A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 7

In which Lady Vaeol finds a new perspective on her family and on Lea.

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

13. Vinelae, 24,543 - Lea
Here I tally further deeds after our hitherfare Lea and so shall now be upcaught.
On our next day in the city, the matrons bade us to a mirthtide. They made much of Lady Taiase, who took their worship so lissomely as she could. Elsewise, it happened broadly as forelooked, though we met other ambassadors from cities I have heard but never seen. We greeted Her Highness, Lady Glaethe of Then, which city stands further southward on Mother Arasene’s shore, where great Father Hisyho flows out to the Nivaea and the Shattersea, and Her Highness Lady Eiel of Tihes, which lies on the lake’s northern shore. Yet the foremost ambassador was doubtlessly Her Highness Lady Kueth of Ofu-Laubu, the Northern Crowngem as that city is named, and no less for its stead in wonder-tale as for the great crag on which it rises, and whence its sky-riders fly. Lady Kueth came dolefully to Taiase. She greeted the elder queen most nobly, which made Taiase some shame, though I believe the worship was frankly given.
Ofu-Laubu, few among our time’s cities, owns a queen. Noteworthily, Her Highness Kueth beseeched Taiase to come to Ofu-Laubu as her queen’s guest, to which she answered so lissomely as she could.
In else deed, we sunderly met Her Highness Lady Zhaene, wherein we overtalked many things linked to home. She gave a farseer-word from Lady-Mother, who asked my welfare, though in a wise I found rather tight. Doubtlessly she has not forgiven my underhandness in Son and how I misbrooked both her stubbornness and my sisters’ greed, and whereof I know nothing of our raid’s aftermath on Elahat. I begrudgingly asked Her Highness what news she had of Lady-Mother, my sisters, and the matrons, and what bother was still undergoing. She answered reckoningly that my mother and sisters have seemingly outweathered the storm my misdeeds had wrought, though she cannot speak for toward outlook. She asked what word I would send back, whereat I beseeched her tell that we are safely welcome with Lady Vosaeth, and also I am bechild. Yet otherwise I left it so short as my mother had sent. Her Highness took it without further word.
Also waited far-seer word from Semuane in Qabarat, who asked after our welfare and Vosaeth’s, praying we had met well, and begging news. Hers I set aside for laterward, forwhy I owe her a longer, dearer, and more whitsome answer, and also to set true my heart for her.
Next happened something that warmed my heart when a beseecher came to the embassy: my brother Devaeas. He bowed right ere I hugged him and I shrive began to weep.
My brother and I talked long, and dolefully of my baleful leave from Son. Tightly I bespoke my feud with Lady-Mother, rising from my stroke under the ~Komori~ and her unfairness against Oshis. This tale stirred him, forwhy he told that our mother has shifted little, neither in love nor witless fierceness. Then he shrove that they too had undergone a sorrowful feud when he chose to leave Son.
Devaeas my brother had forsaken a high stead in Son, dolefully for a Korasha, with wealth, a great share in his kindred’s tradehouse bequeathed from his father, our mother’s and aunt’s uphold, and even some beswayness within the City’s ladyhood. Yet he had rankled under this tight-bound livelihood and the endless groveling to ladies and haughty mistresses who bethought themselves yielding goodwill merely by letting him stand in their hearth and forbearing their downlooking flirts. He had yearned, told he, to prove his worth under none’s leave. Thus he had outspoken wish to forsake his father’s tradehouse, a mathsome wealth, and instead become a Qoelu-hunter.
