authority of the watch, of Trosky
“I command the watch in the lower courtyard. It requires discipline, which these men lack, and a willingness to make hard decisions when the line breaks.”
Things Andrew had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the feast of St Philip and St James, at Sext
Quartermaster Tobias has completed the muster. As I warned them, those missing their stamped iron knives have been docked a week's wages. The other Andrew lost his to Gilbert in a tavern brawl and now curses the quartermaster. A soldier without his gear is no soldier at all.
Nota scribaeDictated with his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
Saint Mark's day, at Prime
Today the full kit inspection is upon us. I have reminded the men in the courtyard that anyone without his regulation belt knife will face Tobias's fine. Half of them gambled their blades away over the winter. I feel no pity watching them scramble to find cheap iron.
I have my blade. Let the young fools pay the silver.
the second day of Easter week, at Vespers
Zdenyek swore a holy oath to walk barefoot to Sedletz, and now he does nothing but complain about his blistered feet. I told him to stop whining, march to the monastery, and be done with it. A vow made to the Lord is a vow to be kept, not wept over.
The stones are sharper than they look. God tests my endurance.
God tests us all by making us listen to you talk about it.
Nota scribaeHe stood very straight while saying this.
the Thursday after St Gregory, at None
Standa and Prokop are glaring at me over their cabbage again. They still whisper that I panicked at Tachov last November when Ulrich took a spear in the gut. I sounded the retreat because the line was buckling in the mud. If we had stayed, we would all be in the dirt with him.
Ulrich was still breathing. You left a good man behind to die.
You ran because you were afraid of the mercenaries, Andrew.
I gave a sound military order to save this garrison.
Nota scribaeHis voice was completely flat, but I noted his fingers were trembling.
Candlemas, at Prime
The cold is bitter this morning. I assigned the watch shifts at the lower gates before dawn. Wenceslas and the younger guards groan about the frost, but duty does not wait for the sun to warm the stones. Order must be maintained in the courtyard, whatever the weather.
My boots are full of holes. It is easy for you to speak of duty.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
It was a fair brawl! Tobias has never even held a sword in anger.
The penalty was declared. You have only your own foolishness to blame.