Armored Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday morning dawned Bright and Clear as Signy and I loaded up the wagon and headed for Baille for the Armored Easter Egg Hunt.

The drive was uneventful until I saw Dietrcih's wagon, which surprised me into running a stopsign (luckily with no untoward effects). Perhaps that should have been a sign of my mental alertness for the day to come, but what can I say? I really like fighting.

We paid our fees and set up with Gwyn, Dietrich, and Jens. I saw Ken For Now and spent the rest of the day introducing him to anyone who's name I could remember, and a few others as well. (Alexander de Seton- "Ah, the For Nows! We have many of that family in my area, as well. Perhaps you are related?")

Angelique nabbed me for marshaling a basic auth, and so I made an appointment for Alzbeta's. "Darn, now I need to find more marshals!" All of Illiton's marshals were there, but Baille only had MiTs at that point, and few other fighters were straggling in yet.

Their Majesties' tent was very close to us, so early in the day I had to tell Ken, "Those people coming up behind you- turn around and bow to them!" Which made at least one person in that party laugh, but was a good teaching moment once we were straightened up again.

Once some marshals and fighters had arrived and settled in, Alzbeta and I warmed up some. It was already warm enough that I was sweating before I had swung any blows, but that's not the same as mentally warming up for me.

Alzbeta authorized with no problems, to no surprise of any of us.

Shortly thereafter the novice tourney started. I think there were 10 novices? I think most people had finished 2 fights by the time my first ended. I had a very fun pole on pole fight that I eventually won. Then I was defeated by someone I don't know, and again by a gentle I had beaten twice at Rites. I sat in the shade and didn't even watch the end of the tourney.

The King took the field, and I watched the other fighters line up for a chance at him. That was the only time I regreted not bringing my sword and shield. Pole against the King's sword and shield would be a fast suicide, not fun for anyone. I was amused watching Chen fight with a sword and shield!

By the time Dietrich was facing the King, the sun was getting to me, and I had hidden from it beneath a hat. At the end of the bout, they both quit the field and sat in the shade near me. I was happily not evesdropping when I realized that the King was looking straight at me. "Are you OK?" I might have blushed. "I'm fine. I've just had a migrain all week, and I'm going to make it to war practice, dammit!" Dietrich sent me after caffeine, and I did not end up with a migraine despite
the glare and heat. So apparently I really shouldn't be let out without a keeper, but I'm acquring more of them who know what I need.

I hid in the shade and did some minimal schmoozing before the egg hunt tourney. Signy brought me lunch. Then all the fighters were chased away from the field so the eggs could be hidden. When we were called back, Angelique was explaining the rules when Their Majesties interupted (unintentionally, I believe) to give us a little pep-talk. Then they commenced court and inducted Angelique into the Red Company! She was a little flustered finishing the rules :-)

I was a bad egg-seeker, and started the tourney with only 5. We were allowed to set the number of eggs bet and the conditions to win for each bout. Tan Po challanged me to one kill, and one-shotted me. I resolved to wake up. I challanged Bardolf to 3 kills. We double-killed once! He refrained from killing me a number of times, whether this was because he was recovoring from illness or being nice doesn't matter, because I didn't lay stick on him again. He told me to take his winnings to Her Majesty. She seemed happily surprised.

I challanged Chen and Gaylen, and also lost an egg to each. I was looking for another knight who wasn't busy when Maser John challanged me. I believe the last time I fought him was this event two years ago. After two bouts and a tied score, I was sucking wind pretty badly. John asked if I would like to either finish up later or just forget the egg, and I accepted gratefully. The heat had caught up with me. I laid in Rob's shade-fly until the tourney ended.

I finished with one egg, containing one piece of chocolate. I set it with my gear to present to Signy when I saw her (she spent a lot of time being Jens' favorite, so I saw very litle of her).

Next was a "Grand Melee," which is where everyone stands in a cirle, and the last one alive at the end wins. I don't like that kind of thing, but Angelique promised it would be short, and I wanted to try Rob's new split-rattan pole-arm. I didn't get to use it much. The whole group of us had about as much energy as a passed-out drunk (or maybe that was just me). I was hit at a lot, but what passed my defense just didn't connect with any force. It was odd, especially since I was attacked by more than one or two people. Eventually, I died, and watched Chen kill the few stragglers, and then himself. 

Now it was time for Melee!!! Having forgotten my spear, I begged Donnchadh's from him. Janos talked us through some commands and stuff, then had us form teams of 4 or 5. The idea was to capture the Magical Pole-arm (which ended up being mine) and get it to Janos. There were 5 or 6 teams, I think, and Jaons was moving around. It was pretty chaotic. The only Illiton-ites I saw were Donnchadh and Dietrich, so I nabbed a spot on Dietrich's team. We also ended up fighting with the King.

