A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 24
~O'mei Vaeol-Ile zhaomane tiara henmadurathauara, o'yiadeni-zimi harya sholye.~ (In which Lady Vaeol looks forward to Qualmlock’s end, and also how to find her strength.)
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
6. Zielae, 24,546 - Qabarat; 25th Day of Qualmlock
First market day since the qualm. Mistress Shotheiae sent Noael and a thane to buy fresh greenshoots and fruit. They came back telling the fees were shamelessly dear, and with merely some sapleaves and cakewort. Her mother beread it is ever so after qualmtide, and that the sales will fall in the next few days as more goods come into the city and freshness threatens. ~Ollonya o elindo thino yi domo,~ - “Better a few moonbits than nothing,” she foreread traders’ wisdom.
Mistress Shotheiae also foretold that today the matrons will take a much owed tarry from the hearthbenches after five days’ beseech. Yet tomorrow, and since we have gone the needed dayscore since the fever ebbed, we may beseech thoroughfare-writ and so get leave to go to the Embassy. This bethought well, and so we foreset to go.
8. Zielae, 24,546 - 27th Day of Qualmlock
Yesterday we showed before the matrons and beseeched thoroughfare-writ, our forespoken business to seek Son’s ambassador as the Embassy’s fellows. Thus today, Kaure kindly saddled Ess and led him to the foregate, whomwithout I doubt I could have reached the Embassy.
It is rather an oddness to ride Shotalashu within the city, which under law is forbidden to lessen the streets’ filth and stench. Even though outriders are lawfully alet, it still goes against wont and good couthness. I somewhat eased, however, when I saw other outriders, like me clothed in breastdish, armband, and greave, and likewise riding unsteady saddles. Kaure and Oshis ahostingly walked beside Ess. Even so, I needed their help to share Aeosel’s burden.
When we reached the Embassy, I almost toppled aground, and then tarried swoonily in the foreyard until I bade the thane bename me to Her Highness Lady Sheneal. Her Highness heard me in the same stallroom I knew well from Lady Nauve’s tide, and which I could tell she and her grooms were redighting. I own behoof of knowing Lady Sheneal for most of my lifetime, whereby we both reckon a good yard of each other. As my worship’s answer, she lissomely kissed my belly and my babe’s brow. I told I also came to speak for Lady Taiase and Istae, who were lately ill. Lady Sheneal beheld my hollow slightness, and reckoned how much worse they must be.
We sat at the windowdeck and shared tea. I asked whether anyone had word of Lady Nauve’s death. Her Highness told she had fallen in fellowship with her housemates and thanes, but so swift that she could not bequeathe last word else than a feverish mumble. We both bowed heads, raised hands, and whispered a short hymn to the World-Soul.
Then Lady Sheneal took a leafwrit from a sideboard. She told she had found it among Lady Nauve’s business, and that it was a bid from Her Highness Lady Ivassil, Qabarat’s High Matron, that I should fight in the next City Games. Eyesome it had stemmed from my nameworth beating Byreath in Lea. ~Ziari seilaf o osa-ya mi ahaya,~ she eyed me keenly: “Yet I wonder whether such a thing is now canny.”
At that breathtide I felt such shame at myself, at my weakness, at the fear of my babe’s early mind-shedness and birthmight’s loss, and at the fear overtaking thought of fighting in the Games as less than I had been, and my weakness shown before all. Lady Sheneal read my heart and set the writ aside. Then she spoke a thought: even though she knew Lady-Mother sorely wishes me to come home, she will bode choice to have me stay in Qabarat another year, and so deal with Lady Ivassil that I fight in next year’s Games. ~Dei mithaea?~ - “Will that accept?” Her Highness asked?
I forsoothed I had a choice. I could cower under weakness, all I had undergone and lost, while these last two months, and let it overhold me. Or I could fight back and refind my mightiness. It would be hard. Yet I had never shunned hurt. ~O’ruqeamya-ruae Haueirryu o’vosi zhaomaea-ruaelf Motoraea zhizya,~ - “Tell Her Highness I will gladly look forward to next year’s Motorae,” I yaysaid.
Lady Sheneal asked whether my flag needed anything, or so our hosts. I thanked and forespoke to let her know. Then, rather wryly, Her Highness asked whether I knew the whereabouts of Aeosiss my father, and lightly told he had gone missing from the Embassy for some days. Here I found shrewdness to shrive nothing under fear of qualm-law’s breach. Her Highness rightly read my wordlessness and chuckled. She bade me tell my father that after qualmlock ends, he should come to the Embassy, forwhy as his least fee he can mend the hall’s eaves, since she would shamefully let a Qabarat stonewright do so when a Son master is here. Meekly I yaysaid, whereat Highness again kissed my babe and gave me good leave.
