A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 25

In which Vaeol, Vosaeth, and their housemates fight for safety

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

10. Koelae, 24,544 - 8th Day Southwestward on the Moors; Three-Thieves Gully
Yesterday lengthened tight and still while we waited for our war-troop’s comeback. First thing, I boded a farseer-word to Lady Zhaene back in Lea, and told Her Highness thus:
~Urrishya-naztafa aeonyani o’Zhihuafa-shei. Neamafa, tei doelanta eafa o’nauzha-mei.~
“We were stricken ereyesterday by Zhihuafa. We are safe, but have wounded and thralls.”

...To which I soon got answer:
~Byreath-Ile delande aeonyani. Evoli neamya dearru. Si thilaf lashere.~
“Lady Byreath left ereyesterday. Seek fastness at your goal. We will send riders.”
Her Highness’s answer outcame rather so well as I could forelook. Though I little trust Lady Zhaene’s riders may reach us in good time to safeward, she may use our news before Lea’s matrons to undaze their befuddleship and let them know the true foe. Idly, I also wondered what word she would send my mother, but shoved that thought aside.
In good news, Zhaunyth shortly woke, though she could but haltingly speak and had no yestermind of the raid. Less also woke, though he proved almost so bad an illness-bearer as Oshis, who jeered his friend as unworthy of bearing his new scar, since he had not bewared enough to look arear while standing amidst a war-field. Less, still weary and weak, was grumpier than would alet such rough bully-fun, and almost rose from his bed. Yet then I, Remaue, Tae, and Erymi fell upon them with unforewitted fierceness. Remaue threatened to stake both our manloves out on the moor if they did not lie still and behave, after which we left them under their wifemates’ stern love.
To keep Oshis from further wickedness, the wives bade him watch his children, which had Lenis and Tesine sitting on his knees while Erymi and Sievae rode forth and scouted the moor. Then, in happy deed, Tae gave him Sonnauf to change the babe’s napkin, and to our shock, for the first time over two days’ better share, the babe stopped wailing. Tae deemed the little one knew his father from his mother’s shared yestermind. She left them together, under which Oshis hardly dared stir. Then the babe slept, to all our peace. Laterward, Tae took him back after his hunger grew and got him to suckle. I shrive it gave me a dear warmth watching Oshis play with his older children while I cradle his youngest within my belly.
Later yesternight, we got warning from the Shota of riders nearing. Tightly we waited while Taiase and I dwimmered farsight. I soon witted Kaure’s mind among and bade our warriors stand down.
Vosaeth led the scoutfare into camp, weary but hasty. She leapt from saddle, spotted Oshis with her babe within his arm, and sobbed. Then she offstripped her byrnie, snatched her son, and gave him suck from her milk-swollenness. Yet Sonnauf proved he is his mother’s true son when, instead of taking her nipple, he loosened an angry, chideful squall, showing back her wracksome Retaean mood. We chuckled while meekly she hugged her son and forbore his wrath.
From Istae we got the scoutfare’s word. They had followed the spoor fleeing the warfield, first eastward ere it headed northward. At morntide they had found the Zhihuafa rider and Shota whom Oshis had wounded. The Korasha had knelt beside his steed, whose leg and blood had weakened too much to flee further, and had stood daringly when they neared. Vosaeth had offered him life, though he must forsake his Shotalashu. Hard as such choice would be even for us cityborn, among the Retaea Clans a Shotalashu forsaken in war means the worst shame. Instead, the Korasha had raised axe. When our housemates struck, his Shotalashu had ruthfully heaved itself afoot to come to its rider’s help. Then our troop had cut them both down. Afterward, the other raiders’ spoor had akept until noontide, when Vosaeth and Istae grimly chose to head back, lest they forsake us too far, and for fear other plight might find us.
I told Lady Zhaene’s farseer-word, which we reckoned. If Byreath left Lea three days ago from today, that yields maybe two more days ere she gets word of her raid’s loss, and maybe four more days ere she finds us here. We must be long forgone. Thus today we packed and drove a half-dayfare further southward, our war-thralls in a listless coffle, and also forwhy Vosaeth told they had offdriven a strong lot of bone-pickers from our track. Even if the Zhihuafa find us not, a Queenslayer may easily follow our blood-spoor, which misluck we need not, and any furtherness southward is more length from Byreath. Tomorrow we shall begin the hard fare.
Remaue and I minded Kaure, for she had stayed wordless and alone since comeback. Remaue neared with Lanaryel in arm. Yet our maidenmate, even from the child she loves so dearly, flinched. I witted my own yestermind’s weight I had borne home from the Formian War and the evil deeds. I caught our maidenmate’s arm and drew her to my bosom. At first, she would not let even me into mindshare but at last yielded. I felt her sorrow, the bloody wrath she still bore, and overall her sick shame under thought of the slaughter, the blood of Lashunta and Shota besmirching. Kaure, who had so proudly become a warrior, now rued her choice.