The last time through the drill, I was looking for a teammate to reform ("Spoon! Spoon!") and saw Donnchadh running across an empty field with two pole-arms in his hands. We couldn't have looked prettier had we choreographed it. I took my spear in one hand and ran straight at him. I hit him in the face just as my hand reached out, and we passed off the Magical Pole-arm like a relay team. Then I turned around and ran like ****. I only saw my teammates, so I went straight for Janos. He dodged the first time (he wasn't in armor, that may have been a safety thing), but I put the pole in his hand and that was that. (That's my glory moment for the event, for those of you who want to cover me with praise.)

We took a much needed water break and then split into two teams for a couple field battles. I stuck with the spear because I like it. This time the King commanded our 7-8 person team. The first time we cleaned up. The second the other team won. Both times I got in trouble tangling my spear into Thomas. What can I say, I'm rusty, and I'm glad I'll get at least one practice in before Pennsic!

The third time, I was running behind Dietrich and someone who's name I can't remember, toward the unit with Gunther von Brandenburg in the center. Dietrich moved aside. I saw the opening. And my spear was off in Timbuktu, somewhere the wrong side of Thomas. And Gunther hit the back of my shoulder, hard, and ran over me. To my mortification, I yelled "Ouch!" before I hit the ground. I curled up and let the battle stumble over me for the few seconds before the marshals called hold.

Some marshal asked if I was OK. Yes. Then would I roll out? No. Repeat 2 or 3 times. What can I say. It stung, I wanted to wait a bit before I had to move. Eventually they annoyed me enough that I sat up and got out of the way. "They ran right over you, huh?" Well, yes, but the 'ouch' was from a blow. Someone helped me stand up and, with only minimal hinting, I decided that perhaps I should be done for the day.

I grabbed Alzbeta to help me un-armor. She doesn't know the Penguin Dance I use to escape my body armor, but we managed, and then a whole bunch of people were there and exclaiming over my shoulder. OK, I felt it, there was an impressive bump. Janos appeared at one point and gave me the "I can't tell you to see a doctor, but see a doctor" talk. Fine, I have good insurance, it'll make me feel better. Eileen was summoned. Ice was found and applied. Somebody shoved a mug in my hand-
"Water. Finish it." Signy was found.

Eileen offered to take me to Prompt Care, and I accepted. With much help from Signy, I got out of my armor and into a tunic and pants. We loaded up and left, my armor strewn all over the grass.

The Prompt Care had very boring magazines. I failed to respond to my legal name, but luckily Signy caught it. Everyone there asked "What did you do to yourself?" and every time I answered "Nothing!" Not being silly, that's just what came out. By the time they took the X-rays, I was pretty sure nothing was broken, but it was nice to have that confirmed. They gave me  pain-killers and a note out of work for Monday and Tuesday, and a whole cup of icewater!!!! Icewater! Bliss...

We got back to site just in time for feast. I was bummed to have missed court (yeah, I'm weird that way). Eileen dropped us off right next to the door, and I was mobbed by people wondering if I was OK. It was a nice feeling. Even nicer was realizing that all of our stuff had been removed from the grass. I was expecting it to be piled by the car, but Gwyn and Dietrich had put it all in their SUV. They had even packed up my sweaty fighting clothes. Wow.

Signy sat me on the left end of the table, so she wouldn't accidentally give me a friendly whallop on that shoulder. Almost
everyone else knew not to touch, but I had a few close calls.

Feast was yummy, and the entertainment hillarious. The King was not shy about requesting entertainment from various folks. It was highly amusing. We sang many Midlands' songs, so the whole feasthall was singing the chorus. His Majesty liked that. Master John sang "We all Serve the Queen..." which Her Majesty seemed to enjoy. I think they both smiled the whole time. Rob was challenged to spoon fighting by Vargas, and I think did quite well. Tuge and Gaylen did the Mongolian Dance of Joy (nobody was injured), which got Tuge sent on a quest to find (I forgot his name) and ask to look through the Eye of Odin.

I was happily full and talking when I heard the herald on the dias call my name. "What?" *laughter* And I was given a Purple Fret. I said that I was just doing my job, and the King said that's fine, just keep it up. 

Rob congratulated me, and I told him, "I was just doing my job. Watch out, you may be next!" But I was too late, for he had also recieved a Fret during court!

After feast I said hi and bye to some people I hadn't caught up with the entire day. My pole-arm found its way back to me in the dark. I got caught up telling war stories with Charles Oakley and Gaylen, but Signy finally dragged me off to the car and towards my waiting bed.

So, it's a stick jock's tale. And has an unpleasant bit (and very boring waiting rooms!). But I had a very fun even nonetheless. My shoulder will heal before the next event I get to, and I finally got to melee!!!

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