A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 60

In which Vaeol ventures into Lady Erenyae’s hall.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

4. Evelae, 24,542 - Hivaea; 1st Day Left from Elahat
I first bewrite yesternight and my duskmeal tide with Lady Erenyae. True to word, she sent clothes she deemed worthy enough, though I witted them slightly less rich than she had worn (a whit doubtlessly forewillful). Thus I went to the holdwife’s hall in the town’s midst wrapped in a bodyshroud of goldsap bloom-pattern silk, and my hair dandily curled. Also, I had forgone my outrider breastdishes, armbands, and greaves, and for the first tide ever clothed in right ladywise, and my only jewels a girdle and my ear-darts, for I would have Lady Erenyae unmind my outriderhood and rather bethink me merely Lady-Mother’s daughter, and therefore unworthy but for our kinship.
Remaue and Less followed me ahost; she as my shieldbearer whom I could rightfully bring in waiting, and he as warden against the freehold’s overall lawlessness. Ereward, our Korasha flagmates had almost fought over who should take this warden-stead. Less had tidily won when he outreckoned we should bring so little awareness to Oshis as canny, though also my guestfare beneeded doughtiness and less likelihood to lose mood, as younger Hanos might behave. The others had ataken his choice with ill thanks but had listened.
We reached the holdwife’s hall, which we witted an odd stead. Though the old stronghold’s stone burghwalls had long ago fallen and had been rebrooked for other buildings, Erenyae’s home did not stand wardless. Stout teak doors bronze-set and well barred led into the hall’s lower meanroom, and thence but one door evenly stout led upstairs to the lady’s dwelling-stead. I reckoned that, even if Lady Erenyae had never needed to quell an uprise-stroke, her foremothers surely had done so.
A steward led me to the uppermost floor, with Remaue following as waiting-groom while Less offshed to wait among the doorwardens. We found ourselves under a high lofty roof over open walls set with carven hardwood screens, and smellsome smokepots burning smudgeweed mingled with myrrh, and, oddly, maybe also dreamgrass, along with silverglazed fey-lanterns and tame glowroses, in an idle-room evenly so fair as anystead in Son. In a bight even stood a potted sapling harpy jasmine, whose thought-song, hearkening bliss and all love’s manifold idleness, waved even to the stairhead.
On a pillowbench lay Lady Erenyae, who at our intread idly stood. She wore even richer clothes than the earlier daytide’s: a bodyshroud of Jabask glowsilk inwoven with harpy jasmine blooms (matching our floor’s meat-eating showmidst), a golden headring (not quite a matron’s crown, though near) and gems sapphire and ruby hanging from a broad necklace, starfishlike jeweled nippledishes, and a golden girdle. She sauntered near, bowed lissomely in answer to mine, and then held my arms and kissed me.
Already her mind sought my stray thoughts. Yet I had forethought this drift and had spent the day readying a mind-gambit to let her read only the thoughts and wits I chose. Ereward, I had felt her same trial and so reckoned she has some soulmight, but unlearned. Though this witch-knack surely had thewed her well sifting and picking her guests' thoughts, wants, and fears, if she knew I am a soul-seer, however, I doubt she would behave so boldly. Even so, I took a seat far from the harpy jasmine, for I did not need that bedazing me while Lady Erenyae poked my thoughts.
My host held a glass cup while a groom poured bubblemead, and then selfly yielded it to me. I atook, lifted it over bowed head, and set it to lips, though I drank unmuch. I had an inkling this meal-set, both the drink and dreamgrass-laced smoke, and even the sweetly thought-singing shrubling in the far bight, were forewilled to weaken mind-wards and let her steal within. We sat and traded kindliness ladywise while I let her thought-seech find what I chose: me as a blithe, bold noblewife still smarting from harm, and lately wary. If I played well, she would reckon my warrior-deedfulness as a younger daughter’s lot, whose kindred, nowise high, no longer could gather the wealth and uphold to catch a third matronship.
