A Castrovel Adventure: Part 6, Chapter 10

Treesong Eve, 24,548 - 6th Day at Ashom Farmhold   At after-dawntide this morn, Thiahe came back, along with someone else: Seiss her and Kaure’s brother and Hoashe her daughter. The burly Korash grinned when he saw Kaure. He knelt and kissed her belly, acknowledging her wifehood. Then he lifted her by her knees, flushing a yelp from our wifemate, and whirled her. When he stumbled, she kicked wildly to shirk fall and fell anywise. Then they wrestled over the deck like Shota cubs until we leapt upon the siderails.   Afterward and with Kaure bearing her niece, we headed to the city for market day, for which both Thiahe and Seiss bore freight packs. Kaure and Remaue helped them set their stall while I headed to the Citadel. I stood before Master-Captain and asked his idleness, but who answered he owed me nothing. Yet the watchreeve told that Tae and Less had dropped word seeking me, and that they would wait at the wineyard near the myrrh orchard by our former townhouse. There I found them, where we happily watched Aeosel and Yaraess play. I sent Less to tell our stead while, whereafter later the others clove and together ate a late noonmeal. Tae and Less beseeched to follow back to Ashom, whereat we all sevensome fared home.   Now Thiahe and Seiss sleep here tonight ere tomorrow’s homecome. I think they have mended Kaure’s heart, knowing her kin still love her. While I end this log and ere bed, I will sing hymn to the hometree and wish peace.     Zielae Treesong, 24,548 - 7th Day at Ashom Farmhold   Today stayed loose until late. After Kaure hugged her brother and sister and we blessed farewell, we fell to light farmwork afitting the holiday. Then we gathered with Aeal and the rest of Remaue’s kindred in the treeyard and danced a hearty treesong.   At Slumbertide while Remaue and Less were wildly brewing a mirthmeal and Kaure watched the children play with the Shotalashu, I withdrew to our bower for a nap. Upon the beamstair I met Tae, who laughingly asked whether we shared slumber. I yaysaid, and together we upclimbed and fell under the flynet. Together, however, weariness fled. We lay beside, kissingly twined antennae, and watched each other’s eyes. Tae bemarked it had been an old time since we two had stayed alone. Noddingly I stroked her breast.   Tae added she had dearly watched me love Less yestermonth on the flatbark and had guiltily doubted my goodwill. I answered I had never doubted their faith, but had merely worried for their welfare if Hanazhyana called Less's guiltsake. I then asked if she liked the thought of little Lesses growing in Hanate wombs. She chuckled, and would deem themselves blessed if it so befell, and furthermore that it would be good if someone dared Oshis for fatherhood’s foremostness.   Less laterward upcame to the bower. When he beheld us so entangled, a greedy mood overgrew. Tae outreached, and he clambered onto the bed. While we dallied, she bewrayed me jealous of Kiss and Rinare in Hanazhyana, whom she and Less had loved while our stay there. I laughed.   Remaue and Kaure also found us under great glee. Though Remaue straightway leapt upon the bed, a hopeless thrill astoundingly took Kaure. Yet she likewise clove and became enthralled at sight of us idly playing with Less under a wife-pile. Remaue witted and asked whether our wifemate wanted him. Yet Kaure afrightened and withdrew.   Laterward, Kaure, Remaue, and I lay together. At last Kaure upsat, as did we who hugged her. Even in mindshare, her thought ran so deep we could hardly read all. Thus we waited, stroking her hair, and wafted love. At last she sighed. ~O Hauronil yazave,~ she whispered: “I miss Hauronil.” Our arms tightened on her mighty shoulders.   Then at Foredusk Kaure’s siblings Thiahe and Seiss, along with Hoashe her daughter, came back, and less happily. Thiahe told they had gotten astrife with Isye their mother, who bewrayed them meeting Kaure. Seiss had upstandingly gainsaid her ill will. ~Kezhte,~ said Thiahe glumly: “She cursed him.” I also witted - though Thiahe said nothing - a bruise darkening her cheek. Eyesome she too had shared their mother’s wrath.   At the doom we all quailed, from which Thiahe hoped to spare him. As elder sister, she had hosted him and her daughter here and beseeched Remaue’s kindred to guest them until she settles the thing. Aeal as farmwife beread worry that Isye had deemed curse against her son. However, so long as the bewrayal come not before the Matronhood (and these hinterland feuds often so undersettle) and since Thiahe and Kaure trothed their brother’s faith, and also since the farmhold owed much work, she would foster him.   Although we beseeched Thiahe to stay, she outwilled to go home. Again I walked her to the shota roost and blessed farewell. ~Nama assura o’nae timonyela, o’illi-vei le eaye,~ she said: “If someone must forsake our home, I shall it be her.” Then she took stern leave.     3. Zielae, 24,548 - 9th Day at Ashom Farmhold   We have had a mild but sometimes sad two days with Kaure’s brother Seiss and their niece Hoashe staying. Our wifemate has spent much time in their fellowship, both working and playing. With Remaue and the others we have dearly watched.   