The drive to Double Wars

I am typing this as we drive home from the event. It will be interesting to see how much I remember...

The adventure started a week ago Thursday, when Frostheim met at our treasurer's house (25 minutes south of my house) to load our stuff into the cargo van. It rained gently during that part, but not enough to be an inconvenience.

After the van was loaded I drove it to the home of our local Count and Countess (another 10 minutes south), where, after a brief visit, yoga, and a shower, I slept on their couch. The drive to her place was a bit annoying as the car had some sort of warning light and accompanying beeping that kept going off every few seconds and I couldn't figure out what it was warning me about. Therefore we brought the car manual from the glovebox into the house and searched it, but couldn't find that light listed anywhere.

Bright and early the next morning (~05:00) Countess A and I started driving, and that warning light started flashing on and off at random intrvals and beping each time it did. We realised that the reason we couldn't find the light in the manual is that the manual the rental car provided was for some other type of vehicle. However, we were able to figure out that the problem was that the car thought that one of the doors was sometimes open (faulty sensor). This expained why we had had difficulties locking it the night before. However, even stopping and messing with the doors didn't stop the sensor from deciding every so often that the door was open and beeping to call our attention to the fact.

It beeped at us all the way to Skellefteå (1.5 hrs), where we stopped to pee. It beeped all the way to Umeå, where we picked up my minion's stuff (my minion himself would ride with the passenger van, which left Luleå 5 hours after we did). It beeped all the way to Skulleberget (~2 - 2.5 more hours), where we were able to solve the door locking problem by hitting the automatic door lock button while driving during one of the all too brief intervals that the car thought the doors were closed, and then both climbing out the driver's door, which we could lock with the key instead of the button.

We spent about 30 minutes climbing up to the cave, which was a nice way to get the blood flowing, and a welcome break from the beeping. Then we started experimenting, and discovered that if we opened the back side cargo door (which is dented near the latch area) and held the button in the opening that the warning light would turn off. We tried using a Bandaid from her purse to tape it down, but that wasn't strong enough to hold it down. Luckily, her armour bag was in easy reach of the back door, and the duct tape was strong enough to keep the button depressed and the sensor happy, meaning that the rest of the drive the car never beeped at us again, and we were very happy.

The trip progressed easily from there, with A. driving ~3 hr stretches and me 1 to 1.5 hr stretches. She napped while I drove and I sometimes napped and sometimes sewed on the Frostheim silk banners that we had painted during social nights on the weeks leading up to the event.

We had decided that we should avoid Stockholm due to the time we would be passing through, and instead turned inland just north of Uppsala. This meant that we reached the home of another Countess A around 17:45, where we stopped for a real rest break (other than the mountain climb we had only stopped for 2 to 7 minutes each time). I did my yoga while my Countess A. took a nap on the other Countess' bed, then I took a 15 minute nap and then we went to a local sushi place for dinner before getting back on the road at 20:35.

We then drove to the truck stop at the ruins at Brahehus, arriving at midnight. By this time the other car was only 1 hour behind us, and we were both tired, so we took a nap and waited for them (after walking over to the ruins, which I had never been to before).

When the others arrived we gave the cargo van to another driver and passenger and A. and I moved to the passenger van, where we happily slept till just before we arrived on site at 05:00 Saturday morning, 24 full hours after starting our journey.

Double Wars arrival day

Having managed to sleep for the last part of our 24 hour journey, I was awake and ready to set up camp when we arrived at 05:00 on Saturday. We had exchanged messages with the lady in charge of telling groups where to put up their camp, and she had given us permission to wake her when we arrived, so we did.

The Frostheim land allotment was generous (we later found out we were the only group to specify both how many and what size tents we were bringing, so they made certain to provide us enough space).