7. Afaelae, 24,544 - 26th Day Southwestward on the Moors; Miniada Heaventide Campstead
We have at last come among friends and kin, after so harrowing a flight as I would nevermore wish. That first weekfare almost broke us, since we drove so hard as we could, with the boys walking while Zhaunyth and Less rode awagon, prodding the coffle-bound thralls with spear-butts, for after their steeds’ deaths offwore, they became grudgesome, and marching ere dawn and halting after dusk.
By the seventh day, our seventeenth since leaving Lea, our food was almost outgone, and the Shota were showing lean ribs, for they had taken almost no hap to hunt. So we halted, loosened the Shota first to hunt alone, and then after they came back, together hunted moorswifts. Tightly over those two days our eyes watched the moor for riders or even dust, anything that might forewarn the Zhihuafa’s afterhunt.
Ere we came southward, both Taiase and I had far-boded Lady Vei to tell the raid-stroke. Her answer bade: ~Thani o’ziae-komi. Sei moara o’kiae shorya thosora,~ - “Come with all haste. Warriors will meet you and bring food.” More hopefully we quickened stride, yielding time mainly to keep our Shota’s strength.
Then we got a fright when a new score of riders thwarted our path. All our warriors raised weapons, even young Vesh, Donas, and Lenis, who wielded tent-shafts like spears. Yet Vosaeth raised her hand peacefully. Then she rode forth, with little Sonnauf bouncing on her damask byrnie, and met her sister Lady Rashe. My oath-sister laid head on her eldest sister’s shoulder and wept. We welcomely let their strength enfold us and took the food they bestowed .
Lady Rashe shares Vosaeth’s and her mother’s fierce green eyes, yet with a kindliness she also shares with her mother, and whomin I foresee a toward clanwife. After we camped and told the raid-stroke’s tale, she bade the war-thralls brought forth. Like Vosaeth, she knew Zaeofoth the Zhihuafa’s lead-warrior and bade the housewife tell by what right she had loosened war upon the moors. When the Zhihuafe withheld answer, Rashe lissomely alet her wordlessness, and instead bestowed the thralls food and bedstead near the fire, though we kept them coffle-bound. She blessed our choice keeping them alive and, when another warrior asked why she behaved so kindly, outlaid we could have nowise hurt them more than the link-shock of their Shotalashu’s deaths.
The next morn we headed easily southward under Lady Rashe’s host, with strong ward-troops on our flanks and rear. Then we went less hastily, though Less at least was strong enough to walk again, and Zhaunyth could ride, though still she has hardship speaking. This let us put the children back in the wagon and swiften our stride. Thus today erenoon, after another eight dayfares, we overcame a hill and spotted hearthsmoke, and then the Miniada’s flags and tents.
Against the ruth we and Lady Rashe’s warriors had shown our bound war-thralls, an ill-moody crowd shaped when we inrode, since the Retaea hold a heathen unkindliness toward war-thralls. Whereas among the cities thralls may be held and traded back to their homelands under truce, here may mean harm or worse. As the crowd gathered more, a queer madness overtook, under which throats called for the thrall’s doom, until Vosaeth, Rashe, and I bade our warriors make a warding ring and stand against the clanfolk’s wrath. Mishappily, it might have grown worse, until a sharp yell cut from the camp’s midst. The throng stilled, and then split when Lady Vei came forth, tall and stern, and her elderwives.
Vosaeth unsteeded, stood before her mother and upyielded her son. She quoth we had outlived fierce trial and brought these thralls for the Clanwife’s doom. Lady Vei took Sonnauf her grandson, begladdened in his baby-mind, and said that, though she could rightfully slay these warring foes, for peace’s sake she would spare them and forbade harm. Then she likewise took Tae’s son and greeted her warmly, and then knelt and kissed my belly. Then she bade us set our tents and worry no more while the thralls were offled under watch.
We found the Clan already arailed for war, with smiths sharpening axeblades and strapping harness, crones lathing spearhafts and old men fletching arrows. After we clove Lady Vei and the elders, we learned wordbode had already reached of Son’s stricken tradefare, which forespelled sure strife once Lea’s wrath wakens. The clanwife grieved when she heard the traders had been our fellow Sonna, and blessed we had sent farseer-word to Lady Zhaene. Lady Vei sent word to the outlying scouts, who were already faring in strength, to watch for both Son’s and Lea’s flags.
Vosaeth told of Lady Byreath’s underhandness among Lea’s matrons, the goodwill she had bought, and the fuddleship sown. We have framed a thought of her warcraft. After the Blighttide Clanmoot, Byreath had likely split the Zhihuafa in twain: her elder warriors and headwives leading the children and less faithful houses while Byreath took the younger warriors. They had fallen on the tradefare, and then likely traded the betheft freight with allied clans for goods less outlandish, which yielded further behoof in outsharing the raid’s guilt. These goods the Clanwife and her sithmates had brought to Lea and bestowed as gifts among the matrons while she curried the city’s goodwill. Foreknowing the raid’s truth, she had full forehap to sow whispers, naysay any hand, and lay the guilt at others. Then, with fuddleship growing wild, she had seen forehap to strike us.
Lady Vei heard wisely. Unlike her daughter, and even Lady Rashe who tightened grimly at the tale, the old clanwife did not grow wroth. Instead, she spoke it was the gods’ goodwill we had not been taken, for we would have become Byreath’s heavy geld-thralls. Then she bade that wordbodes on the swiftest Shota should fetch forth and bear our tale eastward, and tomorrow Lady Rashe and Lady Ahun her other daughter shall lead strong siths westward with the word for the clans lying near the Zhihuafa, among whom the Zhihuafa have doubtlessly sent their own wordbodes, so that all may know the truth. She warned her daughters should not seek war against their foes, though neither should they shirk if it reach them.
Another dread whit: all this evil happens while the Miniada are already seeking their Qoelu-hunt. They must find a kill, and swiftly.

