Brand and Vaeol - Chapter 25

28. Neth, 4718 - The City of Candares, 68th Day on Castrovel   Today saw our gatefare to this new city Candares, which I must say is one of the most picturesque steads I’ve ever visited. The trip, however, proved anticlimactically short. We spent more time readying to go through the elfgate than we needed to actually step through. Earlier this morn, the Lashunta warriors had begun stirring. By midmorning we were called to the embassy’s courtyard, where we found the whole Son company packed and saddled, and Lady Nauve ready to see us away. With a quick farewell, we headed out.   Our goal, however, surprised me. By foot and Shota-back we headed upward to the acropolis, among the towers and temples that make Khabarat’s bulwark over the sea. There a smaller retinue met us: Lady Semuane again, another outrider-knight, and a small escort, chosen to accompany us. At this meeting nobody, not even Remaue, seemed askance that Vaeol and Semuane - once rivals - are now traveling together. If anything, I caught a wave of mirth through the company.   Back on our arrival to Khabarat, I had noticed a seagate construction of stonework over the harbor’s narrow neck. Now as we approached the northern peak overlooking the neck, I realized at least part is natural stone, a bridge underhollowed by the waters, through the living rock, who knows how many millennia ago. The Lashunta have added siderails, supports below, and something I guess may work as a portcullis as defence for the harbor. Yet raw stone showed through the bridge’s sides we were about to cross. I felt thankfulness for the rails guarding from a fall of several hundred feet while we walked over.   We crossed to the southern peak opposite the acropolis, where waited a wide fold with a breast-high wall. Along its far side stood five stone arches. Four were obviously Elven in workmanship. Yet of the fifth, midmost arch I could not tear my eyes off. Though of different size, it looked just like the gate in Qumarin that had brought us to Castrovel, even to the kind of stone. An eeriness took me, as if I had just walked over my own grave.   Happily, that worldgate we would not take. Instead, we took the righthand gate. We all lined up: Lashunta, humans, and steed-lizards. Then a gate-steward worked a spell, and the elfgate flared to life. Soon as I stood before it, I felt the gate’s disturbance and witnessed the same sloshy, waterlike surface I remembered from our first gatefare. At our misluck’s memory I steeled myself and with gritted teeth stepped through. Oddly, it felt different when we stepped through. I do’t know how to describe.   We came out into a twilit gloom beset with feylike glows. I saw night under cloudy sky, and no tree limbs overhead. We stood in another, smaller gateyard, with but one arch behind. Instead of Khabarat’s sea, I smelled lakewater. Across a new bridge I saw clumps of lanterns and what I’ve come to know as glowblossoms. We were in Candares. Soon as the full company came through, we marched across to the city proper. The ruling matron, who has an impossible name like Zhovor-ayool, swiftly welcomed us as if she had been waiting, and gave us rooms within the palace.   I now find myself fully awake at nighttide, for my head and body believe it still daytime as it was in Khabarat. Apparently, we have traveled so far across the world in an instant, that we now are on a side where the sun is not shining. It has given me time to update my journal, however, and the men have treated it as an unexpected holiday as they may drink themselves asleep until morning.     6. Zielae, 24,535 - 10th day in Qabarat; Candares   Ere we left for Candares, I had hap to read a map of Eastern Asana, as drawn by the Lorehall. Here is what I learned.   Candares is steaded at Asana’s southeasternmost end, amid the rainwood bordering the Sea of Teeth, as those neighborfolk name the Sovyrian Sea for its churning storms that forbid shipfare from reaching the Elven Mainland. It lies at the mouth of Mother-Nehan, which is fed by Father-Tarakeshi, who grows and winds from the Glowsilk Jungle in the north and flows beyond the Sea of Mist’s eastern edges. Master Tholias told that the city is split between two towns. Upper Candares sits atop the Dale of Silver Hair and straddles sundry islands lying in the lakemouth. Here Mother-Nehan spills as a great waterfall into the dale, wherein lies the Lower Town. Thence their child Nehanzhi flows onward to the legendary Lemenoran Sea.   While one can fare over Asana to reach Candares, from our stead in Qabarat, the easiest fare-wise is the elder aiudara-gate the Elves built. Selfsomely, the elfgates are a great wealth-spring for Qabarat. With Candares they trade for pearls, jade, ivory and healerworts, along with meaner foodstuffs. I had wondered whether glowsilk comes from here but learned it is not the main tradespring, which instead lies in Jabask to the North.   Also, the Lashunta are not the only kindred that dwells in Candares. Another kind, named the Kaymos, also dwells there.   