This was my first Double Wars since they moved to the new site, and I like it much better than the old. The last site had a small lawn next to the hall upon which we could camp, while this one has a lovely open forest (much to our surprise, the trees that far south are fully in leaf already--we had passed the "spring line" where the first hint of green branches on trees was showing at noon the day before, at Ångermannaälven). Also to my surprise, it was so warm when we arrived that I had to take off my long-sleeved shirt before setting up camp (yes, at 05:00!)

We got my pavilion, the archer's pavilion, my minion's the red Frostheim Pavilion, armour tent, and my sunshade set up straight away, along with the large elevated fire place and cooking shelves. The big Frostheim tent wasn't put up till later, as there was room in the red tent for the few who needed it the first night. The next day Master S. arrived and put up his pavilion and several Frostheimers more arrived by plane or train and got the big Frostheim Pavilion up. Sadly, they discovered that the people who had borrowed it hadn't done a very good job repairing the hole in the roof from a fire that happened while they had it on loan. Luckily, the whole event had good weather, so the repairs weren't tested.

That first day I had itchy eyes and some sniffles, possibly a reaction to all the pollenin the air, but while annoying, it didn't interfere with my moving in and making my home within the pavilion pretty.

I needed a half an hour nap around 15:30 that day before putting on a costume and leaving the Frostheim camp for the first time (not counting trips to the toilet). My first stop was to give the Prince a really tiny and very pretty scroll (made by a Norra Nordmark scribe) that Countess A. had given us to take to site for her, since she wouldn't be on site for another couple of days (due to work).

Then I found the Crown Prince and asked if he needed a reminder to help him get to Monday's meeting and if he needed me as a lady in waiting for Monday's court (I had had a message from a friend who couldn't make it to the event, but was still coordinating the royal attandants suggesting that I should). He did and I found out where and when to look for him on Monday.

I spent a bit longer visiting with a few people, but was understandably tired, so I went to bed at 21:40 and slept till 08:00 on Sunday (not counting trips to the toilet).


I was able to stay awake that day till 15:30, by which time I was completely settled in, then I got a 30 minute nap before

Double Wars, the first few days

(Originally typed while on the road home, but edited after getting home to add links, fix some errors in time line and add stuff that I had forgotten when doing the first draft.)

Saturday I spent much of the day relaxing and catching up with people. My SCA sister, Tierzah, whom I first met in a winter mountaineering class and brought into the SCA saying "I know where you belong; come with me; here, put this on, its medieval" was visiting from An Tir with her husband and a bunch of others. We have only seen one another once since she left Oertha 27 years ago, so it was so wonderful to see her again.

The only class I attended that day was the dance class taught by Gaita.

Sunday afternoon I served as Lady in Waiting for the Queen, and then went to the evening dance class. Somewhere in there, while back in camp, I heard Sir Peregrine's kids ask him something about the next day, and he replied that he would be busy the next evening, to which Master SvartulvR replied "with that special thing?", and Peregrine confirmed that it was that special thing. Then SvartulvR commented to me that while no names had been named, Perigrin had been over to borrow the workshop, and the shapes of the things made gave him his suspicions. At that moment I realized (hoped?) that Master Ærikr would be knighted at this event. But, of course, I said nothing, only smiled.

Monday I started a bread sponge, then went to the unbelted fighter tourney, were I worked on sewing projects, and in the evening attended the Crown Prince during court, translating the Swedish awards for him when the Prince and Princess of Nordmark had their turn. However, when the Shire of Baggeholm came in to display their holy relic and declare that Wilhelm in Aarnimetsä is a saint (including a lovely painting of him in a halo), I couldn't follow it well enough to translate, so the Queen took over that part. Sadly I was standing on his other side do couldn't hear her translations, so possibly missed some of the more amusing details.