So bywardly she spoke I hold an odd stead: a highborn daughter lately mis-stricken, and furthermore at feud with her Lady-Mother. ~Ilimi diyeaemya,~ - “It bespeaks unfairness,” she deemed beswayingly.
I sighed weariness, and then shrove a truth in frank token that, of all things I had lately undergone, I rued none more than my mother’s ill will. Lady Erenyae heartened that surely I could heal this feud, dolefully forwhy we so love each other. In answer, I outlaid the tale of how Lady-Mother had unfairly forbanned my manlove after my flagmates thewed me in warfare. Then I added something, not quite a lie, that, in faith, I could not forsake him, for my flagmates would thence forsake me.
~Almi loe,~ - “Faith is worthiness,~” she praised glibly, and then added: ~Oeo’mi sinyei dolomi: o’stiadeni yothaes eistastra o kezhara-shei?~ - “And here is your riddle’s other half: How will you uphold your manmate under his curse?” At the word manmate, I did not overrighten her.
She then cunningly outlaid, in seeming shrift-wise, that her freehold is less than safe and plightier than other steads, and that she as holdwife has her doomreach forbound under the holdfolk’s freedom. She told she understands my need to ward my manmate, though she had heard gossip he is already feuding with other outlaws.
I asked whether she made business to take maiden-reavers within her freehold. My word forecaught her, and she asked outlay, at which I outnamed Maeoras, Loeas, and Oyarias, who had done the lewd, hateful sin against my maidenmate, and thus were banned from Son. I then told I had witnessed Maeoras yesterday freely walking the wharf-farthing. Then I misspoke my woe that such worthless evildoers had the freehold’s leave. This tale set her aback, for though she had forethought to draw a toll for Oshis’s safeness under the feud’s threat, the maiden-reavers unsettled her, as I could read of her own mind, for if this word outcame, it might wreck her nameworth. She shrove knowledgelessness and forespoke to inseech further, whereat I welcomely bade she do so, and that she should ask word straight from Son, since eyesomely I marked she already has trusty links there. I watched her struggle how best she might pry wealth without anything so hateful. I waited for what new path she would try.
Then Lady Erenyae hearkened back what an ill doom had befallen from my feud with Lady-Mother, and asked whether I have any outlook that it may be mended. I answered I would wish nothing dearer. Anon she rose from bench, came near, and sat beside. Her antennae reached forth, kissed mine, and willfully tried mindshare. I withheld. She then reached forth and stroked my bosom. I was shakenly offthanked, for I have beaten other outriders for less, nevermind what I did to Kazos. So also stirred Remaue, whose thought I caught, and almost leapt wrathfully from her groomstead. Yet I bade athought her stay, which withholdingly she listened. I forbore the holdwife’s unwished touch, though I did not hide my idlessness.
Lady Erenyae halted chidingly and asked my withhold from idleness, for she quoth she would give me a foreword, but which beneeded trust, which we would find together in love. I answered that I am not wholly myself, hinting at the ~Komori~, and would not inlet anyone in saiahi, for my mind now has shameful doles. She took my word and bade, so kindly as she could, that any queerness recked not, and she would deem it worship to take my wholeness.
A breathtide I faltered, and could even hear Remaue worriedly shifting at the wall. Then I reached upward, touched Lady Erenyae’s face, and opened my mind to what I wished witted...
...I started with the ~Komori’s darkness and sundered mindlessness, leading with a good shock. I followed with Oshis and the most Korasha-like whits I could upbring: anger and grudge from a gifted man mocked his whole lifetime for riding Shotalashu, bold and eager to prove prowess against anyone, even leadership. Then, as if from my undermind’s depth, I gave her Kaure’s wrath, barely bound, waiting to lash out at a world that had betrayed and bereft her. Among the ~Komori~ and these jumbled bits, I gave a hintlikeness of a wrathful Korasha self seething to get out...
