A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 3

In which Vaeol’s flag joins Clan Miniada’s Heaventide camp.

From the Daylog of Vaeol Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

9. Vinelae, 24,543 - Lea
These slumbertide logwrits have become a wont. I find it idlesome to sit among my dozing housemates, spell my thoughts, and write the back-tale of how we came here, ere I tell of nowward deeds. Remaue sleeps with Lanaryel upon her breast, where they snore together most dearly.
Two days after our moot with Vosaeth’s household, on the tenth of Asealae, she bade us break camp and led us eastward over the stuntgrass turning from purple-green to golden-pink under Heaventide’s drought. Four long dayfares brought us to a shallow dell under a lornspire tree, where almost fifty tents sat aring within, whereover the moor met a canegrass meadow. Scouts bewared us and swiftly dashed into the camp, bearing our word. So we reached the southern Heaventide camp of Vosaeth’s clain, the Miniada.
In watching those fierce, heathen outriders stir their Shotalashu, I thought on our outriderhood’s roots. Though wontfully we claim the first outriders gathered in Qabarat, taught by Elves and sent to fight in the Formian War, history elsewise tells they followed a framewise taken from the Queens’ Riders, as our lore names them, who dolefully rode for the Thief-Queens, and who with them had come southward out of the Retaea. Indeed, even our word ~zheieve~ - outrider - hearkens from the Old Retaea tongue. In lore, they had outgrown from the Retaea Clans’ scouts and raiders, even like these riders we were watching dash over the moor.
Vosaeth led us within the tents’ innermost ring, which we followed while keeping our speartips down in truce. Anon she yelled merrily and ran ahead, even against her swollen belly bouncing on the saddle. She called that dear friends were here as the clan’s guests, and even one she had sworn sisterhood with. A throng of many Damaya and Korasha gathered, and children, too. I felt their eyes behold our byrnies and outlandishness, matched to theirs. Thus we met Lady Vei and Vosaeth’s sisters, Lady Rashe and Lady Ahun
From Ess I unsteeded. Then in a beck I had ere read but never seen, I knelt and laid my swordbill at Lady Vei’s feet. I asked that she forget our name, forget our homeland, and forget our tale. We are a mere household seeking shelter, I outlaid, and would serve and would let only our deeds prove worth.
Lady Vei reached downward and fondled my brow, and then bade me stand. ~Vosaethe-me sere urealde miere,~ - “Vosaeth has named you sister,” she spoke. This deed alone thus made me daughter, she deemed, and thereby she knew enough. Then she kissed me.
The Miniada’s clanwife led us into her great tent, where proudly she showed the glasswork meadvat that Lady-Mother’s had given Vosaeth, and said there is no greater gift than that which lets the getter worship the giver. Then she bade Korasha grooms fill it with tree-milk and mead. Selfly she dipped and held the cup for each of us to drink in turn, greeted us, and heard each name, which she did in the most welcomely endearing wise. Herein I behed the mood of one who has earned her clan’s trust after long years of love and heed. Along with the lissome greeting, Lady Vei acknowledged our rank, afollowing worth as Vosaeth betold. Tae she sent to the clan’s forthcoming and new mothers, and with them to sit in rede, prayer, and readiness for birth. To Taiase she kissed hands, calling forth that here was come an elder queen, as who had belithed the world in elder time. Taiase caught the clanwife’s hands and chided that she is queen no longer, and also that the world is better from having no more queens. Lady Vei answered that since Son has named Taiase grandmother, then so shall she be also to the Miniada. She then gave her to the crones and bade them take rede. Istae and me she sent to the clan’s riders, to hunt, scout, and ride ward with them. The rest she welcomed to the clanfolk and bade set our tents and join the clan’s worktide.
Lastly, Lady Vei took Kaure’s hands and grinned broad. ~O’sheazi-di shorya-shyaeldis modomaze-mere dizamarru:~ “You did not tell you were bringing such good luck to our clan.” Then she hugged our stout maidenmate to her breast. I recalled Vosaeth’s word that Thwartkind are deemed holy to Elindrae, which proved true when Lady Vei called a priest. A Damaya strode to the fore, wearing a high hat and a golden shroud. Yet when he spoke, we witted a queer timber in voice, oddly lower, and witted he was a man. I should have foreknown, for he was not the first Damayas I have met. Lady Vei gave Kaure to him, bidding to teach her their priesthood’s wise.
Thus we betrod the Miniada’s Heaventide camp, where we stayed the next two months (which enthrove, since the moon showed enough we could even use it to mark time). Like Son, these folk hold Heaventide holy, though wonts shed. The Retaea Clans do not watch the Motorae, forwhy their yearlog is wholly weather-rooted, and, though they have some heavenlore, they know not enough to truly tally the days.
