A couple more questions on war

[Nancy Bradford-Reid]

>War has lately been much on my mind. I would like to ask a few
>questions of people on this forum.
>
>1) (To fighters) Is war preparation (drilling, practicing, marching)
>something that you enjoy doing? Or a necessary evil so that you can do
>well on the battle field? Or a total waste of time?

Conor is not "hooked" to the net yet, so I will try to answer for him.  I
believe he enjoys it because he always tries to make war practice and it
gives him an opportunity to do his favorite thing, halbard fighting.  I
also think he finds it necessary, the times when you all haven't practiced,
it shows.

>
>2) (To fighters) When you think about wars, do you imagine yourself
>doing well, or your local group doing well, or your kingdom, or some
>combination?

Oh but of course.

>
>3) (To non-fighters) Are you happy for fighters when they do well? To
>restate: Are there nonfighters who watch battles like many people watch
>sporting events, rooting for the home team?

Yes and yes.

>
>4) (To non-fighters) What could fighters do to make things more
>interesting for you in a war?
>

Hmm, more taunts and challenges.  I would also like to see a higher level
of chivalry on the battlefield, both traditional and SCA (read: proper blow
calling and not attacking people from their blind side).

>5) (To all) Describe some of your favorite moments at a war.

Just the feel of the ground shaking under my feet as the two sides came
together for the field battle at Pennsic, wow!  I'm sure Conor would have
some good, no s**t, there I was stories to insert here.

>
>6) (To all) Describe some of your least favorite moments at a war. (Be
>gentle.)

Many years ago, at the last Outlands War, a certain new knight who later
became king (not you Kein) kept pounding someone who was down.  It was not
a very pleasant thing to watch, but that was an individual, and his actions
were not within the war organizers' ability to control or not.  It is
usually incidents like that, and there have been several, that leave a bad
taste in my mouth over wars and melees.  Those are things, however, that
are up to the individual to control--although I suppose the crown could
yank 'em out of the battle and give them a good talking to the first time,
suspension the second time, etc. But no one ever seems to stick with that
plan. (I know, I know, this is going to open a whole new can of worms--what
was I thinking?)

At the same war, I carried the Bryn Gwlad war banner and followed you
everywhere you went on the battlefield, hither and yon, as you commanded
the troops.  And I survived!  It was great fun.

>
>That's all for now.
>
>Kein MacEwan
>
>mka Keith Ewing

Catherine