Pennsic Vignettes number 4 and 5

[Glaukos the Athenian]

"Kill me now you bastards!!"

and

"Thank you for the fun!"



Vignette 4

We are facing the Middle Kingdom. I don't know exactly who they are but the colors are unmistakable, so are the skill and ferocity, and the good humor.

Someone on our side calls a charge.

God I love a good charge.

If you know what you are doing you can cut through a shield wall like a knife on butter, but you need to be quick. Slam the gaps, not the men....

I yell something akin to "Banzai" and charge the red and while line, in the classic Hoplite tradition, but at some point I get stopped by a stout Midrealmer. We are shield to shield and grille to grille. Then a HOLD is called and everyone freezes. We have no clue of what is going one, but everyone is still. The midrealmer smiles a hungry smile at me. I return the smile cockily.
Then I look to his right, and the fighter there also has red tape, and so does the fighter to his left.
Then I look back and I see two solid lines of red taped helmets separating me from the first line of friendly blue tape... The "Lost Battalion" comes to mind, and about every sword in a 6 foot radius is slowly targeted at me.
I have to think, but that has never been my forte.

If I stay, I am scrapple, I cannot really push the two lines ahead of me without any momentum, and they have me zeroed in.

The Lay On! sounds and my feet start thinking for me, as I push but in an oblique line ahead and to the right, I am almost "surfing" with my shield on their third shield wall so that a shower of sticks starts hitting air right behind my moving head, missing it as I move along. I advance another 5 feet, amazed to be still alive, when I realize I can simply move no longer.
I am now in the center of a super dense mass of midrealmers all looking at me like hungry street dogs that found a steak that fell from someone's shopping basket, but there are so many that it was almost too tight to start hitting me.

I realize the hopelesness of my position, My arms are literally pinned to the sides of my body. I simply cannot move.
I give a good laugh and yell at them "C'mon you bastards, kill me finally".

That started something like rattan hail on my motionless helmet, the sound of the hits tempered by audible laughs from the Middle fighters.
I raise my sword and start admitting "Ok I am dead! I am DEAD!" and start back to my res point. I think I felt a pat on the back as I turned. I know I saw smiles in their faces and felt one on mine.

It was a good death. Katsumoto would have approved.


Vignette 5 "Thank you for the fun"

I think it is the same battle. Still fighting the redoubtable Midrealmers.
The end is almost there, people are so tired they can barely move, but keep on fighting.
I inhale deeply, exhale and advance towards the red and white, three steps in front of me. I hear the Canon after my first step.

It is over. I exhale and pause.

Then I see a great sight that rejuvenated me. A Midrealmer right in front is taking off his demi gauntlet, smiles at me and shakes my hand telling me "thank you for the fun".
It made me feel embarrased not to have come up with the same myself, but then I see that ALL OF THEM are doing it, and I return the thanks in kind to several of them, and smile. It was a great feeling.

This is what I came to Pennsic to find, a distilled essence of what field courtesy should be, displayed by a large group of fighters from the same kingdom, against whom I was fighting a few seconds before.

If I was tired afterwards, I did not feel it. I was just too touched by their chivalry to notice exhaustion.

If we are measured by the mettle and chivalry of our opponents, I'd say I was very fortunate to have fought them that day. I look forward to facing them again soon. I will be honored.


Respectfully,

Rowan of Needwood