Favorite "Magic Moment"? (More than one if you can't choose. :)

There have been times around Cariadoc's fire -- and many others -- that a singer, storyteller, or musician has lifted the audience out of the modern day and into the past. There have been times where I have been witness to such great deeds of personal strength and nobility, that I wept -- not just to see them, but to be part of a group that encouraged such actions. I believe every SCA event has a little "magic" at it, from spectacle to quiet kindness; I'm afraid selecting just one is beyond me.

The Crown Tournament run by King Timothy II.
There was a combatant I did not know, called Sir Brion Tarragon. In the final bout of the final round, he took his opponent's leg. As the other man, sank to his knees, Sir Brion tapped his own leg and dropped to the ground, relinquishing his advantage and in fact putting himself in a much worse position, as his opponent was taller than he was, even kneeling. As the two men squared off, the skies turned black with cloud and I was sure lightning would strike the ground should the better man not win. Just then Sir Brion struck his opponent's helm with one of the cleanest head shots I have ever seen. The skies cleared and the cry rang out "God save Prince Brion!"

Dancing with Baron Patri at my second or third event. I was swept off my feet. :)

The very first war I ever fought in (Pennsic XX) I fought under the command of the lady who had given us endless hours of help on-line and on-phone and got my Shire fighting. I died at her feet.

Watching, against all hope or expectation, Seosamh Ui Maille from Carolingia come second in Eastern Crown Tourney.

• being in, singing in, and selling relics of the "Chartres Cathedral" built at Pennsic
• watching a field battle with no holds
• Siegfried I's muster for the woods battle
• The Aurthurian Legends Masked Ball, watching Stonehenge pavane
• one of Jehan du Lac's in persona dinners
• jamming at the first Harper's Retreat
• campfires at Tagmata
• most of Pennsic XXIX (yes, the one I broke my ankle)
• the garden at night during Nightingale Ball
• the Midsummer Night's Dream event
• the first Black Rose Ball
• visiting vigils at Pennsic with my servant/apprentice playing straight horn and announcing me
• being escorted to my Laurel vigil on a boat while being pelted with stuffed fish
• many I Sebastiani performances
• my first woods battle
• the Sponsus performances
• peeling carrots
• cleaning up dishes that held burnt rice
• Catrin's Laurel mumming (of Apollo and Daphne)
• Sebastian's Laurel ceremony
• playing loud band in front of the fort this Pennsic

And there are many, many more.

King Gyrth organizing pillow-fights at the rained-out Peace, saying it was in fulfillment of his coronation oath; the charge of the Western knights at Pennsic 6; Caryl and Asenath wading downstream in their shifts, herding rose petals; the long walk through the black woods to the parking lot at Legends at midnight, with just a candle-lantern; the jongleurs singing "Rosa Vernans" in Memorial Hall; the first sight of the fort on the field at Pennsic 30; the songs and the faces around many a campfire; single, one-armed combat on the bridge at Pennsic 15 (or so); Grendel's Arm at the Beowulf event. The memories keep coming, but I have to stop typing because I have five more questions to go.

[There was] another Magic Moment I wanted to record. That was throwing my dead body over my beloved Master, so that he emerged alive and well from the charge that ran us down on the bridge at Pennsic. What a great way to go!

The end came far too soon though... After a frantic moment of trying to figure how to warn the amorous couple who had just walked up the hill to another of the Xs, that they were not alone... I remembered that I still had a cold coke with me... A single "Pop", was followed by instant silence and a quiet scurry.