Sur Sceaf inhaled the scent of the autumn leaves before stretching out his hands in the returning sire’s greeting whereby his wives put their hands on top of one another. He sandwiched them between his two hands, forming the ancient due guard of the sacred bond of plural marriage. Ilkchild did likewise with his wives.
This due guard was done so as to reflect the protective encircling of the feminine by the masculine for security. Whereas the Herewardi insignia represented the feminine ensconcing of the masculine for birthing thus denoting the constant and eternal see-saw motion of the life forces and the human knot that bound them in the currents of love reflected in the alternating rhythm and roles of male and female.
Sur Sceaf looked into the face of each one of his wives who smiled back at him, then he offered up the prayer. Having finished, he released their hands and turned to his daughter, Aryfae, who handed him Faechild’s son. “How is my little bruiser, Wudu? He’s getting so big.”
Faechild beamed, “He does nothing but eat. That’s why. There are days I think he is going to drink me dry.”
“Well, he’s got the thick golden hair of Ilker’s house, that’s for sure.”
“Yes,” Faechild said, “but, I fear the fierce temper of his father’s house.”
“Then we shall teach him to subdue his passions as I have had to do,” Sur Sceaf said, squeezing the chubby calf of his son and kissing the bottom of his foot. “It is good to be in a place where love only is spoken. This is holiness in its purest form. Look at this mighty old yew! Can you just imagine the dryads that must inhabit that tree? I hope you all come oft to sup from the spirit of this tree. For I know I shall avail myself of this portal to the Elven realms soon enough.”
Paloma assured him with a smile, “All of us drink and give thanks from it, my lord. Your hall was just completed two days ago. Would you like to see it with us? I think you will be most pleased. Your wives certainly are.”
“Well if it pleases my wives, then I know it will please me.”
As he glanced upward at the structure, the Great Hall of Neorxnawang towered up into the branches of the wood. Breathlessly and reverently, he made his way toward the golden straw capped edifice which he had only before seen partially finished. His family followed en mass while he held Wudu-Elf in his arms and halted at the newly placed harrow stone.
“Holy Woses! By the nine glory twigs and the seven grandfathers!” He reached his son’s infant hand up to touch the hole at the top of the stone, looked through the portal of the stone at the lodge and said, “May this stone hear our family’s many holy vows.”
When last he had visited the hall it had been nothing more than the foundation and a few joists. Now it stood firm, established, and beautiful as he had envisioned it. The crossed roof beams with carved ravens mirroring each other looked down on him. He stared at the great walnut doors which bore large, sinuous, sculpted swans facing one another, an artistic rendition of his signet ring. Arundel raced up the broad steps and with a flourish, threw them open. Inside, the hall was dark. With a word from Swan Hilde, Russell and Ev’ Rhett raced inside to light the lamps, sconces, and beeswax candles. Soon the interior glowed as brightly as the sunny outdoors.
“What do you think, my lord?” Ahy asked, “Is it not more beautiful than the Shepherd Hall?”
Sur Sceaf was near speechless. “Indeed it robs my breath it is so beautiful. I never thought to see such a magnificent hall built in so short a time.”
Lovely columns, numbering twenty two on each side, lined the aisle with winding serpentine shapes portraying the Herewardi path through mortality. Engraved on the capitols of each column were repeated patterns of the mark of Howrus. At the base of each column was inscribed one of the Forty-Four Laws of Hrus in runic symbols.
In the center of the hall was a great stone fire pit and above it was an occulus out of which spun the four serpentine arms of a swirling medicine wheel representing the Eye of Howrus or the Ur Fyr. The sides of the great hall were wattle and daub. Great tables were bordered by finely tooled mead benches made of polished dark black walnut wood.
Towards the back of the hall was a throne of beaten gold that sat on a three tiered pedestal. Decorating the throne were two large golden swans with one wing up and one wing down symbolizing ‘As above, so below.’ Golden obelisks dangled from twigs held in the swans’ bills. Before the throne stood an altar with an additional golden obelisk at one end and a Silver Labrys at the other. Both were veiled, signifying that the lights were extinguished at this time.
