A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 2
In which Lady Vaeol comes to Ofu-Laubu, the city of the skyriders.
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
13. Ashelae, 24,545 - 33rd Day Northbound; Ofu-Laubu
Yesterday we reached Ofu-Laubu: the Northern Crowngem, as some bename. Unlike Qabarat and the Lower-Yaro cities, it sits upon a great berglike crag, and so seems more like our homeland Son or Lea. Yet its Ofu-crag rises almost a sem-farthing high, higher even than Ta-Eizohu looming over Son, until the loft’s warmth is whitsomely cooler than the lowland, and whose topland is broader than a ~sem~. There is room enough on its flatness for not only the city’s Highburgh but also for other townholds and farmholds with their own hometrees. I have heard that folk may dwell upon the Ofu’s topland their whole lifetime and never stride foot below.
Not that the Lauba folk dwell alone thereup, since they share the Ofu with another, and which we have ere seen. As proof, we got sight yesterday while we followed the road along the crag’s foot, which has led us from the Voliahu along the Shemez’s dry edge. A swift shadow darkened, whereat we glanced upward and beheld high leathery wings. At the Thakasa’s first sight, our Shotalashu roared. Against our mindbond, we had to strive every time a sky-steed hovered into sight, to fight the Shota’s fear to hide, and also wrath wishing to strike. Happily, none came within reach.
The city has a Lowburgh at the great cliff’s southern foot, where we were welcomed with high worship for Her Highness Lady Kueth’s homecoming, and Taiase as doleful guest and Son’s goodwill trucebode. There we met Her Highness Lady Ziaral, the city’s First Alderwife, who bequeathed us welcome on behalf of the Heavenly Daughter, Queen Seri-Ilaueth (who, under her godly hallowness, came not down to meet us). Inthriftily, Her Highness and all her thanes, who dressed in the heavy priestlike gowns odd to this city, knelt before Taiase and whelmed their bosoms, in the same elder wise as Lady Kueth had yesteryear behaved, while a troop welcomely danced and bestowed us the city’s tree-milk.
There also waited Semuane, who kept her forespoken word to meet us here and had come through Ofu-Laubu’s elfgate from Qabarat, a heavenly sight in golden glowsilk and breastdishes, her hair oversweeping her shoulder like sapphires and amber spilled from a queen’s hoard. I misdoubt she has been the most afterhunted maiden, though it recks not. Soon as the welcome-rites ended, she rushed and almost leapt upon me. Then she fell strickenly wordless when for the first time she beheld my son. Her eyes brightened as she knelt, and I think foremeant to kiss my belly until all might and will forsook her limbs. She merely stared upward until I likewise knelt and gave my son to her breast.
~O’romi-zimi qoanyas utha-sas, yeio maeavyelise assamarru o’trei eshi reali-dei.~ I said: “Let him be your son as well, since you belong to our house in heart if not in name.”
Then Vosaeth and Tae likewise knelt and yielded their sons. Semuane’s head shook, though not to naysay but to struggle under her mood’s might. Falteringly she kissed each babe’s brow, dropping tears on their chubby cheeks. After a long breathtide she rose and again hugged me. Huskily she outspoke Their Highnesses had arailed a house for our welfare, and she would lead us. Then she strode to Oshis, outquoth he had wrought well, and kissed his brow ere she off-led with no more word.
I had ere wondered on Semuane’s whole thought to stay evermaiden and reck it was not easy. Yet whatever heart she needed to quell, and if our babes rewakened it, I sorrow we have hurt her. Wiselessly, laterward she hugged my son, tangled antennae, and rocked him mildly with eyes shut.
In news less merry, Her Highness Lady Nauve, Son’s ambassador to Qabarat, had come through the elfgate with Semuane and met us at the guesthouse. When last we had seen her four years ago, I had thought we had met under goodwill, though now I am less sure, since I doubted not she came under Lady-Mother’s behest. Her Highness had erenever met Taiase, whomto she yielded right worshipful greeting. Yet my guess proved true when Her Highness beseeched our erstwhile queen to yield me, whereafter we should ready to take the elfgate to Qabarat, and thence boat back to Son.
Taiase asked Her Highness’s right, whereat Lady Nauve answered it belistened the High Matron’s will. Taiase nodded, but then dared in what writ or warrant the High Matron, or either Her Highness Nauve, could rightfully withdraw a thane from her service. When Her Highness dithered, Taiase bade that unless Nauve would hie back to Son and get a doomwrit from the Matronhood, we shall stay here, and she shall deem the thing ended.
Her Highness eyed the elder queen. ~Te vi-sheaztale o di homaea-shyaelis rendya,~ - “They had told me you love not hallcraft,” she bemarked. Taiase answered that not only did she love it not, but reckoned herself unskilled, even as history taught. Yet hallcraft had shifted little. Bemirthed at this answer, Her Highness bowed. Forespeakingly she will stay for the next days to witness the queen’s hearthtide, and then will withdraw to Qabarat. So here we stay in a house we share with Her Highness’s sith, Vosaeth’s household (inthrifty to get moor-wanderers to dwell in a city house), and Semuane, within the city’s Lowburgh and unfar from the Shota-barn, since our steeds need heed while our tide here. Today we tarried, a welcome break after a month and a half afare.
Yesternight we benamed to maidenhood, although only Kaure and Semuane outstood as maidens. Yet the deed of holding our heaven-blue maidenlove between, erstwhile foe and later spearsister, after three years’ shedness, so achesomely gladdened, becoming one mind, heart, and body again.
Sometime late, Remaue brought me Aeosel, whom happily I fed and slept again. At foredawn I rose, and since I would not bother Oshis, changed our babe’s mossnapkin myself. Then I stood at the bower’s window with him in arm, watching the sky lighten and the city’s great cliff shift gray. Semuane clove and hugged, us two standing with heads bowed abrow and antennae twined over my son. Then I yielded him to her arms, and she heaved him dearly, rocked, and giggled when his greedy mouth sought her bosom.
Under my son’s mindshare we shared yesterwhits. I had not fully reckoned all that had happened since last we met when Semuane came to Son with Master Mearthil: my bridetide, the Komori’s sorrowful stroke, Oshis’s mislucky ban, the feud with my mother, lastly our raid on Elahat and Lady Erenyae to free Oshis, and all ere we fared to the Retaea and met Vosaeth, our children’s birth, and Byreath’s war. I reminded the farseer-word she had sent ere we left Son: ~O’vithani~, beseeching us to come to Qabarat, where we would have had her kindred’s guesthood. Neither had my maidenlove been lazy under her city’s service. So I learned she had gone twice to Lost Hoshiasa, as well as spent unshort time scouting the hinterlands between that wreckstead and her city’s settled marshlands. She had even met Captain Ashi of Hanazhyana, whomfrom she had heard tale of banethings we had fought on the darkfloor when we had come from Qabarat (though happily Semuane had not met them). In whole, if her last few years were less thrillsome than ours, they were surely worthy.
I asked her of love, since her earlier writs had hinted she had found a lady. Here she withheld, though a grin slyly shrove. When I teased whether she was wooed by some shameless outland princess, she smartly answered: ~Se hivaeme-ve doazye,~ - “You are my outland princess,” which wrung a sob from my throat, though jokingly I asked whether she truly so thought me shameless. Semuane shrove she has indeed found a lady’s goodwill, and even love. When I drove, however, she withheld the lady’s name, though she hinted we may hopefully meet in Qabarat.
Wiselessly, our watch of the lightening sky with our heavenly maidenlove was so idlesome a while as I can bewrite. Kaure, Remaue, and Lanaryel found us, whereat the child snuggled merrily on Semuane’s lap. Remaue wickedly whispered that jealousy has mightily overcome our household’s men, which word befuddled me, since forelookfully I should spend idleness with Semuane after so long away. My chuckling wifemate answered it stemmed not from this tide, but rather the wise whereby spent. This unsettled my deemliness, since it beheld business whose open speech might threaten our maidenlove’s shame, until Remaue hushed me and bade us begladden of this tide together.
15. Ashelae, 24,545 - 3rd Day in Ofu-Laubu
Yesterday the Lauba rightly welcomed our trucebode and flag, along with Her Highness Lady Nauve and Semuane in fellowship, when Her Highness Lady Ziaral held a feast and mirthtide. Though the queen was not there, we are bidden to yield worship later today.
For the first tide we climbed the Ofu-Crag, which we did by a winchlift. While we have ere beheld these wonderful gearlooms in Candares and El, this one whitsomely stands in a shaft within the crag. From the foot, we introd a hollow until the lift’s deck. Although it had wholesome witchlights, it unsettled us to rise through the shaft’s gloom, dark stone on all sides, and a mere hole showing light overhead, growing too slowly. Ever since the Moqeva’s hollow in Candares and fight with the great ~qutau~ snake, a fear of tight darkness has stalked me, wherein I still feel the snake’s strangling loops. I willed myself to stand fast and hugged my wailing babe.
At the top, we got a short sight of the outlying lands, which under Stormtide showed shockingly sheer, since so seldomly do these northern lands behold rain at this yeartide, and furthermore far, outstretching many sem, making the length seem dithersomely small and near. It made the sight from Azaryau’s limbs bematchingly short, and Son’s Ofu wantsome.
