A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 65

~O'mei Vaeol-Ile ayasya shimeia zhiathe, oe shorya-naze ruqeamya homaeasru tollasru.~ (In which Lady Vaeol learns pity for a foe, and gets to send a message to an old friend.)

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

6. Afaelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat
I owe too much to write and not enough time. Today Kaure and I spent a whole daytide at the Inquisition Hall, where we underwent so thorough an inseech as if we had betrayed the Secrets, nevermind that Lady Amel, Lady Thauless, and Master Milos had right gone with us to Loskialua and had surely witnessed all same and worthy, and nevermind that Her Highness Lady Sheneal outwilled to stand beside and hear the whole seechtide. I still misgave having her as an ally. Yet quoth her businesslike wisdom, our shame under the Inquisition’s hands would behoove Son nowhit, and dolefully when it was not our mistake. When our inseechers misbelieved our word, I answered they should ask the three inquisitors who had afellowed us. They mistook my answer with ill will. I stalwartly bade them trust their fellows, whereat Her Highness instrode and deemed the redetide ended.
To waste the goodwill, however, Her Highness afterward bemoaned her plan’s loss to send us back home, which my gatefare to Loskialua haa belagged. She has hired another flatbark to bring us upriver but worries Floodtide may now catch us. She has trothed our fare on the Tenth, in four days, which means we again rushed to foreready after our flag had stuck awaiting me and Kaure.
At least, Kaure and I brooked the Inquisition’s seechtide to freshen our tale’s whits, so that with her help I can now write the rest here.
Back in Loskialua on 2. Afaelae’s morntide (four days ago), the day after us coming to Loskialua, we again met the three Inquisitors, Master Mearthil, and the Sovyrian Elves. I repeated my yesternight’s thoughtspeech with the Formian warrior I had named Teiushye, and warned that, under hive and warriorhood’s faith, she would not willingly yield her fetch’s goal or any secrets else. Lady Thauless asked whether the time came to try sterner wises. I answered that, since the Formian already lay nigh death, any such sternness might easily kill her. Elder Jenthiel and the Oatia’s main healer yaysaid my thought. They reckoned the Formian merely had a few days to live.
They then asked me to again try outmeanhood with the Formian. So I went again to the shack and spent more than a belltide beside Teiushye’s bed. Yet although she roused when I first reached mindshare, she swiftly stilled again, and her mind so dizzy I could not even tell wakefulness from slumber. So grudgingly I left, since I foresaw no end in further trial.
Afterward, I found Kaure and Aeosel, who were playing in a patch of colddust, reckless of the chill, when Elder Jenthiel came. They spoke of my yesternight talk of the ~Firen~ - Aslanta - and asked whether I would meet Mistress Alleli. I readily yaysaid. So we followed Jenthiel to a household beside a greater starwatch hall and sang greeting at the door. Then we introd a fair but cluttered room, where we met an elfwife, whom Jenthiel undergreeted as Alleli. She was swiftly besmitten by Aeosel as the first Lashunta babe she had ever met (and who showed a gleeful mood), and then lissomely served tea.
After we drank, Alleli smiled and said she had heard we both ken ~Firen~. I nodded and answered I wonderfully yearned to hear her tale. I began with mine (and which Kaure had often heard): thirteen years ago as a young troop reeve, I had gotten fetch to leave Son and scout the rainwood swamps on Father-Yaro’s eastern bank, and to seek the root of bothersome omens our city’s soulseers had bewared. There we had found a twelvesome outlandish men, starkly not Lashunta or Elves, lost and starving in the swamp. We had bound and led them back to Son, where we had learned all we could, and had deemed them Aslanta, or ~Hyumanza~ as they named themselves, as who had once come to our world while the Time of the Warrior-Queens more than twenty thousand years ago. They had come through a Moqeva worldgate in Lost Hoshiasa and beseeched our help to find corpsicum. We had hosted them to Qabarat, beread with that city’s lorewardens, and then had gone onward to Candares, where the Kaymos keep corpsicum. After some mishaps and bargain, we had won it for the Aslanta and brought them back to Qabarat. Then we had gone onward to El, where we must bewin the Sova to let the Aslanta through the Kyonin Gate. Then, with some shame, I shrove we had tricked a lady of one of El’s high houses to uphold the Aslanta, whereby the Sova had yaysaid to send them home to Amarrhaiq/Qolaryon, and thereby gotten ourselves banned from Sovyrian.
After my tale, Mistress Alleli thrillsomely shared hers. Four years ago, a fetch-troop had come to Loskialua, after stumbling through the same aiudara (this seems a mean theme with Aslanta) that brought us from Qabarat. They had sought leechdom of a curse that had ailed them and others back on Amarrhaiq/Qolaryon, and of which the Oatia had knowledge from an eldritch fiend that Elves had once fought and banned to a chill lockbooth on Amarrhaiq’s northern coldstone lands (which are forsoothly broad owing to that world’s farness from the Sun). While coming hither, the fetch-troop had mistakenly brought the curse, which had ailed Alleli herself, although the outworlders had kindly helped to find the leechdom and heal her. Alleli had then sought a wise to send them home to Amarrhaiq. Then she asked whether we had seen the farsight glass standing by the aiudara. She had brooked it to aim the elfgate at a like stead on Amarrhaiq, and had so opened it to send the fetch-troop to their homeworld.
