A Castrovel Adventure: Part 3, Chapter 65

In which Vaeol takes her game to the brink.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

13. Evelae, 24,542 - Son
~O'reizhi, kami vae mi kari.~ - In warcraft, time is life and death. So goes the old saw. Forsoothing my short behoof, I chose to use it fully and strike first. At First Bell I rose, clothed, and heading uptown ere even the sky lit. I knew my mother’s waketide, and reached her house right at breakfast. The doorwarden did not even dare my income. I strode too swiftly for the grooms to forebear word, and anywise they would bear first to the housereeve, and I gave no time.
Even so, I could not stay my antennae from shivering.
True to wont, Lady-Mother sat breakfast alone, a stack of writ-leaves beside her dish of phoenix-hen eggs. Startledly she looked upward and beheld my intread: gray bodyshroud over breast-dishes, both greaves and armbands, and hair tight in a helmbraid. I wished her to see me as a warrior, and fell. Warily she greeted, and asked my wish.
~Mi ditolloni horusolme,~ - I forquoth: “I can forbear this no more.” My mother eyed me, and then asked outlay of what I said. I told I needed to know her love. I then reached mind forth and sought hers.
For the first since the ~Komori~, we found mind-share as our antennae throbbed in time. I felt her love, which I have known all my life, even ere I understood my own self. Also I felt weariness, for this feud has worn her even so much as me. I cannot tell how fulfilling this wedness became.
And yet, deep down within her heart, I felt that share my mother hides so well: fierce will, not unlike my own, which rose to find the High Matronship as her forebound path, and which has warded that stead over thirty years and has yielded no dares, and her pride that withstands any. Often I forget how like my sisters she is.
So we hung in saiahi, each reckoning the other. Her mind flitted to my latest yesterwhits: the ~Komori’s scars. Shortly she touched my thought of Oshis and flinched back. Yet there her anger stirred, truly founded on her love and fear for me, yet shriftless of her misdeed.
Starkly I ended mindshare and stepped back. ~O’nae hoeis~ - “You must choose,” I bade, between her love for me or hatred for Oshis, for I outquoth she may have us both or none. Shamelessly she asked my meaning. Swiftly I answered that I will leave, and that she will never see me again.
I watched shock drain my mother’s face. She naysaid, and swore she would forbid my leave. I asked if she would truly become a tyrant-empress to forstay my will, as she had foreshown when she unrightly banned Oshis, if she truly thought I would let her wield mightiness so recklessly, and if she truly thought I would let her offget. Then I warned that, if she kept this path, then she would no longer be my mother.
A stillness hung aloft between. Yet again, shakenly, thoughtlessly, she naysaid and outquoth I should not do this thing. ~Si aeashoni hadis!~ - “You have already done it!” I answered sharply. Then I offheaded and brunted from the house.
If any groom had thought to try my hindrance, at my face they quailed and withdrew. I reached the Ofu’s heartyard still unbroken, with none of my dread but wrath glowing, and but a slight shiver in my hands. All felt unsooth, as if I still foredreamed and had yet spoken no such evil words to my mother. Yet then I beheld Lady-Captain coming from the Citadel. At her sight my will broke, for I had thought I might have more time until I spoke to her. Breathless fright stilled me but for my heart and limbs, which shuddered coldly as if from marsh-fever.
She whitened at my sight, and I think had likewise thought to have more time. ~Dei hadis?~ - “Did you do it?” she asked sorrowfully, and then added she had hoped to sway my mother’s mind. More sternly than I felt, I bade Lady-Captain speak with my mother if she wished, but that I would be awaiting her comeback. Then, shunning her gaze, I almost fled to the Citadel.
I waited in the midyard, where shyness and fear almost overcame. Yet the more time bided, the more behoof I reckoned I might garner. Warriors and reeves witted me standing alone. They whispered, which shame almost maddened me, though some doubtlessly knew my plight. I spotted Istae, who already knew my plan and nodded. She offsped, and soon I beheld more outriders filtering into the yard, and their shieldbearers, and grooms, reeves, and warriors as well, until a small crowd gathered under the eaves. I even saw Lady Iasaul and Master-Captain Dosuaesh watching from a windowdeck.
At last, after forever, Lady-Captain walked back through the foregate, looking grim and thoughtful. She saw me and headed. Before me she halted and asked my wish. I split my skirt, knelt upon the moss, and told I would yield her word. Softly she gave me leave. Somehow I outwon in not choking up.
