A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 55

In which, at the war's end, Lady Vaeol witnesses the Retaea Clanfolk’s justice, and an omen harkens back to the past.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

9. Soelae, 24,545 - 6th Day at Clanmoot
Today we witnessed the grimmest business. The Clanwives, with the clanfolk watching aslope, gathered the last Zhihuafa at the crag’s foot, since they were not let to camp upon, and Korasha warriors ringing. Among them I witted many faces who had come to Lea with Byreath when she tried to bribe the matrons and seek thoroughfare to Than, and who had fled back to the moors (along with the war’s booty) after I slew their clanwife. Along with, other outliers had cloven them, who had made way over the plightsome moors to beseech ruth. This tally did not ingather sundry households who had already forsaken the Zhihuafa while awar, many whomof had followed Eieli in Byreath’s feud for the clanwifeship.
Lady Shauth of the Terana, who now stood as eldest clanwife after Lady Zhorofi’s death, bade Zaeofoth and her followers cleave the other Zhihuafa within the ring. Yet at this bid Vosaeth stepped forth and looked to Lady Vei her mother. ~O’lashi-mei zoradaf Shotalashura,~ she withspoke: “I have ridden and taken Shotalashu with them." Then she added she would not have them banned from the Clans. At her daughter’s word, Lady Vei waved to Lady Shauth: ~Usaiamaf nama-mara,~ she outquoth: “We will take these folk.”
Then Lady Vei headed to Zaeofoth and asked whom she would take as housewife. Zaeofoth and her three fellows looked from Lady Vei to Vosaeth. ~Ime loea miaveade,~ - “One has earned our faith.” Then she neared Vosaeth and said that, even though they had met as foes, Vosaeth had fed them, sheltered them, and had spared their lives when she had the right to slay them. ~Dei vara usaiamaes?~ beseeched the elder headwife: “Will you have us?”
Vosaeth stared at the erstwhile Zhihuafe. ~Hisae di viyadi o kiazyelme,~ - “I held you no kindness when we met,” she shrove, to which Zaeofoth answered: ~Oe si reastalaf,~ - “And we had wronged you.” She then added Vosaeth had already bestowed the honor of forgiveness. Now Zaeofoth would swear to follow her if my oath-sister would bring her into her household. Tears flooding, Vosaeth strode near and offered Zaeofoth her son. The elder warrior took the babe to her own breast. Then she and Vosaeth twined antennae while we and the whole Miniada buzzed.
At Lady Vei’s behest, our four erstwhile Zhihuafa did not cleave the others amidst. Lady Shauth the Eldest acknowledged this deed, and then headed to the clanwives. She outspoke the Zhihuafa are outlaw, as are likewise their last clanfolk here gathered. ~Sta ti rulimis?” she asked: “Who speaks for them?” to which she added: ~Stara hoeaes?~ - “Whom do you choose?”
Slowly clanwives stood forth and called among the outstanding Zhihuafa, sometimes a handful, sometimes alone. In every sake, they chose someone they already knew and had some bond, whether friendship or dearth, whereby they would spare the accursed to cleave their clan instead. Yet one foreword overheld: if they still had Shotalashu, they must forsake the steed and thereby atake the shame as their geld’s token, thereby starting in their new clan as least stallworth. We saw many weeping riders bow their brows to the steeds, break their mindbond, and drive them fleeing to the moor.
As share, I wondered what had become of the Zhihuafa’s war-booty. Had its geld already found home among these new clans. We never got answer.
At last, of the forty-some Zhihuafa who had stood, merely eleven stayed whom none had called. They gathered in a dreadful knot looking upward at the overwatching clanfolk, incleaving their erstwhile clanmates ashamedly shunning their eyes. Among waited three riders still with Shotalashu. Lady Shauth looked to this threesome. ~Domonyaes Shotalashura,~ - “Forsake your Shotalasu,” she sternly bade.
At that word, two of the Zhihuafa riders leapt asteed and hopelessly dashed toward the moor, roughly casting their clanmates. They brunted the warding warrior-ring, who wounded both ere they burst free. Straightway, a troop of young riders, who had been waiting beyond, stirred and afterhunted, eagerly wielding bow and spear and foreboding grim doom upon the fleeing outlaws.
The third and last Zhihuafa rider, witnessing her fellows’ doom, unsaddled her Shotalashu. Yet she faltered to break her steed’s mindbond. At Lady Shauth’s behest, a foursome of axe-warriors incame. The Shota, bewaring plight offscampered, seeking frightful fastness. The other ring-warriors shut in. Then their axes fell ruthlessly. I shielded my son, who wailed against the Shota’s dying screams and the Damaya’s ere she fell.
Lady Shauth overlooked the outstanding nine, one whomof shuddered on hands in knees in raw link-shock, the other eight whomof waited foredoomfully. ~Dizama Zhihuafa karaea,~ - “Clan Zhihuafa is dead,” she bedeemed, and that the clan's name was dead, never be spoken again, and also that they were dead.” Then she added: ~Eisa domonyanta kezhanta~ - “You are outcast and cursed.: Then she bade them go away and never let the Clanfolk's eyes see their shadows.
At her curse, the wardens shifted and opened a gap in the ring, toward the moor. Weaponless, stockless, and steedless, the nine outlaws, once of Clan Zhihuafa, helping their shaken fellow, walked forth onto the empty moor, where only death and Qoelu waited. Swiftly another rider-sith tried to afterhunt. Yet the clanwives sternly bade them stay, and even set wardens to forbid anyone seeking the outlaws, forwhy under the Clanmoot’s truce the accursed should have the tide to flee so far as they can. Then after Clanmoot’s end the warriors get leave to hunt them down, since such an outlaw’s slaughter benames a high worth.
As Lady Shauth bade the doommoot ended and the Clanfolk broke to go back to their tents, I beheld Their Highnesses Lady Vifaul of Lea and Lady Kueth of Ofu-Laubu, who had watched the whole deed. I wondered their thought on Retaean lawrightness.

