A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 20

In which Vaeol and Istae attend a secret conclave.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

9. Asealae, 24,543 - Lea
Yesterday Istae and I got called before Lea’s gathered Outriderhood, among whom a lot of Retaean Outriders stand, forwhy Lea draws heavily from the Clans. So we donned our breastdishes after shining them, our jewelcrafted armbands and greaves, and our best bodyshrouds.
When we introd the Outriders’ Hall, Lady Iman the Mistress of Outriders bade us to the floor’s midst, aring which the outriders, likewise clothed as us, stood upon the stair-floor. She bade us welcome, at which the gathered maidens and reeves looking down on us bowed. Next, two thanes neared, whomof one bore a rich greataxe with gold damask on the blade and inlay on the haft, and the other a silver mead horn. The first bearing the axe quoth that here beheld a secret moot-tide, and that we must swear to keep secret all we hear, on our worth as outriders, and on our city’s. We gripped the axe, kissed the blade, and so swore. Then the other thane yielded the mead horn, blessed our coming, and bade us drink welcomely. In this wont, their wise sheds not so unlike Son.
Afterward, Lady Iman outread our deeds before the Outriderhood: Istae and I both Outriders of Son, who had fought in the Formian War and had dealt peace among the Elves and Highland Clans of the Stormshields, and that Istae was a City Games champion in the spear-tilt, as also was I in the foot-trial. Furthermore, the Lady-Mistress asked whether I am the outrider who had found the otherworldly Aslanta lost among the rainwood and helped them go back to their world Kaeonin, and that I had beaten a Highland Korasha hero at weaponless fight-trial. Bowingly I yaysaid.
Then Lady-Captain Oraeath, head of Lea’s citadel, and whom we had already met, stood. She asked further whether I also had been downsent from flagmaidenship under an underling’s sin, whether I had been law-bound in Qabarat from my unblessed weapon-trial against Lady Semuane, that I was banned from evermore coming to El in Sovyrian, that I had been bound to stand before the Valmaean High Staff from dealing with the Formians, that I am even now afeud with my city’s High Matron, and also that I had led an unlawful raid on Elahat. To her again I bowed and answered that all these deeds are most true. Then I added that, though some deeds I rue, not all.
Almost I feared the Lady-Captain would chide me, as overwillful. Yet then a flagwife stepped forth: Lady Thefel, an elder warrior whom I had never met, but who, like me, is bechild. She asked, since these deeds were true, was it also true that I had saved our raid-host against the Formians when I had dealt truce with a Formian Myrmarch, the same deed under which I had stood under the High Staff’s doom. To her I bowed and answered she bespoke the one deed from the Formian War from which I take any pride.
Then Lady Iman asked the whole Outriderhood whether they should let me stay or ban me. To my relief, none spoke against.
The Outriderhood then inseeched our friendship with Vosaeth and our knowledge of her feuds. We answered so frankly as could, that we had ridden with her in Valmaeyana, where she had proven bold and worthy. Yet of her feuds, we know only what she had told us, and somewhat more from Lady Vei her mother. Yet we believed Vosaeth has forsaken that former wise, and dolefully since motherhood. I bluntly told my belief that her fieriness had snared her in strife, but that any sin she had done stemmed not from evil. I also outspoke my love, as shieldlove, oath-sister, and furthermore as kin, since we share a fathermate.
Then they asked what we reckon may beweigh from Lady Byreath, new clanwife of the Zhihuafa and Vosaeth’s erstwhile foe, and furthermore whether Vosaeth will strive to keep peace. We answered evenly this is a better riddle for matrons than outriders, for much stems not only from Vosaeth, but also from Byreath, and also at breadth from the Clans. ~Vosaeth haye o'ollodi-yei nolyele dizamarru,~ - Vosaeth will do as she deems best for her clan, we beread.
Lady-Captain Oraeath staightly asked our thought on Lady Byreath, at which I wondered whether more than merely Vosaeth stood under the Outriderhood’s deemship. In answer, we told them of the Clanmoot’s weapon-trial when Byreath won the clanwifeship, and my frank thought that, when Byreath slew Eieli, she chose to not withhold the stroke, against the weapon-trial’s forespoken law. When Lady-Captain asked my reckonship of Byreath, I answered I believe her plightsome and yield her no trust. Thus also yaysaid Istae.
After the end, we gathered at a mild mirthtide, where we inlet the shieldbearers, by which Remaue, Kaure, and Nelehi clove us. Many outriders yielded worship, wontfully kissing my belly and tarrying to feel my babe dance at their mindfulness. They asked how I beweigh outriderhood with motherhood, to which I answered that all is canny with will and my kindred’s uphold (at which I kissed both Remaue and Kaure).
I saw Lady Thefel, who had spoken while the moottide, and who, under her belly’s weight, was sitting on a bench while she spoke with Lady Iman. I bethought to yield thanks for her fair words, and so went. She nodded and bade I should share her bench since, in her word: ~Shoram vunora thomora,~ - “We bear the same load.” and held my hand.
