soldier at Malesov camp, of Malesov
“I stand in the wet grass so the great lords can have their quarrel, rubbing this bad knot in my shoulder.”
Things Vashek had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Wednesday before Whitsun, at Vespers
Edward is flapping his mouth again about that supply cart we lost in the retreat. I could not have saved it, the wheel was smashed in the mud. He needs to hold his tongue before the captain hears of it and has my hide flogged.
Nota scribaeThe man was rubbing his shoulder furiously the entire time he spoke.
Ascension Day, at Prime
Gilbert, I have not forgotten the helmet you lent me. It is safe. I just left it with a man in the lower town to have a dent hammered out, and he has gone to Kuttenberg for a few days. You will have it back by Sunday.
There was no dent in it, Vashek. If you pawned my iron for ale money again I will break your nose.
the second day of Easter week, at None
Sat in the damp all morning scrubbing rust off my mail. The sand gets under your fingernails and stays there. Ernest brought some bread and we threw dice on a flat stone. A dull day, but at least no one is shooting at us.
You owe me three groschen from those dice, do not forget it.
the Tuesday after St Gregory, at Terce
They say bread is dearer down the road because of the King's half-brother marching his Cumans about. I do not care who wears the crown so long as the quartermaster gets our rations sorted. A man cannot hold a line on a hollow belly.
Aye, the porridge this morning was mostly water and grit.
Nota scribaeDictated while chewing on a piece of hard root.
Candlemas, at Compline
I keep seeing his face in the mud. He did not come back from the skirmish because our line broke. Someone hesitated when the charge came. I know who it was, and until he admits his cowardice, I will have no peace from these dreams.
You see what you want to see. The devil took him, not me.
Nota scribaeHe spoke softly, staring at his scarred knuckles.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
You left the cart to save your own arse, Vashek. Do not blame the mud for what your legs did.
If you had held the line the week before, we would not have been running at all.