A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5: Chapter 61

12. Koelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   Today’s news: the Matronhood has doomfully forbidden Riardon to stand for next year's choosetide. No shock, reckoning his bid as a Damaya man. Yet word spread early among the markets, and unsmall strife. Even at the Embassy we bemarked it and how ladies, who bespoke overstrongly, strove to downplay the deed's weight.   When at Slumbertide Kaure and Oshis came from the Battleyards, we hosted her to Yaraesa’s Bookminster, and found it rife with folk even after worshipsong, rather talking in whispery knots. After Kaure boded her welcome-bid to the weapondare in six days, I asked a priest whether they were speaking of Riardon’s forbidship. They yaysaid. When I asked what they bethought, they evenhandedly answered it outstayed foresight, though they nevertheless beheld great inthrift.   Another word: Kaure laterward sought Hauronil. When she came home, she told back the Damaya-Elves and others will gather a showmarch tomorrow to the Threefold House. Their purpose shall show ill will and gainsay the Matronhood’s forbidship. Tomorrow may become idly strifesome.     13. Koelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   Right at today’s dawntide, a wordbode came from the Embassy, and not alone, since two wardens hosted. We heard them at mornmeal, whereat the wordbode bade on Her Highness Lady Sheneal’s behalf that we should come forthwith to the Embassy and wait no want but clothes and our children’s welfare. When I asked this bid’s reason, he answered Her Highness had heard trusty word that a crowdstrife might overtake the city. Thus she would have us fast in the Embassy.   Misgivingly, we looked at the two wardens, who waited by the doorway. I asked the wordbode whether Her Highness would lawbind us, and loudly shrove unsureness whether we should take offthank at Her Highness’s misthought that only two would be enough to overcome us. The wordbode naysaid and answered Her Highness frankly believed our trust. Yet quoth he, the warriors came to add weight to Her Highness’s will...which behinted that if we withheld, we might be deemed outlaw. Rather illwillfully, we gathered our children and such bags as we could. Then we followed, leaving our hosts sorrowful and Semuane hastening to the Citadel, where she was already called to watch, but swearing to learn more of this shamelessness.   At the Embassy, I almost forelooked a lockroom. Instead, a thane bade us to the midyard's meanroom, where we found Her Highness Lady Sheneal, her staff, and a twelvesome else Sonna ladies, trademistresses, and their housemates she had likewise called to her guesthood. She thanked us coming and welcomed all to sit mornmeal, even yielding Taiase, Istae, and me seats at the headboard, although our talk was marksomely short. At the end, she bade the fellowship spend the daytide as her guests within the Embassy, until whatever illness bestriving the city should quell. We then all stood while Her Highness bestowed leave, whereat we would shift to selfsome business and some sunderness.   ~O’se-dei,~ - “Not you,” Her Highness headed to us. She then bade that Taiase, Istae, Nelehi her shieldbearer, and I, along with both my wifemates - her gaze fell on Remaue and even more heavily on Kaure - should follow to her stallroom. There we should wait while she held business, and whereby, as she said: ~O’illi ayamara di telanya-rualis.~ - “You shall not leave my sight.” When we becraved her uncouthness’s reason, she answered uncouthness had oldly overcome in our friendship with Damaya-Elves, ingathering Riardon, who she knew was our fellow from Kaure’s bridetide and Vuael’s Night at Yaraesa’s Bookminster, and furthermore Yaraesa’s priesthood and outlaw Hoodwearers. Her Highness led us upstairs, let us a nook within the stallroom, and elsewise unheeded us while she took the daytide’s first business.   We played with our children while sundry thanes came, spoke, and went. Yet then came Master Tahuss, Her Highness’s staff soulseer. He bowed and oddly stood near. Awkwardly, we asked his business. He begged sorrow, but came at Her Highness’s stark behest to read any soul-dwimmer Taiase or I might try, and dolefully if we reached beyond this room. At this news, Taiase wrothly strode to Her Highness’s bench and asked why we must be spied upon. Lady Sheneal told she did for our city’s welfare and beseeched Taiase’s mildness. Taiase answered Son’s matrons should hear this slight, whereat Her Highness spoke back that, by the time Taiase could outspeak, our flag shall be back in Son, whereafter: ~O’romi oramya-rualise mazhaemarru o’doseiathya-eshodi,~ - “You may yell to the matrons until breathlessness.” Taiase came back thinking she had yesterly had princesses enthralled for less offthank.   