ANST - Fw: [MercInn] Home groujps and fighting for pay.

[Cody Chezem]

----- Original Message -----
From: Blackburn, Eric <eblackburn at mail.magee.edu>
To: <mercenariesinn at egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 1999 9:21 AM
Subject: [MercInn] Home groujps and fighting for pay.


> The Mountain Confederation was formed by a number of fighters in central
> Pennsylvania when these people were completely ignored by the people on
the
> east coast where most activity was, in those days.  (This was before I
> joined).  As the crowned heads of the East Kingdom decided that the
> inhabitants of Nithgard, Abian Ciac Glas (forigve the spelling) and other
> groups were not worthy of notice, the founders of Confed decided to return
> the favor.  They sent the word: "You want us to fight for you, you pay
us."
>
> The word came back, "Fat chance."
>
> Things changed after the first few battles.  Then the East started making
> offers.  Some years have been good, with lots of beer, ice, firewood and
> baubles.  Other years have been bad, with offers which were insulting.
Some
> kings refused to hire mercenaries from their own kingdom.
>
> And awards were fewer, recognition faint, scorn great.  When I received my
> invitation to join Confed, it was phrased as "Do you want to give up any
> chance for advancement in the SCA?" to which I replied 'Hell yes!"
>
> Some years ago, however, Prince Lucan of AEthelmearc gave us our official
> charter, recognizing us as a free household who owed fealty only to honor.
> He also made us a, well, "princely" offer to fight for him in the field
> battle at Pennsic.  He wasn't disappointed.
>
> Now AEthelmearc is a kingdom.  And we are spread across several kingdoms,
as
> some of us have moved.
>
> We have no home group.  I do fighter practice with Steltonwald, and
> occasionally with the Debatable Lands.  These fighters realize that we
might
> be on different sides in the next battle, and they tease me about it.  I
> return the favor.
>
> A couple of years ago, Ansteorra made us an offer to fight for them for a
> year and a day, an offer which was too good to refuse.  After a series of
> battles, the king awarded our unit the Sable Falcon.  Last year, although
> they made us no offer, we fought for them again, even though we had offers
> from the East and the Middle.  AEthelmearc, expected us to fight for them,
> but made no offer.  We don't always fight for pay, but sometimes for
> friendship.  And always, ALWAYS for honor.
>
> And so it was, that last year, King Bear of Ansteorra, on the last day of
> battle, when most of the Ansteorrans had to pack up for a long drive home,
> left seven of his warriors in the care of our warleader, Thorvaaldr, and
> told him "Take care of my boys."
>
> It is known now, how the King of the East, as a matter of honor, walked
off
> the field with his troops, leaving the Midrealm in possession of the
field.
> What is not generally known is how the Ansteorrans with Thorvaaldr cried
out
> in frustration "We didn't travel 2000 miles to walk out on a fight!" or
how
> Thorvaaldr replied "Your king told me to take care of you.  The way I see
> it, taking care of you doesn't mean walking out on a battle.  Put on your
> armor!"
>
> It is known that 34 warriors walked across the to pick a fight with an
army
> 900 strong.  What may be less known is the joy with which the Midrealm
> forces greeting Thorvaaldr's announcement, "We are the combined forces of
> the Kingdom of Ansteorra and the Mountain Confederation.  We came here for
a
> battle, and a battle we will have.  We will leave this field only in
victory
> or in death.  Gentlemen, marshall your forces."
>
> The commander of the Midrealm, in the face of such a challenge, responded
in
> the only way his honor would allow, by releasing his allies, so that the
> marshalls could even up the sides.
>
> The results of that battle aren't that important.  Certainly the Midrealm
> commander didn't make a good strategic decision.  He had an easy victory
in
> his hands, and he released it, to satisfy the demands of honor.
>
> Ansteorra fought for the East, even though the East had quit the field, to
> satisfy honor.  The East quit the field to  satisfy honor.  Confed
> challenged the Midrealm, to satisfy honor.
>
> And what precipitated this was a band of mercenary scum who would not
fight
> for their "home kingdom."
>
> Jebediah ap Hwyl of the Mountain Confederation
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Honor, not honors.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Oh, I would be doing a grave disservice, did I not mention that along with
> Confed and Ansteorra in that band of 34 were three Atlantians, with either
> no common sense, or balls the size of ostrich eggs.  They also walked
across
> that field to challenge an army.
>
>
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