Brand and Vaeol - Chapter 24

4. Zielae, 24,535 - 8th Day in Qabarat   We have now been in Qabarat almost a half-month. I understand we await the High Matron’s doom over the Aslanta’s fetch and whether we may get leave for Candares. It is becoming wearisome, for though I have behooved of my while here, I miss home.   After early drilltide this morn, I ate noonmeal and slumbered. Then I withdrew to the bath and readied for tonight’s mirthtide. Remaue helped eagerly, for she had already crafted a plan. Soon my lips and cheeks were ruddy, and she had drawn stark lashes trailing from my eyes and melding with my skinwhorls, and my hair falling in curls over my left shoulder.   The feast was a small, inside thing with twelvesome guests, almost Damaya, including me, Lady Nauve, Tae, Erymi, Mistress Lavaeul from our city who stays on lorefare at the Gods' Lorehall; and then on the Qabarat side: Lady Eaniviss who is a steward from the Threefold House, Lady Semuane, Lady Heme whom I had yesterday met, and three more Qabarat ladies whose names I forget. Yet the lone Korasha guest was Master-Captain Dosuaesh, whom I remind from childhood, though he bears more scars now than even then, and who is coming home to Son after a nine-year firdhood in Valmaeana and the Bulwarks, where he had led Son’s warhost as share of the Lashunta alliance against the Formians, and for whom this mirthtide gave worship.   Master-Captain remembered my name and asked after Lady-Mother. I answered she is well, and will eagerly welcome a hero of Son back to our homeland. He also asked after my sisters, though when I told they are now both matrons, he got a queer look. I beware my Lady-Sisters have not the shiniest nameworth, but wonder what he has heard. He then told he dimly recalled my Mother saying in my childhood that I should cleave the Esotericum, and thus he bestartledly he now found me an outrider. I witted he must see my browbead and answered I had indeed learned soulcraft, and then had gone onward to the Citadel. This seemingly beweighed him. From what he had heard of our fetch with the Aslanta, he deems my skills a good choice, for which word I meekly thanked him.   I asked Master-Captain of the war's news. He looked slowly, and then answered the war is best when stillest. Though I think I understood, something else in his pitch outstood grim.   Lady Nauve as housewife made much worship of Lady Semuane. She praised both her nobleness and outriderhood for setting aside our feud. Her Highness had boldly set us two next to each other, which would be an awkward seat if we either bore ill will. As it was, we talked and laughed together, and even clasped hands.   Erymi, Tae, and I got many questions about the Aslanta and what kind they were. We outlaid that as Manlykind they were rather like the best meld of Elves and Korasha, tall but with nice manly roughness, whereas so many Elf-men look wifely. They are mostly well behaved, we outlaid, though with a childlike wildness that yet shuns wrathfulness. A Qabarat lady straightly asked Erymi and Tae whether they have tried the Aslanta’s bedsport, which they blushingly naysaid, though they shrove some of our Damaya have done so.   Then came the question of why no Aslanta Wifelykind were among them. Here we had no answer but that we had first found them all as Manlykind, though their dead seer who had come with had been a wife. Also, reckoning from what we had learned, seemingly Manlykind on Blue-Sister hold upper rank, and they behave Man-Right.   This word shook the mealboard to stillness. None said anything while the guests reckoned this oddnes. Then Master-Captain smarted he would greatly like to see this world, whereat we all laughed and toasted.   After a wonderful sweetdish of that fetching darknut cake with rose-myrrh glaze and mulled wine (I am sure Lady Nauve had overhead Remaue and me talking of its dear taste), we withdrew with brandy glasses to the deckroom overlooking a glowblossom yard and the city’s lights twinkling all aring. Someone spoke of the find of Lost Hosiasha of the Moqeva, through which the Aslanta had come to our world. Mistress Lavaeul spoke worry that such a cursed stead was again awake to the World's mind, and warned it best left forgotten. She began a song in words so old we could only understand through mindshare: of a Korasha warrior fighting to save his child-heavy wifemate from these snake-fiends. It was sorrowful, dolefully when she slew herself instead of letting her unborn child become meat for the Moqeva’s hunger. We melded minds and sang with her.   Then Captain Dosauesh, whom maybe drink had loosened and the song had stirred, at last spoke of the Formian War and the Formians themselves; buglike unswaying warriors, ruthless and listful until death. He spoke they stand as our nowward Moqeva, though somehow I caught an almost worshipful hint in his throat. I reminded a true warrior respects his foe even if they are fiends.   While the first guests took leave and Lady Nauve saw them off, Semuane and I went downstairs and walked among the glowblossoms. While we talked, we learned we are of near years and both lately risen to outriderhood. When her glass ran empty, I raised mine to her lips and bade her drink. Then she took it and raised it to mine. We looked and held each other’s gazes.   Then Semuane spoke that, if she had no better thought, she might think I am wooing her. I answered I had even had the same thought, and that if I had free will, I should do so. She looked keenly why I withheld. So I told her I have a maidenlove and would not do so without leave. She strode near and said it is no great thing if my maidenlove yield leave. I answered that is rightly the riddle, for she has not yet given me leave.   Then Remaue stood forth from a tree. Against her groom’s dress, something queenly and dreadful shone from her, like a bloody thief-queen of the Moorland Clans as bespoken in the elder poems, and indeed she had ere feast darkened her face’s shadows with soot-oil, which hollowed her cheeks and deepened her eyes. Semuane quailed. She asked if this was my maidenlove. I answered yes and gave her Remaue’s name. She then quoth that if my maidenlove would forbid us, then she should leave.   I clasped her arm and bade her stay, and then outlaid that Remaue had not forbidden; she had merely not yet given leave. I saw Semuane think thereon.   Warily she asked what Remaue would bid.   I had no inkling what Remaue had in mind. I opened my mouth to speak, for I feared Remaue might give such ill word that might offthank Semuane. Yet Remaue raised a finger and gave so fierce a glare that I stilled.   Remaue looked back to Semuane. She spoke that she held a grudge against the Qabarat outrider from her deed raising weapon against me. Then she bade that, if Semuane wish forgiveness, for a sundry tide she should yield to Remaue’s reeveship, and that after a tide, if she did all Remaue bade and strove in a way meek to my shieldbearer, then Remaue would forgive her and yield leave to our maidenlove.   At last I found my voice and stammered that this must be done in sheer secretness, for we could not openly shame an outrider of Qabarat. The scandal would work such harm as both cities would rue. Lady Semuane yaysaid, almost fearfully, that it must be so, but forespoke to listen as bidden.   Remaue looked down at us both. Then almost scornfully she yaysaid. We had no time to afterhunt this bargain, for the bells tolled late, and we all have business tomorrow. Remaue barked me to follow, and I hastened after her so meekly that I feared shame if anyone saw me taking my groom’s bids.     27. Neth, 4718 - 8th Day in Khabarat, 67th Day on Castrovel   We have a plan. Tomorrow we will leave for another city called Candares. Even more interesting is the means whereby we will travel, for I caught the word ‘Aiudara’ in speech, which is the same in Lashunta as in Common, since it has an Elvish origin. We will travel by elfgate.   This morning, Lady Vaeol, myself, and Her Ladyship Nauve were summoned to the government palace. There we met with various matrons and ministers, apparently with whom our hosts had held dinner last night. Thus this meeting continued a discussion they had already started. The others informed me we are granted leave to seek Corpsicum as we wish in Candares, the one and only place in the whole world. Grateful as I was with this news, I remained keenly aware that Corpsicum does not give us a way home, which, if anything, is even more important than why we first came here. When I asked, the Khabarat minister answered the only way to Golarion that they know leads through the Elves’ Sovyrian Gate. She offered to send word to Sovyrian and seek permission to send us home. Mindful of Virian’s warning and Draxy’s frets, I don’t see where we have any other choice.   Back at the embassy, however, Lady Vaeol kindly showed me a map, which is the first picture I’ve gotten of this world. It mainly showed the continent they name Asana, on which we stand. Both Son and Khabarat lie at the far west, with Khabarat near the equator and Son northward, near the River Yaro’s head, just south of a great swath she names the ~Retaea~, which is an unusual place, she told, for on it one may travel for days of nothing but wide, treeless grassland. I think she would be surprised to learn such places are common on Golarion.   Our goal, the city of Candares, lies almost at the continent’s eastern end, and not far from the seacoast neighboring the Elves’ Sovyrian, which shows as a separate continent to the south. This map also gave a good feel for all the landmarks the elfgate will bypass. Mid-continent is a large freshwater sea the Lashunta name ‘Ara-seh-neh’ and another inland body called the Sea of Mist. When I asked whether one may take a boat from the western seashore, upriver to Ara-seh-neh and to the Sea of Mist almost to Candares, Vaeol answered it is almost possible, but that one needs a different boat for the Sea of Mist. When I asked what kind, she answered a boat that floats on mist instead of water. I tried to get more to dispel my confusion, but she could not explain.   Another whit: the people who hold the corpsicum are called ‘Kai-mos’ and are not Lashunta. Neither are they Elves, which suggests an altogether new kind, whose goodwill and permission we will need. Unsure how many more hoops we need to jump through to get it, but hopefully we are close.     5. Zielae, 24,535 - 9th Day in Qabarat   This morn, not only Lady Nauve and I but also Brand were called to the Threefold House, where we met Lady Eaniviss, whom yesternight I had met, Lady Sheiele, the High Mistress’s Steward whom I had met with Master Desh, and again Master Tholias the earthlore master. Also there was Semuane, which forecaught me, and Lady-Captain Rifae, whom I foretook as Semuane’s reeve. Lady Sheiele told that the High Matron has seen fit to bless our ask to go to Candares. Why this recks is that, instead of a long landfare over all Asana, we are given leave to use the ~aiudarao~, the elfgate that links Qabarat to Candares.   I have ere fared by elfgate, when I went hence to El and again back. Qabarat has no less than four ~aiudarao~, which the Elves built ere the Time of the Sage-Queens, when many Elves once dwelled on Asana and used them for their own worldfares, for they had made Qabarat a kind of gate-hub. Also there is the fifth worldgate that goes to Red-Queen.   We yaysaid we shall leave tomorrow. Along with our fetch-sith, Qabarat shall send a host, which will ingather Lady Semuane. Forecaughtly, I wondered whether she had beseeched this sendforth. Then I bade the others go back to the Embassy, and that I had a thing to watch.   I met Semuane, and we went to the House’s idleyard. She shrove she had sought for our fetch, unleastly forwhy she already felt so bound, and also for my sake. I told her I was worried that she might take Remaue’s threats with ill thanks. She naysaid. Then with a lingering hand she bowed and left.