Renaissance Festival War Stories: Newbourne June 10/11/12, 2022

Friday June 10, 2022

It's six AM. I pick up Nestor from his home. He says, "It's six AM. We have a full tank of gas. And a half a pack of cigarettes (neither of us smoke). Let's do this." I already knew Nestor was my brother and best friend. I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time, but in the first thirty seconds of this weekend, Nestor made the right joke to tell me one thing: this was going to be awesome.

Within hitting the open stretch of highway, Nestor and I are laughing, singing along to the radio and are generally catching up. While we message each other multiple times each week, we don't always talk. We are finally getting a chance to talk again. Within half an hour We are making each other laugh so hard I am snorting. Nestor asks, "Did I make you pee yet?"

"No. Fuck you. No," I say laughing. I have the best big brother ever.

We arrive at our new 'home' for the weekend: Newbourne Village. We meet some of our fellow villagers some old friends and new: Ballad the Bard, the Lord & Lady Mayor, Sulky Siren and her sister, Gilkurn Niftypocket, the Cabriolet drivers, and so many more. The 'village meeting' is run by the two men who made this whole thing possible: Master Ticktok and Yackov the Knockov. These two gentlemen have put in more time, energy, and effort in the last four years than any of us will ever know and for a couple hours, they fill us in on their vision for the next two days and the next several weekends. Our mission: Kindness; everyone you see is your friend; this is a 'walk in the park' for them and life for us. Mission accepted.

Saturday June 11, 2022

Showtime. I have my deer face on. Nestor has his dress-blacks and golds on. We are ready to go. Our first patron interaction was before the gates were even open, Nestor and I walk out the gates to see our friend Master Andrew. We knew Master Andrew was coming, but to see his big smile and greet our friend with a great big hug was a wonderful way to start the day.

A group of four wait to enter, three women and one man, the man is wearing a camouflage hat and t-shirt. I end up role-playing that he and I are in a weird relationship. "I recognize you. You're the nice man who leaves out the buckets of apples, carrots, and blocks of salt lick, then shows up in the fall with the shooty things." The women and the man in the camouflage are giggling. Nestor suggests to him he is a wizard since he appears to be a floating head, arms, legs, and no body.

The day of riddling starts quieter, slower. We truly have no idea what this crowd is going to be like, how they are going to embrace us. About an hour into riddling, we see a familiar face: Jacqueline, our director and Show Mom. She listens, watches, and assesses Nestor and myself, gives a few words of encouragement and notes, and I am super-charged. I knew I was feeling great before, but nothing like a visit from 'Mom' to give her approval.

...

During the day, we had the opportunity to riddle with Queen Bea herself. We first told her a riddle to make her feel comfortable, at home. Then, Nestor dropped the hammer. When her gentleman consort correctly answered the riddle with, "Assassination." I yelled, "J'accuse! You have a traitor in your midst!" I pointed at her gentleman consort. Nestor joined in in the accusation, suggesting he may loose his head at the suggestion of assassination. The riddles with the queen went better than we could have hoped.

...

Sunday June 12, 2022

After some sleep, notes, and introspection, Nestor and I are ready to do it all again. We are greeted at the morning with what is now considered the Village song composed by Ballad the Bard. Our village is a day old and we already have an anthem...

Welcome to our little village

Please make yourself at home

And while traveling our well-worn field

Please know you’re not alone!

Life outside is treacherous

And people are unkind.

So open up our storybook

I promise friends you’ll find!

So welcome friends to Newborne!

Where Magic’s here to stay!

So come inside!

And stay for a while

Invite your heart to play!

I'm not crying, you're crying. Dang it Ballad, you got dust in my eye. It's really dusty out here. *sniff *

...

During the day, Gilkurn comes and visits us and does some juggling for us and some patrons. Nestor grabs his juggling props from the air mid-juggle and continues with it. I didn't know Nestor could juggle. I am amused by this: both the stealing and the juggling, I am easily amused. Nestor shows Gilkurn how to juggle-steal. While this happens, one of the juggling props goes flying off and away from them and we go to look for it. Now both of them think the other has grabbed one of the three, but Nestor has picked up two. It takes more than a couple moments for all three of us to realize that we are looking for something that is not on the ground, but already in their hands. We all have the shame.

...

Nestor and I didn't know what these crowds would be like: busy, slow, shy, disinterested, playful, etc. We truly didn't know what to expect. Our other show, we specifically do not have seating, this weekend, our audience, made their own seating. They brought their own benches from around the area and set them in front of our stage. We weren't going to tell them 'no.' One young patron who sat down, we'll call him Young Elf. This Young Elf, maybe 12-15 years old sat, listened, answered some, but not every riddle for over three hours with us. This is highly unusual. He was sweet and well behaved. He stayed until we had to start packing up our stage for the day. A few minutes later, Young Elf came back and asked us if we needed help next weekend, if we needed someone to do water or food runs for us. Young Elf wanted to squire for us. It saddened me to say that Nestor and I wouldn't be returning as a pair this season, but I would be back closing day with Thomas Cook. Then Nestor suggested something I didn't think of, he suggested since he heard so many riddles, he should try writing his own and bringing them to us in the future because it is how we became riddlers. We gave Young Elf some writing tips and ideas. And maybe, in a few years, he could be on this side of the stage with us. He left with a smile on his face as he ran to rejoin his family. Nestor and I gave each other a big hug. This is why we do this: for moments like that. That look on Young Elf's face. Neither Nestor nor I may be parents, but we have great parents, and we know the right things to say once in a while.

...

As the weekend wrapped, I am filled with more joy than I can express. I had been looking forward to this road trip with my brother for so long. I never had a best friend road trip before. For now, I clean up my costumes and get the dust out of my car and count down the days to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. See you then!