A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 55
~O'mei Vaeol-Ile zelya aesehe o'hafathala-zhaoe shi thaul-Anmathi.~ (In which Lady Vaeol readies her mind for the gametrial under Heaventide’s omen.)
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
11. Asealae, 24,547 - Heavenwatch
Today at last the sky opened. Burning-Mother belithed the city for Heaventide’s start, and in doleful time since the Motorae Games begin tomorrow. Sunsight stirred long-awaited neighbordances and mirthtides, along with giftful wine and spicebrandy. Yet it still has not halted the doomsayers bemoaning the lateness with every wild tale from seastorms and floods to earthquakes, or even a Formian onslaught. Reckless of the whispertales, the sunseers have stayed wordless on the late Heavenwatch’s meaningfulness, although the mean wisdom forewarns a wantsome harvest.
Hauronil laterward came to woo Kaure at the household and clove our mirthtide. When he overheard the talk of omens, he offered one he had heard: moonsight outracing Heavenwatch foreboded the world’s upside-downness, wherein Thwartkind will be uplifted. ~Eies-amahi~ - “A nice thought,” he bemarked. I grinned and said: ~Zhaoqovim yorao’ahi haem o’qoanazassi,~ - “Let us see what we may do to make it happen.”
12. Asealae, 24,547 - 19th Month in Qabarat
Today while our housemates watched the first Hoverball games, I went to the Lemussa Yard. Sievae afollowed with Lenis and Aeosel, in her understood wish to meet Meiss). No shock the weaponyard was empty, all under market day, the Games, and Year's End. Yet Master Evauess was there, who in a merry shift, welcomed us to tea. After Meiss led Lenis out to the yard’s midst to show him weaponcraft and Sievae carried Aeosel, I stayed aseat with Master Evauess.
The yardmaster brewed another cup. After he sat and shared, I asked whether he had heard of Lady Thazani’s weapondare. He yaysaid and asked my thought. I answered that, if she was one of the outriders who had shared in my foot-trial drill until someone had taken offthank from Kaure, then she earned little thought. At worst, she was a mere misdrawal.
~Be sta diyatha?~ he asked: “It misdraws from what?” I thought hard ere answer: ~O’seili inyaeve,~ - “I wish to win.”
Staidly the yardmaster nodded. He bade me stand, which befuddledly I did. Then he did something he had erenever done: he crouched and kissed my belly. He outquoth that he had long waited me to speak these words.
We sat again, shared the cup, and sipped while we watched Meiss and Lenis clacking canegrass axes. I spoke the oddness that Master Evauess had not asked why I wish to win at the Games. ~Inyae o’iryae usi,~ - “Winning is wontsomely enough,” he pithily bemarked. Wryly I nodded and reminded that, when first we introd the weaponyard, he had warned Damaya drilling with Korasha would surely become a shametide. He yaysaid and added that, if I win, that word will surely overstir the city.
I looked at my knuckles. ~Vi illayela, o rualf kolamarru losathara o’distimi tiveaya,~ I whispered: “If it goes as I will, I will give the city a shametide it will never forget.”
Master Evauess grinned. He bit his lip as if he tasted my hinted threat. He almost spoke but sat back and looked upward. Then he beseeched that he should get a yardrail seat to watch the show. I laughed, kissed his hand, and so yaysaid. He set aside the cup and said: ~O’shili vasra di kezhya-nazya-shyae,~ - “But do not get me banned.” I forespoke to ward him and that, by him unknowing the whits, he should stay safe. Then I hailed Sievae to bring my son, whereat we took leave from the gruff but noble yardmaster.
17. Asealae, 24,547 - 19th Month in Qabarat
Early sleep tonight. Yet wordworthily, I got two far-seer words. The first from Krastaes my ever-worthy First Axe back home in Son:
~A Ile, roaf o aesehise Athalarru. O’ami heshatha heiloda eadava yao-so. Risi o’zierae-thomi oyi lathya-shyaldise:~ “My lady, I know you ready for the Games. Believe that my proudest service was under your flag. Fight with the same nobleness as you showed me.”…The next word held Lea’s seer-seal and Vosaeth’s name:
~A miqye miuthe, o’zierae-shaeomi. Se are-me:~ “My oathsister and childsister, be noble and bold. You are our hero.”Remaue found me weeping in the windroom. She kissed my antennae, read the wordwrits, also wept, and then chided me as a fool. Then she hauled me afoot, swatted my rear, and drove me to bed. Last whit: earlier this morntide, I took hap to walk the Gameyard while the grooms readied it for the Hoverball trial’s last game. It is forsoothly an awesome stead: marmlestone outer walls so tall it almost looks a spire from the outside. How many seat rows: sixty? A hundred? A hostworth? Each steps up from the next, and with a deck upon the midrail for the whole Matronhood. It is rightly thrice the size of Lea’s or Ofu-Laubu’s and would make Son’s seem a quaint thurse garth. I spent a while striding the true yard underneath (and bewared I was not the only fighter so doing). Like most such gameyards, the ground is sand, which they have inbrought from elsewhere for softness against falls. Under Heaventide’s drought, it had not rained yesternight, which meant the drying sand became looser. With my newfound infighting skill from the Lemussa Yard, I will want to onrush sliplessly. Thoughtlessly, I wished more rain, even as I had wished ere Byreath’s fight. At my dead foe’s yestermind, my mood shifted maudlin and bethought the wryness that I wished the same weather under which I had slain the Retaea clanwife. I whispered a swift hymn to the World-Soul to bestow peace. Then I left the Gameyard.
Lashunta Words & Phrases:
- Eies' (spir): thought
- Amahi (spir): nice; pleasant
- Zhaoqovim (incl-trans cond): we may/will (fore)see
- Yorao’ahi (neut acc relative): what can
- Haem (inc-trans cond): we may/will do/make
- O’qoanazassi (inf): to make it become
- Be: from
- Sta (com): what; who
- Diyatha (3rd-com): it misdraws; distracts
- O’seili (adv): wishing; in wish
- Inyaeve (1st-fem cond): I/we will/may win
- Inyae (spir): winning; victory
- O’iryae (adv): wontsomely; habitually
- Usi (spir): enough
- Vi (spir): 1st-person adverb
- Illayela (3rd-com depend): if/when it intend
- O: clause-marker
- Rualf (1st-trans cond): I/we will/may yield
- Kolamarru (com all/dat): to the city
- Losathara (com acc): shametide; scandal
- O’distimi (adv): never
- Tiveaya (3rd-com cond): it will/may foreget
- O’shili (adv): just; merely
- Vasra (masc acc): me; us
- Di (adv): not
- Kezhya nazya-shyae (honor imp): get [me] banned
- A Ile (voc fem): my lady
- Roaf (1st-trans): I/we know
- Aesehise (2nd-fem): you ready/prepare
- Athalarru (com alla/dat): to the Games
- O’ami (polite imp): believe
- Heshatha (com): (term of) service
- Heiloda (com): proudest
- Eadava (1st-com perf): I/we have been
- Yao-so (2nd-dem neut): your flag
- Risi (imp): fight
- O’zierae-thomi (adv): samely nobly; with the same nobility
- Oyi (rel adv): as
- Lathya-shyaldise (2nd-fem perf honor): you have shown
- A miqye (voc fem): my oathsister
- Miuthe (fem): child-sister
- O’zierae-shaeomi (polite adv): [be] noble and bold
- Se (fem): you
- Are-me (fem incl-dem): our hero/champion
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