So many asks seethed in my mind. Yet I started with the easiest and asked whether the outworlders had been Firen - Aslanta. She yaysaid, but not all, since two had been Elves, and another she frankly shared had looked rather like Kaure in size and weight (a Korasha but without antennae). Quoth elven lore, Amarrhaiq is homeworld to many kinds else than Elves and Aslanta. So next I asked what most bequailed me: had one of the outworlders been named Brand Likario? Mistress Alleli naysaid, which sorrowed me against all likelihood. Yet she gave a list of the fetch-troop’s names, which I have yielded to Her Highness Lady Sheneal as my wordwrit’s share.
I then asked the frain for which I already misgave answer, but found the too mistrialsom that I could not withhold: could Mistress Alleli again work the aiudara and so open a worldgate to Amarrhaiq/Qolaryon? Here Alleli begged sorrow and outlaid the neighboring elfgate was keybound and that she had not the gatekey (the outworlders had brought their own). Yet she also warned that, even if she had a gatekey, she would withhold, since she the elfgate’s spell had been the plightiest she had ever tried. Both she and the fetch-troop had almost died and been lost among far worlds, since it had opened not only the worldgate on Qolaryon but many else. After more talk, we took kindly leave, for I wearied after my sleepless night. Yet though her tale had glummed me, still I overthought and wondered to speak further with Master Mearthil and Master Aeos about this worldgate’s canniness.
After an early slumbertide and noonmeal, we met again with the Inquisitors and Sovyrianrim, where we overtalked next steps toward the Formian. When they asked of a mindseech, I warned I own not that skill, and even if I did, I would beread against, under Teiushye’s deathly weakness. Yet then I put forth I should bring Aeosel to meet the Formian. Although they first faltered, I took my son back to the lower shack, and went into the lockbooth.
Teiushye lay almost unstirred since last tide, not even a fetterlink shifted. I knelt beside the Formian’s bed with my son held on my thighs, gathered him in mindshare, and then reached out to her. Although she first stirred not, anon her awareness grew and aimed.
“Hatchling,” her thought whispered: “Love/dear.” Her thought stoked tears from my eyes. Any wonder that Formians should not love their children any less?
Aeosel, meanwhile, grew enthralled with the Formian's new, outlandish mind. His short arms reached, and though I kept hold, I let him touch Teieshye’s hard limbs and feel her face’s shelldishes. Then her antennae rose, and his met and entwined. My son kissed a Formian, our greatest foe, and such love and sorrow wafted that, though Aeosel wept, he would not forsake his grip.
Anon the Oatia’s healer instrode and warned at Teiushye’s bother that they dreaded her health and a stroke soon forthcoming. Against Aeosel’s wail, I offlifted and sadly bore him out. Back in our room, Kaure and I sat with our son and at length soothed his tears, along with mine.
I wared Mater Milos’s head watching through the doorway, and also that he offkept Lady Thauless, whom since we first met I have ever bethought roughly uncouth. At last Milos incame and told the elders would speak again, whereat I followed back out to the mootstead. Elder Jenthiel marksomely thanked my trial with the Formian, reckoning I had made more furtherness in a day’s outmeanhood than all their trials over a half-year. They read, however, that their main healer now deemed the Formian’s health so slight that she might not outlast the night.
They then put forth the ask - to Qabarat’s inquisitors, Sovyrian’s war-reeves, and me - how should we behave for the Formian’s death? None first answered. After a long breathtide, I spoke: none should rightly die alone, and we surely should not become such coldhearted heathens who gladden of a wretch suffering, whether foe or no. Even as a Formian, Teiushye would cleave the World-Soul. Under godliness, we should ease her deathfare, and if her yestermind deemed us better after lifetime’s evil, then Greenmother might bestow us better doomfall. Lady Thauless outspoke this deed odd toward a hateful and unholy foe. I answered I had doubtlessly slain more foes than she, both Formian and Lashunta, and asked whether she loved wrackship. She shunned my eyes while shame took. I then sbecraved whether anyone else gainsaid this deed. When none did, I left Aeosel with Kaure, since I would not let my son so young witness death. Then I went alone back to the shack’s undercroft and introd the room, unheeding others waited outside.
I came to the bed, knelt, and laid hand upon the Formian’s hard arm-limb. When now I tried mindshare, Teiushye dizzily answered, “Dare: Who?” as if she kenned me not. I told her my name.
I asked whether she knew she was dying. She stilled, almost fearfully. Mildly I bade her fear not. Then I added we had erever been foes for our whole lifetimes. Yet now, at her life’s end, I would not be her foe but would soothe.
Teiushye spoke not, though whether from doubt or witlessness I could not tell. After a tide, aloss for whatever deed next, I began a song: Greenmother’s hymn, of all our lives under one great tree, the Earth drawing us up through Her roots until bough and leaves, whence from teatblossoms we are born anew. Not until the song’s end did I ware Teieshye’s mind wholly fewtered at me, and her hand had stirred to clasp mine. Her many-gemmed eyes locked on mine. Then she thought one word: “Overqueen!”
I halted, unkenning what she meant. Yet I needed nothing, since then her mind opened, and for the first time I witnessed her worldsight, all thought, but like a song or poem.

