A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 50

In which Lady Vaeol’s maidenmate Kaure seeks to address a great wrong.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

10. Soelae, 24,542 - Son
Something grim happened today, and sorrowful, though wherefrom I hope some small yard of goodness may arise.
We riders had right left the Citadel after drilling our Shota and then seeing to gear, and were dallying under the Heart-tree, when anon Kaure stilled. I found her looking over the Heartyard, where her mind aimed at a Korasha warden-team strolling from the Trade-Mistress’s Street. From my maidenmate broadcast such a dread that my belly knotted and almost rose. I felt her fright and her heart’s race, as did Remaue, Draue, and Tae, Nae, and Oshis.
Then flashed that mindwhit she had shared when first we met: beardsome faces leering, the dizzying, sickening hurt of blows on head and belly, and wrongness that dared forsoothness, as if it should not happen. Here were the Korasha who had bewronged her, even while her fright grew, and also her shame as she witted it outlaid bare to us all.
Remaue and I straightway stood near and kissed her, giving her our antennae, handstrokes, and soft thoughts, while the others gathered near wardingly. Kaure looked up at me beggingly, asking how she could come through this ill. ~Eise moare mi uthe Shamore, o’ziniloni valante-ve. Haes o’si difi kovaei.~ - “You are a warrior and daughter of the Warrior-Queens, and moreover my true love,” I told her: “Do what feels right.”
Kaure quailed, but then stilled, as bronze hardening in a knifemold. Her mighty shoulders set. She swerved and strode across the heartyard, straight toward the three Korasha.
We others followed and fell into war-mind, for so Kaure came at this thing. I walked at her left shoulder, and Remaue her right. My hand mindlessly grabbed for a sword I was not wearing, and I could feel the others’ thoughts samely beset. I felt Kaure’s ordeal: her lifetime’s hardest, longest walk, harder even than my ride out to the Flaghold to meet Oshis, for this foreheld no peaceful outlook. Yet she forbore and underwent until she stepped within their sight.
Kaure’s comeforth shocked them enough that I read it surely unforelooked. They stared, as if reckoning what betided. Then one, Maeoras [“pure/sheer”] I got from her thought (a mirthless joke if ever was), half-laughingly spoke her name. Almost Kaure’s fear choked her, in which breathtide I witted the three Korasha offshrug their shock. I felt her throat tighten, though first she stuttered. Yet then her tongue loosened the doomful words, loud and clear enough for all nearby to hear:
~Sastra kezham!~ - “I ban/curse you!”
Even against the curse’s grimness, Kaure’s word had less outcome than forelooked, and maybe rather more upon the startled onlookers than on the curse’s butt. One, named Loeas, laughed forbiddingly, and from Kaure’s thoughts she feared they would unmind and go forth. Yet then I strode beside her and outquoth that the maiden had outspoken, and so they must listen.
The last, named Oyarias, sneered that she is no maiden. Coldly I looked on him and asked whose guilt that would be. I got the fulsomeness of watching fear thwart his face as he forsoothed his word’s foolishness.
Then a wealthy wife upwalked and asked this business. She named herself Mistress Devae, a trader and these Korasha’s work-reeve. She bade to know what evil we claimed, at which I asked whether she knowingly hires maiden-reavers. This set her agape, and looking from me to them.
She asked when this misdeed had happened. I nodded to Kaure, and then beheld the queerest breathtide as Mistress Devae witted my maidenmate, who stood tight and wan before her sinners, as if the tradewife had ere not even seen her, as if, being ~Korashe~, she was beyond mindfulness. Now Devae befuddledly reckoned her. Hastily she said this ban is no light thing, and oughtfully we must speak it to the Matrons if we so meant. In answer I waved at the Matrons’ Hall and forespoke we should surely go there next, and that she might come if she wished.
Mistress Devae thought, and then sternly bade the three Korasha go to their tradehouse, stay there, and tell none of this business. Then altogether we hied to the Matrons’ Hall.
