Now that Mistress Zsof has announced it publicly, I can safely say it here: On Saturday, at our kingdom’s bardic championship, I will formally become Zsof’s apprentice, having served as her student for a little over a year. (In SCA language, she will go from being “my teacher” to “my Laurel”.) To the rest of the SCA, and especially the bardic and Arts & Sciences communities, this is an indication that Zsof and I have agreed that our period of study is working out to our mutual satisfaction, and that we both wish to make the relationship formal and long-term. There will be a brief ceremony at the event, at which time I will be allowed to wear the green belt of an apprentice. (For those unfamiliar, certain other belt colors also indicate particular status: yellow belts indicate a protegee, someone learning service under a Pelican, red belts indicate a squire, who is learning chivalry from a Knight, and Knights themselves wear a white belt.)
In addition, I am looking forward to my good friend Magnus Hvalmagi being elevated to the Order of the Laurel, and my student-sister Suba Al-Hadid being elevated to the Pelican. (Fun with detail and nuance: Suba is studying performance peer-like qualities from Mistress Zsof, not service, so she will continue to be Zsof’s student after she becomes a Pelican, if they so choose. Magnus, however, will cease to be Master Toki’s apprentice on becoming his Peer, since the Laurel is the track Toki was training him for.)
All this is, of course, in addition to the actual bardic championship itself, in which I will be competing. I’ll be checking in next week to share how it all plays out.
[UPDATE: Zsof has let me know the green belt will not be ready on Saturday, so she’ll be providing me with a different symbol until it’s done.]
[UPDATE: Corrected Suba’s field of study with Zsof.]
Drake Oranwood 