Fun Times With Franklin

Today I had a nice little chat with the Franklin. Such a nice man he is, and also very generous. He told me of his duties of being a well off landowner, even though he’s not of the nobility. A very respectable man the Franklin is. In fact, he’s even a representative in Parliament! He is a bit of an older folk and his long white beard almost reached his stomach. He was full of positive vibe and I really felt as if we would have a good time hanging out sometime, even though the age difference is quite a gap. The old man even invited me back to his house for a party after the journey is over! Some of the other pilgrims told me that he loves to host gatherings at his house and loves the finest of fine foods and drinks. I think some good times are coming up in the near future!

The Yeoman

Today I rode with the Yeoman. I had no idea that a person could be so fake! He thinks he is a Yeoman and a Knight. He had neat peacock-feathered arrows. He also had a bow, shield, and sword at his side. They looked brand new or he is just REALLY good at cleaning his weapons... After talking to him for a while, I think he is actually a carpenter. I assume that he is just confused as to what he really is. I told him if he is serious about being a knight that I would help him wear in his armor and weapons.

Meeting the Monk

Today, I had the opportunity to ride next to the Monk. He definitely was one of the most interesting monks I have ever encountered. He was very tan from being out in the sun. When I asked him what his favorite activity was, he told me that he loved to hunt and fish. He said that he spends most of the daylight hours outdoors, while most other monks are indoors praying. I thought that this was very strange. I also noticed that his clothing included hunting boots and furs, which I thought was kind of inappropriate for a monk. He was a very nice man, but he didn’t seem to me to be a proper monk. I think I will have to talk to him more later.

My son, my savior

As the days go on my armor seems to grow heavier. It is a nice, cool day, but we have a long ride ahead of us. I decided to drift away from the group a bit and ride with my son. We cut through the forest off of the main path and came to an open field. "It's days like today we need to learn to appreciate son," I told him as we moseyed through the field. We both heard a faint yelling and screaming in the distance. We rode to the edge of the field, which lead to a small hill. Down the small hill was a village under attack. "Good God son! Look what’s happening!" I exclaimed. I told him to stay where he was so that he would not get injured, and ran into the heat of battle. As I ran through the village, I could see the village people scattering and screaming. The smoke from the fires irritated my eyes; a faint tear fell as I ran. Through the smoke I spotted one of the attackers. I drew my sword and charged at the attacker. "You get outta here fiend!" I yelled, slashing the air as I ran. The attacker and I proceeded in the clashing of swords. Just as I brought the brute down, six more villagers surrounded me. I knew I was in a great deal of trouble. All of them charged at once, I tried my best to fight them off but my sword was knocked from my hand and one of the attackers landed a blow to my shoulder. The six men chuckled as they closed in on me. I'm done for I thought. This is the end. "Father!" I heard my son yell. As I looked to my left I saw him retrieve my sword and toss it back to me. "Its not over yet!" I exclaimed. I charged the six men and brought them down one by one. My son helped me limp up the hill and back to the main path where we caught up with the others where I received bandages for my wounds.

The Summoner's Stench

On the battlefield I’ve met some pretty smelly people throughout my days, but none of them even come close to how bad the Summoner reeks. He has an awful stench of garlic coming from his hair and clothes that is almost completely unbearable. The hideous carbuncles on his face were enough to for me to lose my appetite, and I’ve yet to find it considering I can’t get his image out of my head. He’s rather scarier than the other pilgrims and I would not trust him with my life. We had only a short conversation because I couldn’t bear to be around him for more than a half hour. He told me of his job of summoning people to appear in church court, hence his title, “The Summoner.” He also talked up his money a lot and his extreme desire for making more of it. I think I’ll be trying to avoid crossing paths with this strange man again and hopefully my lunch will be more enjoyable next time.

The Battle

I have decided that today is my alone time. Right now everyone is getting ready for nightfall, but i have decided to exclude myself from the group. Its not that I'm annoyed with anybody, I just want to be alone. When I woke up this morning I decided to take a nice walk with my son. He said he wanted to sleep some more so I let him lay. I brought my sword with me, as I do every time, and headed into the woods. It was very peaceful. The trees were as tall as the mountains that I encountered on my journey to the Mediterranean. Then, out of nowhere, there came a beastly creature from behind one of the tallest trees. It looked to be a bear of some sort, but it was much larger than any of the ones I have seen before. It charged at me with a mighty roar! I dove at the last moment before thrashing his teeth at me. As he flew past my side, I drew my sword and jabbed it into his side! The beast groaned with agony and collapsed. I decided to drag the lifeless lump back to the group to boast about it. They were all very amazed at my accomplishment! I figured it was best to bury the animal. That would be the most honorable thing to do. We laid him by the tree where he emerged. I think that was the best for him.Who knows what sorts of adventures tomorrow may bring!

The Miller

On the journey thus far, I have been making many acquaintances. Everyone seems to be in good spirits and fervent to arrive at the shrine of Saint Thomas a' Becket. Everyone I have met this far has been quite enjoyable, until I met the Miller. He was a big burly fellow who loved to boast about his wrestling capabilities and so on and so forth. I’m the same in a way. I enjoy telling the stories of my courageous battles I have fought, and the enemies I have triumphed over, but the Miller takes it to a whole new level. I was talking to the Carpenter earlier and he informed me that the Miller, the sly jerk he is, cheats his customers out of their grain. That’s not chivalrous at all. Not cool Miller. If it came down to it, I think I could take him.