Lady Erenyae froze. Though she did not drop my hand, she sat back. I had quelled her lust, along with any further wish to share with me. I waited to see whether my gambit had outwon.
After a long breathtide, she seemingly made an inward choice, and then offered two things. First, if I could find wise to mend my bond with Lady-Mother, Lady Erenyae would back me, in both wealth and boon, for me to seek a seat in the Hall of Matrons. Rooted in my kindred and nameworth, she beread, it is reachable. In that stead, she put forth we can become quite good friends. The other foreward she gave, I should speak with my sister Risodess, eyesomely for a freight now held in Son under a trader’s feud, who had brought dearth-sake against Elahat. I asked, since she already knew Risodess, why has she not boded her straightly. Erenyae answered that, though selfly Risodess is a most soothsome lady, now outer shares work against their inthrift. Erenyae beread, however, that Risodess merely needs a small shove to free the freight.
I reckoned her offered bargain, and then forespoke to sway my sister and would head homeward to do so. I then asked her thane’s name in Son, and forethoughtfully one who can send farseer-word to Elahat, for we would elsewise lose a whole week awaiting handwrit. After thought, she named Mistress Ane Meiellaue, whose house I know, and who can send swift word, though she warned to speak with her sparely.
After another mead-glass, I shrove weariness, and also that I must get my housemates ready for tomorrow’s leavetide. We both rose and bowed, and she gave my hand a last squeeze. ~O’ahi sholif haelya be qae o’si mesi.~ - “We could find a use for such anger as dwells in you,” she gave as last misforebodeful word. So lissomely as I could, I left with Remaue in wake and found Less on our outway.
Eyesomely my housemates both wished speech. Yet we stayed soft until we left the high farthing. Soon as we stood beyond the hall’s sight and under shadow, my knees buckled. Remaue, who had already witted something amiss and was hovering near, caught me, and soon afterward Less’s stout shoulder upheld. I had overwearied from the mind-screen I had woven and upheld for most duskmeal-tide. After I found breath and my head cleared, I found Remaue gazing wonderingly, who had been reading my thoughts the whole tide with Erenyae. She asked whether I would surely forsake hallcraft, even with my knack. I answered back my growth under such cunning does not mean love.
With their help upholding me, we reached the inn, where the others waited. I told them my reckonship of the talk with Lady Erenyae: she foremeans to overhold Oshis to first garner wealth in an ongoing trade-feud, and then to upset me as a matron in her girdle-basket, whereby she can work further insway on Son. I headed to my lovely Oshis and foretold: ~O’illi distimi satra sezastra romye,~ - “She will never let you free:” ~o’shosathya-zhaoe loe-lya ruaeyelm~ - “for so long as I yield her worth.”
We forespoke to leave tomorrow, and I beread Oshis should come with us to his kindred in Hivaea. Yet he naysaid, for we would misdoubt we were already watched. His coming would also make strife in Hivaea, for he had already been offwarned under the banhood. He put forth, however, that his kin would gladly help if something could be upworked against Elahat, for these two townholds have a long and tangled history both good and bad, and his kin even hold some sway here.
Erymi asked what we should do. I deemed we should first talk with Oshis’s kin, and then foresee what we can. I beread we have forehap in that Lady Erenyae believes I will seek truce with Lady-Mother, and added: ~Benyaea roaf o di roae.~ - “We know something she knows not. Remaue asked what, at which grimly I smiled. ~Mae distimi zhienye Oshistra.~ - “My mother will never forgive Oshis,” I outlaid: ~o’keami-yei heieni zhyeayi.~ - “which means there will be no truce.”
Oshis even grimmer scowled. ~O’zhaomani hil eriae reia.~ - “That forelooks a sure brew for war,” he deemed.
I nodded and kissed his hand. ~Oeo’viri roafa.~ - “And we know it first.”

[The rest of the 4. Evelae, 24,542 - Hivaea Daylog entry will be continued next week]