A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 41

In which Vaeol goes behind Oshis's back.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

4. Asealae, 24,544, Leiss Farmhold
A still day, but not deedless. A few things:
In a hidden speech with Vosaeth and Tae, and against Oshis’s outspoken forbidship, we have yaysaid we shall begin weapon-drill against men. Vosaeth has offered that, if she so bid her haremmates, they will listen. Thus we will begin with them.
The trial outstands with Oshis, and not only him but Less, who holds a same thought as his shieldbrother, dolefully to Tae’s motherliness that, although he has no bother with her shooting the bow, she should withhold from wrathful drill while Yaraess stays abreast. I shrive something blithe in their heed, that they would withhold us from plight while our motherhood is strongest. Our babes’ weanship, however, lies years afterward. Byreath’s threat, if it come over the moor and through the shorewood, outstands now. If we foreready not, we will never ready in time. I remind Vosaeth’s word amid her birthtide that she should only die in childbirth or war. Since we have happily outlived birthtide, we would not shame ourselves by any fingerwidth less than our best warcraft.
So we have hatched a plan. Together we have gone to Remaue, Erymi, and Sievae for their help tomorrow.
For today’s other thing, Anmeth came sunderly. I read her worry, took her hand, and bade her speak free of fear. She shrove that ereyesternight she had done something she had never done, and more than her bridetide. I reminded Vosaeth’s word that she feared she had lost Leief to Anmeth’s love. So I asked whether it beheld Leief. Shyly she yaysaid.
I led her to a stool, sat together, and held her hands while I thanked her trust's bestowal. I then asked whether she had spoken with anyone else, dolefully Vosaeth or Leief. Her head shook. I beread she had not made this choice lightly and welcomely bade her ask anything she would. I next asked what she had befelt ereyesternight with Leief. Anmeth smiled and answered she reckoned I know well.
She shared she dearly wishes a child. I read that much of what her heart feels is sheer ~yudae~ - manlust, at which we laughed. So I asked whether she beloves the thought of manly love kinderly, or dolefully to Leief. Haltingly Anmeth answered she knows not. I besoothed that neither is wrong, and then put forth that, if she wish, she might shrive further with me when she needs, and furthermore I would be her spokeswife to Vosaeth when she is ready. She yaysaid with forespeech to think further, whereafter I left her with a blessing kiss.


