, but also I didn't really want to fight Thread, either. It's been _turns_ and it hasn't gotten better. And then I thought that y'all would think I was abandoning you."

"You're not abandoning anyone." E'kirim said. "You need quiet. K'aur and I have these ugly wherries that can take us anywhere. We'll visit."

Mirima smiled. She had not realized how much she would have liked this idea before she voiced it. And now, she was already excited to get underway as soon as possible. Both for herself and for Irrim. Of course, there was still one more important consideration.

“Have you talked to Reima about it?”

"Yeah. She doesn't like it, but she knows it's harder for me to be here." She was still holding out hope on Impressing her own dragon, too, like her brothers, though Irrim herself had her doubts. Surely the luck ran out once two family members became riders. "We'll write, and she can visit with you if she wants."

“Then it’s settled,” said Mirima. “Nowhere is too far away with dragons in the family. It’ll be like we’re just down the road.”

Of course, there was still the matter of actually getting permission to do this, but that was the easy part. What were they going to do, say no? The Weyrfolk would be happy to free up two beds, and the Printers would be lucky to have them.

Last updated on the June 17th 2025

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A Quieter Life