A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 45

In which Lady Vaeol’s Flag brings Queen Taiase and their other guests to Son

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

15. Vinelae, 24,542 - 5th Day Afare from Noruma Freehold (46th day afetch)
Yesterday we entered the rainwood, which sets us a dayfare behind goaltide, dolefully since we go downslope. The Shota thrill to again come within their homeland, and I reckon even we are glad. With our lag, I hope we have not given Istae and Lady-Mother sake for worry.
So nearer as we come to home, Taiase has begun asking questions of Son in our nowward time, and not only of outriders, the Time of the Thief-Queens, and the Formian War, whose beginning she already knows. When we outlaid how the matrons’ rule meanly, she overthought a while. She quoth it rather sounds like a queenless redehall. She then asked what keeps the matrons, high thanes, and hallreeves from feuding with no queen to keep them aline. ~Di ezima,~ - “Not much,” I answered, which got sharp laughter from Semuane and Ianare, who have their own witness of city hallcraft, and even a smile from Master Mearthil.

16. Vinelae - Tales Farmhold (47th day afetch)
At last we came back to Tales, through which I have come so many times afare to and from the Hall of Stars. We took halt, however, on beholding armed warriors awaiting, along with a matron and outrider. I looked to Taiase, and witted fear shivering her antennae. She had left Son a fallen queen, with the folk’s ill will, and though she has outshriven, still bears the guilt. Now doubtlessly she feared wrackship. Istae and I outreached hands to soothe her.
Then I witted the outrider at their head, whom I knew: Lady Leavomel my teacher. The matron also I knew: Lady Ihyl, my mother’s steadholder, along with a herald. I also beheld the warriors bore axebills with flags: token of the ~Uroha~, the City’s holy warden-band. At their sight I eased, for I witted they came not to bind Taiase, but to worship her. I bade our sith halt and hailed them.
Lady Ihyl stood forth. Then she bowed and hailed us in Elder Tongue, though she broadcast for all to understand (and shrove that her Elder Tongue is better at read than speech). She said they are come to welcome Queen Taiase and bring our foremother home, for all Son awaits the wonder of an Elder Queen to again belithe our halls and streets.
Flounderingly Taiase unsteeded. She strode before Lady Ihyl, and before us all knelt. Then she quoth that she must gainsay this worship Son holds forth, forwhy she had left our city shamefully and is unworthy to be named queen. She asked that the Uroha be forleft, for she had no right to their wardship, and that she would happily be brought to lockhouse, even to become a thrall, rather than take an oughtless honor.
To her lief, Lady Ihyl knelt and took her hands. She outlaid that the Uroha are not the queen’s, but the City’s, and were come as host, forwhy they would not bring Taiase home in shame. She is hithercome on the Matrons’ behalf to welcome our worthy foremother back to her home, where she may shrive her elder sins and be upmade. At this word, Taiase buried her face in Ihyl’s breast. For a long while she did nothing but sob while my mother’s steadholder held her tight. At last, Ihyl raised her and bade her peace, and that we should rest here tonight, and then fare to Son.
After overseeing camp, I have right come from the hometree’s beamstead, where I found Taiase with head bowed, brow leaned against the tree-beam. Unsure of this happendom, I waited until laterward she rose and came off. When she saw me, she faltered, but smiled. ~Roam eazue-mere,~ “I know this tree,” she outlaid meekly. ~Linonde, eshi tollone o ve eshone.~ “It was smaller, but is older even than I.” My head bowed while my eyes welled tears.

