A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 27

~O’mei Vaeol mi Remaue neame Kaurrye sholassere homaeasra tollasra.~ (In which Vaeol and Remaue help Kaure find an old friend.)

From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son

8. Evelae, 24,546 - 7th Month in Qabarat
Today after drilltide, I stirred on news bestowed from Her Highness Lady Sheneal, from a beseech I had first made to Lady Nauve ere she died when first we came to Qabarat, and lately had gotten answer. Befittingly, I wore my silver-gold breastdishes, armbands, and greaves, freshly shiny, and wrapped a bodyshroud and girdle. Then with Aeosel in arm and Remaue matchingly shrouded and leading Lanaryel, we set forth to the Elf-Farthing, with Kaure tailing arear.
Our goal was a small blossomyard within the Elf-Farthing, a stead that grows and sells sundry bloomworts, a dolefully Elven kind of shop. Her Highness’s word told that an old schoolmate worked there. This schoolmate I had once known as Diral, but whom I had foretold as now taking an elfname. Back in schooltide he had outspoken liking the name Hauronil. Thus Her Highness at my beseech, had sought that name as someone maybe dwelling in or near the Elf-Farthing.
Hauronil, or Diral as I had known him, was ~Rahyathalma~ - Thwartkind - like Kaure, but a manly Damayas instead of wifely Korashe. Back in Son, he had undergone many same sins, slights, and wounds. He had been a few years younger than I, who had helped him learn Elvish, since we both had loved that tongue. Yet whereas I had dabbled in elflove (and frankly maybe had sinceward forsaken), he had earnestly uptaken it. Along with his wanted elfname, he had outspoken dream of going to Qabarat, of dwelling, clothing, and speaking as an Elf, and so shunning the unkindliness many Son neighbors had dropped upon Thwartkind.
Then in speech with Kaure, we had forsoothed we had both known the same man. She had right started her firdhood while he had almost ended. Hauronil or Diral had outlooked for her, read wisdom, and warded our young Korashe from the same ills he had forborne. Then at firdhood’s end, as forespoken, he had gone to Qabarat. Under the afterward ills our maidenmate had undergone, she had missed him sorely, one friend among a city deeming her hateful.
After some seech of the farthing’s wonderful trees and elfhalls, Remaue and I found and introd a walled blossomyard, wherein we found not only a stout milk-tree and bowers thereon, but also a southern lypenaia, seldom for this land, and whomon hung glowroses and tame manihued beardmoss. Glowcaps wavered among the roots, ringing a fair pond that held frogpads and feycradles, beyond a ring of dandy trimmed canegrass, and a score of other blossomworts I could not name. Furthermore, the ground was wholly bedecked in mosses green, gold, silver, and pink amid wonderfully shapen stepstones, queer craggy rocks, and odd benches. I heard bees abuzz, doubtlessly ahive somewhere overhead. Although true that we name any fair idleyard of a sundry wise an elfyard, here we beheld its truest kind. I could almost believe glowmotes would here sprout in Heaventide.
While we betook the elfyard’s fairness, anon we witted an elfwife with dun skin and green tresses swyly watching. She wore a linen apron over rainbowlike gossamer, bore a tray of pots with new shoots, and cutely had dirt smudged acheek. On awareness we bowed, and I greeted in the fairest Elvish I could. She welcomed us, bestowing her name as Indith and the blossomyard’s mistress with her manmate. I named us Vaeol and Remaue of Son, wifemates outrider and shieldbearer, and begreeted Aeosel and Lanaryel our children. Our little daughter boldly ran to the elfwife and tugged her apron. Ever since our farfetch among the Stormshields, Lanaryel has owned a mighty friendliness for Elves, whereof she has until now gotten little hap to fulfill. Smitten by the girl’s cheeriness, the Elfmistress set aside her tray, raised her in arm, and set her ahip, whereat our daughter, antennae quivering, beamed mirth.
I witted, however, that Mistress Indith had right startled when I said we come from Son. More lissomely, she now asked how she might thew our idleness. I answered we sought an old schoolmate whom we heard might dwell here. I then asked that, if I gave the name Hauronil, would it be right? Mistress Indith slowly answered the name was right, and indeed he dwelt here, but that he now stood away with her manmate. When I asked when they would come back, she told to forelook them in a belltide or so. We begged leave to wait.