Not So Nunly...

I have to give Madam Eglantyne some credit. I mean at least she trys to act like a nun, right? She came off as a very proper woman and good mannered. She spoke a ton about St. Loy, and his oh so perfect manners. She rambled a lot about all of her animals, and I faintly remember her mentioning something about crying over a mouse caught in mousetrap..and I couldn't help but stare at the long stretch of a forehead. Despite some of her flaws, she was still a fairly pleasant women and I enjoyed talking and getting to know her. She was filled with kindness and a huge heart. She even shared with me her special green rosary beads that had one of her favorite sayings on them. "Amor vincit omnia", which means "love conquers all". Well it's getting late and there's a full day of riding tomorrow so I think I'll just leave it at that..

A Day at the Doctors

Well today was interesting… I had a little conversation with the Doctor. And WOW was that shocking! The Doctor began to tell me about his practice and how he tells what disease his patient has based on the stars. I think he is a LITTLE crazy. I began to believe the part about healing sick people, until he started to look up into the sky and saying that he had a feeling that I was becoming sick...weirdo! Anyway, I let him do most of the talking while I just listened. Every time I wanted to ask a question, he just kept going on with his many stories of healing. It was quite interesting, in one of his tales he told me that a very beautiful women was stricken with the Black Plague. (I think he had my attention at "beautiful women!") But he went on to say that a mix of his potions and a quick read of the stars had her up and going in no time. He could tell by the way my eyes grew bigger that he was impressing me with his tale. This probably added to the embellishments of his story.

Father Son Bonding

I brought my son, The Squire, on the pilgrimage with me to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. I thought bringing him along would give me a chance to tell him about my father. I don’t remember much about him because I was just a little boy when he passed. But I always remember him riding his horse and letting me ride with him. My father was always gone in battle or on a journey for the king. Even though I don’t have much to tell my son about his grandfather I hope this adventure will bring us close.

Religious Talks

I had an encounter with the Parson today. He is a very kind and cheeky fellow. I was in the midst of telling my fierce battles on the Mediterranean Sea, when he approached me. He just wanted to ask me a few questions. I liked his character so I figured I would walk with him. He was a very spiritual man. He talked of help if I ever needed it. He also spoke of the hundreds of people that he helps every month! I found it touching that no matter what, he always finds time in his schedule to help other people. I felt very close to him after our talk. I think I will introduce him to my son tomorrow. He needs a little bit of guidance right now considering I haven't been the best father figure. I'm always out on business (battles and so on...) and we never have time to spend together. I figured maybe when we stop tomorrow to rest, the boy and me can go skip some rocks off the old watering hole! Ripping good fun!

The "Perfect" Pardoner

I got to know the Pardoner a little better today, and was surprisingly shocked by his ways. I’m starting to learn that these strange people aren’t really who they appear to be. The first thing I noticed about the Pardoner was his repulsive, greasy, yellow hair. I got the impression that this man cares a little too much about money than he should and he is sort of girly looking in a way. Another little interesting fact that I found out about the Pardoner is that his want for money is a little too powerful. This man tricks these poor people into giving him money so they can have forgiveness. How absurd if you ask me!

My view

The Tabard Inn where we started was a very quiet place. I like it there better than where we are now. It was nice and peaceful. But now, it's loud and confusing. Everyone is starting to smell of horse and dirt, me included. We have been telling each other stories about ourselves and our own made up tales. That has been keeping me going. The road has been very rough, but my horse has been favorable. He is very trustworthy. Although he has been through many battles, he's still as strong as he was when I first got him. (I can tell some of the other animals here are not as well kept as mine...*cough* Oxford Cleric!) Anyway, the night is dark. It's time to turn in, until then...

Beginning Possibly A Very Long Journey...

When approximately all thirty of us met for the first time at the Tabard Inn, my impression of everyone was that they were all quite unique. I figured that I was going to be rather amused hearing some of their stories, considering that I soon found out that a few of them had pretty interesting lives. The person that caught my attention the most was the lady referred to as the “Wife of Bath”. Not trying to be completely judgmental, she sure was a sight to see. I wasn’t sure if I would grow to be amused by her or completely annoyed by her obnoxious personality. Her make-up was completely over dramatic and I think that she tried a little to hard of dressing to impress. I noticed a few other men who might just make her perfect match.

The Days of the Page

On the morning of September 20, Sir Francis, my father's good friend, delivered my father's armor to our front door. My dad died in battle fighting for his religious beliefs. My father was one of the bravest, most trustworthy knights to ever live. He was what inspired me to become what I am today, also a wonderful knight. Before I could become a knight, I had to start out as a page, which is the first stage of knighthood. I was taught everything from raising my horse to shining armor. Also, I gained knowledge of the social codes and manners that a knight should possess, such as chivalry. The reason that I have chosen to take part on this journey to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket is to honor my father and pay my respects to the fallen knights of his time.