At homecome I went straight to bed and slept until duskmeal. Then I told my housemates, Mistress Shotheiae, and Mistress Nimaue that we forelook another year in Qabarat to meet the High Matron’s wish. Happily, none seemed sorrowful. So now I must merely start the long way back to strength.
9. Zielae, 24,546 - 28th Day of Qualmlock
After yesterday’s thought, today seems the best tide to start. With my father ahosting, I walked along the street to the neighbortree and made about a sixsome loops. For some of them I bore Aeosel. For others, my father did. At the end, we sat under the boughs to tarry, and the treesinger yielded fresh milk. Then we made the weary walk back to the household.
Laterward, though my arms and legs shuddered, and surely I will be sore tomorrow, I stood in the midyard and shaped the old drillframes learned in newlinghood, without a weapon, and without my son as I had done back after birthtide. As I reckoned the long way ere next year, I reminded my loretide at the Hall of Stars when first I stood looking upward at Ta-Shestaru and worrying I could ever climb until and beyond the sky, and what the lead had said when I quailed: ~Halla-Laeama unira o luna-ima,~ - “The Ten-Thousand Stair begins with one step.”
11. Zielae, 24,546 - 30th Day of Qualmlock
I have started a set of leafwrits: one to Lady Marauqereth and another to Vosaeth. With luck, we may get them brought through the elfgate to Ofu-Laubu. If Her Ladyship still holds her plan, she may soon fly and meet Vosaeth in Lea. The biggest riddle is what to tell of all our fetches and ills here in Qabarat. Gone are the days when Taiase and I could bode farseer-word over half a mainland to reach a friend.
To that end, and harkening Master Kaff’s warning back in Ofu-Labu about birthmight’s loss, I have added the old mind-drills to my daily wont. Along with, today with my father’s help I climbed the Neighbortree’s beamstair on our walk. ~Luna hisha o Halla-Laeama~ - “Another step on the Ten Thousand Stairs.
13. Zielae, 24,547 - 32nd Day of Qualmlock
Today Nivae, our host’s eldest daughter, came home, after let to leave her ship where she had listfully waited these last twelve days, and under much glee from her mothers and children. Under goods’ seldomness wrought by the qualm, she told they already have found buyers for their freight, which word bestows a small good news amid sorrow.
With her comeback, the only daughter missed is Semuane, who with luck still rides the rainwood near Lost Hoshiasa. Odd to think the cursed city of the Moqeva is the safer stead.
14. Zielae, 24,546 - 33rd Day of Qualmlock
Quoth the housethanes, market fees for food have steadily fallen. On the downside, however so many hinterland traders have gotten leave to come into the city that they almost have greater freedom to stir than the neighborfolk. Many crafters and workers rankle openly before the matrons to gainsay the qualmlock. The greatest ask: when last has anyone sickened under the qualm? Some call its flow has already outrun. While the matrons yaysay not, they beread wariness, and that under the dayspan, it may grow again.
At the upraised throats, Mistress Shotheiae’s eyes wallowed. ~O’kamathi-stimi yiha,~ - “They do so every tide,” she chided, added Qabarat beheld at least one such qualmtide a year. She would reckon the neighborfolk should better foreready.
Lashunta Words & Phrases:
- Ollona (masc): better; it is better
- elindo (neut): moonbit; small denomination silver coin
- thino (neut): few; seldom
- yi (spir): relative adverb; as; than
- domo (neut): nothing; none; no
- Ziari (spir): yet; however
- seilaf (1st-pers trans): I/we wish
- osa-ya (comm): such thing/business
- mi (spir): inclusive adverb; now; here
- ahaya (3rd-comm cond): it could be
- Dei (spir): interrogative particle
- mithaea (3rd-comm cond): it may/would be acceptable
- O’ruqeamya-ruae (honor-imp): please convey
- Haueirryu (fem alla/dative): to/for Her Highness
- O’vosi (adv): gladly
- Zhaomaea-ruaelf (1st-pers cond honor): I/we will/would look forward
- Motoraea zhizya (spir acc): the next Motorae festival
- Halla-Laeama (comm): the Ten-Thousand Stair
- Unira (3rd-comm): begins
- Luna-ima (comm): one step
- Luna hisha (comm): another step
- O’kamathi-stimi (spir): every time
- Yiha (3rd-comm): do/does so; do likewise
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