A Castrovel Adventure: Part 6, Chapter 16

Today we broke from ripeness spelltide to mind farmwork. After yesternight’s rainsquall, I was mopping the hometree’s main deck (a seldom task the meek farmhands dared not gainsay) when Raeonyl my sister inrode on Loa her Shotalashu. Also came Mirae another rider, but who clothed in mere maidenwise, and whom my sister undergreeted as the Citadel’s groom. Raeonyl wore a byrnie with Son’s silversun badge proudly shining but helmless. When they unsteeded, she merrily chided me standing like a barebreast farmhand in a mere waistcloth, and I dared her to so speak again on the drillyard. Then we hugged.

I asked how my sister had gotten leave from the Citadel. Raeonyl handed me a wordwrit, the next in a weektide. She answered it came from the farseer hall, who had beseeched a wordbode from the Citadel, and when Raeonyl had heard the goalstead, she had yielded to so bring it. Yet more forecatchingly, the wordwrit’s seal bore Qabarat’s farseer mark and Hauronil’s name, which eagerly I opened and read thus:

~O’relesi hizeldaf shiramara. Yei shi simili Indithi Leiendili hoaea-hadavas. O hantal soata elanva o’zimi-ruqeamassi saezaea vosonya. Zhaoyea-shyae!:~

"I worshipfully have reminded my kindred. Thus under Indith’s and Leiendil’s rede, I have made a choice. We will leave in the next week and also bode merrier news. Look for us!”

I told my sister Hauronil is Kaure’s manlove who had thewed as her First Man back in Qabarat, she grew even so thrilled.

We hurried to the orchard and found Kaure and Remaue harvesting plums for tonight’s duskmeal, and who swiftly bewared our antennae’s hum. Instead of telling, however, I could not withhold some playcraft, and so stooped to whisper in Kaure’s ear: ~Hauronil thanas,~ - “Hauronil comes.” I beloved the startleness growing upon our wifemate’s broad face, but even moreso Remaue’s whine while she becraved the news. We teasingly withheld until our haughty shieldbearer threw her bin and threatened to go back to the hometree. Then we told, and she gleed how we shall get Kaure well filled while the Elves stay.

We hastened to tell the others this news and that now, along with the Motorae Games, we have something even merrier to forelook. Liavil and my father both begladdened at their daughter, though mishappily she and Mirae must go back to the Citadel. Her show, however, goaded talk of her sooncoming uprisal when she will cleave unmerely as my half-sister but as my sister-outrider. With Liavil we overtalked a mirthtide to cheer, which rightly now must ingather Hauronil and his elfmates.

We also bewared the two maidens holding hands and their antennae waving in time, which got us hiding grins. Liavil couthly but knowingly hugged Mirae in farewell, and bade ever welcomely come back. After the two rode away, she and my father stood in each other’s arms and idly muttered how they would gladly behold their daughter finding a worthy maidenlove. ~Zheieve di vire shivoasse umalaelerru,~ - “Not the first outrider to fall for her shieldbearer,” I said with a lovely look to Remaue, who grinned and kissed me.

3. Shenelae, 24,548 - Al Farmhold

It is Midwatch, and I am undergoing another sleepless nighttide. Yet not from any ill. Rather, I am mindful of today and so bewrite.

Today Nae and Theore again uptook the ripeness rite. Yet whereas ereyesterday Nae had halted after two men, today: ~shiade o’hivaemavyre-yei,~ - she swived like a sage-princess, harkening the shameful lusttale books Remaue so beloves. She again took Hanos her manmate and afterward bade Less, with Tae’s blessing, to bed, all while we samely sang hymns and witnessed him fill her idly. Then afterward she called Oshis, who meekly looked to Erymi his wifemate. My childsister kissed his brow and bestowed leave, whereat our fathermate strode forth, set Nae shota-wise on the bed, and mightly yielded bliss and life. I lay in Remaue’s arms where we shared pride at our fathermates’ thewship and bethought we would worshipfully name Nae childsister.

After Oshis ended, Nae stayed abed, Draue bade Nestas stand forth. He also yielded her fullness, whereat I likewise wonder, samely to Meiss, whether it may too late to misdeem his fellowship within our flag since now he beholds not only under Draue but also Nae. By the end, although Nae was right sore, she outwilled to take Hanos again, whereby she assured that, if she gets bechild, the babe shall be Hanos’s so much as canny. Then she lay back, let Draue and Sievae cleanse her, and left our flag’s men to their wifeloves’ cheer.

Later at bedtide, our children wished to sleep with their fathers, which left us threesome lying abed, and Remaue inslithered amidst. She and I talked while Kaure softly snored, ingathering our tide until now in Son, our hopes, and worries, and soothly befell to Nae’s ripeness rite. While Remaue laid hand on my belly. She outspoke that she would not missway my mind from the upcoming Motorae Gametrial, since she would behold our flag, ingathering me, Kaure, Oshis, Krastaes, and also Meiss, honored before the city. Furthermore, she would witness these ~mauhaua dohisaea~ - uncouth upper-strath yokels (behooving the Qabarat misname for our folk) - fittingly bechided for the offthank they had bestowed. Yet afterward, beseeched my wifemate, if our flag get no worthy fetchbid, shee would happily witness me bechild again, and herself too. She had loved watching my belly swell, which she benamed my fairest sight, and the wonder of when I had brought Aeosel into the world. I laid brow on hers and snarled antennae almost hurtfully, and answered my greatest rue outstayed missing Lanaryel’s birth and not being here to worship my wifemate’s bechildness while we had fought warfare in Valmayana.

