Gates of Great Wexley

Traveling through many interesting places with Bear was amazing. I never thought I would even get a chance to leave Stromford Village. Though our journey so far we went to a town that was called Lodgecot. To me it looked EXACTLY like Stromford, it was so weird. Well now on our journey we had made it to a town that's called Great Wexly. I was so excited because Father Quinel had told me this is the place where I could gain my liberties. Bear had come with me to this village because he had to take care of some business. As we drew closer and closer towards Great Wexly noticed we began to see more people. We saw a man walking very slowly with his head down. Then a closed wagon came close by, it had wheels rimmed with iron, pulled by large horses. All this was surrounded by armed men with glaives. Bear had informed me that this was most likely a rich lady. Bear then pointed out and showed me different merchants, London, Flemish, and Italian. There were also many nuns, monks, and priests. One monk happened to pass by with a black robe, then another with a brown robe and sandaled feet.

Looking around and examining every part of Great Wexly I could see I ask Bear some questions. I looked straight out and as far as I could see I saw such an immense brown stone wall, I was so curious about it. I turned around and asked Bear what it was. He had told me that it was a wall that circled around the town. I wondered why it was a circle out of all the shapes and Bear explained to me that it was because it was a way to keep out enemies. I looked closer and noticed that there were crosses also on the wall circling around the town. It was hung like pendants, to me, as weird as it sounds, it seemed like the town had long hair. I drew closer to the walls of the town and I was wondering why people were packing together so tightly. Then I realize that the town's entryway was built into the great wall and it was a deep tunnel that showed just how thick the walls were. Bear then said that this is the Bishop Gate. This entryway consisted of two massive black wooden doors; each one of the huge doors had been studded with iron bolts. The door had swung open and there were guards on the other side with weaponry. This brought back memories of the bridge. I told whispered to myself "They're looking for someone."

At the gate Bear tried to calm me down with some advice. He had told me that the less I seem worried the better off I am the worst disguise is fear. I was so scared that I would be caught, but another piece of advice Bear told me was that if they tried to stop me I should run into a crowd my size. I saw two lines that began to form and as we got closer I began to get more and more nervous. Bear saw how uncomfortable I was so he said that as soon as we get close enough to the gate then I can pull out the pipe and start playing it as he starts to dance. With being so nervous and scared, Bear’s plan actually worked. We were now in Great Wexly!

Walking through the town i realize that it did have some similarities as Stromford. You couldn't have passed by anyone without receiving some sort of nod or greeting. Strolling around here and there i realize the horrible stench the great town has. The air was filled with the smell of rotting foods, food, dung, manure, human slop, and swill, all mixed together. I think that was the worst thing I had ever smelled in my entire life! After our long journey walking on dirt and mud roads I was relieved to see that there was stone roads. Not only people roamed the streets but so did animals like pigs, chickens, geese, dog, and rats scurried through the massive crowd. Passing the huge crowd I see many structures that were built so close together that seemed like they were about to touch. The structures were two and sometimes three stories high, they were built of slate, not thatched roofs. For most of the houses they were built of timber beams with pale mortar filling in between the wood. Here and there would be such a grand building it looked like it was going to touch the sky. Most of the houses i saw had countless windows (mostly with shutters but some with glass), and doors! I haven't in my life seen so many! Many of the buildings had great wooden images hung on the outside such as a fish, a pig, a helmet, a jacket, a hoop, even a shelf of wheat. This as i thought would inform passersby what goods are being sold. After looking all around the town Bear grabs me and takes me to a building that had a straw-stuffed man painted in green, dangling from a pole. Bear said it was the Green Man Tavern.

Entering the Green Man Tavern I look around everywhere like what i did to the town. Looking around the gigantic room I see a few small candles that were stuck in all the crooks and crannies of the room. It wasn't a really lit room; it was a pretty dim and smokey room. It had a really bad smell of bad ale, stale bread, and sour wine. Below a low beaming sealing there were so many trestle tables and benches.  The most i had ever seen in a room. The floor was made of thick wooden slabs with dirty rushes. Behind the counter was a lady. She was dressed in a brown, grease-spotted kirtle, she had a lopsided white linen cap upon her dark and gay-streaked tresses. She walked towards Bear and I. As she was walking towards us she had t squint to see who we were. After figuring who we were she said "God's wounds" to Bear. As a response Bear said: And on my honor it's Widow Daventry." Widow Daventry had then welcomed us to Great Wexly. She already talked to Bear; now she wanted to get to know me. She asked me what my name was and where i was from. To that i replied that my name was Crispin and i was from Stromford Village. Bear to clarify he said that it was one of Lord Furnival's holdings.