8. Afaelae, 24,544 - Miniada Heaventide Campstead
Two things today. First, I met Ital, the same midwife-priest who had helped Tae and Vosaeth at their birthtides. She kissed my belly and laughingly sang thanks, for she had already heard our tale of the Zhihuafa raid. Then she led me to her tent, yielded milk-tea, and then insought my health, ingathering the babe’s stead in my belly, and then read the omens for my birthtide. Though I had been strongly tried to read my own omens, I had forborn. Of her own rede, she said little, else than we should be warily uplookful, and heed shrewdness, which word I guess she often gives newcoming mothers.
To the other thing, I went to Lady Vei at slumbertide and beseeched hearth. She met me gladly, bade me stand beside her stool, kissed my belly, and asked my health. I told her I stand well, but needed rede on a weighty thing and believed only she could bestow. She offered me a bench, held my hand, and asked what beweighed. I shrove that, though I had reckoned myself a warrior, and veteran who had fought the Formians, Qoelu, and the Darkfloor’s fiends, and had even outstood in trial against other warriors, I had lately done a thing my mind could not settle, and samely worried for my whole house. Under the raid-stroke we had taken Lashunta lives, which was the first time so doing for even our oldest veterans, even Draue. For our youngest, Taiase, who against her yearthousands had never even wielded weapon, and my beloved Kaure, who though had had ever wished warriorhood, now believed her soul besmirched. Then I asked whether the Retaea know a shriftgeld we could yield to lift this bloodguilt.
Lady Vei heard and sat still. Then she kissed my hand. She answered that the Retaea livelihood is hard, and also that this is one of the hardest things. She read there is shriftgeld, and uneasy, but even that may not offlift the whole weight. ~Os o’veae-nae shorya,~ - “This thing must be selfly borne,” she said grimly.
I asked what shriftgeld she bespoke, for I would learn, tell my housemates, and deem together what hardship we would worthily undergo. So she forespoke she would bring me to the priests. Even better, she read that I and my housemates, ingathering Tae, Kaure, and even Vosaeth, may be reckoned in that lot.

Lashunta Terms & Phrases

• ~Koelae~ - the first month of ten in the the Lashunta Calendar. Lashunta months have eighteen days.
• ~Ile~ - Lady. An honorific address of respect.
• ~Aeonyani~ - Ereyesterday; the day before yesterday.
• ~Thani o’ziae-komi.~ - "Come with all haste."
• ~Sei moara o’kiae shorya thosora,~ - “Warriors will meet you and bring food.”
• ~Os o’veae-nae shorya,~ - “This thing must be selfly borne,”