Chapter 5

2. Evelae 24,535 - 9th day afare, 5th on the Yaro’s Eastern Bank   We fared another two days on the Darkfloor ere Aiane deemed the tree-paths broad enough to hold both Shota and footmen. As it is, our stock's lessness has lightened our load. We all breathed lighter when we again strode the boughs. I could read all the warriors feel samely, though they still reel ashock from Sevaeomel’s death.   I had never lost a warrior. Sevaeomel’s befouled body now lies in a hole amidst the Darkfloor, far from home. I feel ashamed and unworthy that I did not enough to save her. I worry the warriors blame me for the fight with the swarthy fell-things and her loss. It could have been foreshunned by staying with the flatbark, or else by first staying on the tree-paths.   Happily, Nae seems healthy and with no rot or illness. She bears a hefty burn-scar until her life’s end. With the underreeves we have talked goalstead. To my knowledge, we can only reach one: Hanazhyana, where we docked on our boatfare southward and whose foremothers once overcame our city to great shame. Though it sticks in my throat, my pride is not worth my warriors’ lives. We go there.   The fell-things’ trophies that we took, the head and hide, stink dreadfully. The Shota wildly offstand their berth, and the Korasha are hardly better. I cannot blame them.     3. Evelae - 10th day Afare, 6th day on the Western Bank   By good luck, today we met hunters climbing through the treeboughs after fade-deer. After we swore peace, we told them our wayfare northward, and they told us of a farmhold nearby, within ten leagues. We head there. I also sent Erymi on with them to bear word that we need counsel with Hanazhyana’s lorewardens. They have gone onward while we camp.   I pray Erymi has forgiven my harsh word while the fight with the swart-things. I merely could not stand the fear for her unborn child’s loss. Frankly, I also see her thought that she could not forsake her warriors amid-fight. Maybe we are both right. I hope she agrees.     4. Evelae - 11th day Afare, Lauboma Farmhold   Today we reached Lauboma, which is beholden to Hanazhyana. Since the hunters and Erymi came this way, the holdwife already had our news. They let us camp within their Shota-meadow and gave us water and treemilk.   I asked the holdwife of any bale-things or other queerness they might have seen. She answered nothing. I showed her the head, whereat she backed off and made a wardship sign. She bade I should not bring this uncleanness into their hold.     5. Evelae - 12th day Afare, Hanazhyana   While we readied to leave Lauboma-farmhold, in rode a strong rider-sith. Their captain hailed us; named Ashi. She first dared why a Son warrior-troop was riding through her city’s hinterlands. I told our name and forquest, and that we had come downflood on flatbark, and had even stopped at Hanazhyana three months ago. Lady Ashi recalled our company with the Aslanta, though bethought odd that we came back afoot. I outlaid the rainflood north of Qabarat, and that we had hoped better time aland. This brought her a hard smile. She bethought us foolish.   In answer, I showed her the swart-thing’s head and told of our fight. When her Shota reared and hissed, Lady Ashi muttered a prayer. I said that, if she had spoken with Erymi, then she knew I must bring it to the lorewardens. Misgivingly she agreed. Also, she begrudged that for so great a troop, and with half afoot, to make the wayfare between Eiha and here in but seven days is no mean deed, and even including the fight. She praised us and Aiane our guide.   Then they hosted us along a well-marked path to Father-Yaro’s bank, and until Hanazhana. We came on the city maybe a belltide after dusk, a hard dayfare but welcome. In less good news, they bade us yield our weapons, which we took as insult. Yet we had no mood to quibble. Our warriors doffed axe, bow, and spear, and we led the Shota into the city.   Lady Ashi’s underreeve brought us to a barracks while the captain took word to her elders. There Erymi met us, and, against myself, I hugged her tight, and knew she had forgiven me. Then Oshis offshoved me recklessly, and took his bechilded wifemate into his arms.   While the underreeves got the warriors settled and fed, I grabbed the bags with head and hide and, unheeding their unearthly rot, hefted them over shoulder and followed Ashi’s underreeve to the city’s lorehall. There I waited another belltide, for seemingly the loremasters bethought my atcome no fellness, until a groom met me. He took one look at the swart-thing’s head and rotten maw, and then fled yellingly for the loremasters, who soon came.   The lorewarden heard our tale how a score had astricken us, deaf and softly on the Darkfloor, that they had afterhunted Lashunta over Shotalashu, and my belief their bites and slime-limbs left the deadly foulness awound that had overtaken Sevaeomel. I then told the salt’s melt upon the hide. In trial, he mixed salt and water, and then poured it on the hide. True to my word, it burned a hole through. He then sent the groom to fetch more lorewardens. I ended up repeating the tale thrice while they bickered.   After midnight Remaue found me and brought a cheesecake, which I swallowed down. It was well, since I had almost lost hold of my mood. Rather haughtily, I bade the loremasters read whether these fell-things were worldly. The head loremaster answered it was rightly unworldly, but now that was all they could read. Sickly I nodded and asked leave to join my warriors, whereat Remaue led me back to the barracks.