Then Remaue forespoke a bargain while her fingers stroked lower: we should trade fathermates. She will take Oshis, whomwith she had already dallied many times, and I will take Less, whose lusty worship she deemed will not misgladden. Thus we should become twice childsisters. I answered that as wifemates our bond is already nearer than childsisters. She kissingly yaysaid but added she would behold us so further bound. Then she wildly outspoke our flag should seek the farmhold we had forespoken out on the further march. When I gainsaid that I know woefully little of farmcraft, she answered it fit well, since she and Kaure would lead the farmhold. Instead, they would keep me fettered on a bed for their idleness, whereby she bedreamed the groveling boons our flag’s men would beseech! I uprose naysayingly, and we fell into a tickle-fight, which grumpily woke Kaure. Remaue swerved and kissed her soft Korasha belly, and then spoke that when Kaure’s pretty Damaya-Elf comes later this month, she must get bechild too, and then we may all three become mothers together, and that we will behold whether Kaure’s belly thickens even more than it is already. This got our mighty wifemate squirming shamefully, and although Remaue tickled her more, I soothed and bade her ease. Then we yielded such worship as quaked her belly in lovelier wise ere we slept.

Afterward, Remaue hugged me arear: hand full of my bosom. She set her lips on my ear while our antennae again tangled. ~Yealmya valaf,~ - “I love this dream,” she whisper-thought. I snuggled further within her arms against her heavy teats. ~Yei o’thali-shei,~ I answered: “As doom will.”

6. Shenelae, 24,548 - Al Farmhold

Dayfare into the city for many things. Drilltide at the Citadel, wherein I got to wrack Raeonyl my sister for her merry offthank about me seeming a barebreast farmhand. We also saw Mirae her not-so-hidden maidenlove, who already behaves as if she is my sister’s shieldbearer. When I asked, Raeonyl shrove she has beseeched to have Mirae so forebidden. I also spoke kindly with Zhaene my niece, who thankfully shares not her mother’s ill will. Then I spent a tide with Shill my brother, who right this year has begun newlinghood, and got to teach him.

As an else thing, we boded Raeonyl word from Liavil her mother, asking a right tide to cheer her upcoming risehood. Liavil had hoped for Treesong. Yet Raeonyl naysaid under duty. Instead, she forespoke to beseech leave for Asealae’s first market day one month hence if the Citadel alets. I swore to brook whatever sway I can to get Lady-Captain’s leave and so meet Liavil’s wish.

Since today was market, we also met Thiahe Kaure’s sister and Roess Remaue’s sister. When we told news of Hauronil coming, Thiahe sang glee, hugged her stout little sister, and yelled (rather uncouthly): ~O’illi sere komya-nazim o’shotazhae-yei aesehi-minoassi!~ - “We will get you full like a shota-queen ready to lay eggs!” Then we all laughed at Kaure’s blushing shame until our bellies ached.

This word also sparked talk of when Hauronil and his elfmates may come. Now at late blighttide, Father-Yaro surely runs His lowest flood, whereat one may almost cannily make the upstream fare in less than a month. Yet with Stormtide soon and likelihood of odd storms overbreaking the mountains, the flood may swiftly grow. Roess beread to await them at Treesong. I also bemarked to ask at the harbormistress’s hall when next we come, since skippers often bode farseer-word ahead to tell furtherness to waiting traders.

Back at the farmhold, we read with Liavil about foresetting Raeonyl’s cheertide. She bade we must surely bid welcome to the Elves, and furthermore Kaure’s kindred and Remaue’s. We have forespoken to bode the welcome-bids, which among the island’s neighboring farmholds is easy enough, though further afield will need a few days. Thus we have yaysaid to come into the city on the Twelfth when we may catch both Thiahe and Roess on the next market day. Oshis will leave tomorrow for Hivaea, since that lies further, though unlikely his mother will come.

12. Shenelae, 24,548 - Ashom Farmhold

Swift word after a long daytide, and harder than forelooked. We reached the city at forenoon, but found neither Roess nor Thiahe had today come to market. Thus we soon took the ferry to Tiamol, and then headed eastward through the swamp until here, where Remaue’s kindred forecaughtly welcomed us. We boded the welcome-bid for Raeonyl’s cheertide. At the word, although Aeal Remaue’s mother kindly withheld, Roess, her children, and her brothers trothed to come, although I think they foresee the hap to get time away from the farmhold.

Also, in an odd kindliness, when Aeal heard word of Hauronil coming home, she cheered Kaure with a word almost so uncouth as Thiahe’s: ~Afe seafe o’nae thosye,~ “The hungry womb needs to feed.” Yet the oddness owned not to that word, but rather to her atakenness. Aeal, against all her worth, is not someone I would name an enlightened mind, but instead rules her little farmhold under Wiferight’s full behoof, whereof one may foreguess her nearly allied in thought with Qabarat’s Rightkind. Yet Kaure she seemingly unheeds as Korasha and affords whole wifely worship. I reckon it may stem from matehood with me and her daughter. Yet it beholds a gruff evenmindness willing to shed misforedeemship.