Love is wanting to be free
Love is knowing we will be
-Kenny Loggins
Welcome to my camp. These are my people, the gypsies. We are a free people, living in our wagons and moving around as we see fit. There are no chains to hold us to any one place and we believe that is the way that it should be. Unlike what many people think, we are not roving bands of thieves out to steal everyone’s possessions. We do have some looser ideas about possessions, but we respect the laws of the lands in which we wander. It is true that some bands are less respectful of these things than we are, but I can assure you that your things are safe around us.As I said, we travel in our wagons. Our caravan is somewhat larger than those of most bands and so it is sometimes more difficult to pick up and move. For the past year or so we have spent most of our time in Tandraia, as that is where my husband has been spending his time. It is a pleasant country in which to live, they are much more respectful of us than many others are.
We did have a large scare about two years ago now when the goddess Martinique inflicted my people with a disease that was meant to decimate us and destroy us. However, because Lina knew of who best could help, we were able to come out of it all right. We lost many people, but not nearly as much as we were meant to lose. We shall always be grateful to her, Rick and Prince Trace.. all of whom were instrumental in coming up with a cure.
But enough of that. Please, come into the midst of the camp and enjoy the music. Music can always be heard coming from this place, it is a wonderful way to live. Music is soothing and very helpful to the soul. All of my people are talented musically. Each of us learns from early childhood how to sing, dance, and play at least one instrument. Yes, even Patrick is musically inclined. Although he does not often exhibit these skills.
As you can see, the children are allowed to roam about as much as they like, although these days they are carefully watched. We have many enemies that would like to do harm to us. However, with my dear husband’s help, we were able to put up a rather large protective circle around the camp and so no one of evil intent can approach
us. This makes us feel even more secure, although it is still very infringing upon our freedom. However, this state will not last forever. Until then, we shall protect our children and each other to the best of our abilities. There are those that say our children are spoiled and I do believe that they probably are. However, there is nothing wrong with that in our eyes. A spoiled child is a happy child and so long as there are at least some boundaries set, that is what is important. We have had but one person in many generations that has moved into the darkness and so our methods cannot be so wrong. Children were meant to be children, so many people do not seem to follow this idea. I do not understand, but it is not my place to dictate how others treat their children. We believe in freedom for all, although we would never tolerate witnessing mistreatment of anyone.
Oh, I must mention that since it has been said by many that our people are magically inclined that we all have some magical talent or another. Each gypsy is born with a magical gift and these are many and varied. I cannot begin to explain the gifts that I have witnessed bestowed upon individual gypsies. You will also find more mages among our people than most, we seem to have a natural talent for spellcraft. This has been a very useful skill for us and is part of the reason that we have survived free for so long. And we shall continue to be so, for each of us would fight to the death for our freedom. For without that, everything else can so easily fall apart.
I am the queen of the wild midnight ride We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
Queen of the dance and queen of the feast
-Cecilia Eng
-Charles Kingsley