As Devaeas had forehinted, our mother, when she learned this news, had behaved with ill liss. First she had forbidden his leave. When he withstood and left anywise, she had banned him, though she never brought the sake before the matrons; so it had never outreached to the whole city. I dimly remind this deedtide, for I had been young, and Lady-Mother had withheld any speech of it in our house. Yet many years had forgone ere my brother came back to Son, right when I was ending my seer-lore at the Ihezoshu, and he and our mother made peace. In that while, he had proven worth in his own mind, and also met Elarue his wifemate, who had upheld his goal and cloven him at hunt.
I remind a yesterwhit from that time: my mother, wontfully so lissome, weeping openly. Her pride had forheld so long from Devaeas. Yet forsoothly sorrow had torn her heart. In this thought I finnd a small hope: my mother has not forsaken me. Someday, if I so wish, we may find truce.
On a lighter thing, Devaeas beseeched that we become guests under his wifemate’s kindred, who have a farmhold north of the city. Here began a more manifold deal than I had forelooked, forwhy I am lawfully the city’s bond-guest for Vosaeth’s good behavior, and unlightly would the High Matron let me beyond the wallworks. At last, on foreword that I leave Ess within the stronghold’s stallbarn (though I ride him daily) and Semuane’s elf-sword stays with Her Highness, we got leave. Furthermore, the matrons earnestly asked that Taiase stay in the city, which she does at Son’s embassy with Istae, but also that Vosaeth and her house come with us to the farmhold, by which settleship I guess they deem her less likely to make worry. We chose to bring all the mothers and children out to the farmhold, where we may have easier freedom beyond the city’s walls, though I, Draue, Nae, Kaure, and the men take shifts grooming for the guests in the city.
So we came out to Leiss Farmhold, where we met Elarue, who welcomely kissed us, and her son Shaess, my nephew, who is five years old. She greeted us to her mother Mirazael, a stout, weathered crone almost tall as I, and her two manmates Naeth and Rosh, who welcomed us most kindly, and told that Devaeas has spoken best of us. I shrive I know not which of the two Korasha is Elarue’s blood-father, for she named both evenly. Also the two bicker so fiercely I have wondered they may come to fist-strokes. Yet Mirazael offlaughs their feud with light chide. So far, they have done nothing more than threaten crookly.
Remaue, Kaure, and I have gotten a limb-bower in the home-tree, as have Tae, Less, and the new babe in another, Erymi, Oshis, and Tesine theirs, and Draue and her sons theirs, while Sievae and Lenis, Nae, and Hanos, keep tent aground. Vosaeth and her housemates also have gladly set tent in the meadow, wherefor she said she prefers the ground anywise, and at her child-lateness is too swollen to climb beam-stairs and hop boughs (not that it is needful, for two stout decks overspreads the limbs by twenty stridespans). From this height I see the Shieldheads grazing, the Shota stalking frogs and whiskerlings in the field, Draue’s boys and Lenis playing hoverball, and lovely Oshis with Erymi, tossing their daughter aloft.
Last whit: Vosaeth and Remaue have taken to flirting shamelessly with Deveaeas right before me, which goal forewills to make me blush. Erenow, Vosaeth was shoving my wifemate into his arms. Remaue’s grin while she looked back, his nose squashed into her bosom, betold all.

