By THLaird Colyne Stewart
Team: The Ursinators
Roster:
Sir Evander MacLachlan
THL Tiberius Britannicus
Lord Brandt das Lederwerker
Laird Colyne Stewart
Lord Cameron MacGregor
Sir Siegfried
Brandbeorn
THL Dafydd ap Sion
Lord Eirik Andersen
THL Augustyn of Ely
Lord Amelius Claudius Rattanicus
Sir Rory Cennedi
Lord Wat of Sarum
Team Record: 5 – 1
Overall placement: 2nd
The day was bright. The sky was clear of clouds, and the sun
was shining. The heat was high (in the mid 30s), it was humid, and the plant
life was spreading its pollen.
Ah, summer had arrived, in all its blazing, burning, eye
watering, sneezing fury.
Around half past
eight in the morning, Sir Evander yet again stopped his wagon at my
keep to pick me up. This time I went alone, as Þorfinna would b e engaging in her other geekdom that day (that of
the Browncoats). With Evander were Rattanicus ,
Cameron, Kel of Bastille and Argyle of Bastille. We loaded up my gear, which
included a sun shade. Since there was room, we slide in a second shade as well.
We got to the site in good time, taking a shortcut that Rattanicus asserted saved us twenty minutes whereas
Evander insisted it saved b ut ten.
We set up our shades beside Sir Sarnac and Sir Kasamir’s combined team (called
the SarKasmic Horde), with whom we were to share good food, drink and
camaraderie throughout the day. We were quickly joined
b y Tiberius ,
Eirik, Dafydd and Augustyn who were already on site. Brandt arrived not too
much later, giving me a second half gauntlet bearing my device that he had b een labouring on for me. Fighters began slowly
putting on their kits, a little lethargic in the heat.
Sir Siegfried
pulled me aside and said that he wanted to name the team in honour of
Septentria (as he has tried to name his teams in the past) and suggested the
Ursinators. He wanted me to suggest the name, knowing that his good friend
Evander would resist it if he suggested it himself. I agreed. Later, when
Evander spoke up and said we needed a name I instantly said, “Ursinators.”
Evander was surprised that I had come up with that suggestion so quickly, but
everyone seemed happy with it and that is what we went with. When he later
found out he had b een played,
Evander made one of his trademark faces, and I’m sure I will pay for my petty
treachery later.
Amid a rush of Terminator jokes (“Come with me if you want
to win”) we finished armouring up, and Wat and Cennedi
showed up just before the list table closed. They put up a third sunshade,
which was just enough to cover us all.
Since we had twelve people on the team (and only ten could b e on the field at a time), Evander found another
team for Kal and Argyle to join to ensure that everyone would get in as much
fighting as possible. They joined the Marines, and made quite an impression
(especially Arglye).
Lord Ludwig von Eisengrim arrived, blinking sleep out of his
eyes, and found that due to a miscommunication error between himself and
Evander that there was no longer a spot for him on the team. Luckily he was
able to join the Ramshaven-Eoforwic
Alliance and got in a full day of fighting.
While I was speaking to Her Excellency of Septentria, the
Baron of Ramshaven came over looking slightly sheepish. He told Domhnail that
Ramshaven had stolen away the Citie Guard of Eoforwic
to fight at their side. Domhnail asked if Ramshaven was trying to invade her
territory, but I remarked that it sounded more like her loyal Eoforings were
taking over Ramshaven. Her Excellency Alyce, who had joined us, asserted that
this was simply a friendly contractual arrangement between cousins, which was
sealed amiably when Konrad gave Domhnail some liquid fortification.
When everyone was finally ready to fight we found that there
were seven teams. They were: the Ursinators, the Rozakii, Septentria, the
Ramshaven-Eoforwic Alliance, the
SarKasmic Horde, the Marines and Tark’s Mongol Horde. The tournament was a
round robin, and with only seven teams the tourney went very fast.
We had to cycle through our fighters a little bit, since we
had twelve members. Even though I tried to take a turn to sit out it never
transpired until the finals (when I was wounded). Generally, Siegfried , Cennedi ,
Evander, Wat and Rattanicus acted as
flankers, so I was placed in command of our shieldwall since I had the most
combat experience out of the others. I can tell you, it felt pretty good with
the giant Augustyn on one side of me and the sturdy Dafydd on the other. Our
speed was not so great, but we did not lack in strength.
In the first few encounters our shieldwall was destroyed
fairly quickly, but since we had never acted as a unit before I was not too
surprised. As the day went on we became much more coherent and b ecame much more effective at moving as a unit and
staying together. Both Cameron and Eirik fought very well.
In our battle against Septentria I took a sore wound. I was
felled b y a pole arm, and as I was
falling someone hit me very hard across the back of the neck. I almost had to
stop fighting because of the pain and the ensuing headache but I stuck with it
for the body of the tournament.
In one of the Marines’ battles, Argyle found himself alone,
facing seven opponents. In an amazing display of swordsmanship he managed to
wittle the other team down to only two before being felled himself.
When all the battles were done, it was announced that the
two finalists were to be the undefeated Rozakii, and the Ursinators. We were
given a fifteen minute rest, and then we set up on the field again. The final
was to be a best two out of three, though we had agreed to fight the third
fight even if it wasn’t needed, simply for friendship and the joy of battle. I
took part in the first battle, which we lost, but then my injury sidelined me
for the last two fights. We lost the second b attle
as well, making the Rozakii the victors of the day.
I was not planning to fight anymore that day, but an
Unbelted practice was being held, so I put my armour back on, promising my team
mates I would stop if I needed to. It was announced to us that THL Etian du
Naval was the official new captain of the Unbelts
while Baron Tynne Duair Ap Beul would b e
the tactician. The Unbelts were sent
to one end of the field, while most of the other fighters still present took
the other side. In the battles that ensued, the Unbelts
tried to implement the strategy that the Rozakii had
b een using all day. It did not work as well for the Unbelts as it had for the Rozakii (which is not
surprising since as I understand it, the majority of the Rozakii have the
opportunity to practice together once a week). Still, the Unbelts worked b etter
together in each subsequent melee.
When our lines would meet, I always ended up facing Sirs
Konrad and Edward the Red, and as such took many pole arm blows to the head.
This, on top of the previous shot to the neck, caused me to withdraw from the
practice. When I came off the field, Dafydd put his hand on my arm and told me
that I was burning hot to the touch, right through my clothes. I stripped down
to my pants, and my team mates made faces at the bruise on the back of my neck.
My raven-sister Lady Dagmar Halvdan attended me, and gave me a menthol cooling
pad which eased the swelling and the pain, and I am most grateful for her kind
attention.
When the Unbelted practice was over, a Kingdom Fight
Practice was held, but most fighters were dropping their kits because of the
humidity. However, a few brave and hardy souls did fight on.
Several of my team mates then had to run off for a meeting
of the Order of Thorbjorn’s Hammer, and the rest of us took the opportunity to
eat, drink and relax in the shade. When the meeting was over, several folk took
advantage of the Saxon Showers. We left site just before court, and went in
search of steak.
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