A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 13
In which Lady Vaeol witnesses the rise of a new clanwife.
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
17. Zielae, 24,543 - 6th Day at the Blight-tide Clanmoot
I have ere written of the open clanwifeship over Clan Zhihuafa. While Taiase’s ordeal was ongoing, this feud has akept and today grew to a head. I had also witted that one of the Zhihuafa’s lead-holders, Byreath, had been Vosaeth’s old foe from the fight that had gotten them banned from Lea. While Vosaeth had spoken little, and Lady Vei had spoken nothing in wish to see this erstwhile feud set aside, I had gotten hint that the Miniada our foster-clan had inthrift in this outcome, and maybe even were enmeddled in the whisper-bargains to steer the choice.
Today the clanwives gathered at the crag’s foot and sent word for all the folk to come, who stood upon the slopes under Azaryau’s leaves, and so could see all below. The clanwives then called forth Clan Zhihuafa, who came in two groups shed, each led by a beweaponed Damaya.
Lady Zhorofi the eldest then stood forth and spoke that now was the tide for the clan to choose. She named Byreath, whom I knew, and Eieli the other warrior. She outlaid that the clanfolk upholding each were almost even in number, and until now neither lead-holder would yield sake to the other. The clan must choose, she bade. If it could not, then the clan must sunder, splitting its herd and tents.
At this word, a yell stirred from the Zhihuafa. An elderwife outspoke that they wished not to sunder, to which Lady Zhorofi answered that, if they could not choose, their clan would fall to strife, and maybe even to bloodshed, thus they must either choose or sunder. She then called to the clan, each group behind its beweaponed leader, and asked whether anyone would shift their choice. None spoke.
Then another elderwife stepped forth. ~O’romi kaoashaef o adeni tolloni.~ - “Let us settle this in the elder wise,” she outcalled.
Suddenly I bewitted why the two warriors were beweaponed - breastplates of shellacked canegrass and hide, helms under arm, and swordbills in hand. My eyes sought Vosaeth. Though she stood stonily still, her babe Sonnauf fussed upon her breast. Her eye did not leave Byreath.
Lady Zhorofi took this bid uneasily. She strode back among the clanwives, where in mind-share they swiftly read. Then again she came forth, called Byreath and Eieli, and asked whether they would willingly fight for the clanwifeship. Both bowed and yaysaid. Next, the eldest lady spoke to the clanfolk in their two groups and asked whether they would take the weapon-trial’s winner as their clanwife.
A slight hum rose as the Zhihuafa’s antennae fluttered, and they read among themselves. Then as one voice each group yelled yaysaith.
Lady Zhorofi looked at both warriors and deemed they should fight, with the gathered clanwives and the folk standing as witness. She then bade forth a score of Korasha, who with staves and spears made a ring about the stead where the weapon-trial would happen, while the two lead-holders set helms and stretched their limbs.
Where we stood on a ledge, I looked up the cragside. Almost the whole Retaea clans watched with us on the slope. Some even stood upon Azaryau’s mighty boughs above. I swerved back while Lady Zhorofi was naming the trial’s rules, outlaying the fight would akeep until one fighter either yelled yield or fell and could not rise. Also, if a wound befell, she would call a halt and ask whether the wounded warrior would akeep. She then asked each whether they understood and yaysaid.
I eyed both warriors’ weapons. Erewardly I had called them swordbills. Yet their heavier blades might more rightly name them axebills, since the Retaea prefer long war-spears for fighting on Shota-back over the shorter swordbills we Cityfolk wield among the trees. This weapon-trial would be fought afoot. I reckoned thrustwork would play little. Also, the heavy chop would wreak wrath on a flimsy canegrass breastplate, or even a steel helm.
Within the ring of the Korasha’s staves, Byreath and Eieli faced in, maybe four Shota-strides shed. Amidst, Lady Zhorofi stood between them and held a whisk-fan. She swerved to each and asked readiness, which they hailed. Then she reached forth the whisk-fan. With a yell she upflicked it and dashed backward, nimble for one with so many years.
Heedfully, neither fighter stirred right off. Since they were clanmates, they likely knew the other’s fighting-wise, maybe even had yesterly sparred. Each waited, seeking some hint or tell from which they might take behoof. Though from here I could not see, I forelooked their antennae humming behind their brims. Eieli took a high ward-stand, axeblade over her right shoulder, butt-spike at her body’s midst, while Byreath had taken a rear ward: weapon low and hidden after her body. They merely beneeded to come within length, and then see who could strike first.
As if on a forespoken beck, both warriors rushed in. At two strides, they swung.
