A very fond farewell...for now!

The last weekend of the Ohio Renaissance Festival for the year 2010. It marked my second year working with the Knights of Valour, my first jousting in the shows, my first as a knight.
None of my drafts describing the tournament at Estes Park, Colorado ever got posted. I wanted them to portray what I felt and was not satisfied with the results. There I was knighted. It meant, it means, more to me than some might have thought. Not just a title, not just an accomplishment - a dream. A dream that became a reality. And to all of those who are making the journey with me: thank you.
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So yes, the Columbus Dispatch came, interviewed me, and took photos of my first joust on Saturday. It was pretty cool, but nerve-racking. Before the joust I was constantly reminded of them being there by certain knights and told not to screw up because of my nerves...as well as told stories of how certain  knights screwed up in simple tasks and games just knowing media attention was on them. Did this help me to be calm? Naturally, no. It was extremely strange, let me tell you, to have a photographer from a newspaper out on the field knowing their story was going to be about me. Very, very strange. But they were awesome people and I am glad they came out.

Saturday was a beautiful day at fair. Friends, family, history, jousting...what more could a girl ask for? It started off with some great coffee and conversation from The Viking Wife, as well as some pug love, and ended with Mexican dinner. Jason brought a guy friend along. Apparently I was on a date. Thankfully it was not too awkward and was one of the those nights where it was hard to relax your face because you were laughing and smiling so constantly...and shivering? To my dismay I was feeling sick...

Before I continue, I would like to note something: I have known Kelly Martin, our head squire, for over a year now. I have NEVER seen her laugh as hard as she laughed that night. Not sure what she was laughing about as I was in a different conversation at the time, but it was fun to see her laugh so hard. :)

Anyway, so I was the first one back to the loft after dinner and even with my jacket on and my sleeping bag wrapped tightly around me, I was still shivering violently and my face felt very hot. Grrr, I wanted to joust well Sunday, not be sick! Thankfully two of my awesome brothers-in-arms, Jason and Bob, put a couple more blankets on me when they got in and I finally got some sleep. Sunday morning I was worse, and even after downing cold medicine (courtesty of J and Krysten - Thank you!) and having a cup of Liz's amazing coffee, things were not much better. Now maybe someday I'll be able to be sick and joust well anyway. But that morning I had the crappiest joust I have ever jousted. Shane was helping out the squires and I specifically remember two passes. He told me to keep my targeting true as I was having a bit of trouble with it. I came down to his end of the lyst after he told me this and he said, "No, that's his head." I felt bad for Jason, that he had to be the unfortunate one to joust against me that morning, and I felt bad that I could not rally.
When my helm came off and I dismounted, my spirits were crushed. My last joust of the fair season and it had to be like that? Why?? After signing broken lance pieces I went back to the tackroom, crashed on a couple of armor boxes, and that's where I stayed until the next joust. Thankfully they did not need me to squire in the second joust so I got to rest and watch. I have to say, Charlie and Jason put on a great show. It was the best one I have seen with the two of them jousting each other. Think Charlie won by one broken lance.

 So we were getting ready for the third and last joust. Someone asked Shane who was jousting in the last show. To my surprise, he said Jason, Charlie, and myself were doing the last show. A second chance! A last chance. By this time I was feeling better, just very dizzy (perhaps all of that Dayquil?). Jason and I were to joust first and the winner would go up against Charlie. Shane was to be the Emcee.

Us three knights did not know how the show was going to go other than the aforementioned. So when Shane was dividing up the crowd we were starting to get confused. Was he dividing them in thirds? No. Halves? Yeah, it looked that way...So...how was this going to work? One half was cheering for Charlie, one half for Jason. That's when Shane talked to the ladies of the crowd. They were to cheer for me. I was their champion. Did they think women could joust just as well as the men? Their thunderous cries said yes. Great. No pressure. Now I had to prove something for all of them as well. I knew (and know) that women can joust and joust well. I just had to prove it that day.

So, this was a day for my senior knight and older brother to live up to his titles and try his very hardest to embarass me. Before I gave out my favor he announced to the crowd that I was single, liked long walks on the beach, desperately needed a date, that they could find me on facebook under some ridiculous name, yadda yadda, and challenged any man in the crowd to ask me out...When I chose my favor he made the guy stand on the fence to give me a kiss. Well, Paladin (whom I was riding) was not having any of it and did not want to get that close to the guy (it wasn't my doing, I sware!). So of course, Shane took him by his bridle and led him over. One of things I love about the Knights of Valour is that they have taught me to have a sense of humor again. A few years ago I might have been upset at Shane. Now I just had a lot of fun with it! But enough about that. On to the joust!

Finally, I fell into my zone again. The last joust of the previous weekend everything had clicked and I was so disappointed that it had not as of yet that weekend. But I figured out what drives my zone. This my seem like a no-brainer, but it is not just remembering everything and doing it without thinking, it is having confidence (something everyone has been telling me from the beginning, I know. Easier said than done). I was able to get in my zone against Shane the weekend before because I knew his targeting was truer than anyone. If I came off it was going to be because he took me off, not because I was riding poorly, not because he got in a lucky shot. He was going to hit my grand guard true every time whether I hit him true or not. That gave me the confidence and determination to hit him true every time and to try my hardest to rise to his level.

With Jason that last day, as good as he is, it was not that reasoning that put me in the zone. It was pure determination not to let the women down, not to let my fellow knights down, not to let myself down, and not to let God down. God who has blessed me with all of the amazing opportunities in my life. He who put me in the place I am in now - whom I firmly believe made me to do this.
So I broke every lance - what an amazing feeling- and won. Phew!

It was Charlie's turn. Paladin and I were both anxious to get going as Charlie entered the lyst. BOOM! No break? What? Darn. Next pass. Still no break? Ack! What is up with that? I remember looking up at my unbroken lance and being mad at myself. Meanwhile Charlie is of course breaking his lances. Come on, I can't be that tired. Finally broken a lance, yay! The second to last pass I felt a buff blow (he hit me in my throat guard for those who do not know) which jammed my ill-fitting helm up into my head rather hard. Owe. That hurt. A lot. Because of that blow I am so very, very ashamed of my last pass that day. I flinched. We charged down the lyst and right before we hit each other, I flinched! (Still hit him, but off target.) Argh! I can't believe I did that! Still beating myself up about it. Justinn (an awesome friend and squire) tried to console me by reminding me that I was still fighting sickness. But as sweet as she is, being sick was not an excuse for flinching. *sigh* Oh well. At least I had a good joust against J.

Now I would like to mention that it was an honor to have Erin as our queen. I cannot picture anyone else in the role and you will be greatly missed.  Thank you for your constant support and encouragement. It meant a lot. Thank you to all of you in the cast who cheered me on and supported me!

A very special thank you to Justinn for coming all of the way out from Colorado to help us and hang out. It was so much fun!!
And here is to all of the knights and squires in my life! You have made this journey possible and my life is richer because of you! I wish I could tell all of the stories of how I met each of you, and maybe someday I will, but for now please know that you are so greatly appreciated.

The 2010 Ohio season may have ended, but my journey has just begun. This fall has been an incredible start to it all. What a learning experience! What friendships have been formed!
There is so much more to say about fair - so many events that have gone un-typed. Still, I feel I must end with this for now.
So on to training my mare, Connie. On to training myself for Spring. Here is to the beginning and not the end!
With love I leave you....
~Off to the lyst!~