A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 23
~O'mei Vaeol-Ile kiaea-ruaele haiafasrao doma zhaomada.~ (In which Lady Vaeol receives a visitor none expected.)
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
4. Zielae, 24,546 - Qabarat; 23rd Day of Qualmlock
Today Mistress Shotheiae told a Korasha was waiting at the foregate. Quoth she, he beseeched to meet me but gave no name, and the only thing else known was that he spoke with a Son lilt. Beriddled, with Kaure’s and Less’s help, Remaue and I came to the midyard, with answer to our host to inlet the newcomer.
From a bench I beheld an older Korasha with strong forearms, and clothed in a kilt and shoulderbag, intread the yard. Yet at once I knew his gnarled but deft hands, his keen gaze, and rosy-gold locks thinning atop his brow. I staggered upright against Aeosel heavy on my breast. I would have run if Kaure had not caught me. Tears burst from my eyes as a word from my throat: ~A Didi!~ I beheld Aeosiss my father.
Four years had fled since I had seen my father, after Oshis’s ban, the feud with my mother, our less than lawful raid on Elahat and flight to the Retaea, my son’s birth, and a moor-war. I almost fought Kaure’s hold until Aeosiss, maybe bewitting my wildness, maybe under his own love, ran, knelt, and set his brow and shoulder against my belly. Yet I would not stand so moodsomely overwhelmed, and so knelt where I could lay antennae with his and mingle tears. Then we hugged and sobbed laughter.
Soon his mind drew to Aeosel, who sleepily stirred. I raised my son, started mindshare, and begreeted them. His grandfather clove, and when their thoughts melded, I felt a throb, almost like a whipbramble wrapping. Aeosel laughed, a song to my ears and the first in so many days. A bond grew between, so strong as the love I likewise share with my father. Aeosiss took his first grandchild upon his thick elbow. Then from a beltbin he drew a marmlestone ball, one I knew, and that he had carven himself, had been chipped and reground smooth, and wherewith I had many times played in childhood. My son took it in chubby hands and laughed again. I could not shed them even if I had wanted.
Not to be outleft, Remaue bade to greet my father, overbent and hugged him, and with Kaure soon. Word of a fellow ~Sonnas~ had also spread through the household, swiftly bringing our flagmates; wives still leaning on their manmates’ shoulders, who merrily cheered his income with many bows and hugs.
Then Mistress Shotheiae our host outspoke this wonderful happendom, but also asked the riddle of how my father had come under qualmlock. Aeosiss forespoke to tell. Then he helped me rise and sat with me abench while he held Aeosel.
Farseer-word had swiftly reached Son of Qabarat’s grim qualm, told Aeosiss, and soon afterward of Lady Nauve’s death (which sorrow we still owe worship). Son’s Matronhood had benamed Lady Sheneal as the new ambassador, and who had readied a peacebode to uptake her new stalldom. My father had begged leave to afollow, saying they had no word of my welfare and that he would do utmost to uphold me though plight. Lady-Mother had given leave, and so he had cloven the peacebode. They had swift fare southward on Father-Yaro’s Blighttide flood, but then had spent the last week in Eiha, since under qualmlock they could not intread the city. Yet with the looseness bestowed at Treesong, the peacebode had gotten early leave, ere aftomorrow’s market. Thus they had yesterday intread the city and had come to the Embassy.
Yet Mistress Shotheiae asked how my father had gotten leave to come to our household, since it stands in an else farthing than the Embassy and the thoroughfare-writs are not outcomeful until market day. Here my father grew ashamed and said nothing. Then we laughingly bewrayed him coming lawlessly through the farthingwalls, whereat my father knelt and shrove he had beseeched boons from old friends, since long ago he had learned stonecraft in Qabarat, and who had smuggled him under the Streetwatch’s wariness. Almost the whole household hailed him as a bold outlaw, though Mistress Shotheiae seemingly worried of the law’s breach. At last she deemed she could forgive a new grandfather. ~O’noli eayi nauzhi domi li kezhi, hei temi ti ayao,~ she warned: “Let there be no thralldom or curse, but stay out of sight.” My father meekly bowed.
Then from his shoulder-bag he drew forth two jugs in bramble-woven sleeves. ~Mo Krastaesa-bei,~ - “These are from Krastaes,” he spoke, and yielded one to Remaue. She uncorked, drank, and grinned. ~Lamu!~ she gleed, and then shared the jug, where we all got to taste Krastaes’s skill grown from champion to wine-brewer. After we swigged, we gave the other jug to Mistress Shotheiae for the household’s weal.
Then my father drew forth something else: a small box. This he wordlessly gave me. I opened it, and my heart stilled at the thing within: my mother’s armband, which she had had for my whole lifetime, a mere thing of gold and copper wrought as a twosome of twisted leaves. Yet I had played with it in childhood, and she knew I had ever loved it. I took it out, fondled dearly, and set it to my brow.
