guard leader at Suchdol, of Suchdol
“I command this garrison, though keeping these green lads in line is no small task.”
Things Captain Thomas Black had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the feast of St Pancras, at Vespers
Ralph has been drinking that cheap ale again. He talks too much when the dice come out, and one day his loose tongue will hang us both. I told him to keep his mouth shut about what we found on the Kolin road.
Nota scribaeThe captain spoke softly, looking over his shoulder at the muddy yard.
the Thursday of Easter week, at Sext
The clerks at the Kuttenberg mint are late with the wages again, and the men look at me as if I stole the coin myself. I had them scrub their boots to keep them busy. Mud or no mud, I will have discipline.
My boots were clean enough before you started shouting.
We cannot eat clean leather, captain. We want our groschen.
the Monday before Palm Sunday, at Prime
William tumbled down the stone steps last night and split his thick head open. I have no pity for a boy who cannot handle his ale. Meanwhile Robert is still sulking because Constance the laundress cursed him out over a spilled bucket.
She expects me to pay for her soap, captain. It is daylight robbery.
Nota scribaeHe stood very straight while dictating this, resting his hand heavily on his belt.
the feast of St Gregory, at None
Andreas glared at me again across the mess table over his cabbage soup. He and Standa still whisper that I barred that barn door out of cowardice. If John and I had not shut it against those Hungarian riders, every man of us would have been slaughtered.
the day after Candlemas, at Vespers
I consider David a friend, but if I have to hear him fret over his sister Felice in Vlasim one more time, I will assign him to the night watch. We have enough trouble here without worrying about villages miles beyond the parish.
She is all the family I have left, Thomas. You would worry too.
I am certainly not walking all the way to Vlasim to check on her, so stop asking.
Nota scribaeDictated while the man picked at a bowl of tough salt pork.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I only said we had a profitable patrol, captain. Calm yourself down.
You will call me by my rank, and you will stay quiet.