“I must reward this Jon Dee Lee handsomely. He has done me well indeed to have erected such a glorious edifice in only three moonths time.”
Paloma stroked one of the columns. “Yes, truly the Hickoryan laird was superb, but you can thank your father for the black walnut wood and the golden swans. They are his gift to a son whom he highly favors.”
* * *
Taneshewa was filled with excitement that Sur Sceaf had come home to the manor. Everything always seemed to flow so much better when he was present. The wives got along better, the children behaved, which was a miracle, the labors seemed not quite so mundane, and the air was filled with laughter and joy. This day was to be the day when the wives would have baked the treats for Sur Sceaf’s expected arrival three days hence. However, his unexpected arrival upset the order which Paloma had instituted. Now the wives and older daughters were scrambling to prepare the Thanks Giving Feast. While Sur Sceaf reacquainted himself with the children, the wives immediately began to organize the meal and set the festive board. Milkchild and Shining Moon took to the kitchen and started cooking.
At Paloma’s suggestion, Sur Sceaf joined the bride-sisters in the communal kitchen with its hustle and bustle. Since Taneshewa had been experiencing back pains from overdoing, her bride-sisters insisted that she sit next to Sur Sceaf and keep him company until it was time for her to glaze the goose with her special truffle batter.
Sur Sceaf asked her, “How are you feeling, my dear?” Placing a hand on her swollen belly.
“Other than my back pains, I feel very energetic, but my sisters insist, I take it easy.”
“And the baby?”
“I know it’s a boy, because I am sick every morning and it sits high. Sagwi says that usually doesn’t happen with girls.”
“Then we must begin to think of a name befitting a son.”
“I’ve already chosen one. Dinah the Arap, gave the name to me. He shall be called Il-Alim.”
Sylfae-Jah, Milkchild’s teen daughter, brought Taneshewa a glass of milk and Surrey a krug of ale. Before departing back to the cooking she said, “I am so glad you’re home, Fa. I wanted you to help me with a poem I’m composing.”
“Thank you Sylfae-Jah. I promise to set aside some time for us alone.”
Taneshewa took a sip of sweet goat milk and whispered, “Before you arrived, the family resembled sheep scattering when a dog enters the flock. Paloma and Swan Hilde along with the older boys have been working so hard to move everything out of the barn and into our houses. And they’ve labored extra hard to get ready for your arrival.”
“The two of them keep everything moving in the right direction, don’t they?” Sur Sceaf said.
Taneshewa laughed, “Swan Hilde has already organized the birth of my baby down to which wife would be my midwife, but I insisted I would only have Sagwi.”
“I do hope I am present at the delivery. I shall make every effort to be. Everything in Godeselle is going at such a frantic pace, builders, merchants, public works, tribal differences. I’m so grateful for this island of peace. This place is where my heart belongs and I long to be here.”
Paloma called out, “Ahy, the geese are ready for the oven, so it’s time to make your glaze.”
Taneshewa grabbed her basket of truffles and chanterelles she had gathered and took them to the preparation table. All the while she was flirting with Sur Sceaf as she ground down the dried truffles into a fine powder. The thought of truffles made Surre
y’s mouth water.
When everything was cooking, and the older girls had tables set, Paloma announced, “Before the geese are finished roasting I think now would be a good time to choose sticks.”
She sent Brekka to retrieve the barrel from behind the throne. Ordinarily, the wives maintained the same order which followed the order in which they had married and had simply been on a rotational basis for their conjugal rights with Sur Sceaf, but now it had been a solid two moonths since he was able to make it home, and the choosing of sticks was the only fair way to determine who slept with Sur Sceaf on his first night home.
Eager to find what color she would draw, Taneshewa hurried over to her husband, still sitting at the kitchen table telling stories to the kids. She had learned that this was the custom among the Herewardi women when their men returned from a journey, to draw colored sticks out of a barrel in order to determine the order the wives would be visited for conjugal relations. Sur Sceaf looked on with great interest. He held Milkchild’s baby daughter, Judifae, in one arm and holding the hand of Shining Moon’s son, Red Elf, in the other.
