A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 25
~O'mei Henmaduratha o'koe tia, oe vallae Vaeole ruasse.~ (In which Qualmlock finally ends, and Vaeol’s maidenlove comes home.)
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
Ashelae Treesong, 24,546 - 6th Month in Qabarat; Qualmlock’s End (5 days since last log)
Yesterday word came from the Threefold House and swiftly spread by bode-runners and streetyellers: the matrons have deemed that at Treesong’s Dawntide today, the Qualmlock should end. They bade the cityfolk should then go straightly to neighbortree, shrine, or temple, and yield thanks that all, our kindreds and households, have outlived this sorrowful qualm. In answer, the cityfolk crowded into the streets, where by all sight an unforethought holiday outbroke. Our neighborfolk began a throng-dance, wherein they shared mead, wine and stronger drink. While we overwatched, they even thronged the farthing-gate, where they bestowed drinks and kisses to the Streetwatch and beswayed them to let through. Thus the qualmlock outcomefully ended a night early while folk streamed through the gates and cheered friends they had not seen in two months. The watchwardens shruggingly stood aside, and neither the reeves nor alderwives seemingly undertook any deed to withstand. We bade our housemates stay near, however, lest the City Fird send warriors to reinstead, and we would not have anyone caught in a farthing else or law-bound.
Today we rightly went to Treesong, which the whole neighborhood watched. We afterward made the hike to the Embassy holding an open mirthtide (I proudly write I can now walk the length, unlike last tide), where Her Highness Lady Sheneal warmly met us all, ingathering ~dia-sas tiavaeas~ - your outlaw father - as she jokingly named Aeosiss. Meekly my father forespoke to check the Embassy’s eaves, adding he still has friends in Qabarat who may help.
When we came home, we found Theleas Semuane’s elder brother had come with his children, until their grandmothers’ mighty gladness. Although weariness made me withdraw early, the household had a right merry duskmeal worthy of the holiday, and which I think did all hearts good.
2. Ashelae, 24,546 - Qabarat
Today a wordbode brought far-seer word which read:
~O’Vosaethe-bei. Eava Lea o’mallassi Marauqerethre. O’allae loma zeshiva Thanru o’zhaomassi Sealneara. Si yazava. O’sevae kissisa o doaldama Qabarata. O’shoe:~ “From Vosaeth. We are in Lea awaiting Marauqereth. Soon we all will fare to Than and forelook the Sealnea. We miss you. May you be playing wantonly in Qabarat’s idleyards. With love.”Soon as I read and shared with our house, I fetched to the farseer hall, where the wait stood more wearisome than the walk, and gladly yielded the fee to bode back my own far-seer word, which read:
~Sae-sei vosi o’ezimi-yeio’ahi zhasive, o’zi lirae tae. Verazi-Sei valomara fodi. Marauqereth-Ile shore zhassahora saeora nilyora. O’shoe-miqyei.~ “Your word gladdens more than I can write, after great sorrow. The Breath-Thief has stricken us all. Lady Marauqereth bears a leafwrit with more words. With love as oath-sisters.”Although I fear my words’ fewness may needlessly worry Vosaeth until Marauqereth comes, I could fit no more. I shall trust her faith. Then I came home and slept half the daytide, dreading the thought of ever again forbearing such mean business. 6. Ashelae, 24,546 - Qabarat Yesterday Semuane came home, under all gladness. Yet at her look, I did not even need to read her mind: the shock of seeing me qualm-withered, and all our house-sisters. It truly proved our fall’s furtherness, which almost so swiftly shamed her, not that she needed forgiveness, since the sin belongs not to her. Yet I felt like an ugly, gangly schoolmaid again when yesternight I lay in her arms, which bemet my own body’s shame, that I am less an outrider, less a wife, than I had been. She did utmost to show her love, which became a small liss. Today, under her homecome’s cheer, we gathered the whole flag, and incleaving Semuane’s sisters, brothers, and their children. Then we saddled the Shotalashu, and with the others ahost, went to the Templefarthing, and thence to a stairway leading up the Stormshield’s ridge and overward, to the Threefold House’s north. After a belltide it led through a hollow, and then a watchgate where stood a lone warden, and down to the Stormy Shore. From the height we found good sight of the Western Sea, like a sheet of wavy sheerglass stretching under a silvery sky rainless and mistless: a bright Blighttide day, which, if any thinner, we could almost reckon Burning-Mother overflying. At the Stormshield’s foot, a flat sandy strand stretched almost two hundred Shota-lengths, although Semuane warned the sea-tide’s rise would overwhelm almost this whole room. When we reached the bottom, the older children madly dashed forth to reach the crashing waves. We riders laughingly let our steeds run for the first time in we had forgotten how long, and an unlike deedfulness than drilltide on the Battle Yards. The Shotalashu gleefully gamboled and hunted each other, even overtaking their riders’ will, which greatened our mirth while the walkers more staidly followed. We halted merely to warn the children not to wade too far against the undertow’s threat. This playtide rather became a weary trial of our ongoing health. Laterward, while the Shota hunted clams along the beach and