14. Vinelae, 24,543 - Lea
Today Taiase, Istae, and I were called to wait on Her Highness the High Matron, Lady Nimizi. At Her Highness’s idleness we sat tea-tide and overtalked things between Lea and Son. Her Highness made kindly deed to cheer my bechildness, though she let speech that some sorrow has grown that I had already so become, forewhy many would deem it a boon to strengthen bonds with Son if I bore a Lea child. ~Das Leas o’stimi aesehas,~ she smartly told, to which we laughed: “The men of Lea stand ever ready.”
There we also met Mistress Istrael and Master Ahan, both of the city’s lorewardens. We talked right merrily, sunderly when they learned that Taiase had selfsomely known some of the lorewardens’ forerunners whose writworks they have read. Taiase shared some funny tales that outmade these worthy philosophers of the Sage-Queens as rather silly.
Toward the end, Mistress Istrael looked markedly to Her Highness, almost as if seeking leave. At a shared thought, she asked whether we are inread to the secrets. Istae and I nodded. Taiase warily answered that she had been inread, insofar as the secrets were known in her time, though she could not speak of new secrets learned sinceward. Mistress Istrael deemed this answer fit. Then she told they would give us a show-fare, if we were willing.
We took Her Highness’s lissome leave and followed the mistress from Hightown to the island’s cliff-foot, where within a hollow hid a door. Master Ahan unlocked it and welcomely bade us intread, where we stepped into a dank delveburrow. When we asked, he told we stood in the ~Shionyol~ - the city’s Undercroft.
Soon as we betrod, I witted a queerness in this burrow, though first I athanked it to the dank stench, and doubtlessly strengthened from the city’s sewers. All who could cast witch-lights, and Mistress Istrael also lit a lantern, whose warm wicklight soothed wariness. We followed a hallway whose floor was cut down into the stone, though the craftwise shifted up the walls. Puddles smeared our feet, which at lower steads filled to pools, at whose dark depths we lifted hems and sidestepped instead of letting them smear our flesh. At odd thwart-burrows I smelled lakewater, though the dankness overwon.
While we strode the dark halls, they showed eyesomely of newer delvework made over older burrows. Master Ahan yaysaid my guess that the sewers indeed run through the Undercroft, and that much work had been done to run them and upkeep, which is why many of these delves exist, and why workers meanly come down here. I gathered from his word, however that an older burrow-set indeed forestood, over which workers had carven deeper, straighter paths.
My inkling proved true when we reached an upward slopeway leading deeper into the undercroft’s heart. The slope rose free of the newer delvework, a smooth, stepless ledge fading into shadow. Its unoverworked floor scooped unflatly low, even as the hollow’s height shortened. Not only I witted the shape, but so did Taiase, who froze at the slope’s foot.
I saw the shudder run through her, as yestermind of being borne up a samely slope. Tears shed of the elder queen’s eyes while she whispered: ~Moqeva!~
At our beseech, we halted a while at the slope’s foot. Istae and I held Taiase’s hands while she fought fright. We asked if she would instead go outside. Yet she reeved herself, dried tears, and forespoke to go onward. Thus Master Ahan led us up the slopeway, where we Damaya must crouch to fit while our antennae shunned the roof. More burrows twisted and split, a warren I reckoned like the delve-set we had oversought with Master Mearthil and Kazos in the Dale of Amaea, where we had found Taiase. Doubtlessly we would have become lost, though we spotted waymarks drawn on the walls, left by the lorewardens’ ilk. Mistress Istrael told that workers still sometimes become lost heredown, even with the waymarks, and that whole teams must be sent to fully seek the burrows. At nightmarish thoughts of wandering blind through these twisting, knotty burrows, I had to ground my mind, lest fright overtake.
At last we came to a domelike hollow that, so far as I could reckon, stood at the warren’s height, somewhere under the island’s peak. Falteringly we introd after the lorewardens and beheld this goal. It showed oddly bare, bowed walls uncarven. The floor was empty but for a lone marmlestone stoolshaft, waist-high at the room’s midst. Heedfully, it bore an overlaid sheerglass top, which alone drew mind, even without the thing lying upon it.
What it upheld showed heedful, even in its mereness: an axehead, small and peenless, of a shape not odd if it sat upon a haft as a rider’s axe. Its only oddness lay in that it was cast of bronze, and fully green. No such weapon has been wielded since long ere Taiase’s time, and even ere the Sage-Queens.
We looked to the masters and asked this thing’s meaningweight. In answer, Mistress Istrael asked whether I am truly a soul-seer. When I yaysaid, she read that I should let the axehead tell me itself. Slowly I reached forth and lifted the axehead, set my mind, and peered within…
...I am holding the axe overhead, though sheerly bright and ruddy, set on a wooden haft even as I had forethought. Limned by Burning-Mother’s brightness, which would blind me but for the axehead’s shade, within cloudless Heaven so sheerly blue as I have ever seen. I am standing on a broad rocky cliff, bare but topped with odd treelings, brambles, and canegrass. Looking downward, I find I am standing before a milk-tree sapling, leaves shining gold and green, and fresh pink-stripe buds barely open.