Brekka placed the barrel in the center of the table, and said, “It’s time Fa, for the bride-sisters to draw for you.” Shall I shake up the sticks?”
The wives lined up to take their turn. This was the only time when the brides did reverse order, with the newest bride going first and the senior bride drawing last. As required, Taneshewa closed her eyes, reached into the barrel and felt around fingering several sticks before choosing. She withdrew her hand and saw she had chosen the dandelion yellow stick. Disappointment ran through her. She would now have to wait for God-Day named for Godgifu, the Great White Lady. She recounted the days in her head and on her fingers, Os-day, How-day, Arun-day, Rhett-day, God-day, five long, lonely days from now.
One-by-one the others took their turns. Paloma was the last to draw and held up the blue stick, meaning Os-Day. Tonight she would be with Sur Sceaf. Laughing and teasing Sur Sceaf with veiled bedroom promises, the sisters returned their sticks to the barrel before going back to their tasks.
Determined not to show her disappoint, she finished drinking her milk. She had walked the tightrope over a cultural chasm that none of the other wives had to contend with, with perhaps the exception of Shining Moon, who was simply grateful to be with the man of her dreams. She observed that none of the other women acted in the least bothered by what was happening, and that is when Taneshewa realized she needed to do some adjusting. But realizing and doing can often be miles apart.
Paloma must have perceived Taneshewa’s plight for she said, “It is alright. You will see,” the expression on her face suggested she was up to something. “At least we are not yet as Sur Spears wives, who must draw cards instead of sticks because there are so many of them.”
“It is just that hope deferred makes my heart sick,” Ahy admitted. “In actuality he was not due for three more days so I should at least be happy he has come early. Shouldn’t I?” She had learned to love her bridal-sisters. Nevertheless, this was proving a real test of her endurance.
“But when your heart is finally satisfied it shall be a tree of life in you, Ahy, I promise,” Paloma quoted. “The blue stick means I have no responsibilities this day, and I intend to make the best of it.”
Chapter 21 : Home at Last, Thank the Gods Home at Last
After making sure that everything was progressing as it should, Paloma joined Sur Sceaf at the banquet table where he was listening to Brekka read from her writings. While the children settled into board games at their assigned tables and Russell and Ev’Rhett were engaged in arguments over chess, Arundel and Ilkchild played musical instruments and conversed about their hunting adventures. Paloma sidled up to Sur Sceaf. He smiled at her once again, before focusing on Brekka reading her journal entries at the banquet table. Moments later, Milkchild placed a vase of colorful branches of autumn leaves on the table and then slipped behind him and planted a kiss on his head. Grinning, Brekka broke off her reading. In as large a family as theirs, everyone was used to frequent interruptions, teasing, and rough housing.
“It’s so good to have you home again, my love,” Milkchild flirted.
“It’s great to be with you all again and I want to get to meet that little tyke, Wudu, better.”
“I’ll see to it you do,” Milkchild said. She turned to go away and nearly ran into Aryfae who apologized for being in the way.
Sur Sceaf gave her a smile. “There’s a special bloom on your cheeks. Must be that new boyfriend.”
Aryfae blushed, “I’ve got to put the butter on the tables and then I have something very important to discuss with you, Fa.”
“Of course, as soon as we can find a time slot today.”
Aryfae returned to the kitchen with her empty tray to get more butter.
Paloma sighed, “Maybe you should spend a few days while you are here in the nursery, as everyone requires some of your time. The little ones love your stories. So maybe you can get them to be quiet for five minutes.”
As though to emphasize her point, Russell grabbed a chess piece from Ev-Rhett and loudly accused him of cheating, “You moved a piece when I wasn’t looking.”
Ev shouted back, “Because you did.”
Arundel was swift to intervene. “If one of you is cheating then as you know the other is. Haven’t you two learned that yet, it’s like looking in a mirror. Both of you, stop cheating.”
Sur Sceaf laughed. “In truth, I’ve missed the cacophony, including the crying children, and even the twin terrors.”