the Korasha taught the children to skip stones and helped to build a sand-hall, we Damaya withdrew to a small campstead, where Remaue had foresightfully had the men set a small shroudmeal (although our saddlebags had borne most). There we tarried, caught breath leaning on each other’s shoulders and holding babes, and ruefully watched the play. Semuane dashed near on Esaras, unsteeded, and knelt arear me and Remaue. She hugged our breasts and kissed us. Then she beseeched: ~Vaenme~ - “Let us walk.” I yaysaid and rose. My maidenlove kindly bore Aeosel while we walked to the waves. At the shore, where the thinnest sheet of water washed more than twenty strides up, my babe wished to walk. So we set his chubby feet in the water and sand while we each held an arm, and so helped him toddle while he laughed at the waves’ running grip, and even swung him aloft, although I swiftly wearied. Further on the shore we came to an outcrop standing among the waves and climbed. Semuane had me sit between her thighs while I fed Aeosel, thus hugging us both. I wondered at her sheer blue skin against my gold and rosy stripes, and even starker with my babe’s, whose bronzy hue matches his father’s. I bethought my blessedness, and bestowed such beauty’s love. Although we had not tried mindshare, she read my thought anywise as she laid brow on my sidelock. ~O’eiesi-nelomi sere yazazif,~ she whispered: “To think I almost lost you.” I nibbled her arm, and then stretched my antennae back to hers. ~O’nili-nelomi yazazise,~ I mildly chided: “You almost lost me many times,” and rubbed my face’s scar upon her. ~Vi evanda,~ - “This was unlike,” she answered. From her mind I read misthought of a mean, honorless death. She would behold me worthier, whomfor nothing less than full warriorly worship and a song shaped and sung to tell my deeds would owe. I laughed and asked why she wished my death at all, and beseeched at least to see my son grown first. ~O’loeoni-illi vaeve yi eayelve,~ - “I would live more worthily than I am,” I shrove, shifting earnest and reckoning the Breath-Thief’s weakness. I twisted back to her and begged help. She yaysaid, forespeaking to do all she can to help me strengthen and drill in the toward year. We walked back to the campstead, again toddling Aeosel between, who cheerily ran so boldly as his chubby legs could bear. My father, who was starting a potfire to simmer riceberries under Remaue’s behest, hailed us and bade his grandson come. To our forecaughtness, Aeosel broke free and boldly walked ten strides until his grandfather’s eager arms, who lifted him overhead, whirled, and proudly roared. I fell aknee on the sand and wept, witnessing how my babe too swiftly becomes a child. Semuane hugged me. Then Remaue knelt before and laid head on my shoulder. My father, against all his pride in his grandson’s deed, laterward came alone, knelt, and kissed my belly. ~Haras loeas,~ - “He is strong and worthy,” he cheered. I yaysaid, but said that, after his mind shedding from mine so early, his growth hurt even more. ~Loma yiha,~ - “All do so,” beread my father, with rueful chuckle, and reminded I had not been much older than Aeosel when my mind shed and I first walked, and which had likewise broken my mother’s heart. ~Thaul ollae,~ - “It is a good omen,” he said at last. ~Aveas ahantas,~ - “He will be mighty.” I must pray so.
Lashunta Words & Phrases:
- Dia-sas: your father; 2nd-person demonstative of ~Dias~ (masc): father)
- Tiavaeas (masc): outlaw; outlaw maile
- O’Vosaethe-bei: from Vosaeth
- Eava (1st-pers comm): we are (at)
- Lea (comm): city on Lake Arasene
- O’mallassi: (in order) to watch
- O’allae (adv soon
- Loma (comm): all; every
- Zeshiva (1st-pers comm cond intrans): we will/may fare
- Thanru - alla/dative of Than, a city on Lake Arasene
- O’zhaomassi: (in order) to forelook/expect
- Sealneara (comm acc): Monkeyfolk
- Si yazava (1st-perso comm intrans): we miss you
- O’sevae (adv): in blessing
- Kissisa (2nd-pers cond comm): to play/behave wantonly
- Doaldama (comm): idleyard; park; pleasure garden
- O’shoe (adv): familial love; with love
- Sae-sei (spir): your word(s): 2nd-person demonstrative of ~Sae~
- Vosi (3rd-pers spir): gladdens
- O’ezimi-yeio’ahi: as much as possible
- Zhasive (1st-person cond fem intrans): I/we would/may write
- O’zi: and after
- Lirae (spir): sorrow
- Tae (spir): great
- Verazi-Sei (spir): the Breath-Thief; contagious respiratory disease
- Valomara (comm acc): all of us; each of us
- Fodi (3rd-pers spir perf): struck; attacked
- Shore (3rd-pers fem): she bears
- Zhassahora saeora nilyora (neut acc): letter with many/more words
- O’shoe-miqyei (adv): with love of oathsisters
- Vaenme (inclus fem cond): we may/would walk
- O’eiesi-nelomi (adv): in thought almost
- Sere (fem acc): you
- Yazazif (1st-pers cond perf trans): I might have lost
- O’nili-nelomi (adv): almost many times
- Yazazise (2nd-pers cond fem intrans): you might have lost
- Vi evanda (3rd-pers comm perf): it is different/distringuished to me
- O’loeoni-illi (adv): in intent more worthily
- Vaeve (1st-person fem cond intrans): I would/may live
- Yi (adv): relative adverb; comparative conjunction
- Eayelve (1st-pers fem depend): I would be
- Haras loeas (masc): strong and worthy
- Thaul (spir): omen
- Ollae (3rd-pers spir): is good
- Aveas (3rd-pers masc): he grows
- Ahantas (masc): mighty
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