A Castrovel Adventure: Part 6, Chapter 15

12. Evelae, 24,548 - Al Farmhold   Today in the city, after a strong drilltide whereat we set Nestas our newcomer through his strides, Nae and Hanos clove, who have right come from his mother’s farmhold. Hanos told his mother dwells with kindred and friends and is well heeded, and that she had bidden him rightly thew his wifemate. They will now stay with us, thus regathering our whole flag.   On the way back to Al, Nae rode beside and asked whether Liavil my father’s wifemate is a canny treesinger. I answered to my best knowledge, and furthermore so is Theore Krastaes’s wifemate. I guessed her purpose asking, which her blush atrusted. I reached her hand, drew it to my brow, kissed it. Then I swore our flag’s whole mightiness to reach her wish. ~Shiafya-shyelze,~ - “You will bear a child,” I forespoke, and that I would bename her babe kin with mine.     13. Evelae, 24,548 - Al Farmhold   Against my father’s forbid that I should not do farmwork, today I helped, unleastly forwhy Liavil spent a good daytide talking with Nae reckful to her beseech, whereof I believe they will begin readiness for a ripeness spelltide. The only mislucky outcome befell that Remaue and Kaure saw fit to oversee me, since my wifemates both grew up on farmholds and deem I know almost nothing. Eyesomely I ken not strangler-figs, and they bade me go back and drag them all again lest they overgrow the orchard. I beseeched a ditch to delve or firewood to chop. Yet they naysaid. ~Yeio’illi qoanzyelise kiafe, o ulinari-yei,~ - “You wanted to be a farmer, so behave,” answered Remaue, who forsoothly becomes a thrall-driver when she wishes. Then she bade me haul streamwater up all hundredsome stairsteps for tonight’s brothdish.   Erenow, I met Liavil on the main deck while the household bedded. She thanked my help, shriving she must do more with Nae for Treesong’s readiness, as I foreguessed, and that tomorrow they will head to Theore’s farmhold to read with her. She also beseeched leave for Kaure’s help, who, although is Elindrae’s priest, another never lessens. I answered she must better beseech Kaure but could not foresee my wifemate naysaying.   Liavil stilled and laterward said she worshiped Nae’s heartstrength, and also that she will need our strength also for the spelltide’s ordeal. I told we had already so sworn. She thanked my oath, and then wryly told that the ordeal’s hardest share evey befalls finding motherhood’s faith after the first babe’s loss.   Something in her moody lilt bewared me. Though I asked not, my thought doubtlessly wavered in my antennae. Liavil smiled ruefully. Then she shrove that she had miscarried twice ere she bore Raeonyl, and once again ere she bore Shill. She likened motherhood to war. ~Aume mi laeme voadave o shiafasse,~ - “I have shed blood and tears to give birth,” she said, and that we mothers plight our lives to bring children into the world. Then she hugged and yielded me Father Night’s blessing.   Ere I came to our bower and write this log, I went down to the hometree’s shrine. I sang a hymn for Nae, Liavil, for Lady Thefel of Lea my friend who had died in childbirth, for Vosaeth who had almost died with Sonnauf, and for all our flag’s mothers, even myself. ~Mahaere o’stimi-leiri harya-shyelye,~ - May Greenmother ever strengthen us.     Shenelae Treesong Eve, 24,548 - Al Farmhold   Today we rode into the city not for drilltide (though Krastaes, Meiss, Oshis, and Nestas sparred) but for doleful business. I stood and yielded worship before Lady-Captain, forewillfully to yield word that we will not be in the city tomorrow, since we will watch Treesong with my father’s kindred, and thus Lady=Captain may have ready answer if my mother asks my hereness.   To my shock, however, Lady-Captain bade her wandbearer bring a farseer-word benamed to me. When I looked, it held Nivaea’s farseer mark, which could only mean Taiase and Istae! Thrillsomely I opened the sheath and read:    

~A yaoma assama, thandava Nivaearru o’naeshi-komi. O’stimi rendya Ofu-Laubuia kaushunilassya aeiesazyelm, o diyazime. Nivaea kana mino nohano. O’shoe-komi:~   “To our flag and house, we have come to Nivaea in whole health. If ever we had thought Ofu-Laubu’s hallcraft manifold, we were wrong. Nivaea seems a spiderweb’s nest. In whole love.”