“Since you are in such a receptive mood, I’d like you to settle a dispute we’ve been having.” She glanced at the white raven preening itself on Brekka’s shoulder and said to Sur Sceaf, “It’s about Brekka’s latest companion.”
“Yes, Hella has greeted me already with several of her choice words. I used to have a black one myself, called him Brigand.” Sur Sceaf said. “Once, my mother chased him with a broom around the kitchen when he stole her ring.”
Paloma sighed, “Then my complaint about carrying a bird into the hall isn’t going to fly, is it?”
“I’m afraid not my dear, my mother didn’t win that one either.” He looked her straight on with his warm eyes and said, “It’s good to be here dear.”
Brekka grumbled, “Oh no! Here comes Aryfae again. She used to be a good ear and so much fun. Now that she’s boy crazy, she acts like she’s the boss of me, but that ain’t ever going to happen.” Brekka closed her journal and tied the thongs.
As soon as Aryfae reached the table with her tray of butter dishes, she stopped and shot a frowning glance at Brekka. “Don’t you be writing anything about me in your journals, Copper Locks.”
“I already have.” Brekka said tauntingly.
“Let me see.”
Aryfae plunked the tray down on the table and made a grab for the journal. Brekka snatched the journal away just in time. The sudden movement upset Hella, who flapped her wings and squawked. The raven landed on a rafter and grokked out ‘Huzzy.’
“And keep that squawking bird of yours away from me.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t write about you smooching with Sigmund, but I did keep a record of our journey here from Namen Jewell along with my sketches of the things we saw. Is there anything wrong with that?” Brekka said stroking Hella who had flown back to her forearm. “Don’t be saying bad things about my bird either. Hella understands every word you say.”
Aryfae lifted her eyebrows in disbelief before turning to Sur Sceaf, “Fa, Sigmund is coming today.”
Paloma caught a look of amusement in Sur Sceaf’s eye. “So, your mother tells me you wish to marry at Fyribod.”
“Yes, since you were gone, mother gave permission for both of you. Please don’t say you object.”
“No, I have full confidence in your mother’s judgment and I would never contradict her decision. If she feels this marriage is appropriate, then I do as well.”
Aryfae threw her arms a
round Sur Sceaf’s neck. “I know you will like Sigmund, he’s of good breeding, very smart. He was so afraid you would think he was beneath us, because he is merely of noble blood and not of our royal bloodline.”
“My dear, I judge every man on his merit as well as his blood. From the reports I have of him, he is an upright and upstanding young man and given to few of the vanities even I possessed at his age.”
“Then do you mind if I go wait at the gate for him after I finish here?”
“Not at all, but bring him back to feast with us.”
As soon as Aryfae picked up the tray and left the table, Brekka burst out, “Fa, Ahy and I found a giant ghost mushroom hanging in a fir tree when we were out hunting for truffles. It looked like a big white ghost perched on the fir branch. But Ahy knew it was a special mushroom. May I show you the sketch I made of it?”
She started to open her journal again when Lana arrived at the table and put her hand on Brekka’s. “Darling, thou hast talked enough. Take that squawk box crow out to his perch and thou come help in the kitchen like a proper maid.”
“But I was talking to Fa. And it’s a raven, not a crow and it’s a she not a he.”
“All the same to me, give Paloma her time with fa. Now away with thy winged friend and thee this very instant!”
Brekka snatched up her journal and strode off with a pout on her face.
Lana sighed, “My dear! I don’t know if thou hast noticed, but Brekka is turning into a woman. One of the Hickoryan boys, name of Ruhm, was really eying her on the boat. She did not appear to reciprocate all that much. Well, maybe a little. I think she doesn’t know that she’s a woman yet. Besides she’s such a fighter, I doubt many boys could handle her.”
Paloma said, “As strikingly beautiful as she is becoming, I suspect that this Hickoryan boy is but the first in a long string of broken hearts. Do you know he is Jon Dee Lee’s boy?”
“No, I did not. I could perceive he found her irresistible, but then I noticed Pyr’s son, Herewose, was taking a real fancy to her as well.”
The Isle of Ilkchild (The King of Three Bloods Book 4) Page 33