A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 61

In which Lady Vaeol begins a plan to free her lover Oshis.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

4. Evelae, 24,542 - Hivaea; 1st Day Left from Elahat [continued from Chapter 60]
...So weary was I after the duskmeal with Lady Erenyae and my misleading mindscape, that I slept with the babes, though the others slept little. Also, it befit I should let Erymi and Oshis a night for themselves, much as I yearned to feel them together. Even so, worry haunted my dreams of all canny likelihoods. What if Lady Erenyae threw Oshis in lockhouse? Elsewise, what if she witted the dithersome mindscape I had wrought while our duskmeal, and thus saw fit to send warriors to bind us? I could merely have faith that greed and self-overtrust would override her heed.
At foredawn, Tae and Less headed to the wharf to set leavetide with our bark-skipper, while Erymi, Remaue, and I switchingly packed and spoke with Oshis, and Hanos stood watch. Also, Zheye should come and bemeet us to her kindred. After readiness, Oshis came until the wharf, though we witted watchers afollow and ready, and loudly showed he came nowise near embarking. I waited for him to kiss and speak achesome farewell to his wifemate and daughters, and even after Less swatted his rear. Then I stood near and hugged.
~Veari soarya Erenyae-Ilea, oe haiafas ollayas.~ - ”Stay nigh Lady Erenyae, and be a good guest,” I gave him last rede, and tapped my brow meaningfully. ~Oeo’ifaemodi ivis.~ - “And mostly, stay safe.” Then I kissed him so fiercely as I could. As a last thing, I left a writleaf he should give to Lady Erenyae, outlaying my leave to afterhunt her business so soon as canny. Then our bark left. ~O’alli vi niris.~ - “You shall hear from us soon.” I thought-boded Oshis when we reached Father-Yaro’s half-breadth. Then I aimed mind at the far bank.
Father-Yaro is but a sixth-league wide at this headwater, though the flood runs needfully swifter. We crossed to a flag-spire marking a side-ditch, wherealong a landstead waited with boats. There we took thankful leave from our bark-skipper, and then beheld the treepath to Hivaea.
A belltide’s fare led us to a small treehold perched over an oxbow, which maybe had seen greater days ere Father-Yaro’s floodbed had shifted. We beheld a twelvesome of limbhouses, so many ground sheds, and a score of light fishing-boats with some bigger freightbarks. Soon as we reached, Zheye led us to a hometree, whereupon two older wives hailed and welcomed us up. Erymi went to the first, knelt, and yielded her Tesine, who kissed the girl in right grandmotherly wise. So we met Oloe, Oshis’s mother, who had bequeathed him her dun skin, though her hair has softened to silver. The other wife Zheye reached, bowed, and hugged. In years she looked slightly younger than Oloe and shared her dark hue, though she had a beswaying might along with purple hair like heaven’s height at sunset (not unlike an older copy of Vosaeth), such as drew mind, and I doubt not would enthrall an eager youth. Zheye greeted her as her mother, Avahi. On her I looked long, for I understood she had been Oshis’s love-mistress.
The two older wives welcomed us and helped settle our Shota. Then upon the deck they offered tea, and Oloe afterspoke Oshis while she hugged her youngest granddaughter, and we told our tale, inmeaning Lady Erenyae’s geldcraft to hold Oshis’s welfare against us. They took our news grimly, though it did not forecatch them. I had wit that they have heard samely tales of Elahat’s holdwife.
Then Avahi bade: ~O’illi kiaea-ruaelm riere ryrye voassere shi deloavae Oshisti,~ - “I would meet the last wife to fall under Oshis’s sway.” Shyly I stood forth, fully aware I hold a share in their son’s doom. So I knelt and quoth I am here to find fairness for Oshis, and that my next deed should become fare to Son and seek that right outcome, though also I would earn their forgiveness.
Oloe came near and raised my chin. She spoke I owe them no dearth, but dolefully to Oshis. Then she bade they would take us to the headwife to talk further.
Laterward, they led us to Lady Sael, the treehold’s headwife, who greeted us kindly. Oloe outlaid we were right come from Elahat, where we had undergone a wary moot with Lady Erenyae. I added Erenyae would overheave me under Oshis’s welfare, along with my nameworth and kin, to get geld from Son. Lady Sael deemed this a grim thing, and asked me to walk with her.
She showed me about their little borough, where folk were mending boats and nets, and a team was hoisting a river-eel they had caught. Among the hometree-roots I witted crumbled stone, on whose history I asked. Lady Sael told that Hivaea had once sat on Father-Yaro’s bank ere the floodbed had shifted, leaving what had once been a worthy if lawless freehold a forgotten backwater. ~Elahat di zhykandalafa,~ - “We were not so unlike Elahat,” she said.
Rooted on some stray words marked by Oshis and Erymi, I had guessed that some lawless smuggle-trade had grown here in Hivaea, and maybe even had flowed between here and Elahat. Indeed, Lady Sael outlaid Hivaea had become beholden to Son less than fifty years ago. Oshis was still a boy when they had won thedeship. Not all the holdfolk had so eagerly becloven with the City, and not all wish their secrets reminded. On that word, I asked of Oshis’s father, whomof I had heard hints he had been a bold outlaw. Lady Sael laughed, but bade me ask Oloe, who had known him best, though she added that, in knowing Oshis, I already knew much of his father. This outdrew my laughter, and I answered it befit.
In further talk, Lady Sael also shrove Hivaea has had its overfair share of feuds with Elahat, no few whereof Lady Erenyae stands at the bottom: fishing rights, freight overtaken feelessly, and no few dearths between Hivae’s holdfolk and fellows an kin in the freehold. For Oloe’s sake alone she would help us, forespoke Lady Sael. Yet if there was any forehap to reweigh the dearth-weight between Hivaea and Elahat, then she also would take it as a boon. I reminded Oshis had spoken of his kindred having some insway within Elahat, and so asked what bemeant. Lady Sael yaysaid and that, along with Oloe having friends in the freehold, also does she.
She told that, merely forwhy Erenyae is holdwife does not mean all Elahat’s holdfolk love her, for she sometimes has dealt even more hardly with them than with outlanders. She read that, if an earnest stroke against Erenyae comes, she can call friends’s help. I asked how many warriors Hivaea can gather, which she answered as a score and six, ingathering eight Shotalashu, and all doughty hunters or riverfolk. Of friends within Elahat, she told there are enough, if the time is right, to forestall an uprise for Erenyae’s weal.
After I came back to Oloe’s hometree, I begged leave and climbed among the upper boughs. I sat and thought long and hard on a plan that has grown within my head. It may work, though much hinges on more subtleness in bargaincraft I have ever wielded, and it may be so overbold that the others will shun it. And yet do we have any choice else?
I have told Lady Sael, Oloe, and Avahi I must go back to Son tomorrow, make readiness, and hopefully bewin Lady-Mother to forgive Oshis. I hope they will forgive my small lie. Lady Sael nodded and wished me well. She has met my mother, whom she named kindly, though she further spoke that Lady-Mother is ever a better friend to the great trade-mistresses who hold business with Qabarat than to meansteads such as here. At her word I could merely yaysay. Yet one wise or another, I foreswore, we shall wrest Oshis from Erenyae.