Under the children’s blitheness, however, the unshunnable ask upcame: ~A mimye, stei se Korashe?~ asked Hoashe: “Aunt, why are you Korasha?”   Kaure smiled still, as if she had rightly forelooked the ask. ~Noaela yi sevaea-shyalda,~ - “The Moongod so blessed me,” she answered, and kissed her niece’s antennae. ~Mei ve soe-le~ - “Now I am Their priest.”   The girl touched Kaure’s cheek. ~Stei Matae si ihya-shyele?~ she next asked: “Why is Grandmother wicked to you?”   Her ask drove a sob from our wifemate’s throat. ~Reorya o’seili evanif,~ she whispered: “I wish I understood the reason.” Then she hugged the girl.   Laterward, Remaue and I caught our wifemate in our own hug. ~Sae sholodi,~ - “The truest words,” we swore, and then bade she must believe herself ever blessed.   Today at forenoon while gathering wineberries, Thiahe again came, to much mirth from Hoashe, Kaure, and Seiss. After a long hug with her daughter, the three siblings sat with Remaue and I watching wardsomely. Thiahe faltered ere speech. ~O’tollae mae-mei lindave,~ she began: “I talked long with Mother.” Then to Seiss she told their mother has forgiven him and has withdrawn the curse. He may welcomely come home. We watched Seiss, who at last he answered he would come, but may not stay. He had too much suffered their mother’s unhappiness and would not so dwell. He will seek another farmhold’s thewdom. Thiahe swore love. Then their eldest sister headed to Kaure and said that, if only Kaure wished, she would set a moottide with their mother, which would be a hard thing but would help them reach truce.   Our wifemate thought hard. ~Di aesehave,~ she answer: “I am not ready.” Thiahe took her word and knelt, forwhy, though Kaure is Korasha, she is rightfully proud. Kaure hugged and kissed her sister’s brow.   With her daughter and Seiss, Thiahe again readied to head home. ~Zhaoayaf o’havaemi,~ - “We will forelook you at market day,” she swore, with a last clasp of Kaure’s hand. Then she upsteeded on her Shotalashu with Hoashe riding foresaddle, and Seiss nimbly clambering the treepath afterward.   While the others scattered back to farmwork, Remaue and I stayed nigh Kaure, who stood watching the last spot her kin had shown upon the boughpath. I yielded her Aeosel, who happily nestled in her bosom, though she stirred not. At last our wifemate said to me: ~Heienya seilaf o mae-se,~ - “I wish you peace with your mother,” bemeaning my feud. Though Kaure wept not, her glumness tore my heart. I lay brow upon her hair and tangled antennae.   Remaue, under a queer mildness, sought and hugged Aeal her mother, who chucklingly chided foolishness.     5. Zielae, 25,548 - 11th Day at Ashom Farmhold; Son   Tonight we are back at the Nes, along with Tae, Less, and Yaraess, Thiahe Kaure’s sister and her daughter Hoashe, and Roess Remaue’s sister and her three children, all for tomorrow’s market. We left at slumbertide from Ashom, where we took farewell from Remaue’s mother and their house. Under our fostership, the Citadel bestowed berth to Thiahe and Roess as well (after all, are they not firdmates?), which has eased their marketfare against camp out on the streetyard. Thus we begladden of a right firdlike bunkwise.   Seiss Kaure’s brother came not. Thiahe told he has instead gone to a neighboring farmhold where he hopes to find workstead, thus following his earlier oath to leave their kindred’s farmhold. Thiahe had let known that she has also boded her goodwill. As a sideword, we talked what had befallen with Isye their mother and how they had overbewon her to forgive her son. Thiahe frankly shared she too had threatened to leave, and furthermore stayed under foreword that she should lead as farmwife, and not their mother. ~Zhaoqovima,~ - “We will see,” she answered when we asked how this new steadship will outfall, which is so much as anyone can foretell. She has forespoken to seek new farmhands and fill her brother’s lack.   Also at the Nes, we happily met Sievae, Meiss, and Lenis, who came back three days ago and have brooked tide to drill. I wared a kith glumness when we spoke of kindred, and which she laterward atrusted when she, Kaure, and I gathered. ~Stei mae-me ivoe?~ - “How befall our mothers?” she asked bluntly, whereat Kaure shook her head. I answered mine would befall better if I could get her shed from my lady-sisters. When we asked Sievae her deed, she wryly told it had started well until her mother had tried to sleep with Meiss, and thus their early comeback. Ruthfully we hugged her, and then sought Meiss's welfare, since a housewife's threat is no slightness.   A swift ask to the captains answered nothing has shifted since we left. I am still an outrider under ill will, and we are still a flag without fetchbid. I told we will take share in the Aelau firdmoot, which Master-Captain atook with good leave. I will brook tomorrow to show myself among the citadel and outriderhood, if for nothing else than to see what friends belong. We also forelook tomorrow to meet our other flagmates.