A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 10

In which Lady Vaeol and her housemates strive to reach the Blighttide Clanmoot as Vosaeth makes some confessions.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

2. Zielae, 24,543 - 20th Day Afare Northbound
Today Vosaeth woke, and not shortly but yelling thirst. Gladly we fed her warm broth, of which she drank almost a kettle-full. The midwife-priest deemed it a good omen, forwhy it will make new blood that Vosaeth sorely needs. Next, she begged her babe, whom Tae was suckling. I witted a frightsome lilt in Vosaeth’s throat and eye until Tae showed the babe, whom sobbingly his mother hugged. Soon afterward she slept again for a whole other daytide with her son, though she awoke even stronger, and drank another kettle-full.
Ere she slept again, she rued that the Clanmoot has doubtlessly begun with our awayness. Yet we reck not. Instead, we sing thanks that our oath-sister has forelookfully outlived, and the babe now suckles her strongly.

3. Zielae, 24,543 - 21st Day Afare Northbound
Today Vosaeth was strong enough to rise from the dais and leave the tent. Kaef her steed trotted eagerly to her. She worshiped his faith and let him sniff the little head upon her breast. Proudly she also took worship from the men, Oshis first of all, who in share kissed her belly and prayed blessing. Then she asked Oshis if he would hold their son.  Our beloved Korasha did so almost fearfully, as if the babe might break in his thick hands. Vosaeth overleaned, kissed his brow, and said that he had wrought well. Then she forespoke that she would name the babe Sonnauf, in worship of his father’s city, and in wish that he may grow as a peace-bond between our folks Miniada and Son. We all buzzed, knelt aring, and sang thanks.
Laterward, Vosaeth asked me to walk, up to a short rise where a treeling grew. She did so with a hand upon Kaef’s shoulder, upholding her weight. When she wearied, I took little Sonnauf and bore him until we reached the top. I gave back the babe when we sat, and Vosaeth fed him while we overlooked the moor and the mist-wind tossing the grass. A while she stayed still, which I wordlessly let.
Then Vosaeth spoke. ~O’nili kiadam karaea. Ziari o’mi-imi o’zhaoami karazime.~ - “Often have I faced death. Yet only now have I believed I would die.” Then she laid her head on my shoulder and wept while the newborn’s mind rang and strengthened her thoughts. ~Ilina-mas o’nae vere hayas eithassere,~ she added: “This little one will make me craven,” for now she fears death leaving him motherless in this harsh world, and cannot bear forethought of life if he dies.
Truly, Vosaeth now seems grimmer and more heedworn than the ereward reaverwife I knew, maybe wiser. Even so, I hope she has not lost her boldness. In her motherhood I would see her uplifted and not shrunken.

4. Zielae, 24,543 - 22nd Day Afare Northbound
Another rest day, though as Vosaeth upkeepingly strengthens, the midwife-priest has deemed we may tomorrow go onward. We all took this good word, unleastly for Vosaeth and the babe’s health, but also forwhy we are eager to reach the Clanmoot. Vosaeth is brewing to go, for she says there is weighty business, incleaving choice of a new clanwife. For now, however, she holds little Sonnauf, who at least drinks heartily even as he stays so frightfully small. Oshis kneels at her side. I wit his fear for his son’s sake, even when he watches from afar, and his helpless, hopeless anger, and how he hugs tight Lenis and Tesine his older children. I have felt his thoughts stir in prayer, whereat I have taken his hand and cloven. Against his wildness, he is a good fathermate and faithful, which reassures me when I forethink on our child.