17. Vinelae - Son
Ere dawntide we woke and packed, for a full dayfare awaited ahead ere we reached the city. Yesternight I had bade all the warriors shine arms and cleanse saddles, for I reminded that, though we are not the Uroha, we share host to a queen and must show forth proudly for our city’s sake. Thus we fell into march swiftly and strove to make good furtherness.
While we went, Taiase’s eyes locked onto every landmark. I sought not her thought. Yet her face betrayed whirling bewilderness. What she found kith and what new I could only guess.
By midafternoon we reached Hiresim-Outfarthing, which doubtlessly Taiase had known in her old time. I tried to read her mood, but then foryielded when we rode into sight of Father-Yaro and the Isle of Aelau. There Ta-Eizohu rose tall, and on its left the Sun-Temple and its light-spire crowned the Ofu. Even a-shed, I felt her shudder. She drew her Shota out of row and begged a halt, which we alet while she overdrightened her heart. Then we rode onward, though Taiase looked moreso grown from wood than flesh.
We rode through Hiresim’s gate and streets with no fanfare, for so our herald had been bidden, and so got little more than idle reckfulness from the townsolk. At the riverwharf, however, we found a ferry awaiting under Lady Ane’s lead, on whose leave we boarded. Then the oarsmen offshoved, and set forth over the flood.
Selfsomely Taiase and I hove to the flatbark’s bow, where I caught her whisper of an elder prayer to Father-Yaro. Her gaze oversought the island’s heights. I let her still, not seeking to pry. Yet anon she spoke: ~Renzhaea Lanarea diyavaeaona o’hishiri.~ “Queen Lanare’s Palace is rather more worn,” she said, slightly nodding at the wreckstead upon Ta-Eizohu’s crown, which has been already fallen even in her time. I yaysaid. Then she asked whether philosophers still hold their schools within its walls. I answered it is even so, though needfully they have built new halls where the palace has so crumbled it can no longer shelter, and also that, some yearthousands ago, the Ihezoshu was seeking more room and so built its new main hall upon the berg’s flank. Taiase nodded, though so earnest she seemed from her sight that I almost doubted she heard my word.
Lady Yareme, the Matrons’ Hall-Reeve, was awaiting at the rear harbor, who bowed and told that we were forelooked. She then led us up the short steep climb to Dale Street, and thence upward to the Ofu. While townsfolk right took wit of the Uroha’s showfare, they did reckfully, as if no word had gone out of what was behappening.
At the Heartyard’s edge we shortly halted, for I read with the Uroha’s First Axe on our march-row. We agreed the Uroha should go first in rank. Then Lady Ihyl should host Taiase, along with Master Mearthil, Semuane, and Ianare, whereafter our host should income smartly arear, with Kaure bearing my flag.
As we came under the Heart-tree, we beheld the full Matronhood upon the hall’s stairs, updrawn in crowns and bodyshrouds, along with sundry onlookers doubtlessly drawn by this unaqueathed sight. At their midst waited Lady-Mother, and beside Master Ilimiss, who I reminded from schooltide as our foremost teacher of the Elder Tongue (though I doubt he reminds me quite so worthily). At the stair’s foot the Uroha halted and split aside, arowed axebills stood sharp, letting room for Lady Ihyl and the others to unsteed. Lady Ihyl then soothingly took Taiase’s hand and came forth, where Lady-Mother greeted and asked the Steadholder’s news.
Lady Ihyl outquoth we were homecome from our peacebode, and bore word, and no few. Then I unsteeded, came forth, and bowed to the Matronhood. I told we bring good news of our fetch’s winfulness from the Highlands, and moreso we have stood witness to such wonderful deedtides that we fear might break belief. I named Elderwife Ianare as our thoftmate and asked to seek her rede. Then I named Lady Semuane, whomof I asked that we not forget friendship, who came with Master Mearthil, an elder Elf-Seer of Qabarat, here to take rede of our fetch. Then I asked leave to show forth one who is foremother to all, a wonder beyond time, whom we should endear, our own City’s queen in elder time.
Lady-Mother offhanded her staff. She came down the stair, took Taiase’s hands, and bowed. Then she quoth that here is such a wonder that doubtlessly the gods have seen fit to bestow goodwill. She bade that Taiase shall have every welcome from her children back to her home. Then she named her ~Matae~ - Grandmother, which shook tears from Taiase’s eyes. She hugged the queen, at which the matrons buzzed cheer.
Lady-Mother quoth that Taiase shall guest within her house. While still ahold of the queen’s hand, she headed and greeted the others. To Master Mearthil she bowed low and said in Elvish that, while few Elves have visited Son, we had erenever had the honor of hosting a Master Elf-Seer, and that he shall have our full rede-hearth. Then she left Taiase to greet and hug Semuane and Ianare in kind. Nodding upstairs (where Istae stood grinningly), she told she had already heard of the goodness we had done, and was looking forward to hearing from ourselves. She then bade that all our guests be led to rooms and ease, and also that I should follow, for she had long missed her daughter. I left Krastaes to lead our sith to the house while I waited on Lady-Mother.