Laterward, a din grew in the street. We went to the window and saw a crowd: Damaya-Elves singing elfsong in starkness to a deeper Korasha marchsong, but softened by wifely throats - Hoodwearers - and others mingled with them, and not only Thwartkind but also Rightkind who might be daughters, sons, kin, lovers, and friends. Since we could not cleave, we stood sharp at the window, touched hand to bosom, and hailed. Her Highness bade the grooms shut the shutters. Stubbornly we held stead.   All again gathered for a tight noonmeal, since Her Highness still unheeded us, and we her. Afterward, we followed her again to the windowdeck where she took more hearths. Although Taiase dealt tilewhist to spend the tide, I could tell Kaure’s mood rankled as she took Lady Sheneal’s behavior as selfsome offthank. I gave her Aeosel to hold her mild. Yet Remaue simmered almost so grimly, until I feared my shieldbearer would seek feud. Under my will, we traded children: her taking Aeosel while Kaure and I danced with Lanaryel and showed her boxing strokes. Then we got them to lie on pillowbenches for slumbertide while we grownups strode the deck. Meanwhile, the flow of thanes and wordbodes seeking Lady Sheneals’s hearth upkept. They held speech low, lest they feared we might overhear. Yet we stalwartly withheld any reckful show in her business.   At last, Her Highness called us forth, where from her bench she told that, before the Threefold House and a great wild crowd, Lady Eneae had outspoken her run for the Matronhood’s choosetide as Riardon’s otherstead, and had done so by outnaming herself evermaiden. She furthermore swore to uphold Thwartkind’s rights, both Damaya-Elves and Hoodwearers, and has also called for Hinterlanders and Raumoeva to get city rights. Then Her Highness added there had earlier been crowdstrife and fights, folk wounded and maybe even slain. She bade us go straight home, since wrath lingered in the streetyards, and to have no further fellowship with Lady Eneae, whom she unfairly misnamed a rabble-raiser threatening wrathfulness to get her ends. Too swiftly we took leave, found our flagmates, and forsook the Embassy.   Under Kaure’s behest and instead of going straight home, we swerved to the Elf-Farthing's blossomyard. There we found Indith alone and fraught, who told both Hauronil and Leiendil had cloven the showmarch, and whose welfare she sorely awaited. We brewed tea and sat to soothe her heart while Less got a rough milkstew simmering.   At Eleventh Bell, the men came home, and happily unhurt. They told witness of the showmarch, which had overflowed the Threefold House’s foreyard and neighborstreets, and Lady Eneae’s speech, which the crowd had well heard and cheered her run. Afterward, they had seen crowdstrife but had shunned, and now boded word that a nighttide farthinglock was yelled. We overreckoned whether to stay the night or try home. At last we left, and when we reached the farthing-gate, Istae and I behooved our stallworth and got the wardens to let us through.   Semuane came home right afterward, and grimly. She told the whole citadel had been outcalled to keep peace, but to little good outcome, and that she had lawbound almost so many Thwartkind as Rightkind (although some had been Hinterlanders). She shared much wickedness had grown from thieves and outlaws taking the crowdstrife’s behoof and linked naught to the showmarch. Yet we fear they will get the guilt. She atrusted at least one wretch slain and will learn more tomorrow. Mistress Shotheiae has bidden the housegates locked and the grooms to stand watch. We have sung hymn that none of our friends are hurt.     14. Koelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   News’ from yesterday’s crowdstrife: five wretches slain, many hundredsome wounded, and almost a hundred lawbound. Doombench will sit endlessly, and who can foretell however many will be banned or cursed under some thrallbond else? The Matronhood has deemed that farthinglock shall last until Treesong Eve (which is well, since that is the weapondare’s day), and Lady Sheneal has bestowed leave to stay from the Embassy. We also got word that fights still reave the Marshfarthing, where a Rightkind crowd sinfully struck the Hoodwearers’ neighborhoods. Yet those stout folk have withstood fierce ward. Semuane has ridden with the citadel host to underbreak it. We sing for our friends and kin dwelling there - Minal and her shipclan - and have needfully forbidden Oshis from seeking his half-sister.     