Her Highness hosted a right worshipful mirthtide as we have not beheld since our first days in Lea, as shown by the whole ladyhood, and with inthrifty, outlandish dance. While the Lauba keep their own tongue, which is more akin to the Shemez and Retaea Clanfolks, they also speak Qabarati well, making their speech understandable to anyone from the Yaro Strath or the Shattersea. Also, we had not seen so much glowsilk since Her Highness Lady Ivassil’s farewell cheer for the Aslanta. While some clothed like us in the bodyshroud wise mean to Qabarat and the Yaro Cities, many wore the whelmsome, priestlike clothes that bare merely the breast. In this gathership, however, they kindly let us bring our Korasha, whom happily we would not behold slighted among the meanfolk (though we did foreassure that Less our ever-jokester stayed on best behavior).
The mirthride reminded that the palace’s boughs and stonework bore a stark Elven mood (as I pride bewaring from my stonecarver father): further proof of the Elfgate’s near link between the Northern Crowngem here and her big sister, the Western Sea’s Shining Jewel. Both cities, like even Candares earlier, began as Elven colonies, and although Qabarat still has a lively Elf-Farthing, Ofu-Laubu’s Elves left long ago, while the Withdrawal.
Selfsomely, Taiase was the main guest, whomto they behaved, if not as a queen, then slightly less as a wandering princess. I shrove it enthrove to watch these ladies kneel and wait with their otherwise bare bosoms hidden. I had wondered on this elder wont, which even keeps to lesser outstretch back home in Son, where one touches the left teat as worshipful beck before a higher lady (though we do not so sit endlessly), and there are even such likenesses of elder noblewives before the Sage-Queens. Laterward, we overtalked with Taiase on this wont’s root. She believed it had stemmed from the bosom’s mightiness in motherhood and milk leaking, which before an unmilksome queen, might be taken as hint that one might reckon mightier, and thus become offthank. She told that in her time mothers must beseech leave to feed their babes within the queen’s sight, or must withdraw under ill will, and guessed it may be samely here.
Under our newcomeness, we forelooked any kith faces we might find, and dolefully from Lea’s yesteryear Motorae Hoverball Gametide. Some we found, though one sunderly lacked: Lady Marauqereth, the young Thakasa-flight captain who had sat with us in Lea’s Gameyard. When I asked Lady Kueth, Her Highness told she has gone afetch. Yet some hint rang too glibly in her throat or antennae, which inkling I have learned to trust. I wondered why Her Highness would lie. I reminded Vosaeth’s eretide word that the name Marauqereth means a joke, thus rather doubting it is her true name. Yet why would she hide her name, and furthermore why would the whole Lauba trucebode share the sham? I shrive my inklings grow wild, to the outstretch I may better keep them unspoken and unwritten.
I must end this logwrit, since the tide is come for readiness to meet the queen at last. Remaue afterhunts, and her watch over Aeosel has not softened her.
Lasthuna Words & Phrases
- Ofu (animal): acropolis; crag; mesa
- Sem (common): unit of distance, about 3.7 miles / 6.5 kilometers.
- Thakasa (com): flying pteranosaurid tamed as an aerial steed.
- O'romi-zimi - adverbial phrase: ~romi~: allow + ~zimi~: also.
- Qoanyas - 3rd-person masc conditional of ~qoanassi~: to become
- Utha-sas - 2nd-person possessive of ~uthas~ (masc): son
- Yeio: causative dependent clause-marker; since / because
- Maeavyelise - 2nd-person passive fem dependent of ~maeavassi~: to own; belong
- Assamarru - allative/dative of ~assama~ (common): household; family
- Trei (spiritual): heart; spirit; seat of emotions
- Eshi: even; even if
- Reali-dei - negative compound: ~real~ (spir): name + ~dei (spir): negation
- Te (fem): 4th-person ultra-distal pronoun; she/they (far-removed)
- Vi (spir): 1st-person adverb; about/concerning myself
- Sheaztale: 3rd-person active pluperfect of ~sheazassi~: to tell; narrate
- Di (spiritual): not
- Homaea-shyaelis - 2nd-person active honorific aspect of ~homaeassi~: to like; be friendly.
- Rendya - accusative of ~rendi~ (spir): hallcraft; politics.
- O'vithani - polite imperative of ~vithanassi~: come to me.
- Se (fem): 2nd-person pronoun; you
- Hivaeme-ve (fem): 1st-person possessive of ~hivaeme~: princess; duchess
- Doazye (fem): outlandish; foreign; exotic
- Qutau (animal): megapython
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