Indith giftfully yielded a bench, where I sat and fed Aeosel while our host brought tea. While we drank, Aeosel wished to walk, whereon I set him down and let him toddle to our host. Indith uplifted him, and who behaved almost so cheerily as Lanaryel (ingathering the maul of her hair, ears, and cheeks), and asked his years, fully two. Against her Elven staidness, I witted a dearness, and even a crack in her throat when she held my babe near and smelled his hair. Withholdingly she yielded him back. While Remaue and I shortly changed my babe’s mossnapkin, Mistress Indith tarried with Lanaryel, who eagerly tried to speak Elvish.
Anon our host’s mood shifted. She asked whether we understood Hauronil’s stead within their household. Warily, since this was a word more forward than forelooked under Elven couthness, I answered we would not dare foreguess.Yet we shrove his life in Son had been unhappy, and so would hope him a gladder livelihood here. At my word, Indith loosened and more shyly shared she and her manmate had taken Hauronil as hervenhae - whereof the best tongueshift to Lashunta would be ~eisahishas~ - another manmate beyond one’s first. How weightily a hervenhae fits within Elven kinship I was unsure. I guessed, however, the greater riddle might outstand how a Lashunta, even one who beloved all things Elven and lived as such, would behave among the city’s broader Elvendom, who might not atake him so lissomely. Also, as a strifesome deed, I had also heard tales of some Elven mates wanting to bear children, who sometimes take a Lashunta lover, since they believe that, although Lashunta and Elves together cannot kinderly bear children, Lashunta lustiness (which is folksomely deemed stronger) may help more swiftly quicken a babe between the sharing elfmates.
Anywise, and maybe fearing further slight, Mistress Indith beseeched leave to work while we waited. Lanaryel merrily followed her about the blossomyard and heard her sing a greensong over the new shoots the elfwife planted. Remaue dearly watched the earnestness whereby our daughter intook this lore and idly aftercame, letting the girl learn alone, but sometimes speaking in haltsome Elven (and thereby broadcasting to our daughter), while I and Aeosel stayed afar, forwhy my toddling boy’s clumsiness would befall wrecksome.
Bywardly, a hailsong rang from the foregate, and in strode two tall shapes trundling wheelbarrows, both dressed in gossamer like Mistress Indith: one an Elfman dun with gold-green hair, and the other, although seeming Elven, tan with bronze locks likewise in long elfbraids, and his antennae underwoven (which, although I have also done, I have found hurtful). Even with his cunningly wrought eartips, I knew him. By luck, Remaue stood first in sight when Indith begreeted. I could read Hauronil’s befuddleness, since even though they are of near years, they had never afellowed back home. By his head’s cock he was wondering why a Sonne wife hither came.
Then I stepped forth, Aeosel on my my hip. Hauronil’s shock showed while he forgettingly greeted me in Lashunta: ~A Ile!~. Then he neared, dropped aknee, and kissed my belly. I chuckled at the thousand questions twisting his brow and bade him stand. Then I beseeched he should hear one who bore friendship from our far and wantsome homeland, and spoke gladness to behold him here in Qabarat, as I knew he had ever dreamed - and also that his Elvish skill had outgrown his teacher’s!
We sat to talk while Indith doffed her apron and wiped her face, and their manmate - named Leiendil - brought more tea and honeyed rosebuds. We told our stay with a maidenlove’s household this half-year while strengthening after the qualm had smitten hard, and erewardly had come from Ofu-Laubu and Lea (which got an ask whether I was ~zheieve-ye Sonne~ - that Sonne outrider - who had slain a Thief-Queen). Hauronil looked from my face with its gold-drawn scar, to my babe, and then to my wifemate and her child. He bemarked the years have done busily.
I nodded while I caught his unspoken question: why we sought him. I outlaid that, along with Remaue and our children, we have also sworn to a maidenmate, and who is also from Son. Then I halted, waited for Hauronil’s brow to cock. ~Lere roaes,~ I told: “You know her.”
Ere my speech, I had thought-boded Kaure, who awaited unfar. A breathtide later, our maidenmate came into the elfyard, clothed in a fresh greenleaf-threadwork haltertop and skirt with necklace and armbands. Although she made no hail nor din, the swiftness wherewith all three of our hosts startled made me guess they were attuned to the trees witting her.
Soon as they bewared, Kaure’s stride faltered. I heeded the shock her squatness made to the Elves, and had heard that Elves better like to deal with Damaya, who not only look more like them, but also that they misdeem Korasha as apelike churls, rightly an unfair reckonship, and maybe also untrue of Elves. Yet from Kaure’s antennae I could tell the shyness warring, how much fear overtook, and the strength she needed to take another step forward to where Hauronil of Qabarat, once ereknown as Diral of Son, sat dumbstricken.