As I look aring this stead, the queerest kithness overtakes me. Upward over my shoulder, another crag rises even higher. I stare, for I believe I should know it. Yet its whits offthrow my mind, as if something is missing from its bramble-whelmed cliffsides, too unworked, too wild, to fit my knowledge. Then I gaze further outward and behold a great river, surely Father Yaro, too broad to be anything else! Tree-limbs overhang and hide the banks, with no hint of townhold, farmhold, or homestead. Yet I have overlooked this same sight-stead of the river’s bend a thousand times and a thousand again in my lifetime…
I opened my eyes and found the others waiting, and Mistress Istrael and Master Ahan outlookfully. I regained breath and said this axehead’s weirdmark seemingly shows Son, but only the stead ere even the City rose. Reckfully Taiase asked leave, for she is a learned soul-seer as well, and took the axehead. I watched while its weirdweight uplifted her in mind, doubtlessly showing her the same sight. I whitted my heart drumming madly, upcaught and wanting further.
Then Taiase spoke a name: Eieshe. Son’s first queen, the Warrior-Queen who had founded our city on the Island of Aelau as safehaven for our kind, had driven back the Moqeva, and had started a dreadful war on that foe until their utter slaughter. She had done so from a foresight bequeathed by Burning-Mother, as she stood upon what is now the Ofu, the City’s highest stead, between Ta-Eizohu above and Father-Yaro below.
Master Ahan asoothed that this was truly Queen Eieshe’s axe. He told that, when the Warrior-Queens had driven the Moqeva from Mother Arasene’s shore, they had borne this heirloom. When the foe’s stronghold was overrun and Lea founded, the axe had stayed, a token of faith between the Lashunta’s two oldest cities. Yet then had come the great moldstorms of the Third Yearthousand, which had outwhiped the elder Retaea Clans and Lea alongwith, its soul-tree withered, and the axe beguessed lost. 
As we knew, Lea was refounded, Master Ahan akept the tale. When the settlers came, took the empty city, planted a new soul-tree, and laterward outfound this same warren, they had found the axe lying in this hollow, on this same spot in its midst. Someone unknown had withdrawn it from the queen’s palace and set it here, for what reason none could tell.
The thought darkened my mind. Had something lurked through Lea’s empty streets and halls after the elder Lashunta fell? Had they found this, our folk’s holiest relic, and thieved it down here to drown in blindness? To what end? 
I asked why the axe had not been brought back to the world’s light, to a temple for the folk’s worship. Mistress Istrael told that long the priests had reckoned this thought, and even sometimes do again. Yet they had deemed that whatever evil might have haunted the city in that forsaken time had long forsaken this warren. They believed the axe had driven it forth. She reminded that, under the secrets, we know something of the world’s dark depth and the things that have crept through them in elder times. She also told that some lorewardens believe that such hollows even lead under the lake, water-flooded where no Lashunta can follow, and whither none know. ~Noryu-mu ahya hoveassya thayelu, o ollayaf delanassura o’mue.~ - “If this axe has the might to forbid them, then maybe we are better off leaving it here.”
Worshipfully we left the axehead on its stand, over which we sang a short prayer to Burning-Mother, and then left. It felt wrong to leave it in darkness, though it had stayed for yearthousands. Then we hastened back down the burrows and slopeways, back to the Lashunta-delved lower halls, and back to where the skylight beckoned warmly. I shrive my hands will-lessly clutched my belly, trying to ward the life I bear inside.
Once outside, we breathed the world’s freshness and gave thanks. Taiase hugged Istae, locked in a deep mood that her maidenlove answered. I clove them both and gathered them in arms, where we fell into a tight mindshare and tried to soothe ourselves. This also gave hap to share with Istae our weirdsight we had gotten from the axe.
We thanked Mistress Istrael and Master Ahan for the walk-show, which had yielded more fright and wonder than we had forelooked. On an inthrify whit, Taiase shared that Lea’s queen her host in elder times had not entrusted her with the axe’s knowledge. She wondered that Lea back then might have feared Son might try to claim the axe sunderly as our city’s heirloom, though she reckoned it has now stayed far longer in Lea than ever it had ere done in Son.
The lorewardens hosted us back to Uppertown. At the Embassy’s gate, however, Taiase bade that we should go to Burning-Mother’s temple. There we each three bought a waxblaze, which we set burning before the altar. Taiase’s prayer held an earnestness I could not misgive, and that mine came near to match, sunderly when we sang the old refrain: ~O’samae shirayaese lomarru, yio’illi va ollya dumya-ruaelm, o’ariassi Maeanmauere.~ - “Let your light shine down upon all, so that we may see goodness and glorify our Heavenly Mother.”

Lashunta Terms & Phrases:

• ~Komori~: Lashunta mental affliction caused by a failed ~Saiahi~ mindshare.

• ~Qoelu~: Castrovellian sauroid megafauna.

• ~Das Leas o’stimi aesehas,~ - “The men of Lea stand ever ready.”

• ~Shionyol~: undercroft; catacombs.

• ~Moqeva~: extinct species of Castrovellian serpentfolk.

• ~Noryu-mu ahya hoveassya thayelu, o ollayaf delanassura o’mue.~ - “If this axe has the might to forbid them, then maybe we are better off leaving it here.”

• ~O’samae shirayaese lomarru, yio’illi va ollya dumya-ruaelm o’ariassi Maeanmauere.~ - “Let your light shine down upon all, so that we may see goodness and glorify our Heavenly Mother.”