A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Chapter 66

8. Afaelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   I am ready to go home, though the thought lessens not the work to ready. After we forbore a daytide at the Embassy while Her Highness Lady Sheneal tried to shine her straddlesome hallcraft deeds, and dolefully to Kaure, our whole flag gathered for something far weightier and dearer. We went to the Elf-Farthing and the blossomyard to meet Hauronil, Indith, and Leiendil. They bestowed a right fair mealtide with our most beloved elven dishes. Then we danced under the lipenaia tree while the threesome sang until our hearts broke tears. Indith also gave a blossomwine jug with word to bring it to my father, with word he is ever welcome in their household, as are we. Then she kissed me elfwise.   Kaure and Hauronil almost could not be shed, beholding soothness that she will come with us while he stays. We witnessed their sorrow, which I feared greater than could be forborne. At a sundry tide, however, I spoke to let him know that he, his elfmates, and this awesome blossomyard have marked our years’ best share in Qabarat. Then I knelt, kissed Hauronil’s hands, and quoth that, after the worship he has given Kaure, we should be forever thankful and can never yield the dearth.   Hauronil overbowed and kissed my brow. Thanks to our deeds, he said, he reminded honor still dwells in Son, even after his youth’s hardship and wish to come here and find freedom among the Damaya-Elves. He shrove Son has lately haunted his mind, ingathering his kindred, whomof my father had yesteryear bespoken rue at their son’s loss. I nodded from him to his elfmates: ~Assama trefa mesassa,~ - “Home is where the heart dwells,” I spoke, and then added that, if ever his strides swerve toward Son: ~Vi evoli-shili. Ma shirama,~ - “Merely find us. We all are kindred.”   From her manlove’s loss when we left, sorrow so overcame Kaure that she staggered. Remaue and I upbore her mighty weight until Hanos and Oshis took our steads. When we reached home, we would set her to bed. Yet she naysaid and sat on the windowdeck, outlooking Qabarat’s winking witchlights and shadowed treetops. At her rueful sight, I knelt, kissed her soft beloved belly and outspoke my dearest wish is her gladness. Then I yielded that, if her wish bade her stay with a noble manlove, his elfmates, and among both Hoodwearers and Damaya-Elves, then she should not so spare my heart.   My beloved, mighty wifemate looked down deeply. Then she lay brow and wrapped antennae with mine. ~Yua eava se,~ - “My stead is with you. ~Trei saiami,~ - “Our hearts are together.” She shrove her heart’s share will ever dwell in Qabarat’s Elf-Farthing in the blossomyard. Yet she would ride with me, and since she is a warrior, would fight with me. Then we wept until Remaue found and led us to the bower.   Last whit: I owe word of Erymi’s, Sievae’s, and Oshis’s gatefare to Ofu-Laubu back on Treesong. On thoroughcome, Mast Kaul the First Haremreeve himself met and hosted them to the palace, where they met Lady Marauqereth and her daughter abreast, not yet six months old. She is named Jeieveth, which almost beminds the Old Retaea word whence comes ~Zheieve~ - Outrider. Yet Oshis named her ~Hivaeme~ - Princess. They told that, under a dolefully weighty mood, Her Ladyship would not wait until she bestowed the babe to his arms. Speechlessly, our fathermate could merely kneel softly hold the babe in his broad hands, and kiss the lady-captain’s belly. Erymi and Sievae bade Lenis and Tesine hail the babe as their sister, and have endlessly bespoken her darlingness. The spent the nighttide under Her Ladyship’s wealthy guesthood and her harem’s fellowship, ere the next morn they followed the elfgate back to Qabarat. After the fright of my unforeseen leave and when Kaure and I came back, Erymi boded Lady Marauqereth’s word. Then she kissed me, saying Her Ladyship wished blessing upon all her sisters.     9. Afaelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   Yesternight beheld another late farewell. When I rose at Midwatch, Semuane sought me and took me in her arms. Then she said we seemingly are ever foredoomed to leave each other: first, after Valmayana, and now again as our cities shed us. ~Hizeli o zayadaf,~ - “Remind what I bade you,” she said. Then she whispered while we twined antennae: ~A eisrye,~ - “Wifemates,” harkening to the leafwrit she had sent at my bridetide. Then we had no more will or strength for words against bliss and tears.   Today is our last in Qabarat, and I shamelessly shunned the Embassy. Instead, I sought some folk I would share last words. First, Master Aeos of the Gatewardens’ Guild, whomwith we had gone to Loskialua. I found him at his loreroom at the Diremoshu, where he was outworking a spell upon a wall’s slateboard. While he greeted shyly, I eyed the chalk runes there written, both Elvish and Lashunta as meanly brooked in gatelore. I kenned among their runes the Sovyrian Stone and the Kyonin Gate in El, and the Elder Gate, as is wontfully named the eldest, un-Elven worldgate here in Qabarat that leads to Redqueen (the Land of Red Dust, as the Warrior-Queens named it, or as Brand had named it in Aslanta: ~Aqiton~), and all four of Qabarat’s aiudara, ingathering the El Gate, which we had brooked to reach Loskialua ere Sovyrian shut it down and respelled it to its old goalstead.   