Steppes Warlord

[William E. Cole]

Greetings to All!

  Although I was lucky enough to have made my camp long before the
weather got bad, I still spent a long, cold night out in the rain
helping others set up their tents. When we pitched one tent and it
started floating, I was seriously doublting the wisdom of not
day-tripping the event this year. Later that evening I had a kidney
stone attack. (I have been told that this is as close to being in Labor
as a man can get...and I believe it! I was in so much pain, it made my
sick several times.) Needless to say, after spending several hours in
constant pain, being sick into a small river flowing behind (and nearly
under) my tent that had just an few hours before been a dry creek bed,
with icy cold water running down my back and into my pants, I came very
close to calling it quits and leaving the event!

I'm telling this not for sympthy (but please, feel free to express such
if you feel moved to, I love the attention! <grin>), but simply so you
will know how utterly miserable I was Friday. With that in mind, perhaps
you can understand how moved and impressed I was when I say that I would
be willing to endure Friday all over again if it meant I was also able
to re-experience the events of Saturday and Sunday.

I had the pleasure of helping with the Turkish coffee house Saturday
night, which was my first real particpation (as opposed to merely
watching) in an event. It was one of the few times I enjoyed working so
hard. It was even more enjoyable when I went with some of the others of
our group to serve coffee at HRH Alecia's vigil. It was my first contact
with a vigil, and I was very impressed by it. (And nearly as impressed
by the coffee-drinking capabilities of one of the guards! -The Turkish
coffee was very sweet and very thick... I'm using the leftover coffee as
oil in my car!) <laugh!>

By far, though, the most impressive and moving event was the knighting
ceremony. I can not describe how deeply moved I was by what I saw... I
think it would take away from the ceremony for me to attempt to describe
it; I simply can't write well enough to give the event the credit it
deserves. I can only say that although I have not had the honor of
meeting HRH Alecia personally, when I saw all the knights move as one to
stand for her, tears started flowing down my face, and I knew this was
someone I would have to watch and learn from. Anyone who can earn that
kind of respect from her peers (pun intended) is someone worth trying to
emulate.

There were many other impressive sights at Warlord. The fighting was
especially impressive, although due to my illness, I didn't feel up to
watching as much of it as I would have liked. I did finally get the
chance to watch a bit of the archery contests; perhaps I may try this
myself once I find a place to practice.

Although I've had some contact with the SCA for almost two years now,
and been an member for nearly a full year, I think this weekend was the
first time I truely felt the full impact of 'The Dream'. To all of those
who attended and helped to make it all happen, THANK YOU!

William FitzBane of Lindenwood