We were joined not only by Lady Ihyl and Istae (who gave a merry kiss), but also by Lady-Captain and Captain Dosuaesh, who greeted cheerily. Yet when we gathered within my mother’s sunderroom, she first glared, and then asked: ~Sta elerru alada!?~ - “What happened to your nose!?” for though healed, a slight misshape shows. Before all laughing watchers I had to outlay my fight-trial with Kazos. Yet while Master-Captain grinned and Lady-Captain looked proudly, Lady-Mother grew more unsettled. She chided me for not brooking my First Axe, who is so doughty a warrior that thrice he has won the City Games, to take this dare. Moreover, to her thought, it threatened an outrider’s worthiness to take such trials from mean and heathen Korasha. Then she asked what my father would behave when he wits my face marred, which he has so lovingly carven in stone over my lifetime. Here I stared, and asked back whether she witted I had fastened peace among the Elves and Highland Clans and moreover had found an Elder Queen. Here she named me smart and threatened to send me to bed without duskmeal, which only made the others laugh more, and ashamed me.
Then more asoothedly we overtalked the fetch. I told (and Istae upheld) that we may have a strong and outlasting peace among the highlands, and further inthrift for trade anchored here on the eastern end, which begladdened my mother. When she asked what the Elves may yield, I knew not, though read they hold the Stormshield’s northern shore along the Western Sea, and so may have wayforth to any trade that Qabarat has wontsomely overheld from that land. In answer, Lady Ihyl flashed a ring that bore a pearl, telling it had come from the Western Sea, and my mother grinned.
She then asked our tale of Queen Taiase and how we had found her. Here I shrove that this touches on secret lore that I know as sundered from mean hallcraft, and asked leave to speak freely. When she asked what I meant, I answered: ~Roaes oyara kiadayam o Kandares~ - “You know what I met in Candares.” At this word, Lady-Mother bade leave all grooms and shut the doors.
Then we told the Elves had shown us proof the Moqeva had lurked within the Dale of Amaea long after the Yaro Strath’s overrun, and that they had caught and bound Taiase in a timeless weirdloom, ere the Elves had outslaughtered them in the Time of the Sage-Queens. Thus the thought of Master Mearthil coming to Son, to read with our lorewardens, for he is learned in this field, and forethinks to undertake a thorougher inseech. When Lady-Mother asked whether the Moqeva still dwell under that land, we answered we had seen no live spoor, but that yet burrows outstayed nigh Ta-Anossu too deep for outseech, wherein one may only dream of what may be found.
Lady-Mother heard grimly. Then she asked whether Istae had seen these things as well. My maidenlove answered she had heard what I had told, but had not gone into the barrow and had seen less than I. With a sigh Lady-Mother bade we shall both be read into the Secrets, for with what we know, it is plightier to not know all. She then said that tomorrow she shall speak with Taiase and Master Mearthil after our guests rest. Then she kissed me and bade slumber.
On leave, Istae and I found Kaure awaiting, who aread that our sithmates were well settled at the house, where Sievae had gladly greeted us, and also that Semuane had seen fit to join (against my mother’s guesthood), which warmed my heart. As we left my mother’s house, Kaure spoke she had forecaughtly seen Taiase crossing the Heartyard, which gained our inthrift. When we asked where the queen had gone, Kaure beckoned at the Sun-Temple. On my whim we went.
There, under the eyehole and before the main altar, we found her akneel, and hands aclasp. She bowed while aprayer, an earnest rock-drift that almost made me fear her grief. Worriedly Istae touched her shoulder, which startled. She eyed us, as if she feared chide for hithercoming. Istae asoothed we would not outdrive her. We let her keep prayer and withdrew until we found a priestess and bade her keep watch, and that they should lead her back to the High Matron’s house when she is ready.
Awayward, a worry came, which I had long been shoving from mind. I asked whether Oshis awaited at the house. Istae answered that she had bidden him go to the treehold and wait on Erymi, for wisely she had reckoned I would be in wantsome shape to deal with him. She told he was hurt and befuddled from Noruma’s deedtide, of which doubtlessly Erymi could best oversee him. For this small boon I thanked her.
Wiselessly, the others cheered our welcome when we reached the threshold. Sievae had stew and fresh beer waiting, for which thanks I kissed her. I begladden at my sithmates sitting and laughing within our midyard for the first time in months, friends and lovers stroking and holding hands. My heart is almost uplifted until I think of my erstwhilely forespoken bridetide and my feud with Oshis.