Master Aeos outlaid his spellwork as shown on the slateboard. Foreguessing the Sovyrian Stone overruns the whole aiudara network, he shared some reckful whits: along with Qabarat’s Elder Gate (and who had built it we know not), the Kyonin Gate is also older. Though the Elves might have built it ere Cadlaron, even that is not surely known. There is thus, told Aeos, an underplay between the older gates and the younger elfgates, wherein he rather trusted the thought Taiase and I had upcome yesteryear: the Elder Gate bestows the weirdquickness running the younger gates.   The riddle upon his mind, he akept, is that, if Qabarat’s aiudara draw from the Elder Gate, could their workdom be shed from the Sovyrian Stone? If so, could they be respelled to open to Loskialua or elsewhere without Sovyrian’s leave? For that reck, foreseemingly nothing may even forbid from faring to a world else: Amarrhaiq/Qolaryon or even any other. He shrove that, in his talk with Mistress Alleli back in Loskialua, she believed that while her outtrial four years ago, her aiudara had opened to other sunworlds ringing Burning-Mother, and that she and the Aslanta fetch had shortly stood upon many. ~Sti ma-da?~ - “Why not us?” he asked.   I left him with good wishes, and a last belief that the riddle’s key lies with the older gates ere the aiudara. To that end, he will undertake to again learn the best forehap: the Hoshiasa Gate wherethrough my Aslanta - Brand and his troop - had come almost fourteen years ago. We forespoke to meet again with luck in Lost Hoshiasa, where I will do utmost to uphold his lore. Then we bowed, and I left him to his spell-riddle.   Next, I went to the Battleyards and sought Lady-Captain Veiemi. I found her in the stallbarn where she was rubbing down her Shotalashu. At my sight and word that I came to yield worship ere leaving Qabarat, she hugged me, and then led me to the bath hall, where we sat upon the windowdeck, shared winewater, and watched newlings drill upon the broader yard.   I told the lady-headmistress that I had lately heard the worst whispertale, that she forestood a faith-lack within the Issendil Outriderhood. Yet I hoped that, even true, she withstood. She grimly smiled. ~Shivearya-rualave,~ - “I am standing down,” she answered, which shook me. She then said that, even if she might withstand the faith-lack, the outriderhood would be so bestriven that she could no longer outcomefully lead. Although her news saddened, Lady Veiemi bade me sorrow not, since she will nowforth have more time to spend with her wifemate. Also, she added, she is still a city captain, which will not end. On that thought, she beseeched me to bid Semuane to seek her, since she reckoned my maidenlove has likewise lost the Roseclaw Outriderhood’s goodwill. ~Kanao lomere yothaem,~ - "Maybe we can uphold each other." I thus took leave with the lady-captain’s blessing and friendship’s troth if our paths again cross.   Lastly, I headed again to the Elf-Farthing, to the little elvencraft shop I had last seen almost two years ago. A breathtide later, Master Mearthil came into the foreroom. He greeted me with a bow and a look I might almost name sad.   Arear in the midyard and over tea, the elfseeer begged sorrow, forwhy I had gotten enwed in the Elven-Qabarat hallcraft that had ended with, as we had afterlearned, the Sovyrian gatewardens respelling the gate so that nobody from Qabarat could again reach Loskialua. He falteringly said that not only do the Qabarata no longer trust him, but also his fellow Sovyrianrim, since they had not foretold their plan. He wryly joked his shop will likely not sell many elvencrafts. I asked of his ereward plan to go back and outseech the Moqeva Barrow in the Dale of Amaea. He doubted he now can get the goodwill to foster that farfetch.   On a whim, I asked whether he had talked with Master Aeos about the likelihood of respelling the Qabarat gates to shed them from Sovyrian. Master Mearthil oddly eyed. Instead, he asked whether I had truly forsaken thought of going back to El. I naysaid and answered my forewished goal was not El, but Qolaryon. The elfseer watched a breathtide, nodded, and then hoped I may get my wish.   I stood to leave, but then halted and shrove there was something else. When he asked, I told him Kaure’s moonbode two and a half years ago at our last Blighttide Clanmoot:  

~Zienis zeshara lavyerastara o’nizi-narue theia roeayela,~

“You will follow the offworlder’s path when at the gate’s opening the world quakes.”

    At this forebode, Master Mearthil stilled. He read my face. Then he said I seemingly am foredoomed to go to Amarrhaiq one way or else. He forespoke that, if it falls within his might, he will help.   So now I have done all I can. We will sing farewell to beloved Taiase and Istae tomorrow as they go to Wicked Nivaea as that city’s guests, and wish them blessing. Then we will board the flatbark and head upriver to Son the Eldest, our small home.