...We lay in a warm dark room with other worm-siblings, safe and reckful, cloven in something like warmind, but stronger, where our selves faded under the whole. To that oneness melded something mighty, wise, and dreadful: our queen’s mind bestowing lissome love. While we shed our hatchling-shells, shifted shape, grew legs, and drilled, that oneness stayed. It bethrothed spearmate to spearmate, underspear to overspear, speartroop to reeve, even until our Myrmarch, whom we worshiped dreadfully. It linked back to the queen above, whose hivehome we shared, whose eggs and hatchlings we warded as our own, and for whose life we would gladly upyield. We reminded fights, both sparring and against fiends, wherein we felt a too kithsome heart in win’s thrill and spearmates’ faith on every side, and whenever the queen’s thought belithed us, it felt a blessing...

Now while Teiushye lay dying, her thought headed to the Overqueen and forelooked gatherhood becoming one hive and one mind, where all shared faith, all till was worthy, and all hurt and weariness faded. Somehow, under her dying might, I beheld the others beyond the room likewise cloven in our mindshare. Like me, they wept.
Under Father-Night’s cool shroud while the Oatia starlore wardens watched heaven, the belltides spun. Sometimes Teiushye’s thoughts sang again, witnessing faith to Hive and Overqueen. When her mind weakened, I sang our hymns. Then under Darkwatch, her awareness dimmed. I kept song, though meekly softened to a hum. Then her breath stilled. Her mind dimmed and fell out of saiahi. I bowed nape and beseeched the World-Soul to take a new child to Her bosom. ~O karo shireo, zhehueia vaea iqovya-rualdaf, o’eshi namere homaere irealf~ - In my foe’s death, I found her soul’s beauty, even someone I would bename friend.
Somewhile later, Elder Jenthiel incame. With utmost lissomeness they bowed and softly touched my shoulder. With a last sob I stood, steadied, and bade they should free her shackles ere taking her body. Then I beseeched a lone link from her fetters in token, which they yaysaid. I stumbled upstairs, unheeding anyone, and halted not until I found my sleeping wifemate and son. Then I wept again and slept.
I have more to write and will end this tale tomorrow.

7. Afaelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat
With this log, I write an end to the tale of our worldfare to Loliaskua, where I had come to inseech a foe, but instead watched a friend die, and whose sorrow I still own.
I slept late while 3. Afaelae’s morntide and woke ere noonmeal. Master Milos bewared my wakefulness and boded to the others. Then he beseeched me to gather at a last redemoot. Yet I stayed and ate with Kaure and Aeosel, even if I merely poked my food. Bywardly, Master Milos came back with the other Qabarat Lashunta - Lady Amel, Lady Thauless, and Master Aeos. All the inquisitors seemed downheartened, and I guessed they had all watched in the outer room while I stayed with Teiushye, and had so witnessed our mindshare’s sad tale.
Master Aeos alone showed merry, since he had dabbled almost nowhit in the Formian’s inseech. Yet he had heard of my talk with Mistress Alleli, had likewise spoken with her, and had become enthriven of the worldgate’s canniness to Qolaryon. He forespoke to read with his guildmates back in Qabarat and even beseech wisdom from Sovyrian. With the right spellwork, they may steady the gate and open a worldpath with some trustiness. Furthermore, if we believed Alleli’s tale of the Aslanta coming, it may even open ways to more worlds. Yet that end will lie far towardly, after loreseech.
I witted Lady Thauless’s drumming fingers and that her bother grew whenever I did something to draw mindfulness. Unforbearing of Inquisitor games, I chose to take the warfield and asked how I yielded offthank. At my ask, she tightened, behaving if I had made shameless misdeed. Then she falteringly asked how I could stand to speak with the Formian. I sharply answered I had so done forwhy they had so bidden. Her head shook, not naysaying me, but her misspoken word. Yet at her befuddleness, my mettle snapped, and I asked whether she had grown easy to her wretches and not beholding them as folk.
Anon Lady Amel outspoke: ~Zienya-shyae. Yane,~ - “Forgive us. She is young.” Then she said that I had spoken the Inquisition’s hardest loretide: even wretches and the worst sinners are folk. ~Ei shami tollodi,~ she said: “It is the oldest tale.” I yaysaid, and bade them reckon a little ruth within their inquisition.
Laterward and when I felt less stubborn, I yaysaid to meet again the Oatia elders and the Sovyrianrim, who wished to overgo the nighttide’s whits and tally for all others who had not been in the outer room what had befallen while the Formians’ death. Forbearingly I told all. At the end, one of the Sovyrian Elves asked: what is the Overqueen? I answered they knew so much as I but would guess the Overqueen as the Formians’ god, since I had gotten hint that Teiushye had held the Overqueen above even her hivequeen and forelooked oneness after death. In the end, they took what few answers I yielded.
After rede with Lady-Elder Nardual (who had spent the most while talking with the Oatia elders) and Master Aeos, we chose under weariness to spend a last night at Loskialua and come back to Qabarat with the morrow. While we tarried, Mistress Alleli sought me. Over tea, she told she had thought long after our talk and also hers with Master Aeos. Although she could not warrant the worldgate’s right work, ere the ~Hyumanza~ coming, she had found through elfcraft outmeanhood with a sage on Amarrhaiq/Qolaryon. Since the Aslanta’s fetch, they had shared no word. However, if Alleli could cannily resettle farseer-word, she could bode a word on my behalf. This thought halted me. Thus on a leafslip with ink I gave her this note written in Elvish:

‘To Brand Likario, Pathfinder of Ab-Salom, from Lady Vaeol of Son: we have not forgotten you. We wish you peace and wealthy life. Remind us.”