I told that I would seek freedom from my oath, for I would not serve a matron who withheld fairness from her thedeling. Here Lady-Captain inbroke and reminded I serve not the High Matron, but the City. I answered I cannot serve a city where my housemate cannot find fairness. Thus I outspoke my will to forsake Outriderhood, leave Son, and become outlaw.
Lady-Captain stood speechless for so long my will almost cracked. Then she said deeply that no oath can be upheld where will lacks. She quoth she rued my choice, and that my loss is the City’s. Yet she bade that, if I have chosen, then I should leave now and not head back. So deemed, I rose, bowed, and marched from the Citadel, the stead I have most proudly served.
I reached home and found all our house waiting, all eyes on me. I could hardly find strength to speak. ~Komada,~ I whispered lifelessly: “It is done.”
Then I fell into Kaure’s arms and sobbed like death. All else clustered near, and even clove tears. Afterward, when I found throat, I bade that our plan was fully set in drift, and the tide now came to choose. To those who wished, they might cleave me in outlawhood, along with Remaue, Erymi, and Less, who had already gone to Hivaea, or if they stay here, they would do so freely and with my love. Tae at once upspoke that I knew her choice, for Less had gone northward with her good leave, and she could not forsake him or her lovers Erymi and Oshis. I kissed and blessed her, and set hand on her thickening belly, in wordless oath to uphold her.
Draue strode forth and said she had willingly sworn herself to my flag and would not stray, and would even bring her two sons with us. Her I kissed, and then asked her to bear word to Mistress Ane’s house that we must speak, and then afterward she should ready to go northward with her sons and Tae.
Sievae came to me, bowing low with her son before her. She said that, ere I found her, she had had nothing. Yet I had not only sheltered her, but brought peace with her fathermate and his kindred. She would have her son grow proud of his father, learn from him, and grow under his care. I kissed them both and bade them ride northward. Then Nae and Hanos followed and said they would have no housewife but me. Them I thanked and blessed, which I outreached to all, for I told I stand before them as an Outrider no more.
Krastaes knelt before, tears heavy in his eyes. He spoke that he would love and uphold us, but cannot forsake his wifemate and children. I took his hands, kissed his brow, and gave him full blessing to stay. I even bade he should worthily seek reeveship in the Citadel, following Master-Captain Dosuaesh’s path. Yet he naysaid, outqueathing that he had sworn to serve me and would serve none else. Instead, he would go to his wifemate’s farmhold, though not ere he go northward with us and find rightness for Oshis. Then I kissed him again and named him my true champion and faithful.
Then came a voice from the door: ~Zheieve zhyeayelise, o’di eise ime.~ - “If you are not an Outrider, then you are not alone.” Shakily I beheld Istae the speaker. I bade her withhold, for my outlawhood should not enfold her. Ratherward I read she stood stay, further her livelihood, and seek rightness within the City. Then she told that, after my leave from the Citadel, Lady Iasaul the Headmistress had called an Outriders’ Moot to deem my upcome. There Istae had spoken for my sake, and also against the High-Matron’s deed banning Oshis. Before the gathered Outriderhood had forsworn her oath until fairness is mended. Then the outriders had called a reproof for the High-Matron, and had sent word to Lady-Captain to bear it forth.
Stunned as I was by this outcome, still I could not believe Istae’s deed. I asked why she would do so when she has such an outlookful livelihood rising forth, and moreover her newfound love with Lady Taiase. ~Yio vali mizhaovusayeli o’zimi,~ - “Forwhy my love shall go forth with her,” spoke another voice. I spun, and then saw Lady Taiase. The elder Sage-Queen outlaid she had beheld enough might-games and hallcraft for a lifetime long ago, and forelooked no reason she should undergo again, since she is no longer queen. So she should follow fairmindedness to freedom. Wholly aloss, I knelt before these two noble friends and yielded in meekness.
All that outstood was my moot-tide with Mistress Ane, of which Draue soon brought word. I set out alone for the harbor, where soon I spotted her at the fishmongers’ stalls. She greeted me kindly and asked my news. I answered that I knew she had gotten my sister Risodess’s good news, at which the trademistress nodded. I then told my forethought that I and my household shall likely host the freight selfly to Elahat. At this word, befuddledly she halted. Swiftly I told that my business with Lady-Mother had overtaken an unforeseen fall, and that I soon forelooked to serve her lady selfly. Then ere she could speak further, I bowed and left.
Last whit: a wordbode came from Risodess, who has asked to meet. I withheld answer.