Monday August 20 2001

Well, it's Monday and I'm back from Pennsic. What can I say but I had an awesome week. I fought in the Iron Rose Tourney Monday. Wednesday I fought in the woods battle. What a blast! And Thursday I fought in Field Battle.

Initially I wanted to do more fighting than that, but with the heat, I just didn't have the energy. I had fun, and now that I'm home, I can defiantly say I'm content with the amount of fighting I did.

For the Iron Rose tourney Monday I got armored up in camp. Got inspected at the field. Entered the tourney, which was my first. Initially there was some confusion with the list. But most of that got sorted out. I did finally make it onto field 1, where almost all of the fighters had been fighting less than a year. I was in the first bout, and had drawn someone of many years fighting. I went out and gave my best. Unfortunately I did lose, but I was having fun. Second bout I lost as well, but I lasted longer, and had even more fun. Between bouts I got to talk to other female fighters from all over the place. Learn a bit about the way they train, checked out some spiffy armour. And generally over all had fun.

As for the woods battle, there's something that I can't wait until next year to do again. When I got into the woods, I got so initially set up a speed bump (as they call it) around the one queen's banner. This was great. After a bit, another Ealdormerian and I were left holding it alone while the boys who had been holding it went off to give reports to their commanders. When they returned I tried to form up with other Ealdormerians. This is not so easy to do especially when it's your first time out in a woods battle. I remember joining in a line and as I had a small shield that would fit between trees, trying to help protect the spears. I eventually got killed, and had to wait for a clearing to get out. Went out, resed, and came back out. I couldn't find anyone from Ealdormere so I just joined the line with anyone wearing red tape. I did this twice…. And can't wait to do it again. So to sum up my first woods battle, it was fun, I'd do it again, and I got to see TWO banners.

The field battle was different. Such a mass of fighters coming at each other from two sides, crashing together. I didn't last long at all either time, but I was out there fighting and having fun.