At the Embassy, we had armed, saddled and brought the Shota from the stallbarn, and then gathered the Aslanta. Then we went to Qabarat's Uppertown, where we strode by the Threefold House until we came to the Bridge-bough that links the two cliffsides. There Lady Semuane met us, along with another outrider Lady Vearanil, and also their shieldbearers, steeds, and two Korasha wardens. I witted they were leading no pack-lizards, to which they laughingly answered that we were not going far. Then they led us over the Bridge-bough, where we came through a watchpost, and then to the Gatestead.   Within the Gatestead walls, we beheld a yard maybe a hundred strides wide. Within it milled a few traders and pack-lizards, such as had either right come through a gate or were readying to go, and who yielded way for our greater sith. About the yard in a half-ring stood five stoneboughs. Of the five the midmost outstood as biggest and oddest. Whereas the outer four were fairly built of cloudy granite and had elf-glyphs carven atwine their shafts, the midmost was seemingly shapen of raw basalt, even until its thwartcut being a six-side shape. Two such dark stone shafts bend toward each other until they cleave at a misshapen peak. Worn glyphs show on its face. I have heard this is the worldgate to Red-Sister, which may be used only on the High Matron’s outright leave, whereas the elfboughs are the four ~aiudarao~.   To the rightmost elfbough we went and gathered our whole sith: three outriders with seven other riders and our Shota, six bowmen with two other heavy-armed warriors, five grooms, and eleven Aslanta. Then for the first time we had a bother, for the Shotalashu balked at the gate. Seemingly they can feel the elfcraft's weirdness. At last we riders all unsteeded, bound minds strongly, and led them through while all others followed.   The gate’s weirdness hummed over my skin. A blinktide later, I stood elsewhere. I looked backward while the others came out and beheld what seemed, for all looks, like the same gate, only daytide had shifted to dusk, and the gateyard had shrunken. Both Ess and I smelled freshwater instead of Qabarat’s sea. I waited while the company came through.   Wardens there forelooked us, for Qabarat had sent word ahead, and their reeve welcomed us to Candares. We were led over a bridge from the gateyard, which overheld a whole stony outcrop. I saw we were on an island, and though the streambed under our bridge is now dry, at Floodtide it would doubtlessly be overwashed. We soon came to a walled borough lit with glowblossoms and witchlights, which our guides named as Uppertown. It is a small but thrifty stead with Mother-Nehan’s waters on all sides and two more bridges linking to the mainland. I also witted more outcrops samely lit, which hold outlying boroughs. We were brought to the Matron’s Hall, where we met Her Highness, High Matron Zhovoraeul, who greeted us fairly, though I was forecaught at meeting the city’s high reeve so swiftly. She said she had word from Her Highness Lady Ivasill and welcomed both us and the Aslanta as the city’s guests. She offered duskmeal, though we ashamedly shrove we had right earlier eaten breakfast.   Meals are not the only thing beweighed by the time-shift, for while I write this, it is full midnight, and I am so awake as I would be at high noon, which effects us all, who even now stir about the hall and farthing where we stay. Nonetheless, this land’s nighttide has let us stow our gear and install the Shotalashu, but has left us, with our host’s sleeptide, with rather more freedom than we should own. The other outriders, Remaue, and I took a stroll through Uppertown to learn its layout, where I witted a fair score of Elven buildwork, which makes good mind since bespokenly this was an Elfburgh ere the Withdrawal.     29. Neth, 4718 - 2nd Day in Candares, 69th Day on Castrovel   Today we got a tour of the new city, which although exotic, did little to allay my growing frustration. We have come here to find Corpsicum, though still we need to beseech our hosts and have them weigh our suit. Even worse, I can’t keep giving my men promises without reward. I have an inkling Draxy is still whispering to anyone who’ll listen. What nonsense he feeds them I have no idea. Yet I worry he will get them to somehow offend our hosts. I have asked Vern, Duster, and Bicker to keep their ears open.   We did learn something, however, of the Corpsicum’s source. Our guide pointed to an array of ledges and tombs along the cliffsides that separate the city’s upper town from its lower. These are wrought by the people named the Kai-mos, who also dwell here. Told the explanation, Corpsicum is derived from a sediment brought by springs and other cliff runoff that leak through the Kai-mos’ graves, and only through this process. This is the only place known in all the world where the Kai-mos reside. Thus Corpsicum is found here only. What Kai-mos may be in body and mind, and what they do, still lies an open question, for we’ve met none so far. The cliff-faces’ exposition, however, excited the men. Swiftly I quelled a hot discussion on how to climb the cliff and begin mining tombs. I asked the men to remind what they would do if strangers rummaged their family tombs. We don’t need foolish talk.   Soon as we returned to the palace, I inquired how we may beseech the Kai-mos for Corpsicum. I was told that Lady Vaeol has already put forth this petition, which now stands under consideration. I have asked what I can do to further our suit, for I am currently at a loss.