soldier at the guardhouse, of Suchdol
“I am a guardsman here at Suchdol, for my sins. I took a bit of a tumble in the dark, so I am mostly resting my eyes until I heal up.”
Things William had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Thursday after Pentecost, at Sext
My head throbs worse than a blacksmith's anvil, and John keeps hovering at the edge of the room like a bloody vulture. I told him to piss off and leave me be. I am not a helpless child, I just have a fever.
Nota scribaeThe soldier slurred his words and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.
the eve of the Ascension, at None
Christ almighty, my sides ache from laughing. Robert spilled dirty water all over Constance's clean linens, and now they are at war. He is down by the freezing stream scrubbing his own shirts like a maidservant. It is the finest thing I have seen all spring.
Shut your mouth, William. At least I can walk down to the water without falling on my arse.
the second day of Easter week, at Prime
Some whoreson left something on the back steps. It was pitch dark, I could not see a thing, and I took a terrible tumble. Cracked my brow wide open on the stone. Just a clumsy step, that is all. Nothing to do with the alehouse.
You drank three pitchers on an empty stomach and walked straight into the wall, lad.
Nota scribaeDictated from his pallet. The man smelled strongly of stale beer.
mid-Lent, at Vespers
David is whining about his sister Felice in Vlasim again. He pesters Frantishek to walk there every day, crying about how she fares. It is pathetic, honestly. A man ought to bear his homesickness quietly, not blubber about it to everyone in the garrison.
You beg Standa to go to Caslav every single morning. You are entirely blind to yourself.
Candlemas, at Terce
I only asked Standa if he would walk to Caslav and carry a letter to my mother, to let them know I am alive and taking the king's coin. He bit my head clean off. What is wrong with asking a favor of a comrade?
The roads are not safe, you fool. After what happened at Kolin, I am not dying on the highway just to carry your whining home.
Nota scribaeHe asked me to write the letter to his mother, but he had no coin to pay for the parchment.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I only wanted to see if you needed water, lad. The fever is burning you up.
I need peace and quiet, not your weeping.