12. Soelae, 24,545 - 9th Day of Clanmoot
Yesternight a reckful hue uprose through the camp and swiftly woke us. In our witlessness we almost feared some new wickedness from the banned Zhihuafa, though so few of them outstay that surely they could not strike a camp so great. Outside of the tent, I saw folk waving awful hands upward and so gazed.
Through Azaryau’s boughs we beheld something unforelooked under this yeartide. Elindrae, broad, silver, and swollen over half, had broken through Blighttide’s thin, wispy sky, a scarry lantern over the world. Surely an omen.
We headed to Kaure, who likewise stared. ~O’nae vusive,~ our Korashe maidenmate stuttered: “I must go.” Remaue and I helped her find her priestly gear, and then hosted her - me bearing Aeosel, Remaue following after she left sleepy Lanaryel with Tae and Less - to the mootstead among Azaryau’s roots.
There the other moon-priests gathered, and a dance began, which became like nothing I had ever witnessed. Though their mindshare grew, instead of dancing in well dighted rows or rings, they shaped in wavering knots growing, breaking, and reshaping. We watchers witted a wildness overtake the priesthood, shared and thriving from each, and which made their writhes even more hopeless.Then one began speech, but in no tongue I had ever heard. Another followed wise, and more, until many sang, wailed and gibbered, all in unknown words, and all under the moon’s eldritch light.
At last even Kaure fell under this mood. At her weird throat, I could withhold no longer, but wielded soulmight to understand. At my reach, however, all under the priest's mindshare starkly halted. All looked where warily I cradled my son.
Then Kaure alone spoke, and her words brought me into dizzy mindshare, so that, though unknown, I understood:

~Zienis zeshara lavyerastara o’nizi-narue theia roeayela,~
“You will follow the offworlder’s path when at the gate’s opening the world quakes.”

…Then I swooned, and I think Kaure did, too, since next I knew, we knelt, and she staggered on my shoulder while I wavered and strove against dropping Aeosel, and his tiny legs kicked, likewise worried under the dance’s wildness. A din smote my mind and ears, for I still almost understood the other priests' words, until they overwhelmed. Swiftly Remaue swooped in, raised me, and drew me off. I reached back for Kaure. Yet other priests led her another way, against my wail.
Soon as my head undazed, Remaue led me back to our tent, though I asked endlessly for Kaure. Our maidenmate’s weird soothtell stayed amind, and I craved answer. Remaue, however, brooked no willfulness. She set me abed and bade me soothe my son. Against my bother, weariness bywardly overcame.

