ANST - Gulf Wars VIII

[Keith Ewing]

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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