Along with daily hunts and the clan’s sun-seers leading Heavenwatch rite as this tide’s business, the Miniada loved tales sitting under the stars and telling the Retaea’s legends. Enthrivingly, we got their sightstead of the Thief-Queens, which are ever bespoken as evil among the Yaro cities, though from what I heard, here stands a mighty and manifold woe-song to which I cannot hopefully give fairness. Hereto they asked our tales, and dolefully how we had found Queen Taiase. In this thing, my daylog became right helpful, and also beweighed the Clanfolk, for the Retaea do not learn writing. I read the whole tale of our quest to the Highlands to make peace among the Clans and Elves, the fight-trial with Kazos, and our outseech of the Moqeva wreckstead until finding Taiase locked in the timeless weirdloom. Taiase added her own tale of her queendom’s last days. She made full and bare shrift of her sins and mistakes and her flight from Son, though when she faltered telling her fall to the twisted Amaea and the Moqeva, Lady Vei beread her sorrow and let her halt.
Yet even more enthriving they found Taiase’s tale of her trucefare as a young princess, when she came, dwelt among the Retaea, and even took a manmate and had children. She told them names of clans, warriors, and queens whom they knew not, for without written history these whits from ere the Time of the Thief-Queens had been forgotten. Yet as she bespoke this elder folk’s deeds and wonts, from the feuds they kept to the great Blighttide Clanmoot that even until today the Retaea follow, her tale rang true. She also shrove how she had first come among the Retaea as a princess, not riding Shotalashu, for in that time nobles rode not but upon great litters borne by Shieldheads, and had broadly treated the folk as heathen whomon she had bestowed goodwill. Now, however, she bethought better to come meekly, riding Shotalashu as they do, and not as a queen, but as one who would learn and better herself. Her tale made much tears among the clanfolk.
Lady Vei also asked our tale of how we had come here, inmeaning my feud not only with Lady Erenyae when she tried to overheave me by Oshis’s threat, but also with my mother when she banned Oshis after my bridetide. The Miniada loved this tale, for they deemed our raid on Elehat bold and cunning, and moreover some (including Vosaeth) had had straight deedtide with Lady Erenyae and cheered her downfall. Afterward, Lady Vei took me aside and asked how these deeds sit within my heart, and dolefully toward my mother. I shrove sorrow, for I had never forethought to stand against my mother. Lady Vei read it is the hardest thing when a child grows beyond their mother, but then asked if I believe I had chosen rightly. I answered I would change no choice. Then she blessed me and forespoke I should have all love and faith as her daughter.
So we spent Heaventide among these new friends, while the northern winds dried the wavy grass, and the naked nights grew so chill that we must build hearthfires merely to stay warm, and cuddled together under sheets.
As the old year ended, I tracked the monthlog for my own sake, and so reckoned the Motorae. In heedfulness’s sake, I watched for Lower Sunstill with a rod and a makeshift sun-clock, and luckily had enough sun to mark it on Newyear’s Day, true to my heavenlore, which deed got nameworth from the Clan’s lorewardens and Lady Vei, who yaysaid we stood at high Heaventide.
This talk stirred further, for the reason the Miniada had foremostly come so southward. Their yearly wanderfare follows the great Qoelu herds, who in this yeartide come into the canegrass meadows and even the marshland marches flowing from Father-Yaro (as we had undergone in Son), to flee the Retaea’s great drought and the grass’s death. The clans hunt the huge beasts as livelihood, as they have done since even ere the Warrior-Queens’ foremothers settled the Yaro Strath. Although needfully the Clan had outsent huntfares and scoutfares all along, now we riders gathered in teams and outwent earnestly, even away sundry days over the moor and into the canegrass meadows. In Vosaeth’s stead, too swollen to ride, and who stayed with Tae likewise beset, our household followed Honosil and Vosaeth’s other riders and helped to broaden the watch, for forehap lay in finding the herds and tracking them.
I must end now, for Erymi and Oshis have asked me to watch Tesine, and Lanaryel is wailing.

Lashunta Terms & Phrases:

• ~Zheieve~ (feminine): outrider; knight
• ~Vosaethe-me sere urealde miere,~ - “Vosaeth has named you sister,”
• ~O’sheazi-di shorya-shyaeldis modomaze-mere dizamarru:~ - You did not tell you were bringing such good luck to our clan.”

Type

Manuscript, Historical