12. Zielae, 24,543 - 30th Day Afare Northbound; the Blighttide Clanmoot
Gladly I bewrite our cometide, even late, to the Retaea’s great clanmoot. Vosaeth is regathered with her blood-kin, and we tarry amid this fair-like yeartide.
Until today, Vosaeth had forbearingly ridden in a Shieldhead wagon, which gave more while to tarry and strengthen, naught saying of caring for her babe, while her Shotalashu followed. When yesternight her household reckoned the landmarks stayed within a dayfare of the moot-stead, she deemed to ride for the first time. So this morntide she led our troop. 
We overcame a ridge and beheld a great lone milk-tree, so great as I have ever seen, standing atop a crag jutting from the moor. At the milk-tree’s sight, a sob halted Taiase and her steed. She beckoned and outspoke it belooks the same moot-tree she had met twelve thousand years ago. Vosaeth yaysaid that, to her best knowledge, it is true, for the Retaea Clans have met here since ere the oldest yestermind. Then we could hardly forkeep them both from dashing forth, forwhy we still feared her and the babe’s health, and also to have the Shieldheads afollow.
Outriders met us at the great camp’s outskirt, but let us intread after mild dare. Vosaeth bade the Shieldheads wait, though we else should ride upward. She led us up a tent-whelmed path winding up the crag until we saw tree-roots, who had ingrown so far and so greatly that they had split the stone into fingerlike shards. At every flatstead tents grew like mushrooms on a huge stump. We kept forth until we reached the top, where, upon an uneven field full of leaves and other tree-fall, the huge milk-tree, which is named Azaryau, rose. The Retaea worship Azaryau as a god in its own right, for, quoth they, it is the living wordbode of Green-Mother, and furthermore is a Soul-Tree, wherein the yesterminds of many forebears, inglathering clanwives, heroes, and even queens, gather.
We uprode to a stone ring among the roots, whereamong a score of crones and wives were sitting. From them Lady Vei rose. Her hands rose to mouth when she beheld her daughter Vosaeth riding inward, bosom bare and the babe upon. Then Lady Vei fell to her knees and outyelled: ~Deie uthe-me thanasse o’erathi-mi?~ - “Is this our daughter so lately come?”
Vosaeth’s haremmates lifted her from the saddle, and then helped her before her mother. Then she told merrily she had outstayed late since she had found this little one upon the moor, and could not forbear to leave him. She outnamed Sonnauf her son as a child of Son their friend, and also Lady Vei’s grandson. She then yielded her mother the babe, saying: ~Mae shyaeldis vaea. Hiruaeldam vae-mya.~ - “You gave me life. I give this live back to you.”
Lady Vosaeth took the babe, kissed him, and sobbed in overglad mindshare. Then she walked among the clanwives, who gathered near beholdingly, and showed her youngest grandson. The stark shift of so many fierce crones to doting grandmothers bewondered, unleastly since it offswayed the clanmoot’s ereward business. Bywardly she gave the babe back to Vosaeth, saying that she recked not our lateness, but merely that we are here and hale.
Soon we learned the Miniada and the Clanmoot had been forelooking us for some days, forwhy our lateness had been remarked. Grimly Lady Vei hearkened her daughter’s hard birthtide, and then sang thanks that Vosaeth and the babe had outlived. Lady Vei also showed forth me, Taiase, and also Kaure, for she had much bespoken us. Me she greeted as daughter and outlaid my sister-oath with Vosaeth, and unleastly of my bechildness. Kaure she bade be taken as a priest-newling for the god Elindrae, after the Retaea wise. Then Lady Vei hailed Taiase she as a wonder againcome from death and a Sage-Queen, whereat all the clanwives hearkened and sought her speech. 
Yet a wife upspoke and asked a queer question: ~Dei vehaea o Shaeavyre thanzyele, o’niloni ryrathi Son mi Retaea yi homaezyela, o Shaveraze harya avade?~ - “Is it not odd that a Sage-Queen has come, and furthermore the last time Son and the Retaea so befriended, the Thief-Queens reached their strength?” At once all stilled, and Taiase quailed. Neither was the wife’s question alone queer, forwhy, though she stood among the clanwives, she wore no headdress. She was tall, at least as I, with rich bronze skin, matching hair in a crest-braid, and golden eyes with a shockingly green hue. Neither was she arailed as a clanwife, but as a warrior, with halter and kilt.
