By THLaird Colyne Stewart
The
pennons flutter overhead in the breeze that blows off the waters at Cynred's Bath . The good b aron was not in attendance at the annual
tournaments held that day by the watercourse that has taken his name, but many
of the warriors present laugh as they relate tales of Cynred and his habit of
tumbling into the waves. They sit and stand on an island surrounded b y a tributary of a small goose ridden lake, at
the base of a short waterfall. Though a breeze does blow, it is not cool, and
the sun is warm upon their heads. On the shore of the lake, on a rise above
them, spreads a small sea of pavilions and shades, under which lounge lords and
ladies of the realm. Around the curve of the body of water, stretch the thrown
weapons and archery ranges, already crowded with axe wielders and archers.
Upon
the island a fighter stands with a spear. His name is Lord Berend van der Eych,
and he is of the house of De Taahe. Under the watchful eyes of several marshals
he spars with a second fighter. The marshals gather and converse, and then nod.
Berend is now authorized in spear.
Eventually
all of the warriors are present, and the tournaments begin. The first is a
Warlord Tourney, held on the bridge than connects the island with the mainland.
The first two warriors to battle are Her Excellency Ramshaven, Alyce de
Sheppey, and the young Scott ish
squire, Laird Colyne Stewart (called b y
the list minister 'Alice' and 'Cain' respectively). Her Excellency wins the
bout, and b ecomes the first Warlord
of the day. Once all the pairs have fought, these teams of two battle, until
all the warriors are divided into two teams. The first, holding the island, are
led b y Baron Sir Siegfried Brandbeorn.
The
second force is holding the mainland.. For the last battle the object is not to
slay all those on the opposing side, but to get one fighter off the bridge onto
the land claimed b y the opposing
side. Siegfried deploys his team
defensively, with four fighters on the bridge, two held
b ack as reserves, and four on the shoreline with poles and
spears. The mainland forces elect to place all their fighters upon the bridge
in an effort to storm right through Siegfried 's
line. This gambit would likely have paid off, if Lord Etienne du Naval, holder
of the Sword of the Company of the White Hart, had not been part of that line.
Turning his pole arm sideways, the hulking warrior pushes forward against his
shieldmen, stopping the other side's charge and even pushing them back. Slowly,
inexorably, the mainland’s fighters are slain or forced
b ackwards until Siegfried 's
forces have claimed the shore.
The
next tournament is counted b lows,
with spears. Sir Nigel MacFarlane eventually emerges as the victor of this long
fought tournament.
Following
is a counted b lows tournament with
polearms. As with the spears, the fighting is long and hard. Duke Sir Edouard
Beausoliel is the day's polearm champion.
The
Baron and Baroness of Septentria, Corwyn and Domhnail Galbraith, call for all
to pay head, as Their White Bear Fian
are to take the field. Colyne Stewart is to once again face His Excellency
Ramshaven, Konrad Matthias Jager von Dubrau, in the lists for admittance to the
Fian's ranks. Unlike his first attempt, Colyne fares much better, and it comes
down to one blow. The challenge is a best two out of three. Konrad wins the
first bout, Colyne the second. In the third, both warriors have been legged and
armed (though this chronicler would point out that Konrad had given up his arm
as a point of honour). The final blow is struck by Konrad, and the laird is
laid out upon the ground. When it is over, it was remarked that Colyne has
failed in his attempt, but Konrad loudly proclaims that he has not failed. He
indeed would not fail until he stopped trying and came no more upon the lists
to challenge himself and the order. The rumour is that Konrad and Colyne may
again cross swords upon a Fian list at Ealdormere War Practice.
Two
more tournaments are to follow. The first is a counted
b low buckler tournament. This is won by Sir Nigel MacFarlane.
The second is a bastard sword tourney, with Baron Sir Siegfried
Brandbeorn emerging as the champion.
With
the battles done, some of the warriors continue to spar, whilst others begin
the laborious task of taking off their armour. Perhaps if they hurry they might
still have a chance to loose a shaft or two.
Hurry
they must, for court is to be held soon. A Royal and a Baronial pavilion are
set up on the shore of the lake, and many move their own shades closer so that
they might sit in comfort when attending upon the words of Their Majesties and
Their Excellencies. The courts are brief, but many good gentles are recognized
for their good deeds in various disciplines.
With
court completed, those present hurry into the hall, for the feast has been
prepared b y THL Melusine de la Rose,
who is renowned for her culinary skill. Truly, many remark that it was one of
the best meals they have ever eaten.
During
the meal, the prizes for the day's tournaments are awarded. These are wooden
chests, hand crafted b y Lord
Augustyn of Thule ,
and are truly breath taking to behold.
Also
during the meal, the fate of Misha is to be decided. Misha, a local inhabit of
Petrea Thule, has been accused of stealing a horse. People are called forth to
defend or condemn poor Misha, and in the end, the words of Lady Mahault van der
Eych are found most compelling by Their Majesties. (In truth, by His Majesty,
who is not feeling lenient to one who had likely stolen—not just a horse—but a nobleman's
horse.) As Misha is led away by a hooded executioner, Mahault is presented with
an engraved flask filled with scotch.
As
usual at Pikeman's, dancing follows the feast, and laughter carries late into
the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment