A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 52

In which Vaeol and her housemates flee Lea to avoid orders.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

9. Afaelae 24,545 - Leiss Farmhold
A day to foreready our wayfare, and a last day to begladden of our guest-tide with Mirazael and Elarue’s kindred and Devaeas my brother. Shaess my nephew wept when he heard we are leaving. He clutched Lanaryel, who was almost so sorrowful, in a hug and withstood forletting her. All the children have grown friendly in this while, almost their own little clan foreset on games and wickedness.
We spoke with Devaeas, Elarue, and Mirazael, wiseful to our leavetide. Vosaeth’s household will come at tomorrow’s foredawn, fleeing under night’s hem to shirk afterhunt. We wish to fully pack today but needful sundries. My brother has foreyielded to drive a Shieldhead along an else path to lay a false spoor. Even better, Rosh Mirazael’s father inwandered and forecast that tomorrow will rain, an early Floodtide boon. If it befalls after we leave, all the better.
Many questions outstand, dolefully how Vosaeth will uphold bouncing awagon, though under Taiase’s might she is mostly healed, and otherwise how earnestly Her Highness Lady Zhaene will afterhunt once she learns. Taiase stays hopeful Her Highness will do so half-heartedly. Even so, she must in my mother’s good faith make trial. So we will fare best by making good furtherness. My brother read that, with Floodtide beginning early, the Qoelu’s great northward wanderfare will likewise. Nothing will hide our path better than a huge thousandsome herd whose footswathes shake the earth.
Taiase has written a leafbode for Her Highness and entrusted to Mirazael, who will yield it only when asked whither we have gone. It writes that Taiase, in her stallworth as Son’s trucebode to the clanfolk of Retaea and other northern lands, has deemed fit to bear Son’s goodwill northward and take Ofu-Laubu’s guesthood, and that in this deed she beneeds me and my whole flag to safeward the wayfare, and therefore she withholds my loss. Taiase craftily beread that, since her doomreach was bestowed from the Matronhood, Lady-Mother will be hard beset to overwill it.
Thus, aside from packing, we have this last daytide to spend with our worthiest hosts. I have feared our tide here might have overburdened their stalwartness. Yet I have seen the grandmotherly tears in Mirazael’s eyes. I have Elarue my newfound sister and beheld her soul dearer than my blood-sisters back in Son. Then there is Devaeas my big brother, who beholds a strength and nobleness I forewish. We shall miss them, even Rosh and Nath’s laughsome strife. Blessings upon them.

Vealae Treesong, 24,545 - Eight-Trees Moor - 9th Day from Leiss Farmhold
We camp under the Galloping-Shota’s shower, which Leief foretells will last for some days, since the Floodtide showers came ereyesterday. After our hard ridefare hither, we rest. Below our hillpeak, we watch a great stream of beasts come northward, the foreward of the great Qoelu wanderfare. If Her Highness Lady Zhaene sent riders after our leavetide, they did not catch us. Now with the rainfall and tallyless beasts’ paws churning the moor, our path is lost, and the rain and mist will hide our hearthsmoke. Aguessing she got Taiase’s leafwrit, her next best trial would be to send wordbode to Ofu-Laubu and meet us there. In a half-year’s tide, who can foretell which mood grows strongest and whose will may win. Lady-Mother may have overthought her bid, or hallcraft’s shifting needs may sway her wish.
Taiase and I have sent farseer-word to Lady Vei, who with Clan Miniada is coming slowly but surely northward, and atrust they will find us. We will eagerly recleave the Clan after this long half-year that has overseen the war won, Lady Byreath fallen, and no small lot of hardship for so many. We know not how Istae has fared among the clanfolk, which frets Taiase dreadfully. We cannot foredream her maidenlove, my sister-outrider, not putting herself in harm’s path and can merely hope her warfare has been outwinful.
Our housemates are readying nets for a moorswift hunt, which is the best wise to wait for Clan Miniada. While the children play in the rain. Vosaeth, Tae, and I sit under the tentfly with our babes and watch the daytide. Vosaeth's healed leg still aches when she walks, and my cheekbone throbs. We speak unmuch, which hurts. On those few times we reach mindshare, my oath-sister reminds too much harm that she would sooner forget, under the link-shock of her Shotalashu’s loss and shame of missing her fight with Byreath. Though I understand she has forgiven me, she cannot forget.
Erenow, I walked out upon the moor with my son, reckless of the rain. I sang peace to the World-Soul for Byreath, to reach what she had never had in lifetime. I also sang it for my oath-sister’s sake, and for mine.

