A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 11

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil u’Zhasaele Zolaemaue be’Son

13. Shenealae, 24,541 - At the Flaghold
Yestermorn, after dawnmeal with Lady-Mother, I stood before Lady-Captain and asked her wish. Kindly she asked what furlough I would take, whereat I asked for a few days to see my household. With goodwill she agreed, whereon I left to gather my things and find Ess at the stallbarn.
For my dayfare southward along Aelau’s shore, Lady Vosaeth came with me, for told she, she had a mighty wish to see her babe’s kin, dolefully Oshis’s child with Erymi. Jokingly I told her child will likely have more fatherkin than one. Together we had an idle ride, letting the Shota lead, under a dry sky foreboding Heaventide.
Right ere noon, we reached the Shota-field, whence almost at once a Shotalashu bellowed dare, and which I witted as Oshis’s steed Tarami. Soon I spotted Oshis’s head bobbing along the hedgerow, and soon afterward Less’s too, for said they, the wives had outsent them to overlook and mend the fences - though Less’s bow and Oshis’s darts hinted they were more likely interested in hunt than work. Cheerily they greeted and shrove they had forelooked our coming. Oshis added it is timely, for Erymi would meet Vosaeth. He hosted us inward while Less kept the overlook.
A twosome of half-tame Shota gamboled byward while we neared and tried daring our steeds to run, which Ess answered with a masterful roar and kept path staidly. We came to the Holdtree, whereupon Tae waved. Soon as we unsteeded, she bade us come up.
When we reached the main deck, Erymi had come forth, and with her Tesine her daughter, who is five years old, and by her behavior I already well into her Fierce Fives. She broke her mother’s hold and ran straight to us newcomers. I picked her up, and soon as her mind linked with mine, she knew me. Then blithely she headed to Vosaeth and kissed her, who weepily begladdened.
I first caught tightness between Erymi and Vosaeth, though I reckon little Tesine’s atakenness softened it. Warily I took back the girl and gave her to her mother, reckoning we must acknowledge Erymi’s rank as Oshis’s sworn wifemate. Vosaeth likewise took clue. She hailed Erymi, and then asked forgiveness, first for hithercoming unheralded, and moreover forwhy she had leavelessly used Erymi’s manmate. She added she had long wished to meet the wifemate who held the faith of so mighty a warrior as Oshis, and sorely wished to meet his kin. Then she knelt and asked what dearth Erymi would claim against her.
For a breathtide Erymi stood wordless. Then she answered she would claim no dearth, but rather, the two wives should gather and talk of things. She then offered Vosaeth tea, which the Retaea lady kindly atook.
Together they went to sit, which left me with Tae and Less, who smiled eagerly. Less upcame, took my hands, and kissed them. Then he nodded to the upper-limb cot that Remaue had set as ours. ~Malasse~ - “She is awaiting,” he outthought softly.
Shyly I climbed the bough-stair to the cot. My heart ran while I thought of Remaue awaiting, of all that had shifted over these five years. Was I still the same Lashunta who had gone while she was growing with child? Had she changed? Almost I lost heart. Yet I had sworn to come back to her.
Remaue was sitting right beyond the roof, where a thinspot in the leaves inlet some skylight. She was gazing down at what nestled on her breast: a chubby bronze face and blue hair, swaddled in a silken sheet, suckling from her heavy bosom. If she witted my income, she did not show, all her mindfulness aimed at the darling held near.
So overwought I became that breathlessly I stumbled on the top step, trying to speak thoughtlessly. While I stammered, a mind touched mine. It was Remaue’s, only else, a mighty sheen almost lightlike that warmed my heart lovingly.
I fell to the deck and wept.
Remaue spoke aloud: ~E Lanaryel~ - “This is Lanaryel,” she greeted. At once I witted the name-root, from Queen Lanare, who had founded Elder Son’s empire and had built the palace whose wreckstead even today overlooks our city. Recking Remaue’s own queenlike selfness, it is a mighty name and fitting.
I have ere been with babes and befelt their mind’s strength, matched with their blithe openness to all about. Yet Lanaryel’s self-strength staggered me. Maybe she has a true-born soul-seer knack. Maybe she aimed on me from her shared yestermind with Remaue, for she knew me and her mother’s love for me at first meet. How I know not. I can merely tell that this fresh newborn mind welcomed and folded me in sheer love.
Beside Remaue I knelt and looked down at this small wonder suckling from her body: her child by Less, who I gathered had already begloried in this gift-meet, who would be blood-kin to Tae’s child still unborn. I reminded our tears when I left for the warfare, and Remaue’s stark face upon the wharf while our boat left harbor, her belly already swelling with the small one she here held. My heart quailed from shame that I had left her.
We found mindshare harder to reach than I had forelooked, which shook and frightened me. It bespoke time’s heft over the last five years: Remaue staying here and bearing Lanaryel, I going to Valmaeyana and undergoing all my balethroes there. Soothly, my memories of war, the slaughter and bloody coldheartedness, were hardest to share. They made little Lanaryel wail, and herefrom Remaue withdrew. I strove to withhold the harsher whits, though she understood we must sometime meet them together, mayhap when the babe can stay with someone else.
Indrawn by the babe’s sleepy blitheness, we let belltides spend, upcaught in our mindshare and deed-tales. At last, stiffly we rose and came down to the others. Less swiftly clove and kissed his daughter on Remaue’s breast while Tae clasped my hand full-knowingly. We also witnessed Erymi and Voseath holding hands while Oshis behavingly played with Tesine. In good news, the two wives have deemed they shall be friends, which meets Oshis luckily and means he will dodge ill will from his love-sport. Tae has outspoken we shall have a great duskmeal to hail our homecome and Voseath as our guest along with her good news. I have right come from help in baking bread, for they had already started a wormroast this morn, on our arrival’s guess.
Remaue and the babe lie beside while I write. It is amazing how her newborn mind dreamily plays with mine, even as she watches me writing and strives to understand why. Now I wish I had never gone to warfare, that I could have stayed here for Lanaryel’s birth and witnessed all this wonderful little soul has undergone. I feel blessed even as unworthy. I believe this love could overwhelm my self.