hired hand at the mint, of Kuttenberg
“I am the youngest in our wretched shed, hauling dross until my back breaks. One day I will join a mercenary band and leave Kuttenberg to rot.”
Things Richard had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Pentecost, at None
Christopher still sits locked in the upper counting house. Not a single groschen paid to any of us since Ash Wednesday. If he thinks we can eat silver dross, he is mad. I had to pawn my winter boots just for a stale loaf of bread.
Nota scribaeThe youth sighed thrice before speaking and kept twisting his leather belt.
the second Tuesday after Easter, at Vespers
Maresh is weeping about the pillory over his master's tin plate. I told him he gave it to me for helping with the mired cart at St Blaise's feast. I will not hand it back until Tuma returns my rusty iron axe. A man must have some leverage.
Holy Saturday, at Prime
Someone in this cursed shed has stolen the little wooden saint my sister Margery carved for me before she went to Sedletz. It fell into the dirty straw and now it is gone. I will break the nose of the man who took it.
Nobody wants your wooden doll, lad. You likely dropped it in the mud.
Nota scribaeHe looked close to tears, though he tried to hide his face.
the first week of Lent, at Compline
The tallyman picked me again today. My hands are nothing but blisters from the cart handles. When I got back, Joerg had thrown Nickel's blanket in the mud to take the dry spot. I miss the widow Ellen. She would have boxed his ears.
You boys are little better than feral pigs without me. Keep the peace or sleep in the rain.
the morrow of Candlemas, at Terce
Lent my rusty iron axe to Tuma so he could chop firewood for the afternoon. A hired hand without a tool is passed over by the tallyman, so he had best bring it back by Vespers or I am begging for my supper.
I am keeping it for that shift I took for you. We are square.
Nota scribaeDictated near the mint gates.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
May the devil take Christopher and his ledger. I am starving to death.