At my guess, Lady Thefel is about twenty years my elder, though reckoning that, when outriders have children, we trend to later years than most wives. So I asked if this is her first childtide. Smilingly she naysaid that it is her second, for she has a daughter a yearscore older. I cheered her ripeness. Then reckoning our word-trade earlier in the moot, I overspoke that both she and Lady-Captain Oraeath seem quite beread of my deeds in Valmaeyana.
Lady Thefel grinned. She shrove she had gone to Valmaeyana and had served in the war, and furthermore had befriended Her Highness Lady Ivassil of Qabarat. ~Haueil-te sheazte ezima-sara,~ - “Her Highness has told much about you,” she shrove wryly. Then she leaned and slyly whispered: ~A ruzhaze,~ - Worry-maker. At the nickname Her Highness had bestowed me, I blushed hot. Yet her word outlaid how Lea’s Outriderhood knew of my deeds, both from Qabarat and the Formian War. I also wondered whether Lady Ivasssil had shared that I owe the High Matron a dearth, as geld from my weapon-trial with Semuane.
Ere I dared ask, however, Lady Iman told she had heard whisper that, when I fought Kazos the heathen Korasha hero, I had bet my maidenhood against his truce. I yaysaid and answered that I would not have done so if I had not forethought I could win, but also that I had thought the sake worth the threat. This got a blessing nod from the two elder outriders. Lady Thefel nodded at my thick belly and asked how I reckoned its loss. I could but lay hands on myself ~O'ezimi-dei,~ - I answered: “Not so much,” at which she laughed and kissed my hand. She then foreguessed my child is not Kazos’s, to which I answered surely not, since my fathermate is a warrior under my flag. I added she might even have heard of him, for he is the Korasha who rides. She yaysaid, and spoke that, reckoning by my earlier word that I have shared my fathermate with Lady Vosaeth, the old hedgetale of Korasha riders being unmanly must be untrue. I answered that a score of other mothers beside us may easily swear witness, at which Lady Thefel laughed.
I then called Kaure to my side, hugged my arm aring her awesome Korasha hips, and said that my maidenmate is learning warriorhood along with riding as my shieldbearer, and moreso rides well. I outspoke belief that we have done an unfairness forbidding Korasha to ride, and unmerely to Korasha themselves, but to Lashunta as a whole, forwhy we have withheld the best knackfulness from our warriorhood, telling that Oshis is a matchless spear-rider, and I forelook Kaure to soon become almost so good. My word caught Kaure’s praise, who shyly hugged my head, and Remaue kissed my brow. Yet though it caught Thefel’s and Iman’s mind, they withheld answer, mayhap to shirk awkwardness.
Lady Thefel shifted the talk by telling she shares a manmate with her wifemate, who has fathered her children along with her wifemate’s three. Like me, she took her shieldbearer as wifemate, though now she runs a saddle shop with their manmate. We asked their trademark and told we had right gotten new saddles after our loss from the moldstorm. It outcame we indeed took saddles from their shop. So we beseeched her to bode praise for their good workcraft. Then, though it somewhat broke couthness, I knelt and kissed her belly, blessing her babe, after which she claimed she could not withhold doing samely to shun offthank and kissed mine.
Against the goodwill under which we ended the talk, the withholding awkwardness from Lady Thefel and Lady Iman has left me wondering whether I went too far outspeaking for my Korasha loves’ behalf, or rather whether I have not gone far enough upholding them. If my words alone offthank those friends, then surely any deed would make feud. And yet: ~sae erosi loea linya shori,~ - easy words hold little worth. If I would truly upraise Kaure and Oshis, I must add deed, and rightly beneed will beyond my own idleness. This heavy thought leaves me wondering whether instead I am a coward for not doing more. Yet I elseguess what I may foreseeably fordo.
Wiseless of my self-doubt, my words before Lea’s elder outriders earned Kaure’s most worshipful thanks. After we left the mirthtide, my maidenmate drew me aside and kissed me long, rising on toes to set nose and lips together Elf-wise, even as her antennae stroked mine. Yet this idle deed could not fully besway mind from the reason forwhy the Outriderhood had first called me and Istae. Afterward, we talked, the first question we both thought was whether they are reckoning Vosaeth for fellowship. Though seldom, such honor is sometimes bestowed for an outlander nameworthy enough. If they so reckon, however, eyesome that Vosaeth’s yesterdeeds leave her in a manifold stead, and dolefully rather to Lady Byreath. We also wondered whether they had asked of Byreath merely to better deem Vosaeth, or indeed whether Byreath too falls under their reckonship. That thought leaves me uneasy.

Lashunta Terms & Phrases:

• ~Vosaeth haye o'ollodi-yei nolyele dizamarru,~
"Vosaeth will do as she deems best for her clan."

• ~Dizama~ (common): clan; tribe

• ~Shoram vunora thomora,~
"We both/all bear the same load."

• ~Vuno~ (neuter): load; freight

• ~Haueil-te sheazte ezima-sara,~
"Her Highness has told much about you."

• ~Haueil~ (feminine): honorific address to a high-ranking, noble female; Your Highness

• ~A Ruzhaze~
"You Worry-maker"

• ~Ruzhassi~: to worry; bother

• ~O'ezimi-dei,~
"Not so much"

• ~Ezima~: much; great; a lot