…Whether Brand may ever get my word, or when, I know not. Yet at least I tried, and if our world’s gods and his deem kindly, he may know.
Elseward, we begladdened of Elven guesthood, ingathering small elfsong and poems, which I wonder were rather forewilled for Lady-Elder Nardual’s idleness, but which nevertheless we liked. It outcame the Oatia own a slight kinship with Qabarat’s Elves (if one can read the overwallowed manifoldness of Elven kinlore) from yore, which rather made this a regathership whereon they shared tales. Happily, over the last two years, Kaure’s Elvish has grown so learned that she understood so well as I, and we shared whits to catch the full meaning. When Aeosel wearily fussed, we went to bed early and lay under the heavy twillshroud with him between and cuddled to stay warm.
At foredawn on the Fourth, we woke to a hasty mornmeal while fresh coldglass withered on the ground. Then our trucebode gathered at the spiretop, where a skywagon rightly incame and swerved to fare us back along the purple lightthread - us, the Inquisitors, Master Aeos and Mearthil, Lady-Elder Nardual, and also the Sovyrianrim who would likewise go home to El. Along with a full wardhost, Elder Jenthiel came. Soon we flew back over the Ikal Greenreach’s boundless rainwood, where not long ago a Formian scoutfare had tried to wend. Lady Nardual lightly shrove Qabarat’s fleet and other cities would watch more earnestly.
After a hike from the end’s spiretop, we reached the elfgate by forenoon, where Master Aeos and Mearthil readied to open it. The Sovyrian Elves bade us go first, whenafter they should reopen the aiudara to El. Mearthil and Aeos yaysaid and started the spell. We watched the wayrift grow to weird soothness, and we walked through.
As forelooked, we beheld ourselves back in Qabarat’s gatestead. Gainwise to Loliaskua’s belltide, it looked rather fore-eve when we came through. Neither were we unawaited, since two gatewardens watched. One straightly dashed down the cliff to the wardenhall while the other welcomed and bade us stay.
Kaure and I bewared a tightness until Lady-Mistress Eiene, the Gatewardens’ headmistress, came up the cliff. After greeting, she asked Master Aeos whether he had well learned the spell to open the elfgate to Loskialua. He yaysaid, whereat she queerly bade him work it. Listfully he headed back to the gate, grounded, and made its gateshafts glow. Nothing happened.
At last the glow faded while Master Aeos stood shameful. When Mistress Eiene asked his furtherness, he answered that, though he had worked the spell right as learned, the wayrift opened not.
All eyes aimed on Master Mearthil, who stood awkward. I could merely guess the other Qabarata knew as I: Mearthil is a thane of a high Elven house in El, if not of the Sova themselves. Yet the elfseer swore he had rightly taught the spell as bidden, even while the headmistress bewrayed him. Then Lady-Elder Nardual loudly forsook any hand in this misdeed, outspeaking she was right so shocked as the others. At last, Master Mearthil answered that the Sovyrian gatewardens must have respelled the elfgate from the Sovyrian Stone, thus overriding all else. Then he bowed nape and spoke no more.
What hallcraft or betrayal we witnessed in this happendom I know not, since until we were led to Loskialua, I had known nothing of these things. Master Milos had said they had first minded bringing me to Loskialua back yesteryear, but then Sovyrian (who drightened the gates over all) had withstood. What heft or bargain among Sovyrian’s Elves, Qabarat’s Elves, Qabarat’s Lashunta (and the Valmayana High Staff?), and the Oatia had been done stayed beyond my ken.
Yesterday here in Qabarat, the inquisitors awrayed me ruthlessly over the wordbode I had beseeched Mistress Alleli to send Brand on Qolaryon. They becraved why I had done so. My answer: ~Stei di illaeave?~ - Why would I not? After all, I had found the Aslanta stumbling through the swamps and starving. I had kept them alive for almost a month to bring them to Son. I had hosted them through Qabarat when the Inquisition had not lowered themselves to heed! I had saved them from their own wickedness in Candares, had feuded with a high house of El to send them home, and had gotten banned as dearth. I thought I should outreach, since I had taken their welfare’s ownership.
After Lady Sheneal ended the inseech-tide, Master Milos begged sorrow for my enwallowship in the whole tawdry thing. An inkling held that he was right so shocked in how it ended. Eyesomely now Qabarat and El stand afeud over the elfgate’s ownership. Yet even in thought I misdoubt an old running strife, again harkening to our first meeting two years ago and the first word we had heard that Loskialua even was, and what one lorewarden overheard had said: ~Stya hishya di vi sheazta?~ - “What else have they not told us?”

Recap: Lady Vaeol met a Formian prisoner who is dying, and then also Mistress Alleli, who had previously hosted humans here in Loskialua.

Lashunta & Elvish Words:

• Firen (Elvish): Human
• Hyumanza (com): Human
• Amarraiq (Elvish): Golarion
• Qolaryon (com): Golarion; loanword variant of native ~Shaealisse~
• O: in; at
• Karo shireo (neut): death of a foe
• Saiahi (spir): psychich mindshare; mindmeld
• Zhehueia vaea (spir acc): beauty of [the] soul
• Iqovya-rualdaf (1st-trans perf humb): I/we have beheld
• O’eshi (adv): even
• Namere (fem acc): someone; person
• Homaere (fem acc): friend
• Irealf (1st-trans cond): I/we will/may name
• Zienya-shyae (honor imp): forgive [us]
• Yane (3rd-fem): She is young
• Shami (spir): tale
• Tollodi (spir): oldest
• Stei (adv): why; how
• Di: not
• illaeave (1st-fem cond): I/we would
• Stya hishya (spir acc): what else
• Sheazta (3rd-com perf): it/they told

| Characters in This Chapter:

• Lady Vaeol: our narrator; Damaya utrider-psychic of Son
• Kaure: Vaeol's Korasha wifemate
• Lady Amel: Damaya inquisitor of Qabarat
• Lady Thauless: Damaya inquisitor of Qabarat
• Master Milos: Korasha inquisitor of Qabarat
• Lady Sheneal: Son's ambassador to Qabarat
• Master Mearthil: Elven wizard of Qabarat
• Teiushye: a Formian warrior; prisoner of the Oatia Elves
• Elder Jenthiel: Oatia Elf elder of Loskialua
• Mistress Alleli: Oatia Elf lorewarden of Loskialua
• Aeosel: Vaeol's son
• Brand Likario: Human adventure from Golarion, rescued by Lady Vaeol
• Master Aeos: Korasha gatewarden of Qabarat
• Lady-Elder Nardual: head of elven House Thereleion in Qabarat
• Lady-Mistress Eiene: head of Qabarat's Gatewardens Guild