A Castrovel Adventure: Part 6, Chapter 12

12. Zielae, 24,545 - Firdmoot   I had not taken share in Firdmoot since newlinghood, ere I became outrider when erstwhilely I had watched the City’s fird gather upon the Shotalashu Fields. Thus now is my first tide at the Aelau Firdmoot, which is the island’s whole elseness.   Lady-Captain kindly came. At Forenoon when we gathered all the warriors to stand sharp under oversight, she welcomed all. Since I stood near with Krastaes, Nellos, and the other reeves, she smiled and let a kindly antanna-stroke. After her speech and first bids while the reeves yielded worship, she clasped my hand. ~Linme o’Ialeaz-zei,~ she said: “Let us speak after Treesong.” Then she rode her Shotalashu back to the City, where another firdmoot also started while we readied First Oversight.   Krastaes proudly outgreeted me to the gathered fird as: ~Eia-shyele riyae-ve~ - “This is my flagwife,” and bespoke the honor welcoming our flag as veterans who had witnessed warfare in Valmayana, the Stormshields, and the Retaea, and furthermore me as more than an outrider, since I had won gametrials here in Son and yesteryear in Qabarat. He bade all beseech my wisdom and doughtiness on the drillfield. His worship made my shyness burn.   Then began a long blighttide afternoon overlooking helms, byrnies, and weapons, and listening to middle-year warriors answer why their weaponkits no longer fit. There are forsoothly more than a few chubby bellies, and not all Korasha. In all, and guessing we drew at least one firdwarrior from every farmhold on the island’s midst, eastern and westerns shores, and the southern end, and at most one from every house, we oversaw about two thousand firdmates, mostly Korasha seeking freedom from farmwork. Of the maybe six hundred Damaya with Shotalashu, many were newly out of newlinghood. Fewer were my years, but more were ~Zhaema~ - the Cronesith: grandmothers and elder wives whose children have grown and left, and who so sought stalwart service.   In happy news, I met my father, though his sight at the firdhood shocked me. Though he had surely undergone newlinghood in youthtide, and even though he is many things, a fighter he is not and furthermore hates all wrathfulness and does not even hunt. He chuckled at my dumbfounded face and told he has cloven the fird’s groomhood. I smartly asked back whether the fird needs many stonelikenesses. He merrily naysaid, but that there are tents to upset, watchdecks to build, and a bergsome need to haul water for so many throats. I beminded a known pack of lawless children who I deemed could rightly haul water. Thus my father camps with us, sits by a hearthfire, and tells songtales to Aeosel and the other children.   When I overlook the firdmoot camp, its hearthfires and witchlights, it almost seems a glowmoteful Heaventide fair, and not so unlike the Blighttide Clanmoot we watched among the Retaea. With dusktide, wives and children have come, some seeking their fathermates, and some whatever idleness they may happily find. I have also gotten inkling that some farmwives behoove the firdmoot to draw farmhands for toward harvest. How they besway the men I rather deem not my business.     14. Zielae, 24,548 - 3rd Day of Firdmoot   A swift word while tonight. Yesterday started with a five-sem hike on the island’s shore and through the Dirol Wood, an ordeal that had the less healthy firdmates stumbling ahalt, lest they topple from the treepath. Anyone who could not fulfill the path got sent back to camp with stern bid to drill further and reach the path’s end by Heavenwatch’s trial or undergo thrallbond. Under Blighttide’s heat, it was not an easy deed, and some lost who elsewise are in good shape.   Later yesterday, we met with the other shota-riders and underwent root speardrill. Today we did so again not on the field, but back in the Dirol Wood upon the treepaths. Although we did not truly fight under the height’s plightsomeness, we spent a strong while drilling and talking treebough-steering to reach behoof against a foe. Between and after troop-drills we held the field and fought any comers, whereat we gave good leed both on Shotalashu and afoot. Although I heard some riders gainsay Kaure and Oshis riding, I outspoke among the reeves that anyone may welcomely dare their right by riding spears against them. Happily, any spears so stricken proved friendly.   I have also met some Korasha warriors withholdsome to fight me out of mistaken swainliness. One doleful named Nestas fought me almost so meekly as Meiss had first done at the Lemussa Yard. So I chose to behave samely as I had under Master Evauess’s stern rede, and so thoroughly beat him about the drillfield until he yelled truce. I let him catch breath, and then asked: ~Dei aesehi-ryri risya-rueliss?~ - “Are you at last ready to fight me?” Shame drove him to onrush more earnestly, and maybe forsoothness that he needed not fear breaking me.   A last word: I had forgotten how wearisome warmind grows after an old while. After two daytides standing and leading, indrawing and gathering troop’s minds and wits, I sheerly want sleep.     15. Zielae, 24,548 - 4th Day of Firdmoot   We have gotten a break, since the firdreeves deemed we should tarry from drill, and instead hunt idler deeds. Along with throngdances, songtrials, and drinktrials both wine and mead, we dightened a hoverball gameset. No true gametrial or championship, but a log to field a team and play against another. Our flag deemed to so take share after bewinning Krastaes to cleave as fullback (he becraves he is too old to dash endlessly) for a full twelvesome.   Happily, the game bequeathed me an old-held wish. Ever since childhood, and dolefully since Lea when we had met High Ekishi and the Sealnea hoverball team and I had even sparred witchball with Ushna their witchdriver, I had dreamed to stand before the goalend and become the last warden against the foe’s score. I had yearned to take the ball under all my soulmight and hurl it downyard. Although my birthmight has dimmed since then, today I became the witchdriver.   