    …This word begladdened, and dolefully by health’s hint that Minal Oshis’s sister had fared well under bechildness, which beminds we too have such soon business.     Shenelae Treesong, 24,548 - Al Farmhold   Today we watched Nae’s ripeness spelltide, wherefor she and Liavil had spent much time readying. Theore also came from her farmhold to help. Then we all gathered in the treeyard at the hometree’s shrine and danced hymn among the roots.   With Liavil holding priestly stalldom, Draue and Sievae led Nae forth. They doffed her waistcloth while we danced, and cleansed her with rainwater. Then Remaue took a boughswitch with leaves and blossoms still linked, and flogged her, though so doughtily without breaking skin or shedding blood, lest the hometree be offthanked. The wives then wiped treemilk from head to feet and let it drip and dry while we danced more. Then they drew luckrunes upon her brow, breast, and belly, rather as done at bridetide. First Liavil, and then Theore, knelt and kissed Nae’s belly, which deed we other wives followed under the treehymn.   Under the treesingers’ lead, Sievae and Draue drew Nae up the beamstair until the bower Liavil had benamed for this end. The two wives led Nae to the bed, kissed her, and clove mindshare. Then they shared a right lovely tide while wreaking idleness on Nae’s body, as afitting Liavil’s bid. I broadcast their lust out to all watching both within and without, who added hearts and throats to the hymnspell.   While the three wives lay entangled, Tae and Erymi inled Hanos, who knelt at the bed’s edge. The two elder wives beseeched whether Nae would take this man for her blessing and fullness. Nae smiled at her manmate with love quivering her antennae. ~A sas o’stimi viras,~ - “You ever first,” she yaysaid.   Then Hanos kissed her belly while she lay back in Draue’s and Sievae’s arms. Nae raised him forth to lie between her thighs and lay head within her bosom, where her antennae stretched low to meet his reaching upward. Her hips writhed seekingly.   ~Sevaea-shyae,~ she bade: “Bless me.”   Under mindshare, we witnessed her flesh’s welcome nestling him. Draue and Sievae hearteningly stroked his nape and shoulders, whereat his swive quickened. Neither were we sound against their growing idleness as a shudder wafted through our house; all antennae aquiver. Though our song ended not, it undertook a grittiness. I leaned upon Kaure, hand upon her belly, and tried to hold so much of her in my arms as canny. She likewise leaned upon Remaue, who more ruthlessly untied Kaure’s haltertop and set her heavy bosom free. Within the bower, Erymi and Tae merrily fondled while Liavil and Theore, though they withheld, showed bothersome. Outside the bower on the limbdeck the men grumbled wantsomely. When Hanos yielded to her womb, it outboded a wracksome groan from us wives inside and the men outside. Then we all loosened dizzily while Nae held him within her.   Bywardly, at Liavil’s goad, Draue and Sievae helped him rise, though not without a last kiss and lovetroth. Then the two wives whispered askingly with Nae. At her outthought bid, Sievae rose, looked to Meiss, and waved antennae. Slowly he neared, wary of Hanos both friend and lover. Yet queerness grew from sharing a wifelove with will to get her bechild, a stead that would waken most men’s jealousy.   Hanos reached a hand and clasped Meiss, who shortly halted. The two men kissed.   Like Hanos, Meiss knelt, crouched and kissed Nae’s belly. She aleavingly stroked his brow. Againstward, however, we felt her worry. Although she and Meiss had ere been lovers, now was unlike. Though the treesingers’ wisdom beread more men to feed and strengthen her womb, this deed threatened her wish. He witted her misgiftfulness and stirred slowly. She hugged his mighty shoulders and laid his brow within her bosom, though she wept. His antennae sought upward for hers, craving bond, which she let, whereat he sobbed with her, and we also in mindshare.   While this tight lovecraft outwallowed, Less and Oshis leavelessly introd the bower. At my fathermate’s first look, I kenned lust had overgrown wisdom. While Less cast himself amid Tae’s and Erymi’s tangled limbs, Oshis knelt before me. He uncouthly offtore my waistcloth, hauled my hips upward, and slaked his lust-hungry tongue, though enough shrewdness stayed that we swived not. Even so, I quivered helplessly under my fathermate’s worship while Remaue merrily tickled Kaure.   Nae’s mind seemingly reached an edge, caught between worry and Meiss’s onrushing bliss. Her hands squeezed his broad back, seeking soothingness, some fastness against her own dread. Anon she yielded, opening herself wholly to his thewdom and rising idleness, ingathering forethought that her child could be his, which outbroadcast to all our antennae as a heart-wracking, trucesome sob. Upcaught with us all in her mood, Meiss yielded will. I lay shaking witlessly even while Kaure and Remaue likewise swooned beside.   Oshis’s lustwant grew almost hurtful, which under our komori-bond rang keen, and whereunder my womb-hunger answered. Doomful choice loomed: to take his fullness and slake our shared want, and so athreaten bechildness. Yet Remaue rose and witted my plight. She drew Oshis to herself and hung legs from his shoulders while she goadingly leaned back. So I leaned against his back and shared the bliss streaming through their bodies, and breathlessly lost myself when he yielded life. Then I kissed them both and headed to ease Kaure.   Meiss unsteadily stood from Nae, who lay in wanton, guilt-muddled afterglow. Sievae likewise rose, came to her manlove, and hugged him to bosom. Under our still-quick mindshare, we witted pride of her manlove and thankfulness of the boon he yielded her spearsister and wifelove. Then Hanos came, clasped Meiss’s shoulder, and said: ~A teiasra shoaf,~ - “I love you, my brother,” to which Meiss answered: ~Oe shoea-rualamas,~ - “And I love you.” The two men kissed again.   I wonder that, when the tide comes for Meiss to go back to Qabarat, how ruefully will he leave, or will he forsake his city and stay?   From the bed, Nae beread with Liavil and Theore, and deemed herself too overwrought to take more men today (though on foreword to take more tomorrow), which heart I understand since I remind the first tide I took a man else than Oshis. Yet at that word, the spelltide loosened, dolefully since all lovers had already reached fullness. Theore, however, swiftly beseeched farewell and upsteeded her Shotalashu, whereafter we miwdoubted she would go home and gladden under Krastaes’s welcome. Liavil straightway sought my father and bade him to her bower, where at my blush, Remaue and Kaure shamelessly laughed.