After talking Widow Daventry took us upstairs into a long, dark, narrow hallway. We walk down pretty far 'till we get to a door and she unlocks it. She tells me to walk in, so i did. Bear also walked in. We stayed in the room for a bit to get comfy. Bear then left and told me to stay in the room till he gets back. I got too board of waiting so i left. I went out to explore great Wexly some more. Before leaving i take Bear's dagger that he had left on the table. I walk downstairs and out to explore. I had some money on me so i bought some white bread from a street vendor. Moving along i see a cluster of men crowding around this one lady. One of the men lead the lady's horse and the others marched on either sides of her. I take a closer look as they pass by and i realize it's Lady Furnival!

As to me it seemed like the world had been multiplied! i have never noticed how many people were in the world, i have never seen this many people. Sprawling around i come across the town's square. It was just a vast open space that was bigger than Stromford's entire commons. There were buildings in all sides, some seemed newer than others, some were straight and others were saggy. But by far the biggest structure was the cathedral. It had stuck out from the others so much. The cathedral had plain towers that soared up in the sky with a multitude of towers. Looked like floating arches the towers joined together. There were many statues that looked like they could come to life. Between the high front towers I saw a vast circle of stone and multicolored glass. The main entryway was right below it with deep frames that had columns and even more statues! The church looked like it was touching the sky and heading up to Heaven.

Across the Giant Cathedral was the manor house. It was the other great structure that had three levels. On the first level there were big wooden doors that set an open space; either side of the doors had windows. On the second floor there were four huge windows side by side with pillars and stone tracery. There was also a huge balcony that was right before the windows. Flags of blue and black hung on poles. The third level had the smallest windows. Unlike the church it stood alone and it was hemmed in close on either side by ordinary structures.

Between the two structures was the town square itself. This was where foods and goods were sold. Most of the people in the square were walking like me but a few people passed by on horseback. People sold clothes like Moscovy furs, Toledo daggers, Flemish hats, Italian gloves, etc. On top of all that there were shoes, tools, and armor. Seeing all this i wish i hadn't spent my penny on the loaf of white bread from the vendor. I cruise around the square and then i walk into the church. I can't believe my eyes! Is that John Aycliffe i see?! Looking closely i see it is and he cries out "There! And pointed at me. The boy! The wolf's head! He's here! Catch him!" I saw people coming after me so i dashed right out. Not having a sense of where i was going i just kept running a running. I was way too scared to look back. I just kept on running till i saw a guard that ordered me to "Halt!"

Before I know it we were right at the gate to enter, then i see to guards. The guards cried out Wolf's head and ordered me to halt, i had not had enough time to get Bear's dagger from my pocket. I had to think of a way to distract the guards so i can get the dagger out of my pocket.  So i screamed out "Keep away!" It actually worked, had enough time to grab the dagger, after the guards saw the dagger they hesitated a bit. I lunged full speed ahead towards the guards trying to pass by them; one of the guards had a stick. As i dashed by him he hit my wrist with the stick and afterwards it was in throbbing pain! The guards tried to go after me but i already ran into an alley.

I wondered around for a bit until i realized the sun was setting. Before i knew it I saw a couple guards leave the gate and leaving only two. One of the two asked me if i wanted to leave and I said "Yes....Sir." Then he sad "Too late. They're closed. They’ll be open in the morning at prime." I stood there for a bit not knowing what to do, so i just stood there, frozen like a statue. Then one of the soldiers told me to leave. I left and went into an alley. I then heard some footsteps. I got frightened and I pressed my body against the wall. Even after the sounds of the footsteps passed i as still too scared to move. i then heard someone scream out "CRISPIN! STOP!" Hearing someone call me name terrified me so much. Stopping and turning around i realize it was Bear. You don't even understand how relieved i was. Bear had told me that he had just seen John Aycliffe, the steward of Stromford, in the great Church.

I followed Bear back to the Green Man Tavern. I sat on the star and ate my bread like a good boy. I sat there and kept on thinking about that man Bear was talking about, the one he was going to have a meeting with. The man that was on my mind was John Ball. I was too curious and couldn't just sit there so i peeked out the dim hall way. Bear was sitting at the table with his back facing me and the other guy assumed was John Ball. The man was quite small compared to Bear. I overheard their convocation and John Ball said that "Lord Furnival is dead." "There is so much confusion. Lady Furnival has summoned all the authorities from his manors. By now i was tired of listening so i went back upstairs. Bear was engaged in rebellion of some sort that i couldn't doubt.

I then had to go to the Church for the Feast of John the Baptist. A little while after i was there i recognize someone that walked in. It was the one-eyed boy that we saw when Bear and I were performing at the first village. Widow Daventry then took me into the kitchen. She told me how to make pies. I followed her instructions and made some pies. She had told me to make sure i don't burn them. So the first batch looked pretty good. I checked on them again and they were uniformly brown. I slid the tray out trying to pick up the pie and put it on one of the shelves. Then i dropped the pie and broke it! i had no idea what to do so i just shoved it down my throat. Widow Daventry wasn't pleased with me.