At the box’s bottom, under the wristband, lay a leafwrit. Fingers shivering, I unfolded and read. ~Laemya-ruaelve,~ it merely wrote: “I yield sorrow.”I bowed, almost toppling from the bench, too late bewaring not to crumple the writ in hand. I lay my head on my father’s and could not halt sobbing, even against death. Four years of bitter anger melted. Four years of my mother’s stubbornness broken in that mere word, and a daughter’s so much.
Remaue witted weariness against my mood, and bywardly bade me slumber. When I stood, for the first time Aeosel stayed with someone else than me. Even much as it eased, achingly I forsoothed my babe a step further to becoming a child.
When laterward I came back down to feed him, I beheld Aeosiss my father, still with Aeosel my son sitting playfully on his nape, and talking with Oshis. I had wondered how my father and fathermate would behave together, since I would not have beguilted my father for holding the komori’s stroke against Oshis, as my mother had done and thus birthed our feud. Yet if ever my father had so misthought, he had rightly forgiven Oshis. They witted me and cheerily hailed, with Aeosel glowing a big baby-smile. Shortly I halted, beholding this sight’s dearness. ~A da-vas,~ - “My men,” I named them blessingly. Then I hobbled forth, took Aeosel to breast, and let them uphold me.
5. Zielae, 24,546 - Qabarat 24th Day of Qualmlock
Our flag’s whole children, and also the household’s, have benamed Aeosiss as grandfather, which has bestowed him the main business to watch them. He has rather haughtily taken this stalldom and has led them through the house, teaching them the roots of stonecraft, and tells tales in the midyard, and outreached to the greater household as well. I fear they are of my childhood and the blithe naughtiness a bold youngest daughter might upthink.
So dear has my father’s mindfulness become to the household that I almost fear to lose his time, and dolefully how he gladly afills any beseech. Taiase bade him to her bedside with Istae and asked all news from Son. I also overheard Draue speaking with Tae: ~Amaha o hishas thonya-has,~ - “It is nice to have another man to do work,” which I beshrive rankled my flagwifehood, since as warriors, we are no dainty housewives beswaying men to lift heavy things and fetch on hand and foot. And besides, he is my father! Maybe motherhood has berotten us to so forelook men? Then I caught Remaue flirtsomely whining that she, still strengthening, needed help, too. I know my greedy wifemate too well and struck with a fierceness I shrive frightened her. I outspoke she had badly enough slept with my brother back in Lea. ~O’illi-vei dizimi thaes dia-vasra!~ - “You shall not have my father, too!” Remaue withdrew, which is rather nice having her listen.
At foreve, at last I found hap to sit with my father and teach Aeosel to play marmlestones, or instead Aeosiss and I tried to play while our babe crawled forth upon the stepstone and wildly swatted the gambits. We ended hovering the stones right out of reach while our boy floundered merrily. Then to our glee, he grabbed his grandfather’s knee and proudly drew himself upright on chubby legs. My father grinned while I wept.
Kaure kindly swooped in and bore Aeosel away (all erstwhile fear forgotten!). I beseeched my father to walk through the midyard. He helped me stand, and then smartly set his shoulder under my ribs. So we walked beside; him bearing my weight. A light wind blew fresh mist, dimming Blighttide heat.
~Vi hizelas se-bei o’zhi-lei,~ said my father, speaking of Aeosel: “He reminds me of you at that year.” I squeezed his arm and bowed my brow to him. He took forehap to halt and face me. ~Sei iqovya-ruaelaf, o'mae-komi. Sae heili-vya di limi,~ - "I behold you here, in motherhoods's fullness," he wondered. "Words cannot tell my pride." I chided he has missed my mightiest height, since my birthmight has already faded. Yet he naysaid. ~Usa o'neami vaese,~ - "It is enough you are alive and safe." Then he ran a finger along my scar, angrily bright without goldgum, which war-tale he had doubtlessly heard. ~O’hiadeni-nae vushif kaneshura namanamura o hiqolamyelvas,~ - “I shall need to recarve some stonelikenesses when I come home,” he mildly chided, and then booped my nose, which longer ago I had broken: ~Reashe di nilone,~ - “No more scars.”
Lashunta Words & Phrases:
- Didi - diminutive of ~Dias~ (masc): father
- Sonnas (masc): a citizen of Son
- O’noli eayi - in judgement it may/would be
- Nauzhi domi (spir): no thralldom/punshiment
- li: or
- kezhi (spir): curse; bane
- hei temi (direct imp): but stay
- ti ayao: beyond/ out of sight
- Mo (neut): inclusive demonstrative; this; these
- Krastaesa-bei: from Krastaes
- Lamu (anim): wine
- Laemya-ruaelve (1st-fem cond intrans): I yield sorrow; I am sorry
- A da-vas (vocative): My men
- Amaha (3rd-comm): it is nice
- O hishas thonya-has: that another does work
- O’illi-vei (adv): by my will
- Dizimi (adv): not also
- Thazye (3rd-fem cond perf): she would/might take
- Dia-vasra (masc acc): my/our father
- Vi hizelas (3rd-masc): he reminds me/us
- Se-bei: of/from you
- O’zhi-lei: in that year
- Reashe (fem): scar; scars
- Di nilone (fem): no/not more
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