Laird Colyne Stewart
I always enjoy Pikeman’s Pleasure, and every year something
else happens there which makes the event even more special to me. For those who
have never been there, the event is hosted by the canton of Petrea Thule, in
the Barony of Septentria. When you arrive at the site the main building is to
your left, while an island is situated to your right, accessed by a small
bridge. The stream—known to some as Cynred’s Bath1—is at the bottom of a
waterfall. Before you there is a riser of land, covered in green grass,
followed by a higher plateau. Stairs lead up to the very top, leading past a
wooden barn. Merchants usually spread their ware around the bottom of the
stairs and across the first riser of land. At the top you see a wide strip of
land which is usually given over to fighting and a sea of shades and tents.
Before you lies a lake, home to many geese. If you go right you will pass by a
bridge over the top of the waterfall. If you look down you can see the island,
which also usually has fighting on it, and the left bank where the fencers
cross blades. Continue across the bridge and you are in a huge grassy field
with a gentle rise that houses both a thrown weapons and an archery range.
When we arrived, our friends the Van der Eychs had already
erected their shade tent, which is known as the Squires’ Lounge. It was
situated by the fighting field by the lake and made for an excellent spot to
observe the event’s going’s on when you caught a moment to sit down. We spread
out our chairs, tables, chests and food and then armoured up.
At Lady Mahault van der Eych’s request I went out with her
and ran her through some spear drills, as she was hoping to authorize in that
form. She was then run through her authorization, and though she seemed
hesitant at first by the end she was showing good targeting and aggression and
passed. I then fought as a partner for a re-authorization and a dagger
authorization.
So I was well warmed up for the two Royal Tournaments.
However, I didn’t do very well in either of them and was quickly defeated both
times. Rattanicus of Bastille du Lac did very well, ending up in the top four
or five in both. Count Sir Rory Cennedi won the first Royal Tournament, while
Lord William Donovan won the second unbelted Royal Tournament.
Mistress Ælfwyn of Longwood then ran an Unbelts practice,
where we were put through two scenarios. In the first we were divided into
teams of two (with one team of three). One team was placed in the centre of the
field, and she would then randomly call out for another team to come out and
face them. Once one of the teams was defeated, the next team raced onto the
field. This trained the victors to quickly reorganize and meet new incoming
threats. One time my partner Rattanicus and I raced in to face the team of
three (consisting of Baroness Domhnail Galbraith, Edward Fuchyn and Lord Etian
du Naval). As we met them I saw Rattanicus run headlong into Etian, who hit Rattanicus’
shield with his great sword, knocking Rattanicus clear off his feet and onto
the ground. It was very comical, especially to the onlookers who had a better
angle then I did. Next, Ælfwyn split us into two teams of eight, with five
people on the field, and the other three acting as reserves. It was a
resurrection melee, so when you died you left the field and got in line, and
this repeated over and over, always with five on the field and three off. This
taught you how to enter a melee already in action. In my last entry onto the
field during this exercise I forgot to identify myself and it cost me my life.
I found myself quickly armed and looked around for a teammate that could
benefit from my shield. I looked over and say Robert the Blue, who was on my
team, legged and fighting with his pole-axe against Etian and his great sword.
I ran over and blocked Etian’s weapon, leaving him open for Robert. However, as
I did not identify myself as I came in, Robert saw me coming and clocked me on
the head! It was agreed that both these exercises were excellent training tools
(and fun to boot).
As we were cooling down from this Baron Konrad Mattias
Jaegger von Dubrau—His Excellency Ramshaven—and my squire-brother Lord Tiberius
of Warwickshire came over to talk to me. Konrad asked me why I had a belt end
on my camail and I explained about how Tiberius had cut it off his belt at my
squiring, vowing not to replace it until I had successfully challenged into the
White Bear Fian2. Tiberius went on about how he did have his eye on a new belt
end… Konrad told me that the Fian was facing a challenge that day already, and
asked me why I didn’t re-challenge at the same time. I had been thinking about
doing so (and many of my friends had been prompting me to do so) but I had been
hesitant and unsure about myself. However, I knew I would later curse myself
for a coward if I did not try again, and so I agreed.
We walked down to the island where Baron Sir Siegfried
Brandbeorn called all to attend as he took his first dependents. He had THL
Dafydd ap Sion, Lord Eirik Andersen and Lord Agustyn of Ely stand before him.
Dafydd he took as his senior squire, giving him a fighting belt crafted by
himself, Lady Þorfinna gráfeldr and I, and a dress belt that he had once worn.
Next, he took Eirik as his second squire, with a fighting belt crafted by
himself, Þorfinna and I and a gorgeous dress belt crafted by the Van der
Eychs which incorporated his own device, that of his knight, and that of his
lineage. Lastly, he took Augustyn as a man-at-arms, giving him a fighting belt
crafted by himself, Þorfinna and I, and a dress belt crafted by the Van
der Eychs. The dress belt had his device stamped into it, with places for all
future men-at-arms of Siegfried’s house to place their own devices.
