Gulf War XIX part two
Photo by Ursus
My last Gulf War post (years ago) had a picture of Lady Roisin and me so it seems fitting to post this one of Sir Roisin. They grow up so fast [sniff] ; ) But that is a picture of Tuesday, first we have to recap Monday.
Monday: I did next to nothing.
I woke up when I heard the camp start to crawl out of their tents and start the day. I was still exhausted, did not want to leave my cushy bed, and then remembered that I was on vacation and went back to sleep.
Got up later, made coffee and hot breakfast without leaving my sleeping bag, (a first in my SCA life but a tradition I mean to continue) and got my armor together to go get inspected. By the time I made it down to inspection point I was the only fighter there. Got whisked through in no time at all by three marshals and then stood around chatting and making some spare lanyards for the point. I had half way wanted to do some pick ups, but as I mentioned I was the only fighter there for a half hour or so, the rest of the armored world being at the GoA Ravine battle. At some point Dagonet showed up on the same errand as me but I didn't drive a thousand miles to fight Atlantians. I dropped off my weapons and walked back to camp.
I think (I believe much of memoir is fiction) that after I took another stroll down merchants row I sat around with Tacius, Uneg,and Llewellyn BSing about all sorts of things while I sewed some fasteners on my vigil tunic, but that might have been another night all together. They left for chow and I made some hot food in my lovely little mini kitchen. (more on the mini kitchen later)
What did I do that night...? Bother. Perhaps I should keep a notebook at war. My memory is not impaired by alcohol, at least not that night. For the whole war for that matter, I decided that I should keep myself well in check lest I find myself being given a large stuffed animal for reasons that everyone seems to understand but me. Again. It's very possible that I fell asleep after dinner and slept till morning, not exciting but likely.
Tuesday: Was the "Town Battle" though why it was a town battle I really don't know. It turned into a very long spear line much like the one I fought in my last Pennsic, (maybe that was a "town" battle too..)
Yep, add another hundred yards of line and that was the engagement. Not that I mind, lots of spear dueling and more space to do it than a bridge front. A pulse charge every now and then. I don't know if I should let the secret out... but if they had actually charged with a large group at our end where we were only three deep, they probably would have broken into the backfield. But they only sent sporadic three and four man charges backed up by nothing, which we chopped up and absorbed. Their line on the other hand, at least where I was, was six and seven deep. Anyway, I was not killing scores, or even tens : ( I'm way out of practice with a spear. I used to do drills, and now I know why. After a couple minutes I would be spent, then get killed, and then go res. Repeat a couple dozen times. I only had one really good run and that was just lucky timing. I came up to the line when they only had one spear left (Roisin by coincidence) and was able to run roughshod over the end of their line for a minute or so before they realized that "Hey, there are ten of us and one of him...get'em!" At which point I masted my spear and slipped back into our counter charge. : )
Oh, but much earlier on I had my right ribs beaten into a jelly by two spear shots in the exact same place, quite possibly by the same spearman. (I don't learn as fast as I should sometimes) They weren't crazy hard, and I was surprised at how much the first one hurt, but at the moment the pain went away and it didn't hurt to breathe so I didn't think much of it. As the day went on however... it did hurt to breathe, and then to move, and then just to stand still. ; ) And, as I learned on the pick-up field that evening, it really hurt to throw a sword shot.
I think I went and hung out at Calontir Royal that evening with Ruaidhri, Emmy, and the gang. Who knows, I'm blanking on the evenings. I didn't end up losing my voice at war, but it did seem to get worse by the day. By the last evening of bardic I was kind of croaking along. I guess like everything else I need to actually practice and give my voice a regular work out rather then ignore it for a months then expect a command performance. Maybe it's just Mississippi. At the end of the war that first bardic at Calontir would turn out to be the best of the war, which is ok since it was pretty good.
-Justus