NK - Home from Pennsic

[Kevinkeary at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/22/99 7:59:40 PM Central Daylight Time, Marrock at msn.com 
writes:

<< It would have been super-sweet if your household brothers could have fought
 with us instead of against us, just one of those things I guess, loyalty vs.
 revenue, (evil grin). Oh-well, it just gave us that many more on the other
 side to kill. >>

????  I confess to not understanding how my Khan's and my Andas' actions 
amount to disloyalty.  We ride the wild lands between the Laurel Kingdoms.  
Even if you consider us resident aliens in the lands you claim, to which 
kingdom do you believe we should be in fealty?  The Middle, where we first 
entered the Current Middle Age?  The West, Mother of Kingdoms and the Heart 
of the Imperium?  Or, as you seem to imply, Ansteorra, who claims the lands 
where our current Khan now pitches her ger.  Our current GurKhan (Warlord) 
throws his in lands claimed by the MIddle.  There were Hordesmen in 
attendance who came from lands claimed by over half the sixteen Laurel 
Kingdoms, and we have members in ALL of them.  Or do you feel we should NOT 
come together as a single unit but find service each with the Kingdomers 
nearest us, and oppose our Brothers and, some of us, our Khan?  In that case, 
in what sense would we be what we are, a nation apart?  
Our Khan has served this Barony and the Kingdom it is a part of faithfully 
and well since shortly after the Shire was renamed Northkeep.  I will not 
accept civilly any implication otherwise.  The fact that she has done so as a 
Northkeeper, but as a Hordesman and not as an Ansteorran speaks all the more 
highly of her in my opinion.  It is also in keeping with what and why we are. 
 The Dark Horde serves the Society apart from any accidents of geography.  We 
are nomads.  As such, the focus of our loyalty is fixed and unchanging.
There are Ansteorran knights and others who once swore fealty to the crown of 
Atenveldt.  Now Atenveldt and Ansteorra are as likely as not to take opposing 
sides at Estrella, Pennsic, or the Gulf, forcing those unfortunate ones to 
act against those old oaths.  I know, they were released, no dishonor is 
involved.  But the focus of no Hordesman's loyalty will ever be changed by 
anyones's will but his own.  We ride apart, but we do so with no pretense, no 
duplicity, no doubt, and no disloyalty.
I was not involved in the bargaining my Khan did with the participating 
Crowns, so I won't comment on the revenue matter.