Eieli’s axebill leapt from her shoulder, swinging downward like a thunderstroke. Yet Byreath cut upward, and aimed not for her foe, but at her foe’s weapon. The axeblades clashed together. While both bounced, Eieli’s bounced aside.
Without misbeat, both warriors swung to ward. I also recked whether they stayed shed or strode into the body-clutch. Since the rules had not forbidden grabbing the foe’s weapon, they chose to dance aring. Byreath upchoked her haft and struck again, though Eieli ducked and let it miss. When Byreath swung fully aring and struck again, Eieli had rewhelmed her bill and met the stroke with her haft.
The two stood a breathtide locked together. Then Eieli shucked her foe’s blade aside. Both strode backward and reset. From the crag a low buzz wafted, as the watchers cheered this blow-trade. I, too, let worship, for both had smartly wielded their heavy weapons, and furthermore with mightiness even worthy of Korasha. If I must deem, however, and though I would not wish for Vosaeth’s sake, I would give behoof to Byreath.
Both now stood at the same weapon-stand, high and nocked, and nearer than when the fight started. Either with a stride could strike, or the other could outback, which the weapon-teachers in Son name the dance-length. I reckoned the Retaea teach it samely, when the tiny weight-shifts, threats, and fakes began. The next blow-trade would begin in an eyeblink.
As foreseen, Byreath swung, which Eieli shifted to ward. Yet Byreath struck not at her foe’s body, but at her hands. Hopelessly Eieli twisted to shirk wound. Though she outwon in shoving her haft before the blow, her weapon swayed off ward. I watched her dash inward in trial to come within Byreath’s blade-reach, even while Byreath sidestepped and again upchoked for a tighter swing.
With another step Byreath’s axebill drew a tight ring aloft. The blade smote Eieli’s helm, snapped a brim-spoke, and rang on its bowl. Under our sight, the helm shifted askew on its wearer’s head, wordless of the shock upon her brain.
Scarecely a heartbeat spent ere Lady Zhorofi and the other clanwives yelled halt. Yet Byreath waited not. Her feet swerved back and toward her addled foe, even while her axebill again swung in full. The blade strike behind Eieli’s shoulder, under the arm, and truly in the empty gap where her backplate warded not. There it split the harness, also shoulderblade and ribs, and maybe even lung. Eieli fell with Byreath’s blade stuck in her, twisting it from the winner’s hand.
A gasp overcame the crowd, followed by a hush. A clanwife called for a healer, for surely Eieli would die without help, though maybe nonetheless. Byreath stood under all eyes, over her fallen foe and a bloody red-gold puddle. She doffed her helm, bronze hair shiny from the fight’s sweat, and eyes bright.
The eldest clanwife chided Byreath for heedlessness and not halting after the first blow. Byreath answered she had already been swinging when Zhorofi called and could not stay it. Then the bronzen warrior turned from the clanwives to the Zhihuafa in their two groups. She outspoke she had beaten Eieli. As foresworn, she reminded they were now beholden to follow her as clanwife. She bade them acknowledge her leadership.
Loudly Byreath’s followers cheered, while the other group stood throatlessly, eyes downcast at their fallen leader. Byreath bade the losers look at her. She then heartened them to take her leadership. Follow her, she swore, and they should keep all they own and all their rights. Withstandd, she warned, and she would ban them as outlaw. All their herds they would lose, and tents, and would be reft bare upon the moor.
Among Eieli’s followers, a first knelt upon the grass. Withholdingly more followed deed, until almost the whole group bent knee. A few arear fled toward the crag and climbed frightfully, hoping to reach their tents and take flight with their few belonging ere they were forbidden.
Beside me, Vosaeth snorted, hugged tight her son, and headed upslope. I reckoned she had seen enough of this awful show, and now rued her foe’s rise.
I stayed watching the Zhihuafa, both Lady Byreath’s worshipers and her erstwhile foes now underyielding. Beyond them, the clanwives, who stood in a tight throng, in which they could easily share thoughts without overhear, all while the watchers upon the crag whispered. I wondered on the couthness of other clans meddling in the Zhihuafa’s clanwifeship, dolefully since even here no clan may hold law over another but by meansome yaysaith. Neither could they gainsay the outcome, even on breach of the weapon-trial’s law. A mood has shifted with Byreath’s win, which I try to understand even now while I write this log.
Wiseless of what these folk think, one whit stays sharp in my thought: the sight of Byreath turning to bring that last cut into Eieli’s back, ere the red-gold pool flowed aground, right when the clanwives yelled halt. She claimed she could not stay the blow. Yet I know better, as does any doughty warrior handy with such a weapon. She willfully felled Eieli.
Lashunta Terms & Phrases:
~O’romi kaoashaef o adeni tolloni.~ - "Let us settle it in the old way."
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