lumberjack at camp Podseminsko, of The woodcutters' camps
“I swing a bloody axe all day and fell pines faster than any man here. I survived the levy, but I'll not let this camp forget the men who didn't.”
Things Adam had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Wednesday before Whitsun, at Vespers
That thief Chenyek sent his man again to collect two pennies for the lord's tools. It is a bloody outrage. My blade found a rock in the moss, and now I must pay just to do my work. The whole region is run by bastards.
Nota scribaeDictated while spitting repeatedly into the dirt.
the feast of St Florian, at None
Dropped three great pines before the sun was high. No old man in this camp can match my swing. But the ale here is sour, and the wind off the hill woke me in Juliana's damp shed. A man deserves a warm hearth after he works his hands bloody.
the second day of Easter week, at Prime
The priest says Christ is risen, but Mikesh is still rotting in the mud because our flank broke. I saw Maresh give ground when the Hungarian spearmen pressed. He will not admit it, but I know what I bloody saw. Mikesh died for nothing while cowards lived.
The horses broke us all, lad. I held as long as any man. Let the dead rest.
You stepped back and left him to the blades! I spit on your rest.
Nota scribaeHe shouted this across the camp fire.
the Tuesday after St Gregory, at Sext
A cold wind today. I caught Tuma trying to sit by my fire and chased him off. I will not break bread with a whoreson who runs from a fight. He fled the field before Mikesh even fell. If I have my way, he'll be driven from this camp before summer.
Candlemas, at Compline
Juliana took her groschen and left for Kuttenberg, leaving us to freeze in her leaky shed. The roof drips right onto my pallet. I drank three cups of cheap ale just to sleep. Up in heaven there'll be no rent, but down here we freeze.
At least she took her sharp tongue with her to the city.
Nota scribaeThe man was drunk and asked me to write the final part twice.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Ay, it is a heavy toll, Adam. I'll lend you my stone if you stop shouting.
Chenyek bleeds us dry so he can drink wine. Bloody robbery.