5. Asealae, 24,544, Leiss Farmhold
This morn, Erymi and Sievae outquoth their will to take a shopfare into the city, They bade Oshis host them. He listfully yaysaid, though not ere seeking leave from me and Vosaeth as his babe-bearing mothermates. We answered we have full men to serve while his awayness and blessed his heed for our babe’s welfare, with last word that, if he feels overburdened with fatherly duty, mayhap he should bereckon having fewer children. Then laughingly we kissed him.
This deed’s only queerness lay in that today stands ere marketday. Yet Erymi and Sievae outlaid wish to see the shops ere tomorrow’s crowd. Through our bond, I witted our manlier than wise manlove’s inkling that something outstood amiss, even while his other two mothermates bade him ride both Lenis and Tesine on his saddle, forwhy they must overtalk wifely business.
After they rode from sight, Tae anon reminded she owed Erymi a waistbelt with a broken fetter. She bade Less afterrun and give it. When he bemoaned it could wait until market-day, she answered she wished it mended tomorrow. When he asked why she could not afterride and so catch them swifter, she waved at their son abreast and told she had not ended feeding him. Then she bade him stop whining like a napkin-bearer. Rather sulkily, though not sakelessly under her harshness, Less afterhunted in hope of catching them ere they reached the city.
Soon as Less went, we three donned halters, strapped tight to forestall our milk-weight, and hied to the drillyard, with Leief, Eneash, and Onull following, there to set our underhandness adrift.
For today, we forwent weapons and instead fought barehand the men, which, if anything, bemade a harder fight. Rather sorrowfully, however, the men withheld from inrushing me, and instead stood at length, daring my stroke. When I sniped kicks, they strove to grapple and overbear. ~Shalya Kazostya nirdaf~ - “We have heard Kazos’s tale,” they outlaid, speaking of the heathen highland clanleader I had beaten, when I asked their withholdingness: ~Di doauzafas o’yivei haraelassi.~ - “We are not so foolish as to rush you.” Whenever their mindfulness weakened, however, I shot some sharp kickstrokes that left bruises on cheek and shoulder and outwallowed some plighty locks. Though I breathed heavily, I reckon my aim and time true, and so bestand not too far from my best game. The men tried more boldly with Vosaeth and Tae, though in which deed the men got some hard blows even when they overbore. Tae underwent a tougher trial, forwhy she is more truly a bowrider than boxer. Vosaeth I chided for trying to besway her wrestling haremmates to lustier strife.
I was tarrying and suckling Aeosel when Less came back, with the sternest mood wringing his brow. Tae enwed a fierce boxing-set with Eneash and was giving a worthy trade in punches, slaps, and blocks. Less, however, looked almost to income and break their fight until Remaue haughtily instrode. None of our household (even I!) willingly thwart her, and she also did so with Yaraess her fathermate-son, Less’s own, whom she was holding at Tae’s behalf upon her hip, and bade him stand down. Less almost gainsaid, at which Remaue warned that if he introd the fight, she would strike him herself. He halted, misgiving eyes locked upon his fiercely dodging, kicking wifemate. Then rather downcast he slumped to his knees, somewhere between anger under our earlier trick and his shared misled shame with Oshis that we had somewise offthanked our fathermates by fighting men while we still bear babes abreast.
Tae and Eneash ended their match, bowed, and overwalked, whence Tae breathlessly wiped her sweat, took Yaraess from Remaue, and loosened her halter. The babes have ever thrilled at our fight-drill and even cooingly cheer our blows, and her little one suckled with new inthrift. Less, still aground, took hap to throw his thick arms on her legs and lay brow against her knee. When she asked what befell, he said: ~Stiadeni-yei vi lostis?~ - “Why have you so shamed me?” to which she answered: ~Sastra yi lostis,~ - “You have so shamed yourself,” and reminded him he had sworn mateship to a warrior. Then she bade him stand and soothe himself.
Laterward, after Tae gave Yaraess back to Remaue, she beseeched Less to fight her. Yet this thought outproved too much for our wantsome manlove, who could not bring himself to strike his most beloved wifemate and child’s mother. So I bade him fight me instead. Again he balked. So I asked why he would so yield misthank to his flagwife by forbidding warcraft when upon my prowess our flag had grown.
Anon some thought snapped in Less’s mind. Maybe his even mood had broken, or maybe he had thoroughread our little underhandness to betray him and misdraw Oshis, and so bethought to teach me a rough loretide. Wiselessly, I had the slightest warning ere his stoutness rushed forth, and I had no time to offdance his broad arms.
I had but one answer-stroke. I grounded weight and raised arms high while he brunted in. While his arms wrapped my shoulders, I dropped elbows sharply on his, grabbed his head, and twisted down. In the same blinktide, I strode smartly, kicked my knee into his midriff, and got the idleness of his breath rushing out while I wrapped him over my knee in a fulsome kickbox. Mishappily, twice my bodyweight still hurled against me. Even breathless, his breast upfolded my leg and bore my other off the ground. His low shoulders wrapped me over as outcomefully as my knee had done him. Helplessly I rose aloft until he, still ruing the breath knocked from his lungs, stumbled. My back slammed aground, and I whimperingly lost breath almost so badly as Less while his shoulder slammed my sore bosom.
