Bell Quest: A story from me regarding a service experience I have had.
I am surprised to be struggling most with whole of this quest. For those of you who din’t know, my Protege Aunt and Uncle gave me a quest at my Protege Ceremony. This one was to have a story from a Knight, a Laurel, a Pelican, a Royal Peer, a person from the SCA who has been in less than two years, a service experience that I have had, an arts and science experience that I’ve had, and a story from me involving a marshal experience that I’ve had.
I live in the Barony of Cynnabar. I could easily ask a peer of our group and have this quest done. But I’ve decided that I want to do it with peers that I don’t know very well. Which is hard for me, because I have a fear of asking people to take a moment to speak with me. I worry that I would be wasting their time or that perhaps they are too busy… or maybe even think I’m weird. Because it is hard and I know I struggle with it. is the reason I want to do it.
But on my side of things, it’s a bit easier. Though I have trouble picking which moment I want to pick. Today, that’s not the problem at all!
The weather was supposed to be good then then the next day not. I’ve attended tons of events with all sorts of weather. But yesterday topped them all. Yes, it was supposed to rain, but seriously, there has to be a break sometime… right?
When we arrived it was just sprinkling. The tents went up damp. The ground was a bit soft but tolerable and holding stakes. within an hour of having everything set up inside it started to pour. After taking time to lay inside and enjoy the patterns of a new lantern scattered around my tent, I decided to sleep. Sure it would be wet tomorrow but there would be time to hang out with friends and lots to do, including retaining at 10am.
The wind picked up. At times I seriously thought the tarp had come loose inside my tent and was flapping around. The front and back was snapping back and forth with a force I’m positive would have hurt if I had been standing next to it! At times, I thought my tent would be coming down on me. Luckily that didn’t happen. Even with the rain, I’ve never been to an event where no one was out by 8 am. There were posts going to Facebook. Outside, there was no standing water that I could see. The wind and rain was still going though.
Finally, I had to go to the bathroom and to my surprised, there were little ponds growing outside peoples’ tents. I got back, and spent the next hour or so wondering how on earth this day is going to go, and honestly, dreading the awful five inches of water that was going to weigh the hem of my dress down.
After spending some time talking with Cassandra in her tent, I decided I should probably get some food and get ready for the day. So I got my garb on and headed down. Despite the lack of people out in about, there were still some. A few were packing up. There were those who hadn’t made it through the rain as lucky as I had. Though I should have known better when they were walking through deeper mud with nothing on their feet. In my attempt to walk around, I slipped. It was at this point that I gave up the hope of being dry and clean. Two people were very generous in helping me out of such a mess. I was thankful because, well, mud.
I was even more surprised when I made it down to the battle field to find people working hard at preparing breakfast for those of us who were crazy enough to start our days (which is actually quite odd being that it was 9am and usually the event would have been underway at this point.) Still, I was thankful for the delicious food and hospitality, mud and all. At this point, I was starting to get pretty wet. The rain was not letting up and the winds were not stopping.
back at my tent, I tightened the ropes, stuck in a couple more stakes, ate, and officially started my day. Bad weather or not, the event was going to push on. Sir Gregoire and Lady Helena were sitting vigils, I had retaining at 10, youth combat to follow and a day of celebrating with friends. The water levels had gone down slightly and the outlook felt hopeful as reports of “A break in the weather” were sure to come.
So I made my way to the retaining shift, through a river that had been created and was unavoidable. At some point, you just don’t care anymore. The Queen and King had not yet arrived so I hung out with Beatrix, the royalty liaison for this event, just in case their majesties did show and needed a retainer.
Longest hour ever.
While I enjoyed my “sister’s” company, the rain was still coming and the wind was growing. We watched people attempt jumps over the riven and others give up and use it as a way to get clean momentarily from mud. Thankfully, the vigils had been moved inside! After an hour, I decided to double check the vigil to see how things were going. It was about 11am.
Sir Gregoire had told me it was cold. I honestly thought he couldn’t be serious. I had come to feel not warm but not cold…. just content. by this point, my clothes were muddy and wet. I did have a thin cloak over me, but nothing heavy. I was fine. Wet but going. The worst is that my back was sore from the fall earlier.
A bit later, I decided I was tired from being awake most of the night and sore so I should go home (to tent), but on new dry clothes and maybe lay down for a moment. Which I did all of. But then noticed the walls had broke free of the ground. (Which is impressive because they actually stick into the ground. I have seen my tent make it through 70mph winds in the past.) So I decided I was going home and should pack up. Everything could stay in until after court when I could get stuff to my car. The walls should hold until then.
Or rather for 15 more minutes. The wind picked up and the tarp and come loose, water was starting to make it’s way into my tent. The ground beneath it was turning to much. I threw on some clothes to put on garb but realized that wasn’t going to work. The tent was going to come down if I didn’t get it down. So I packed what I could alone before realizing, I didn’t know if I could take it down without accidentally hurting the tent beside me. By this point I was pressing my limit. I was wet and tired, hungry and frustrated and it was only about 1pm.
