(no subject)
Estrella was last weekend.
No way was I going to miss this.
Carla sent me out with a favor, too: a paternoster in a little bag she'd knitted, which I tied onto my swordbelt. Both because I'm a geek, and because it seems supremely appropriate, I made the effort to learn the paternoster prayers in German. I returned the favor by making her a rosary for Valentine's day.
I only fought on Saturday, my wind isn't what it used to be, but I fought in every battle (apart from half of the resurrection battle at the end of the day, which I still gutted up and went out for the last push of), and while I regret not seeing more of the Hand out there (Rhys, Nate, and Frankfurt put on a good show, though), running with Starkhafn was unreal.
It was highly emotional all around, and something I won't forget, even if I wanted to.
Had to borrow a shirt to fight in, but Rhys came through. Estrella was smaller than in years past, but no matter the reason, the lack of war points- or something totally different, that happened to coincide with the lack of war points, made this Estrella something better. Of course it might simply be my own blind enthusiasm, but tempers on both sides seemed amazingly steady. Opponents were very polite, and in several cases extremely gracious in their shot calling.
Athaneric threw a few of the younger guys my way for pick up fights after the last battle which was even more fun. Carla's third piece of garb is absolutely stunning. I am officially the luckiest man in the world.
We went to a 'Life in Renaissance Spain' class, and picked up the disk of notes, which was an unexpected gem of a find. We replenished out stocks of Root beer bottles, and Carla discovered a chocolate maker which quickly became the second most popular man in her life. But Sumbel was intense.
In ARU, especially when the drugs were working out of my system and I had the shakes pretty badly, the calming exercise is to picture a calm, serene place. The nurses offer suggestions, like 'A beach in Hawaii', or 'a laying down in a field of flowers', but for me, it was the Starkhafn camp, after a day of fighting. Western War, just before the fire, where the camp was at the edge of a lake, with Alcon's purple and blue pavililion next door. Sunlight on the water, sore, bruised, and utterly content.
I only got one bruise at this Estrella, but made up for it in sheer soreness. I was in tears at Sumbel, but just kept talking. It felt like if I put a stopper in the flow of words, it would never come back.
My voice was shot in the very best of ways at the end of the day. I didn't have the energy or painlessness to fight Sunday, and by the time I got back to Santa Barbara, it had fully sunk in that this was the first real running I'd done since November 2008. My ankles, shins, and knees were screaming at me, and when my right knee finally popped, I couldn't stand on it for ten minutes.
Great and miserable alike, this War is something I will always treasure. I loved the thrill and challenge of the fight, and loved the hard parts no less. Because it was all part of the experience of, for one day, feeling like I was living how I used to.
I am alive.
Furor Teutonicus.
Also, Carla discovered today that a new Johnny Cash album is coming out, entitled: 'Ain't no Grave'. The teaser song is as epic as it sounds, very much in line with 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'.