Their Excellencies Septentria then called the Fian to them
and announced that Sir Cennedi and myself would be challenging for entry that
day. First, Cennedi faced my knight, Sir Evander MacLachlan. To enter the
Fian—after being found worthy by Their Excellencies and the Fian—the
prospective member had to defeat a Fian member two out of three times, using
what ever weapons form is agreed to by both parties. Cennedi and Evander faced
off first with sword and shield, and then with great sword, with Cennedi winning
both bouts to gain entry to the Fian. I then walked out to face Konrad.
In both of my previous attempts I had also faced Konrad, and
we had agreed to do all fights with sword and board, as this was his best
format. In my first attempt, at Septentria’s 25th Anniversary event in
2003, I had gone 0-2 against him. A year previously at Pikeman’s I had gone
1-2, with our last decisive fight finding us both legged and armed at the end
(though the good Baron had given up one of those as a point of honour). We
faced off, exchanged a flurry of blows, and Konrad went down from a blow I
didn’t even know I had thrown. I questioned him on it but he assured me it was
good, and I was later told that it had been a nice swift shot. So we faced off
again. This time it was a double-kill, with both of us taking the other’s head.
This fight was nullified and we re-fought the second bout. This time he legged
me, but I swung as I went down, and again caught his head. I had finally won
entry into the Fian!
This was a milestone for me, and it was a big mountain I had
been climbing for a long time, so I was a little overcome as my friends crowed
around to congratulate me. I fell to my knees and hugged my lady Þorfinna and
for a moment we were the only two people there.
After the Fian challenge there were two tournaments held,
one in spear and one in bastard sword. At the same time, the good Baron of
Skraeling Althing, Sir Menken Brechen, was facing fifty fights to mark his
fiftieth birthday. This was also held on the island, by a shade tent surrounded
by chequey flags. I faced Konrad in the spear tourney where he defeated me, and
then I got in line to battle Menken. I only fought him once and he legged me
quick. He also dropped to his knees and after I had thrown a few blows, he
looked at me and remarked that I was definitely one of Evander’s squires (the
tell-tale sign being the loopy shots we throw). The good baron then slew me.
Dame Eleanor Cadfan, the Baroness Skraeling Althing, gave me
a token for participating in Menken’s battles, and then I followed Baroness
Domhnail up to the lists to spar for a while. However, I had blown a leg strap
and I was getting a muscle spasm every time I went down on my knees, so I
quickly called it quits. (Luckily, Domhnail found Edward Fuchyn to replace me.)
I kitted down and sat in the Lounge, eating and drinking and
talking. While resting in the shade we gave Eirik a squiring present: a belt
box hand-painted by Þorfinna with Eirik’s ravens on one side, Ardchreag’s
arrows on another, Siegfried’s phoenix on the third and the De Taahe star on
the last. Her Majesty hid herself amongst us for a time until she was dragged
off to get ready for court. When court began, the Fian was called before Their
Excellencies Septentria. Then Cennedi and I were called forth and recognized as
members of the order. We were each given a weapon and a piece of clothing to
mark us as being so (Cennedi got a spear head and a Septentria t-shirt, and I
received an axe head and a pair of sleep pants with polar bears on them).
Their Majesties Ealdormere then held their court, in which
many good gentles were recognized, though I was a little giddy and did not note
their names. Many from the canton of Petrea Thule were elevated to Lord and
Ladies. The winners of the archery competitions were announced, and most of
them were from Thule
(which is known wide and far for the skill of its archers). Also, Lord Tiberius
of Warwickshire was sworn in as the new Kingdom Earl Marshal.
After court we retired inside to enjoy an excellent feast
prepared by THL Anne Tinker and other skilled chefs. We ate and drank, and
Menken and Eleanor wandered the hall handing out presents, which included toy
catapults that were soon firing bread balls across the hall. Master Sylard was
sporting a fashionable cabbage leaf on his head, and this was soon making the
rounds. While my brother Snæbjörn was wearing it His Majesty Edouard spotted
what was happening and came over to our table. Snæbjörn took it off with a
flourish and offered it to the king, who put it on, placing his crown solemnly
atop it to gales of laughter and stamping of hands on tables. Later, a fashion
show was held, for all those who had come sporting Menken inspired clothing.
Just when everyone had thought the show over, a last Menkenette came sauntering
up from the back, wearing a black and white checked strip of cloth across her
chest, flipping her hair, calling herself Edwina. It was of course actually his
Majesty, who won the show hands down. There was also a bardic competition to tell
Menken stories, which was won by Her Excellency Ramshaven, Alyce de Sheppey.
After feast many retired outside where a cloven orange made
the rounds. After lots of kisses and with clove on my breath, it was finally
time to head for home.
1. Named after Baron Cynred, former Baron of Septentria, who
fell
in the water a few years in a row.
2. The White Bear Fian is a Septentrian fighting order that
I had
thus far failed to enter.
No comments:
Post a Comment