Tuesday I started the day with dance class, then baked bread over the fire and went to the end of the Young Blood tournament (open only to fighters who have first been authorized during the past three years) and then caught part of the music class. Then I put in a very brief appearance at the Weaver's tea before heading back to camp to get ready for Coronet Tournament. There were four couples entering the lists that had at least one Frostheim member, so we all processed to the tournament together, with fanfare and banners waving. Then we slotted into the processional line for the tournament based on order of precedence of the higher ranked of each pair, which meant that Eino and I marched right after the countess and her champion (who is Frostheim). So the two Frostheim banner bearers marched out with them as they were introduced and showed off the arts project they were displaying (a gift from the Countess to the wife of her champion, in thanks for letting him carry her favour). Then they doubled back and marched out with Eino and I (our Arts entry was my Prologue to Double Wars poem, which I recited). Then they doubled back and marched with the next pair of Frostheim entrants, and again for the final set too.

The tournament had 12 entrants, and was fought as a double round-robin, which meant it took hours to complete. It also didn't start until 19:00, which meant that the latter part was a torchlight tournament, because even with the long hours of sun compared to parts even further south, the event is still far enough south that it does get dark at night. My champion did better this time than he did last Coronet, and I can clearly remember 3 of his victories. They had the consorts sit in a line of benches on each side of the royals to watch the list, and the spot I was given was right next to His Royal Highness, so we had fun talking about the tourney as we watched it.

After the tourney I stayed up visiting with people till after 02:00, but still managed to wake up on time for the Laurels' meeting at 09:00 on Wednesday. After the meeting I caught the last part of the morning dance class before heading back to camp for lunch.

Then it was time for the Laurels' Prize Display. Every year when I see the nice tokens the other Laurels have prepared to give the participants I think I should make some too, but I have never figured out what I would want to make, so, once again, I had nothing prepared. Therefore I put some of my cookies into a Birch bark box, picked a few spring flowers, and offered the participants a choice of cookies or flowers.

Two of our new Frostheim members participated, one displaying a long bow he had made from a broomstick handle, with a detailed description of how he had done it, with photos, in both Swedish and English. The other displayed her first couple of embroidery projects, and was delighted when Mistress Lia taught her the difference between stem stitch and outline stitch (someday I will remember which is worked with and which against the twist of the thread).

Several people displayed the same projects as they had last Cudgel War, plus new progress since then, while others were totally new, like Beata's amazing buttons with metal thread osenstitch decorations. Sadly her class conflicted with something else that I attended, so I didn't get a chance to try it myself. Another of our new Frostheim members did make that class and reports that it is hard, doubly so as she suffers from hand pain.

During the display Her Majesty unveiled her plans for the Challenge Household: The Golden Egg, whose participants will need to undertake a major SCA project meant to take a year to accomplish to become members. I am thinking of trying to write a sestina for that.

That evening the amazing Kaarina and I were the only students in Master Otto's music class, and I was content to let them get deep into discussing theory while I worked on my Viking Cloak embroidery. I may not be able to follow much of it, but it is always a joy to see her passion for medieval music.

During that evening's court I sat with Kaarina and my minion. Late in the court they called up Sir Gilliam, to whom Ærikr is squired, and I wondered if this would be a lead in to his knighting. He did some sort of presentation on the Brewers guild, then the Royals suggested that since Master Fardang of the guild wasn't present perhaps his brother guild member and (and brother Master of Defense) Æerikr might come forward to accept on his behalf, so he did. After that business was done the Crown said that it was good that Ærikr was already present, and the Order of the Chivalry was called forward. The stunned look on his face at that moment was priceless! I was so glad to have been sitting both in front and far enough to one side to get a good view of it. Court was over after the Knights bustled the candidate off to stand vigil, and I hurried back to camp to add more wool and some fur, as the evening breeze after sunset (way early that far south!) had made me rather cold. Then my minion and I went to the vigil party and got our names added to the waiting list. He wanted to go in on his own, since Ærikr has been his biggest fighting inspection since he rejoined the SCA in his late teens (his parents had played when he was little, but they dropped out years ago).

When it wad my turn (some three hours later) I sang Ærikr Children's Inspiration by Colin MacLear, 2nd Bard of the West; and told him that the colour of his belt had been misleading for quite some time.