I couthly answered that the warrior is wonderfully learned if she already knows Taiase’s elder deeds among the Retaea. She spoke back that merely forwhy the Retaea folk read not does not mean they cannot know history. She outlaid one must know the right question to ask Azaryau, whomto she beckoned arear, which she had done and gotten the Soul-Tree’s answer. This brought a word-storm from the clanwives, who asked what she had witnessed within the Overmind. The warrior answered that Taiase had proudly come as a city-princess and had overheld the elder clanwives worship. She then quoth it seemed Son would again bid the Clans to underyield.
Anon Taiase outspoke. Her throat rang with a strength that made all listen, and in which, when I swerved and saw her standing tall, showed no longer the meek wretch we had brought from the Moqeva’s warren. Instead, she much beheld the queen who had ruled yestertime and knew how to overreeve others. Yet she answered fairly that all the warrior-wife said was true and that if we went to the Soul-Tree right then and found meanhood, we could witness young Taiase in full blitheness and pride, for she shrove she had so behaved when first she came among the elder Retaea. Yet now instead, she beseeched the clanwives to meet her as she has become. ~Mi-di shae eame, oe reali-tya domonyam. O’illi zhiathifa be reasara-va, oe domya hoathim.~ - “I am no more a queen, and forsake that name. I would have us all learn from my sins, and will withhold nothing.”
Then Lady Vei spoke that she knows Taiase’s tale, which she read bears sorry wisdom that all the clanwives should hear. She beseeched that Taiase should tell all, even though she knows the shame it brings her. Yet first, bade Lady Vei, we should take the clans’ guest-right, for we were right come from wayfare.
With that word, the clanwive’s throng broke, each going, singing, and chatting idly. I watched the bronzen warrior who had ere spoken leave among the others. Then I witted Vosaeth tightly glaring, even while little Sonnauf fretted. I asked her bother. She answered the same warrior who had dared Taiase is Byreath of Clan Zhihuafa. Not only is she a nameworthy warrior, outlaid Vosaeth, but a foreholder of that clan’s clanwifeship, which is now empty after their old clanwife died.
Warily I eyed her, for I witted my oath-sister had more to tell. She shrove she shared shame with Byreath, forwhy with her Vosaeth had yesterly feuded in Lea. Their fight had wrought their ban from the city, which but lately was lifted.
Our tents were waiting when we found our housemates, which the men had kindly upset. Gladly we are settling in this stead for many days while the Clanmoot holds forth. When I came inside from the shower, I found Remaue, Kaure, and Elarue tarrying on the bed, with Lanaryel and my nephew Shaess playing between, while my brother Devaeas slumbered on a pillow. Ere I started this writ, Kaure rose and kissed my belly with so worshipful a mood that I almost wept.

Vaeol's and Vosaeth's households continue their northward trek over the moors after the birth of Vosaeth's baby.

Lashunta Terms & Phrases:

• ~O’nili kiadam karaea.~ - "Often have I faced death."
• ~Ziari o’mi-imi o’zhaoami karazime.~ - “Yet only now have I believed I would die.”
• ~Ilina-mas o’nae vere hayas eithassere.~ - “This little one will make me craven."
• ~Deie uthe-me thanasse o’eirathi-mi?~ - “Is this our daughter so lately come?”
• ~Mae shyaeldis vaea.~ - "Mother, you gave me life."
• ~Hiruaeldam vae-mya.~ - “I give this live back to you.”
• ~Dei vehaea o Shaeavyre thanzyele, o’niloni ryrathi Son mi Retaea yi homaezyela, o Shaveraze harya avade?~ - "Is it not odd that a Sage-Queen has come, and furthermore the last time Son and the Retaea so befriended, the Thief-Queens reached their strength?”
• ~Mi-di shae eame, oe reali-tya domonyam.~ - "I am no longer a queen, and forsake that name."
• ~O’illi zhiathifa be reasara-va, oe domya hoathim.~ - "I would have us all learn from my sins, and will withhold nothing.”