15. Koelae, 24,548 -20th month in Qabarat   Today the city stills, which is happy that no more wrathfulness outbreaks. Farthinglock stays, with twofold Streetwatch and even outriders riding through the streets (which means Semuane grimly busies). We shortly went to the Embassy, but little business. Mayhap Her Highness wishes naught of us.   Remaue, Erimi, Tae, and Less hosted Kaure and Oshis to the Battleyards, where again they drilled steeds and spears. I would have loved to go with them.     16. Koelae, 24548 - 20th month in Qabarat   Dread word: outlaws today struck Kaure, Oshis, and the others while coming from the Battleyards. An angry throng met them astreet and jeered. Then a cast stone struck Oshis’s brow, whereat followed a whole stone shower. Even worse, Remaue, Erymi, and Tae all had their children. Bewaring the threat, Kaure and Oshis brunted their steeds at the crowd (but happily without spears) while Less beset and soundly thrashed a wretch. Then they came home, with weeping children, Oshis’s bloody brow, and Less’s knuckles.   Soon as we heard the tale, I gathered our whole flag, got our Shotalashu from the stallbarn, and hastened to the Embassy, since I could too easily bedream the evil whispertale that might hatch of wild upper-strath Korasha striking a streetcrowd. Soon as we came, I becraved hearth with Her Highness Lady Sheneal, heedless of our festering ill will, and had our flagmates yield witness. To her lief, Her Highness loudly outspoke the sin and swore to bode sake straightway to the Matronhood. She then bestowed us rooms at the Embassy for tonight, where now we stay, tightly waiting whatever wicked doom may grow.   I have spent most of the daytide waiting on my wifemates. Remaue clutches Lanaryel and will not let her daughter free, and Erymi and Tae rightly as tight. Kaure stalks the walkway like she stands ward, as do Less, Hanos, and Meiss. Oshis has again proven the worst woundbearer, since, though we have healed his cut, we have made him rest against swollen head. I misdoubt murder could have easily happened after the threat against mothermates and children, and cannot even reckon the woe that might thus outgrow. Yet my flag and kin are safe. In the end, that only recks.   Last whit after duskmeal: no word from the Threefold House that anyone has outspoken sake against our flagmates. Yet, at odd times while our stay in Qabarat, I have almost forewared an evil mind stirring, and indeed against our kin and friends as befalls this strife over Thwartkindness…although maybe today's deed befell as mere idle wickedness. I cannot tell. Even so, no word of the wretch Less beat, nor of anyone found taking share, as if they had faded witnesslessly into the streets. Then again, how likely would the Matronhood merely unheed this thing?     17. Koelae, 24,548 - 20th month in Qabarat   We have come back to Semuane’s household, but have yaysaid to keep a still day. After lightly drilling their Shotalashu in the neighboryard, Kaure and Oshis tarry for tomorrow’s weapondare while we else follow a sharp watch. We shall let no wickedness happen as yesterday, which our neighbors stalwartly uphold.   Semuane’s mothers came before Kaure and Oshis and knelt. ~O’omoni-kolami laemya-rualve. Olloni-vya ayiesestalaf,~ - “On our city’s behalf, we beg sorrow,” grieved Mistress Nimaue: “We had thought better of ourselves.” We naysaid any guilt. Yet they will not offyield. They have hired wardens to watch the house, under hope that we worry not. I reckon it a sorrow that these deeds so shame good folk.   I have spoken first with Kaure and next with Oshis of tomorrow’s weapondare, and dolefully that Kaure’s shyness shall not overtake. Yet my wifemate stays boldly mild, which makes me love her all the more. Oshis knelt at my waist and swore to make me proud. ~Si-stimi heilave,~ - “I am ever proud of you,” I answered: ~Heilya lathi lomarru~ - “Show pride to all.”