Our team’s doughtiness soon outshowed how tightly we played, with Nae and Sievae as wingrunners, Kaure, Hanos, and Meiss in the forerow, Oshis and Less as halfbacks, and Erymi and Tae cleaving Krastaes as fullbacks. Though I merrily shot the ball to their awaiting feet and soulmight, I shrive it wonderfully mistrialsome to play forward, where I could bring half or all our team into warmind, nevermind the threat to our goal. Then we became truly awesome until the other team quailed.   On one such trial, the ball squirted backward, I ran forward to uphold our backrow right when the other team brunted, and so found myself in the scrum’s midst. Among all folk else, I met Nestas who likewise dashed inward against me. We neither yielded and crashed. We both toppled, and my nose smashed his head.   Straightway gameplay halted. Both teams gathered (and Remaue inrushed from the side). When our Korasha saw blood on my face, they glowered threat, and the game almost took a wrathful shift. Yet I hastily stood and outquoth no foul: Nestas had faithfully tried for the ball wherein furthermore I had come too forward. ~O’viratha-dei ele foadave~ = “Not the first time I have broken my nose, “ I loudly outquoth, to broad laughter. I then bade Nestas should wield his same boldness when next we spar. Then I let Remaue lead me from the field.   The game akept while my wifemate cleansed blood, overlooked my break, and happily deemed I needed no reset. She stuffed lint in my nose to quell the blood, and bade me lean upon a bale with a wet cloth upon my face. The stead let me watch our team struggle more fiercely without me welding warmind. I also bewared our flagmates bestowing sterner heed to Nestas upon the gameyard, which earned him a few needless shoves. Soon as I could ground mind, I healed myself.     16. Zielae, 24,548 - 5th Day of Firdmoot   Drilltide again today, and along with many warriors’ wishes to behold firdmoot’s end. I have gotten an inkling that many had rather misdeemed it a merry holiday with more dance, drink, and misdrawsome wives than drill, were it not for firdreeves like Krastaes and Nellos. Yet I reckon that, if afterward folk happily forelook homecome and work’s uptake, it will be a good thing.   On a happy word, Nestas again came between drills and beseeched to spar. He yielded a fiercer fight than our last. We fought swordbill, and then axe. Then we matched shortbills. At last I bestowed warcraft and cheered his doughtiness.   When laterward I watched him spar with Meiss, Remaue came beside. ~O’eletho-shilei ayaf dumurirasra,~ - “Under his helm I see frog-eyes.” (I also witted since our homecome her drawl had strengthened) I naysaid, answering I beheld Nestas’s shame after I chided his overreckful meekness and guilt from my nose’s break. Yet my wifemate laughed and foreboded a Korasha who would trade a farmhold for a flag, and hoe for a war-axe. Then she bewondered he was the only one so ruthfully following me, though she bemarked that, after Kaure, Oshis, Less, and Hanos had yesterday jumped him at the hoverball game, maybe that deed had offwarned others. Then although I wore my weaponkilt, Remaue swatted my rear! ~Erosya-haes o’imaulassi heshya, a valaze,~ - “You make it easy to want service, lover,” Then she left me shameful and bothersome.     17. Zielae, 24,548 - Firdmoot Endsong; Eral Farmhold   For the last day, the fird undertook endsong with a high showmarch, which Krastaes, Nellos, and the other reeves watched from the deckstand. For our share, our flag chose to march with our sunburst flag proud. Ess and the other Shotalashu pranced and so begladdened that we had to stay them from merrily hunting and swatting each other. Then all gathered in shieldrows and stood sharp while we sang Son’s anthem.    After an elder treesinger sang blessing over the full two thousand, Krastaes stood forth on the deckstand. The firdreeve (our flag’s First Axe) overlooked the waiting host, and then bestowed farewell: ~Ruassi-heieni, oe aesehi-stimi o’reia-zhaoe!~ - “Go home in peace, and ever ready for war!” At this blessing all cheered six times. Then we doffed helms, hugged our neighbors, and stirred to break camp.   Wholly packed, we met Krastaes and Nellos beside the deckstand for last word. Krastaes welcomed us all to his wifemate’s farmhold and to stay so long as we wished. I answered we would follow, but also that I had forespoken to go into the city for Treesong. So yaysaid, we blessed farewells while the reeves settled last business.   While we waited, Kaure nudged my hip, and beckoned at Nestas, who had come and waited. When I waved, he bowed and came forward. Then he knelt at my feet and asked whether our flag would take a new warrior. We all looked ashock from him to ourselves. ~Stue mesiss?~ - “Where do you you dwell?” which is with his mother’s house, but elsewise he owes no bonds. Rather blithely, I spoke we had frankly not reckoned new fellows but would weigh his beseech, whereat he strode forward, kissed the byrnie over my belly, and withdrew.   After he left, all looked bemused. ~Yi lindaf o si dumuriras,~ wryly said Remaue: “I so said he has frog-eyes for you.” I gainsaid, answered I beheld warriorly worship and, deeming from his mother’s house, a young man’s wish for luckier outlook. Then I asked whether anyone else had behaved with him, and if so whether any wives would outspeak right. None spoke, though all looked to Remaue, who laughed and naysaid any meddleship. Then we all looked at Sievae, who stood blithely with Meiss, and then looked offthanked from our misthought. I thought Draue almost spoke but stilled again. Foregiven that we own no nowward fetchbid, I deemed it unright to reckon adding new flagmates.   With the firdmoot’s business ended, we have tonight come back with Krastaes, where Theore merrily welcomed our flag. After Nellos took leave to come home to Nivae, we helped Krastaes and Raeas with some small farmwork, and now thankfully tarry.