Hauronil stayed not. He leapt afoot and hurried to our maidenmate. He knelt, which set him hardly shorter than she, and took her hands. For the longest while he faltered, as if he strove to speak. For her share, Kaure wept swy tears.
At last he begged sorrow for forsaking her in Son. She shook her head. While they babbled, I beseeched to Indith and Leiendil we should withdraw and give the twain time. Falteringly they yaysaid and led us back to the bench. Remaue and I sat and kept Lanaryel near to shirk bother while our hosts clove. Together we waited, oddly glancing at Hauronil and Kaure, who now knelt, brows touching, antennae twined in mindshare in an easier wise to share their years undergone.
Against lissomeness, our hosts could not hide unease. Leiendil asked that we had been friends with Hauronil back in Son. I outlaid Kaure and I had known him at shed times, and only afterward forsoothed we knew the same man. Indith alighted their othermate seldom spoke of Son: a hint they knew more than couthness would let. I answered the question unspoken that we beguilted not his leave. Throughoutward, I read them awaiting our purpose’s outlay. Mishappily, Remaue and I could not rightfully tell, which alone belonged to Kaure. How could we tell her deedfulness, and how could anyone but Hauronil understand? Nor could any but she unravel what she wished.
The truth outstands Kaure loves Damaya. Thus no hardship she cleaves Remaue and me. Yet to find a man, and dolefully if she would have a bridetide, forelooks fewer.
These whits, however, we now withheld from our Elven hosts. What they already knew from Hauronil’s tale, and furthermore what they might guess, we understood not. Yet I reckoned they at least had questions, and dolefully when Kaure and Hauronil came nigh holding hands, but most tellingly from the many tears running down his cheeks. Hauronil stood forth and spoke he would thank us for bringing one dear, yielding Kaure a look, and that we had bestowed much to overthink. Then he headed full to Kaure and swore to see her soon again. He stooped and hugged our maidenmate, and so strongly he almost lifted her stoutness off foot. Then he beseeched us to wait his word, and that he would speak with his lovemates.
After we left, Kaure walked between while Remaue and I waited unforbearingly. She went with head bowed and eyes downcast, so that we feared her loss. We asked how he had answered her boon. ~O’ruzhi endaf,~ she answered softly: “I worry I scared him.” At her word, I reminded the first tide I had sought mindshare with our maidenmate: the sorrow, shame, hurt, and even wrath, whence almost my whole lifetime had been sheltered, the forsoothness’s shock, and then also the sly selfsome shame that I was unworthy, rather to her. Many of these ills had happened after Hauronil left Son surely were not his guilt. Yet how could he not rue, as I well understood?
At home, we led Kaure to our bower, laid Aeosel slumbery on her bosom, and bade the others withhold when they asked what ailed. Then Remaue brewed our maidenmate’s most beloved Retaea brandymilk. Soon she slept with our babe, which we deemed best. 
I made deed, however, to seek Mistress Shotheiae and Nimaue, told them our moottide with the yardmasters Indith and Leiendil, and that we may forelook them. Our hosts told their blossomyard is nameworthy, although they selfly know them not, and forespoke to rightly welcome them. More moodily I shared a last whit that our inthrift with the Elves lay with Hauronil their othermate, who is our fellow from Son and also ~Damaelauras~ - a Damaya-Elf. I beseeched to bestow him so much worship as to his elfmates, but that if our hosts found him shameful, they should tell me now, and that we should then leave their household rather than threaten further offthank. They answered he will find full welcome, since as they have guested Kaure they shall offsend no such folk. Thus I took leave greatly relieved.

Recap: Lady Vaeol's father took their flag on a tour of Qabarat's museums & arts.

Lashunta Words & Phrases:

• Rahyathalma (comm): Thwartkind; cross-clase
• Eisahishas (masc): second manmate
• A Ile (fem): My lady. Vocative address
• Zheieve-ye (fem): that/such/which outrider. Relative
• Sonne (fem): of/belonging to Son
• Lere (acc fem): her
• Roaes (2nd-pers trans): you know
• O’ruzhi (adv): worrying
• Endaf (1st-pers perf trans): I/we have feared
• Damaelauras (masc): Damaya-Elf; a damaya who passes as an Elf

Elvish Words:

• Lypenaia: tree native to Sovyrian and Kyonin
• Hervenhae: second mate; ~Eisahishas~