A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 27

In which Vaeol’s flag meet the Reul, at the heart of the feud with the Elves.

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

17. Afaelae - 12 Day Afetch; Reul Clanhold
I forsook my helm, for its trial was too maddening to wear its crest under a hood. The hood alone, however, made mindblindness, and its backdrawal to let my antennae free let water run down my brow, face, and the cloak’s neck onto my byrnie and body. Happily, we beheld a tree-grove overlooming this eery mushroom-wood with their feathery fronds wavering under their tops. Said our Noruma hunter-leads, that was our goalstead. By fore-eve we reached the Reul Clanhold, whose roof-thatches had never given merrier sight.
The Reul welcomed us slowly. Hunters bearing bow and spear met us at a bramble-gate. They daringly asked our name. We told them our City and House, and also that we are hithercome with our kin, beckoning to Remaue nestling the babe. Still they made us wait until the headwife came down.
Lady Avaere outshowed a highland clanwife much in the same mold as Lady Karami, though less friendly. She acknowledged she had yesterday gotten word of our upcome. Then she overlooked us deemfully: our sullen Shotalashu, us waiting soddenly in gumcloaks. Her folk stood almost naked, merely loincloths, and even the wives forgoing gownshrouds, which would besod through at once under the flood-shower. With bare kindliness she asked how our fare had gone.
I answered, so blithely as I could, I had heard they get rain here. A breathtide I waited while they wondered on my word, and I could tell they doubted my mind. Then offtide I asked when it starts.
Dumbfoundedly the Reul gaped, and then laughed, which I betook as good foretoken. They welcomed us to their hometree’s main floor. Too happily we got out of the rain and stripped to loincloths, matching our hosts. Since they tally quite smaller than Noruma, we have camped right here.
Lady Avaere welcomed us in the same wont as had their neighbors, with a milk-bowl, and I gave her a bottle of the City’s bubblemead, which she took lissomely. She asked whether we had any bother here-coming, to which I answered we had lost a Korasha in Noruma. When she shakenly asked how, I answered it was to Lady Karami. Again she laughed, and I witted her goodwill quickening.
I asked what Lady Karami had told her of our coming. Lady Avaere answered she understood our hope to broker truce with the Elves, and also that I have some knowledge of their kind. She then asked what I know. I told that I have spent time among Elves, that I speak their tongue, and have gone twice to Sovyrian, though she knows not that land. I asked whether these Northern Elves have any business with Qabarat. She knows not and asked why that should reck, at which I told that Qabarat is still the greatest Elfburgh in all Asana, though nowadays the city’s Lashunta far outtally them. I deemed it downheartening, but that we must guess that they have no such meanhood. I thought of Master Mearthil, whomto I had sent beseech, and rued his lack.
At my ask, she told me of the Reul’s feud with the Elves, which broadly followed what Lady Karami and Elder Ianare had already told. Over the last two hundred years they had had peace. About fifty years ago, the Reul had settled this stead, which beholds among a sixsome of settlements this clan holds and wanders with the year, and with no bother or hint that the Elves misgave, until yesteryear, when hunters came upon a weird stead hidden in a dale: a stone ring within a mushrom-grove. Elves had swiftly afterward come and had smitten the incomers with arrows and spells, and a Lashunta had died. The hunters’ kindred and friends wished blood-geld and had gone again warfully. They had gotten stricken, wounded and had offrun. Then other hunters throughout the neighborland had been stricken. Afterward, the strikes had halted for a year’s better share, bit again had restarted when a hunter again stole near the stone ring’s dale.
I asked whether any Elves had likewise been slain while these fights. She answered she knows not surely, but ere yestermonth Reul hunters had caught a wounded Elf. They had bound her and brought her back here, for soothly they had forehoped the clanwife’s deemship to uphold their blood-geld. Instead, she had treated the Elf’s wounds until she strengthened. Then she had let her free - against her folk’s wish. Unluckily, the Elf spoke no Lashunta, and the Reul no Elvish. So no hap to tell their wishes or talk truce. Yet sinceward, the Elves have not stricken. Though the Reul have sometimes hunted the neighborlands, they have not gone near the stone ring’s dale. They have been waiting worrisomely.
After her tale, I thought reckfully. Then I spoke she may even have saved her folk from war. I read that, from my knowledge of Elves, they would not forget a ruthful deed.
Lady Avaere asked my knowledge, for they know nothing since their last feud ended. So I told that Elves may be somewhat odd by Lashunta taste. They have an outlandish wisdom, owing to their yearthousand-long lifetimes. This may make them proud, haughty, and even to look downward on us short-lived Lashunta. I asked what truce they had made after the last feud. She told it had happened while her mother’s maidentide, and she had only the elders’ word that some hunters had been slain. They had told Lashunta and Elves had sworn to shun each other. Until the Reul settled here, they had stayed on the mountains’ other side.
I asked what she had heard of the Sholasa’s feud with the Elves. This forecaught her. She answered they have no business with the Sholasa since they came to this mountainside, though she holds their same nameworth as do the Noruma. I watched the thought sway her grim, reckoning that her clan may be drawn into a war against their will.

18. Afaelae - 2nd Day at Reul Clanhold
I have spent the day speaking with Lady Avaere and so many of the hunters as I can, to better understand this land. I now have a rough map, inmeaning the Elfring Dale and its path. I have put forth to Lady Avaere that tomorrow we shall go in hope of finding the Elves, meeting, and dealing with them. She is wary of our likely winfulness, but will send a lead.
Also tomorrow, Lady Avaere will send word to Noruma to here aftercome, and to bring any other clans who have answered the call, for as goal I wish all the Clanheads to meet together with the Elves to craft this truce.
I sit here and overlook our little flag while we perch here on the deck and watch the rain pound down. Kaure sits watchfully by Remaue, who suckles and plays with Lanaryel. Earlier, I had put forth she stay behind here with the babe while we go onward. Yet she will not hear and has deemed to come with. Though I love Remaue’s boldness, I fear.