ANST - Gulf Wars VIII
Keith Ewing
keandbc at ix.netcom.com
Mon Mar 15 02:01:04 PST 1999
Greetings Friends.
Alisha and I arrived home in Bryn Gwlad at 11:30PM Sunday night.
Reports of our demise are exagerated. Some people called my sanity into
question for remaining on site. Well, they might be right, but I feel
sane. Let me attempt to defend my sanity.
First of all, Alisha and I were not in the dire straits that many
other Ansteorrans were in. Many people awoke on Friday to a small
stream flowing through their tents. There clothes and bedding were
soaked. They arose and looked around and found that the whole world had
turned wet, and worse... cold. The official Bryn Gwlad encampment
became a river. Fortunately I awoke early and borrowed Thorald's shovel
to dig a trench around my yurt. Our encampents were islands in the
freely flowing river. I would like, now to profusely thank again the
Mongols of Bryn Gwlad who gifted Alisha and I with a yurt a while ago
that kept us warm and dry in the worst of the storm. So, we stayed
Friday even though our Barony packed up and went, because we could get
warm and dry on site, and because I am an optimist.
Friday about 4:30, the rain stopped. The temperature got a little
warmer. People began to emerge from their hiding places and even put
on garb and prepare for court. I had one of my best experiences of the
war, sitting on the porch of the main building with Earl Benin from
Trimaris and Sir Loric from Meridies. They both had much to do with the
strategies of their respective kingdoms, and we exchanged those
strategies in an attempt to figure out who would have won. To quote
Earl Benin, he said, "You guys woulda kicked our butts." Now, the
reader should be aware that a mitigating circumstance for this
admission is the fact that I was providing the beer.
At 7:00 PM our court began. You could cut the cameraderie with a
knife. "We few, we happy few..." King Gunthar said as he began court.
We did fill the large tent however. I was very pleased to be able to
give Sir Galen of Bristol the Sable Falcon regalia from my belt, which
had been given to me be my Lady so long ago at Gulf Wars VIII. The rest
of that evening was spent drinking, dancing and boasting. It was
wonderful.
Saturday morning, I awoke fairly early. Weather was still cloudy,
but warmer. I was determined to fight. I puttered around camp for a
while, then began the long walk to the battlefield. As I arrived at the
battlefield the heavens opened again, as they had not all night. This
rain was about 20 degrees warmer than the previous day and there was no
lightning, so I proceeded. I donned my armor which I had left under Sir
Alaric's pavillion. It was not, however, dry. Yech. As I wrapped the
sodden pieces of leather and steel around me in an attempt at
protection, Sir Badon and Sir Rowan (not our Duchess Rowan, but another
lady knight from Aethelmarc. She is also a duchess... very confusing)
entered the field. It seemed that Sir Badon was honoring a challenge
that had been made the previous night under the influence of Jim Beam.
(One should always do what one says they will do, even if one barely
remembers saying it.) Badon was rather bleary-eyed, but fought well.
By this time the rain had slackened to a gentle cool rain, that
still soaked you to the bone, but did not chill you as long as you were
moving. It was no worse than the Lowlands in '86, or the spring of '91
that I spent as a captain for the Warden of the Scottish West March.
Soon our King joined us, as did several other Ansteorrans, as well
as many other fighters. Many challenges were recieved and accepted and
much friendly individual combat was done. Sir Badon gathered the
Ansteorran fighters and arrayed them at the gate of the castle. He
ascended the heights and shouted forth his challenge to the world.
The fighters accepted and after a few skirmishes, we fought
organised melees on the castle for two or three hours. Much fun was
had. The noble Calontiri fighters should be recognized because, true to
their word, they had the largest assembly of fighters on the field.
The lightning began again and we had to leave the field, but we left
reluctantly and we all felt that we had shared something. I ate lunch
and then hobbled (my feet were sore)out to our yurt. I decided to take
a little nap and the deluge began again. I lay there warm and dry in my
bed while the heavens raged and I was content.
Saturday night, Alisha and I spent a pleasant evening visiting friends
from other Kingdoms.
Sunday was cloudy and cool, with the sun peaking out once in a
while. We packed up and came home.
So that is my defense, you be the judge. Sane? Probably not.
Valorous? Naw. There were other people there who withstood greater
hardship with larger smiles on thier faces. Stubborn? Um... I prefer
"determined" thank you.
Kein
P.S. For the record, King Gunthar's squire Sharn was still on site when
we left. I think he was the last Ansteorran on site.
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