4. Vealae, 24,545 - South of Eight-Trees Moor - 12th Day from Leiss Farmhold
Until today, we have idly fared southward, a full day acamp, and next an easy wayfare until the next campstead, seeking the best hunting-steads while we await the Clan. Today our hunters brought back word of a wild Shota pack, like us stalking the Qoelu wanderfare. 
Vosaeth perked and, by her face’s show, reached a choice. Then she went to Zaeofoth, headwife of the enthralled Zhihuafa warriors. ~O’thomi-allae iverazya-naztama,~ - “It befalls we have been likewise bereft,” she said. ~O’romi yi haem benyora,~ - “Let us do something about it.”
The Zhihuafa headwife looked reckful. ~Dei nauzharru romis lashura?~: “Would you let steeds to thralls?” she asked.
~Rei tiadi~ answered Vosaeth: “The war is ended." Then she outspoke she has no heart to hold thralls any more.
An unreadable mood shook Zaeofoth’s antennae. She nodded shortly, and then gathered her clanmates. With Vosaeth they walked out upon the moor.
Often had I wondered how the Retaea take steeds, for though they keep Shotalashu packs, few unbound run among, and I had gotten hint they meanly bind wild Shota from the moors. Yet how I knew not. Among the cities, it may rightly be said that our Shota packs are half-tame, for even those who run free have at least fed from a farmhold’s slop-trough or have known a packmate who was erstwhilely bound. Thus their folk-fear is low. Yet these wild, long-legged hunters who may spend a whole lifetime not knowing a Lashunta mind and merely following the wandering Qoelu, how the clanfolk indraw them I had no good thought.
While we watched afar, Vosaeth and the four Zhihuafa spread offal and fat - forsoothly a game-kill’s richest bits - along the Shota-pack’s foreseen track. They withdrew a rough spearcast, outspread in a row, and sat. Then they began to sing keenly, wherein if one needed to tarry, the others upkept. Even over the moor’s length, I felt their soulmight waft.
Bywardly came the Shota pack, doubtlessly smelling offal on the wind, and right as doubtlessly bewitting Vosaeth and the others. Although wary, they also seemed heedful, whereof I could not help wonder whether it owed to the soul-song. They neared, tasted the flesh strewn upon the grass, and then halted reckoningly.
Slowly a few of them reckfully neared the singers, sniffed, and set brows together in bondship. In the end, both Vosaeth and Zaeofoth bound new steeds, along with Rethel, one of Zaeofoth’s followers. Heedfully, none of the men won the bond. Vosaeth said it is ever so, that men have a harder hap to take a steed. I wonder if so is the root of the cities’ wont that men do not ride Shotalashu, forwhy, as I have eyesomely seen, men can indeed ride once they have bound a Shota. Witting how nose-keen Shota are, is it a wife’s smell?
Wiseless of the sake, if we meet another Shota-pack on the moor, those riders still steedless will try again. Meanwhile, we have three new Shotalashu in camp who, although bound, are nowise tame. The first thing that befell was a nasty fight, since our steeds atook not these newcomers as their pack and withstood their income. My Ess got gashes on his neck and shoulder, which I swiftly healed. Furthermore, if Vosaeth or her ilk wish to ride now, they must do so bareback, forwhy these new Shotalashu have not learned the saddle and are selfsomely uplookful of a tight, heavy thing we would lay on their back. In least good news, we have time to drill while we await the Clan.
A loretide lies within this deed, hearkening back to yoretales of Tess the First Queen binding Shotaviras, which tell she so did while drawing a poison dart from his claw. Even ataking this elderness as more whimsy than historical truth, one may still see into truth’s kernel hiding within, how somewise our foremothers first allied with the Shota and so overswept the Moqeva from this world.

Lashunta Words & Phrases:

• ~O'thomi-allae~ - likewise befallen (adverb phrase)
• ~Rei tiadi~ - 'The war is ended.