…I dreamed of Brand. We were again in El, at the Kyonin Gate, although, instead of walking through alone, he took my hand and drew me through with him. I stepped into a queer world of bright heavenly skies, stunted trees, and endless coldstone moors, where overhead flew fire-spouting Qoelu. I overlooked a land full of Elves and Aslanta - tall men and short, Korasha-like wives - wearing shut-toe sandals and whining how much their feet hurt…

I woke this morn with mind haunted by both my dream and Kaure’s weird forebode. Remaue and I could not forbear wait. Yet ere we headed back up the crag, Kaure came into camp. I flung myself aknee and hugged her bosom. Our maidenmate soothed my brow and eyed me deeply. She at first withheld her thoughts, making me wonder. Then softly she told the priesthood would meet us. We yaysaid, whereafter a swift mornmeal we went back up the crag’s peak.
Many priests had slept where they fell at the dance’s end (had Kaure done so, too?). She begreeted us to Eqyash, the eldest priest and a ~Damayas~ well older than a yearhundred. The old man welcomed us, yielded us seats upon Azaryau’s roots, and served tea.
After we shared the cup, Eqyash told about yesternight’s rite. The Moon’s sight at Blighttide, or even any else than Heaventide, is a seldom thing. At such times, the dance-rite we had witnessed is played for the purpose of finding the omen’s insight. Meanly, the dancing priests may speak weird tongues, as we had witnessed. The riddle lying herein, he outlaid, is that the priests themselves understand not the tongue they speak. Only sometimes may a witness understand.
As Eqyash looked to me, I forsoothed he knew I had tried to overhear their tongue, since indeed the whole priesthood had so witted my soulmight’s reach and had even halted the dance. I answered I had indeed heard, though I understood only what Kaure had spoken. He beseeched if I would share, and I told the word I have written above.
The eldest moon-priest sat back thoughtfully. Then he brewed more tea. After we again sipped, he asked what meaning this forebode may hold. Haltingly I answered I had known an offworlder, and then told of finding Brand and the Aslanta and leading them to Sovyrian to fare the worldgate back to their world. Eqyash heard keenly. Then he looked to Kaure, and by their antennae’s quiver I guessed they held some sundry mindspeech. He then asked whether I reminded anything else. I answered the weird tongues had grown too muddled.
After a last long breathtide he nodded: ~O’ahi-sholi hidumis lavyera-sastra, eshoni eayeli yi illi-thali.~ - “You may indeed see your offworlder again, though it will be as doom wills,” he deemed.
After we took leave, I beseeched aloneness. I climbed up Azaryau’s great beamstair and sat upon a worn, roadlike bough. There I suckled Aeosel while I sought thoughts and read deep. Then I wept. Truly I had dreamed of finding Brand again. At a younger year I would have leapt at forehap to go through the Kyonin Gate and outseech a queer new world. Yet now, with my babe abreast and owing our growing household, what sorrowful fee would I yield?
Laterward, I came to our tent, where at my sight, Kaure rushed. She hugged me tight and shoved her brow to my breast, as I had earlier done to her, sheerly worried at my mood. I kissed her forgivingly and bade her bear no guilt since, though she had spoken the forebode, the words were not hers.
Remaue, however, sat beside, held my hand, and more subtly sought my thought. She asked if I begladdened at the foresight of meeting Brand again. At her ask, tears again took my eyes. I could not answer.
I cannot unmind the forebode’s last half: ~...o’nizi-narue theia roeayela.~ - ‘when at the gate’s opening the world quakes’. There looks no lucky foredoom, but dreadful.

~Tiao~

End of Part 4

Lashunta Words & Phrases:

• ~Usaiamassi~: to accept into; to take into
• ~Nama~ (common): person; folk; people
• ~Ime~ (feminine): one; one woman
• ~Loea~ - accusative of ~loe~ (spiritual): faith; trust
• ~Miaveade~ - 3rd-person feminine perfect of ~miaveassi~: to grow together; earn
• ~Hisae~ (spiritual): kindness; kindliness
• ~Sta~ (common): who; personal interrogative pronoun
• ~Ti~ (spiritual): ultra-distal (4th-person) demonstrative adverb
• ~Hoeaes~ 2nd-person of ~hoeassi~ - to choose
• ~Dizama~ (common): clan
• ~Karaea~ 3rd-person common of ~karaeassi~: to die; be dead
• ~Domonyanta~: outcast; intensive adjective of ~domonyassi~ to forsake
• ~Kezhanta~: accursed; intensive adjective of ~kezhassi~ to curse
• ~O'nae~: must. Adverbial phrase of ~nae~ (spiritual): need.
• ~Zienis~: 2nd-person of ~zienassi~ to follow
• ~Zeshara~ - accusative of ~zesha~ (common): path
• ~Lavyeras~ (masculine): offworlder; alien
• ~O'nizi-narue~ - adverbial phrase: at the gate's opening
• ~Theia~ (common): world; planet
• ~Roeayela~ - 3rd-person common dependent of ~roeassi~: to quake; rock
• ~Illi-thali~: the will of doom