When I got back the vigil I was pretty sure I was going to explode. I had my Italian Ren dress on over my fleece pajamas. All of the three pairs of shoes I owned were full of water and mud. My hair was dripping it was so wet. I took a look at Lady Daye and Mistress Giovanna and spoke of frustration on the verge of tears. These two ladies are awesome.
Mistress Giovanna had me explain what was wrong then asked members and friends of the household to help me while Lady Daye calmly and gently reminded me that it is stuff. Stuff can be fixed, dried, replaced and that it’s okay. She is right. it can. And so with their help, I went off once more to solve my problem with a bit of food now and a moment to collect myself.
Lord Gavriil, Lord Uillec, And Lord Ionis all gathered to help me take down my tent. They are an amazing bunch. It helped so much that they were laughing and joking as we tried and struggled to take down my tent in the crazy wind and the rain which was soaking EVERYTHING. They made it bearable just a little longer. In the end, there was NO way to get my car in the fort to get it packed. I would need help via golf cart. Or some other means. It was far too heavy to carry. Lord Gavriil and I covered everything with a tarp and headed to find someone to help. On the way there, Lord Uillec informed me that Sir Straum may be able to have me put everything in his trailer. A bit later, that was confirmed so I settled for the fact that I would be headed out when Lord Uillec stopped me. By this point, I was in quite a bit of pain, thanks to my back. He told me to stay and get warm… Though I still didn’t feel that I needed to “get warm” I was already warm. I was sure of it. That he would take care of it. I was so shocked and thankful that I made sure to let the heads of our household know what an amazing thing he was doing. I got food and ate which I hadn’t realized I needed to really do until then. About 20 or so minutes later, it was time for court.
OH MY GOODNESS!
It was FREEZING outside. Seriously cold. I knew that didn’t happen all of sudden but then even the water was like prickles of ice touching my skin! People had talked about getting sick, but it had felt warm before. On the way into court, I noticed Beatrix’s lips were blue. Not a little blue but that of a light bruised color of which she informed it, it had been worse. I started to wonder more about how I was doing, or looking. I was sopping in my “dry clothes” at this point. It had only been an hour since I changed. Many of us crammed in a small place for one of the most awesome courts I have ever experienced. I felt like part of the whole. I have never been to a court where I felt the royalty was really not separate, but right there with us, soaked and wet. Awards were called and people cheered. Two elevations were done. And all the while, we stood together, those of us who had weathered this crazy wind and rain.
After court, I went back to the vigil. Water was starting to come in and we laughed about the level because… what else was there to do? Lady Eidy, a trouper herself coming with a broken foot to be there among friends and celebration, asked me to join her in sitting of which I did. I watched where people sat before realizing that while the water was bad outside, it was more than starting to come in. where people walked, the floorboards moved. Where they moved, water came up through them. So after telling Lady Daye and Sir Gregoire, we decided it was pretty much over at this point.
I struggled back to camp where we finished packing my tent into Sir Straum’s trailer (of which I’m about to go get soon) and then I helped another get their stuff into his trailer as well. In the end, He had about four or five groups of stuff with him, of which he took home as well.
I walked out to my car. By this point, the river that had been dying down outside the fort had now been moving was literally above my ankles with no hope of jumping over it. Honestly, at this point, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I was walking through everything and my car was not that far, having come last night meant I was parked closer to the fort. What I didn’t expect was the moment I sank into the grass water nearly five inches from my knees. I was soaked and in pain. I was done.
Accept that my car was going no where. The mud was too great. I wish I knew their names. But two lovely ladies who were helping everyone, came up and pushed my car. The three of us managed to get my car up and out of the waterlogged lands. Though I owe it all to them. I wish I would have gotten their names. One was even still wearing her yellow belt. I know, because when I turned around to thank them, she was the one literally covered in mud from my car.
As I got onto the road, I realized while this was the worst weather event I have been to, that it is these times that our service can shine. I was not as helpful as I normally would have been. Even today, my back has been hurting. But to see all of those who really stuck out and helped made me realize that it is these moments that really shine. That while service is done by volunteering most often, it is also done out of kindness and love for not only the SCA but for each other. So many people helped me out through the day, and so many I don’t know their names. Many probably don’t even know or may not even be thinking about what they have done. But I remember everything and even the gesture of the two who helped pull me up after falling in the mud sticks in my mind today and probably will for all the years to come.
Yesterday had been a rough day for many. I’ve never attended an event where everyone was gone almost half way through. But this was it and as much as it was rough, it was also grand, because we saw the kindness, love, willingness and closeness of great friends, even if we didn’t know their names, who really proved to be there for one another. Who really served their kingdom by taking care of the kingdom’s members.
Thank you to everyone who attended be you the amazing event staff or those who simply came because, well, SCA, who showed what the SCA really can be!
❤
Notes:
The #baronwarsunderwater came from a clever posting from my Pelican, Mistress Giovanna.
The two ladies who helped pull me from the mud are Mei Li and Epona Brodin
Protege Life 