I bewared the plight I found, unleastly under the fourteen stoneweights of Korasha thew and bone crushing me. My only behoof lay in Less being so shaken as I, and maybe some thoughtless fear he might hurt me, outbeckoned when not only my babe wailed but also Yaraess, who, bewitting Tae’s worry at our fall, clove throat with his house-brother’s. I stirred without knowing whether I even had a breathtide, but twisted hips sideward, outswung my leg, and shoved it against his shoulder. I then bowed backward from the ground to offheave him. When he wallowed, I sprang afterward and landed with knees on his neck’s both sides to begin a lock. I then gave him a good mouthful of my sweaty loincloth while I squeezed, and weightily set hands on his antenna-stumps, which got a hurtful yell.
The watchers yelled halt, forwhy our clash had been so wrathful they feared true harm. I raised arms trucesomely and looked downward at my flagmate and manlove, and, rather more hoarsely than I wished, asked whether we should withdraw. Still gagged under my loincloth, he tightly nodded, whereat Leief and Onull offlifted me.
Together Less and I sat on the yard and strove for breath. I called for my babe and did utmost to quell his sorrow. After I found breath, rather bemusedly I looked about and beheld the others watching unsurely, ingathering Hanos, who I misdoubt would laterward race to Oshis and tell our whole wickedness. I then witted Less likewise staring, as if he feared he had done wrong fighting me. With a smile I outreached, soothed his nape, and said: ~O’vosi ristalaf Kazostra yi sastra hieshastra,~ - “I am glad I fought Kazos instead of you,” bethinking my fight-trial in the Stormshields might have gone quite elsewise. At my praise, my coppery flagmate flushed dark, and I kissingly twined our antennae.
Vosaeth’s haremmates cheered Less for forestalling what they name my bothersome dance-stride, forwhy they would much belove a straight head-to-head, brow-bashing, body-slamming Korasha fight instead of trying to catch me while I sidle at length. I outquoth Less had given me the worthiest fight, which he had ever done since he and Oshis had helped me ready for the City Games after our homefare from the Aslanta Fetch. Then I dared that if they truly wish to yield me worship, next time they shall give their earnestest fight, and I will bestow the same. With many hugs we forespoke to do so after we strengthen.
Laterward, we were right abath when Shota-claws quivered the cityward treepath. Oshis inrode alone upon Tarami, who panted hard as if she had run long. He leapt from the saddle, caught a limb, and swung with apelike liss to the bath-deck. There he landed and stood straight and wroth. His stern eye ringed our little throng. Amid the shower we stilled. Vosaeth met him daringly with her three haremmates set trustily near. Tae foreyielded friendliness while she likewise bore Yaraess, though Less beside ducked head from his shieldbrother’s wrath. From the main deck Remaue watched with haughty mirth while Hanos upran fearfully. Kindly I greeted while I held Aeosel his son.
Oshis’s gaze aimed at me. ~A Ile,~ he began. Not ~Valanteil~ - Ladylove, as he wontfully names me, but merely Lady, couth and cold. ~Diyaea-shyaeldis,~ - “You have done me wrong.” I answered I had never sworn not to fight, and that he would wrong me by outwilling me not to fight when war threatens our friends and kin.
My word he answered not. Instead, he offheaded back to Tarami and upsteeded. More slowly than they had come, they offrode, heading toward the moor. I needed no trial to read his wrath, shocking only in its chill.
Shortly laterward, Erymi and Sievae with their children came from the city, and we shared tales. It outcame that, while their shopfare, Oshis had beread our underhandness from Erymi’s mind. When he outcalled her and Sievae, they had shriven our deed. He had swiftly left, after which they had followed under worry so swiftly as they could meet. Likewise we told of his stony bewrayal he had outspoken me.
As next thought, we asked Erymi what Oshis will likely do, and what we should. She answered we should wait. The worst likely to happen, she beread, is that he finds some broad-bosom farmwife who fills him with ale and wine ere she sways him to her bed, and we may lose him to wife-service for the next yeartide, in which sake the farmwork will soothe his mood (and I understand how he hates such drudgework). I yaysaid Erymi’s rede, though within my mind I fear. I foreknew my drill against men would anger him. I had hoped the deed fordone would weaken his will. Instead, I had let want overwin thought. I understand better than any what a proud man he is, dolefully against haughty Damaya, among whom now I doubtlessly tally. The next question thus outstands: does he love me enough to forgive?

Lashunta Words & Phrases:

• ~Yudae~ (spiritual): manlust; sexual attraction toward males.
• ~Shali~ (spiritual): tale; story.
• ~Doauza~ (common): foolish
• ~Stiadeni~ (spiritual): why; what reason
• ~A Ile~: my lady; vocative of ~ile~ (femine): lady
• ~Valanteil~ (feminine): ladylove; honorific endearment for an upper-class female
• ~Diyae~ (spiritual): wrongness
• ~Shyaelassi~ to bestow; give down