A Night of MourningIruvande S'Akhiy'Rhienn Night, with its shroud of dark memories, covered the great city. Iruvande watched from the window of her small room as all the lanterns up the main thoroughfare were set alight. It was done with the same beautiful reverence as it was each night, none knowing that this night held more meaning than any other to those of Akhiy'Rhienn. Not that many were left to mourn the loss, but as long as one remained, this night would be marked out as special. In a soft, lilting voice, Iruvande began her winding and sorrowful dirge. "Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child. "By, by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child. "By, by, lully, lullay." Her white gown of simple lines rustled slightly as she lifted a taper from her table and lit it. Standing, she drifted to the four hundred and twenty three candles that filled her chamber. Each one was set alight as the verse began. "O sisters too, how may we do, "For to preserve this day "This poor youngling for whom we do sing "By, by, lully, lullay?" Mint green eyes stared into the dancing flames of the largest candle, set out on a low table all to itself. Sitting down before it, she felt her words swirl out around the great column. "That woe is me, poor child for thee! "And ever morn and nigh "For thy parting neither say nor sing, "By, by, lully, lullay." ~~~
Bright and colourful music sprang up around the eitreih, drawing laughter from the girls dancing merrily. Musicians weaved through the pretty girls, eyeing them like they were prizes to be won but never once touching them. They knew they were not for them, but it wouldn't stop them looking. Tornet watched as one of the young women extracted herself from the group and slipped out of the eitreih, toward the forest at the back of Akhiy'Rhienn's estate. Smiling to himself, he left by a different route, his destination the same. A dark figure watched the young man. It frowned to itself, dark eyes fixed on the spot Tornet had entered the forest. With deliberate care, it followed him. "By the Elements," Tornet gasped as he swept the woman up in his arms, "I've missed thee." "Ie, rekkhai, I expect I've missed thee also." With a bright, wild laugh, she kissed him passionately. "Oh Tornet, I wish we could be more open about this." Her lover's eyes darkened for a moment. "We cannot. My father would kill me for loving an Akhiy'Rhienn. And thy father..." Fhya's cheeks blushed a light sage. "He would not be pleased. He still hates thy family. I admit to not entirely understanding the feud." "Nor I, but it stands," he sighed, drawing in a deep breath of her beautiful scent. "We don't have long together..." "No... I'll be missed..." Their kisses grew more passionate, more earnest as they sank down onto the soft, sweet-scented grass. From the shadows of the undergrowth, a silent figure watched them make fast, passionate love. It felt its blood slowly boil as one of its House was polluted in the most heinous manner. Many weeks passed. Fhya saw her e'lev barely three times but each joining was as sweet and wondrous as the first. Her cheeks flushed, she ran full pelt from their latest meeting back to her father's house. "You look unwell, rinam," a dark figure said from the doorway. "Na, dianvm!" she called as she skidded up. "I'm fine. Just late. Is lastmeal ready?" "Ie," came the soft reply. "You must be very hungry, rinam." She stopped suddenly and stared into his dark, bitter eyes. "From the running." "From the whoring." It was said in such a flat, uncaring voice that she could hardly believe what he'd said. "Wh-what?" "Go back to your clearing, little girl," he growled. "Go and see what has become of your tryst." White faced and frantic, she span on her heals and pelted full speed back to where she'd left Tornet. The copper stink of blood burned in her nostrils even before she fought through the brambles. They tore at her clothes and skin, uncaring. Empty, lifeless eyes stared at her when she collapsed to her knees before her love's dead body. Green blood pooled around the gaping hole in his skull. Her grief-scream shattered the stillness, sending birds up from all around her. ***
Her exotic flower-filled basket hooked in the crook of her arm, Fhya placed shaking hands on her enlarged stomach. "She is mine," she said defensively. "You can't have her." "Thy dianvm has slain one of my sons!" the posturing man shouted. "His life was forfeit and my son's child is mine." "No!" She backed away and tried to run back to the ground car. It was barely a hundred paces but her enemy's men were on her and they dragged her backward. No one in the market blinked an eye as she was bundled into a different ground car and it drove away. ~~~
In a pained voice, Iruvande whispered, "She was thrown back on our doorstep pale and with an empty womb. Her child, a daughter of our House, was stolen from us. She, our precious one, died but a week later." "Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child. "By, by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child. "By, by, lully, lullay." ~~~ Note: the words used in this log come from the Coventry Carol. It is named after the city of Coventry in England, which held a Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors during the 15th Century that depicted Herod's slaughter of children, as shown in the words of the song. Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay. O sisters too, how may we do, For to preserve this day This poor youngling for whom we do sing By, by, lully, lullay? Lully, lullah, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, By, by, lully, lullay. Herod the king, in his raging, Charged he hath this day His men of might, in his own sight, All young children to slay. Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay. That woe is me, poor child for thee! And ever morn and nigh For thy parting neither say nor sing, By, by, lully, lullay. Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By, by, lully, lullay. |
