watchman at the grain store, of Kuttenberg
“I guard the poorhouse grain from rats and thieves, mind you. I'm the only true soldier left here.”
Things Hermann had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Wednesday before Whitsun, at None
Heinz still has my heavy rusty axe. He borrowed it on Saint George's day and hid it behind the sacks out of spite. I'm keeping Fritz's tin pitcher locked up until the axe is back in my hands, mind you. A man respects his tools.
Nota scribaeDictated at the warehouse door. He rubbed his jaw the entire time.
the feast of Saint Mark, at Prime
Heinz goes walking the Pschitoky road on his rest days to court some maid, but won't carry a simple word to my sister Elsbeth. She hasn't heard from me since the levy marched. A decent man would tell her I'm alive, mind you.
the third day of Easter week, at Vespers
Caught Franz asleep on his feet again. The boy would pawn his own mother for a drop of Gerta's sour ale. If the captain sees him, he'll be flogged. I'm the only one here who understands duty, mind you.
the Monday after Saint Gregory, at Sext
I was thinking of Konrad today. We were sent to forage near Kolin and the Cumans fell on us in the brush. Fritz ran without sounding a warning and left Konrad to die. I haven't forgotten, mind you. I will never forget.
There were arrows flying! Sounding a warning would have gotten us all killed, and he was too slow anyway.
Leave my cousin's name out of your mouth. It's done with.
Nota scribaeThe man spoke very slowly, making sure I wrote down every word for the others to hear.
Candlemas, at Terce
The frost is bitter in the loft and the bread is dearer than last year. We've got refugees from burnt villages begging at the doors. I tell them to move along. If I let one take a handful of grain, the whole lot will swarm us, mind you.
It's a hard winter for everyone on the roads. God have mercy on them.
Nota scribaeThe scribe's hands were too cold to write more than what was strictly asked.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I don't have your bloody axe, old man. You probably left it at Gerta's tavern.
Give me my pitcher back! I had nothing to do with your axe.