For better or worse, I know all the matrons’ names. I waved at Lady Menele so soon as we introd, who overcame, and greeted her to Kaure, who was weeping softly while she clutched Remaue’s hand, as having outspoken a ban-curse. Sadly I tell of the same shock on Lady Menele’s face, and withholdingly she asked the whits. Kaure gave their names, but then halted when she must speak the sake. Chokingly she shrove the three had yesteryear beaten her, and then against her will had held her down and swived her, each taking shift. Only then did Lady Menele still and take rightful stock of the misdeed.
Kaure sobbed upon Remaue’s bosom while we ended the ban-witness. Mistress Devae grimly stood as the Korasha’s mistress and forespoke to keep them at her house. Lady Menele asked whether the three would stand for sake-trial or flee. For the first time, I witted Mistress Devae quail. Then she swore she would see them stand. Then Lady Menele thanked us and told we should soon forelook word of the sake-trial’s day.
Together we upheld Kaure to home, where Remaue and I softly bathed and got her to bed. Remaue set Lanaryel between them and hugged her near. I lay with them as well until Kaure slept. Then I rose, for a thought misforeboded.
Sure enough, soon came a wordbode from my mother’s house, bidding me come. I dressed and asked Oshis’s host. Gladly I held his hand while we walked back uptown, even while I dreaded this moot.
I found Lady-Mother waiting with my sisters. She greeted me lovingly, and I knelt at her knee. She told she had heard I stood witness in a grim sake, and not a kind meanly heard. I answered my maidenmate had indeed spoken a ban against three Korasha, and keepful to law, the sake would be heard and deemed whether the ban should be outstretched to the whole city. Lady-Mother asked whether I believed the sin true. I answered it is so, as I know from Kaure’s own mind. Lady-Mother so atook, and then bade that she and my Lady-Sisters shall withhold from this sake, for it must not look as if the doom may be unwholesomely swayed. They yaysaid, and after some talk more I took leave.
On my way out, my sister Raiale aftercame and asked word. She quoth this ban is an odd thing, and asked why I had let it happen. I asked her meaning, and whether she meant the three men’s sin, which willingly I would have forestalled if ever I had forehap, or my maidenmate’s ban against them, which I would not.
Raiale wryly gazed, and then said this business seemed mistasteful and unworthy of ladylike mindfulness. Again I asked what she so meant. She answered only that she understands not my taste for a ~Korashe~ pet. Against my heart’s wish, here I said only that, if she so finds this business of laws, sakes, and dooms so bothersome, mayhap she had wrongly chosen matronship as her livelihood. Then without farewell or further leave, I swerved and marched from my mother’s house.
Remaue found me on my homecome and held me in kindly kiss. I asked after Kaure, who she told still was sleep. Then she asked of happendom with Lady-Mother. I told the whole tale, incleaving my last word with Raiale. This worried her, and she asked whether the sin may somewise be offlet. Darkly I answered we will soon find out.

11. Soelae
I am home late, after a long day at the Citadel, and then at Lady-Mother’s house, where Remaue dragged me, who has already been overtalking with my mother my upcoming bridetide. Already I begin to rue the overwroughtness they have made. They asked a score-hundred choices about feast-seats, mostly for matrons or my mother’s friends and allies among the trade-mistresses, and which I truly reck not. All I wish is a worshipful stead for my father and a well-stocked feastboard for my housemates, with much wine, which frankly they will athank more than the worthiest seat. Lady-Mother bade us come at breakfast tomorrow, and Remaue swore to again drag me, for we shall go to market and see the blossom-mongers, the mead-brewers, the seamsters, and cakemakers, to bid all we need for my bridetide-day. I fear Remaue and my mother have found in each other craftiness-mates that may make the City quake.
Also, we got word from the Matrons’ Hall: Kaure’s sake-trial is set for the Fifteenth, three days hence. They like to forehold the day after market-day to deal with any trade-sakes thence arising. Lady Eanyl is named as her law-speaker, and today met with her and Remaue (who has also been busy), of which I am glad.