Order of the Pelican, Ælflæd of Duckford

I was elevated to the Order of the Pelican on a cold day at a Crown Tournament at Coronado State Monument in Bernalillo. I learned later I would have been made a Pelican at a Warlord tournament in the Barony of Atenveldt, but our truck broke down near Pie Town (not near enough...) and we spent the night there around a little fire while hardly any vehicles passed by and fewer stopped. We arrived at the site just as court ended, went out for Pizza with Master Richard the Strange and some other locals, and drove back home.

The scroll wasn't fancy; many weren't, in those days, but there were nice seals on it. It's big, 16" x 17.5"

Click to see close-ups of the seals.

There's a photo somewhere, of me kneeling and taking the oath of peerage, wearing a goldish dress and a veil, and my face doesn't show much, if any. But still, it's a photo of Koris and Leah and of the windy, overcast day, and of the moment.

This is probably my identifying rank and award. When people say "Mistress Ælflæd " I think it's the Pelican they're thinking most often. This isn't my favorite honor; being a Walker of the Way is. Premier Russian Thistle is pretty wonderful. But the Pelican is something I've always been absolutely confident in. I never doubted I had earned it or could earn it again, so maybe it's my most comfortable, like a favorite pair of shoes or a beloved chair. And when I think of my duty, it's the Pelican duty I think of first.

I did miss using "Lady," because I think "Lady Ælflæd " sounds beautiful, so for a while I had an element of wistfulness. (Oh. I guess I still do!)

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