Going to war. 07/08/02
West-Antir War, one of the best events of the year.
I guess it was Friday morning when we arrived at the site. There had been a barbecue/party at our house the evening before for the 4th of July, then we went down to the beach and watched fireworks. Steve & I hardly got any sleep between the party and leaving town the next morning to drive up to the war. It didn't seem as long and boring of a trip as in years before, part of the reason is that I managed to sleep some as he drove, and part of the reason is that we caravanned with 5 friends who’d been at the party with us the night before. We found a great spot to camp with our barony, almost immediately when we arrived.
Hot weather this time around at a nice site with lots of grass. I wore my lightest one layer garb, the burgundy cotton dress and the gauzy rose-pink one. It was even warm enough in the evenings to wear my bellydancing garb, which I did on Saturday night. At merchants' row Friday afternoon I found a velvet circlet headpiece, the sort that is often worn over a sheer veil. It's the same burgundy as my dress. The merchant who sells elegant garb of rich brocades with amazing metallic trims was there and Steve and I gave in to the temptation to buy one item each -- I got an Irish dress of aqua-blue with silver trim, he found a Russian-style coat of dark red & gold with black velvet cuffs and gold trim.
The fighting was on Saturday only this time, but with many battles. It was hard for me to get a good view of the combat or take many pictures, but it was exciting to watch anyway. During a break Steve found me standing on the sidelines and let me know that his unit was doing well, and the West had indeed won all the battles except one. Since Antir had prevailed to the same extent in last year's war it was especially good news.
I love being the lady of a respected war fighter. He is not well known by those in power other than our own baron, but those who are aware of who he is and his role as a key member of the shield wall respect him. I like my own role to be to represent the medieval Celtic lady as portrayed in so many romantic paintings. Sometimes I wonder why I don't really DO anything in the SCA. No volunteer work, no arts and crafts, not a fighter or a bard or a water-bearer or a marshal. Truth is I'm at events to relax, enjoy, absorb the atmosphere, hang out with friends, watch the fighting. To take a break from busyness and responsibility. If I contribute in an way it is to be PART of the atmosphere. So I like to think that my look and demeanor add to the medieval feel of the event.
The partying Friday and Saturday nights was mild for such a big event, but there was still an opportunity to watch dancing, visit a few other parties, and hang out at our own encampment and eat smores. I didn't get more than slightly woozly on either night, just enough to make the firelight brighter and more swirly, and me friendly enough to actually converse with people a few times. I wish that I had been more in the mood to bellydance. More about that later.
