Pennsic XXIX

The kids and I were the third people on site opening day. Needless to say we didn't have land. So we wound up camped in the parking lot until Sunday, (in the rain in a leaky borrowed tent,) when I finally was able to get in contact with Mistress. Bronwynn, the land-crat for Meredies. She kindly gave us all the extra room they had, and then didn't pay too close of attention to the lines, which kept moving every morning. The first persons to arrive were the Yankee contingent of Marcus and Jaffar, both from New Jersey, without whom the first few says in the parking lot and the initial set up would have been totally unbearable. If the house hold gives awards these two need to be honored. They are patient, loyal and forgiving, hard working and honorable, and deffinetly entertaining.

The next people to arrive were Freiman and Patrick, Pat had to turn around and leave again for a few days so this meant Freiman had no keeper for a while, but he was his usual entertaining and helpfull self and again, made the first few days better for yours truly than they might have been.

The great folks from Oddessy Coffee were already on sight too and so at this point we had 7 people (not counting my kids) in five tents on our 27x50 foot plot of Pennsic. Now I was dreading the impending arrival of the two 14x10 period pavillions, the 10x20 portable garage and the misc. assortment of cabin and dome tents for the other 5 expected arrivals.

I must admit there were some unforseen benefits that first week. I volunteered for the 4am to 7am security patrol and was treated to some sights most of us Southerners never get to see. The Aurora Borealis for example. I've been going to Pennsic for a long time and this was the first time I ever saw it. And trust me, like any predetor, I am out at night, all night, alot. I was told we were too far south to get all the really pretty colors, but seeing the sky lit by bands of silver and gold that scintillated and flickered like the gold thread of a fairy Queen's wedding dress in torchlight, standing in a Pennsic road all alone at 4am it was almost like the Gods were rewarding me for surviving the test to that point. The real topper was that the Persides meteor shower was at it's high point that night also and the whole sky was crisscrossed by streaking meteors. This was one of the very few times in my SCA career I actually felt as small as I am.

I did that nights shift in a somewhat humbler mood than is my wont. But when the sun started to come up and I found myself up on the Parking lot hill looking down on the panoramic view of the site I found reason for awe yet again. Imagine looking down from a height across a real gathering of medeival armies, the sun has barely begun to rise, a thick ground fog covers everything up to a height of about 6 feet. All that is truly visable are the tops of the period pavillions and the Grimms tents, the banner poles and facades of the fancier camps. It's easy to overlook the phone poles and freeway noises, and imagine you are looking down on the camps of two great armies of the 13th or 14th century as they rest before the call to arms. I don't know what Gods, great or small, arranged that night and morning for me, but I am gratefull, and I will keep the memory always. I fear they chose a poor vessel to relate their endeavors to the massess, for words can not convey the feelings that I experienced, I can only hope that in the future others will find cause from these words to try and glimpse the magic for themselves, and feel the same way.

Ok, enough. We all know I'm a poor wordsmith. I'll move on to the fighting.

For the first time I can remember the Midrealm had the numbers. Boy did they have the numbers! Someone in the East must have really pissed off the Gods because the Tuchux even lined up BESIDE Calontir to fight against them. And a good time was had by all, on our side at least. There was a bit more rhino hiding than usual and some of the fighting was less than chivalrous, noticably so, But all in all it was a glorious war, and honors won were hard earned and deserved.

Freiman and I were concerned that Meredies would not have a decent showing of fighters so we took it upon ourselves to hire some mercs to bolster our battle line. The gem of this effort was a group called the Teagueloc, (probably spelled wrong, but pronounced Teeg Lock) these boys are TERRIFIC!! And thanks to my new house brother Tren, I have the only good picture of them at work for us in the field battle. I will make it a priority to hire them for the WHOLE war next year. Credit for finding them goes to Freiman, and we owe Mistress Elitha for helping swing the deal with her wonderfull dancing. I was basically just color and attitude if you know what I mean.

We were also joined by Countess Chelsea and her man at arms, and now our house brother, Tren. Along with Freiman, Marcus, Thorberger, and some good hearted gentles who I never got introduced to, we not only made a decent showing, we shined. Her Royal Highness was the true jewel of the Legion. Needless to say she outshone the sun and stars. I never cease to find it amusing the effect a beautifull, strong willed woman has on men in the SCA. Even those who didn't know her, like the mercs we hired, went out with the full intention of dying gloriously in her name and for her sake. Our gracious Princess set new standards for poise and class wherever she went and was as usual, the center of attention. (I think after the first couple of nights there were some women who just stayed home rather than try to compete.)

Well, to wind down, I can honestly say I've been alot of places and seen alot of things, but I have never been involved with any group that made me prouder than the Legion. Even when things were tough, when we had no clue of what to do next, we all stuck together and made it work. If for no other reason than the fact that we expect no more of each other than we do of ourselves, I am proud to belong to the legion. If heart were numbers, we could run the world!

"It's true there's strength in numbers, this is proven by the pack.

But it is the strength of the individual wolf, his heart and love of that pack that is the basis for all else. A dog howls at the night sky through fear or loneliness. The wolf sings his song in celebration, strong enough to stand alone, strong enough to stand by the pack." Just a thought from me.