I stepped into the passageway between the two buildings. I saw something from a distance, they looked like soldiers. I quickly pull back onto the passageway and peeked out watching the soldiers stop. I went inside the building and without hesitating it just yanked the door open and warned Bear. Everyone dashed to the back door and rammed each other down to get out. Everybody jumped over the fence including me. Bear was on his way over then he got caught by the soldiers. I didn't know if I should've looked back or if i should've just continued running. I decided to continue running since i was already too late. The soldiers already got Bear. Bear had now been taken by the soldiers.

I make my way back to the Green Man Tavern and find the place destroyed! The benches and tables had been smashed. I asked Widow Daventry what had happened and she said that it was the soldiers! I tell her that Bear had been taken by the soldiers. Later on Widow Daventry leaves me and now i am alone. I just sat there for the remainder of the day doing nothing but just staying in the hiding place.

I was supposed to go out but then i spied something. I saw John Ball and all the other guys still disguising matters about what they talked about earlier. John Ball and Bear were both in the same brotherhood. The brotherhood was to bring change to peasant’s lives during the Middle Ages.  I then couldn't take it anymore and just went up to them and asked them to take me to the castle. I told them that I was going to save Bear. One of the men took him to the town square and then he just vanished. I then walked all the way to the castle by myself from there.

I finally get the the castle. There are two guards at the door and i need to find a way to get past them. When they weren't looking i ran in between the two buildings. I left Bear's bag on the ground and then tried the climb the building and get to the balcony. Reaching the balcony i walk down the hall and saw John Aycliffe. He asked me whey i was there. I then a deal with the man and said "If he frees Bear i will give him the lead cross and we will never be seen in Great Wexly ever again." He accepted the offer and took me to Bear. I freed him and we both walked out to the gate. The soldiers were surrounding us. Bear got mad at John Aycliffe so he picked him up and threw him. His body hit the soldier’s swords and he died. Now all the soldiers were in shock. I put the cross on his dead body and walked away with Bear. Bear and I walked away, through the gates proud and happy. From this point on I know that i had a name, it was Crispin and not Asta's son anymore.

Traveling With Bear

After all the days of walking and running through the dusty, muddy roads I reached an abandoned village. It looked like a cluster of cottages but the tallest of the buildings that stuck out to me was the huge stone church. There were no animals roaming the roads, the fields look like they haven't been plowed in a while, roofs were collapsed, etc. After seeing all this before me I thought I was in hell. God, did you take me to hell?  I took a closer look and realize that it looks like the remains of a village that had been destroyed by the Great Plague. After seeing all this in front of me I was curious and decided to explore some more. I decided to go into one of the better structures, an empty cottage with half of a roof. Walking further into the house I look carefully and I see a brown-boned skeleton with its open ribs laying out, once fair hair dangling, and with fleshless hands holding onto a cross. After seeing this awful looking body all I wanted to do was flee. Then I heard a voice coming from the broken church.
"Ah, dear God, how can this be
That all things wear and waste away!"
I couldn't believe what i heard! Is that a living voice a hear?! I was hesitant to go inside the abandoned church at first but them I thought to myself "A church is an unlikely place for evil spirits to abide." The only thing in my mind at the time was food, so I walked in bravely. I walked by the side of the church, where windows were once were, but now they are just empty holes. Walking closer I heard the voice again, then I see something that looked like anything other than skeleton. With a closer look I see a man whose arms and legs thick as tree limbs, and a tube-like looking belly that stuck out. He also had a bushy beard that was really red, a large red  and fleshy nose, hairy eyebrows. and cherry-colored lips. Clothing wise he was wearing a black tunic, ankle-length hose with a different color on each side(one blue as the other red), brown leather boots with somewhat pointy tips. Even though with all the different colored clothing he had, there were many patches and I was able to see his hairy skin coming through. This man that I saw standing right near me finally saw me, I got startled. Then he started asking me where I was going and personal questions like how old I was. I told him I was about thirteen years old and I was "Going to see my father." He asked me if I was hungry, my mouth started to water like crazy I was so hungry! Before I know it he takes out a lump of bread and I reached out towards it without hesitation. In a split second he grips my wrist with great force, I cried out "I ONLY WANTED BREAD!" The man told me that bread is never free, he basically held me hostage. Griping to me tighter and tighter he asked  me question after question. One of the questions he asked me was why I had to run away, so I told him I was proclaimed a wolf's head and I was accused of stealing from the manor house. I swore to him that I didn't steal anything from anywhere, and he asked about my mom and dad. So I told him that both were dead. Then he released my wrist.
I was relieved I was out of pain. The man asked me what my name was and my simple response was Asta's son, he didn't believe me. He said it wasnt a name, only a description, then I tell him,"okay I guess its....Crispin."  After telling him he asked how I got such a noble name for a poor rubbish boy. Then he said he must teach him something like playing music. It doesn't matter what village he enter, as you are just a little boy, alone, traveling, proclaimed a wolf's head, the village will just swallow me. The man told me his name was Bear. Bear told me that he will teach me some talent. When I learned we were going to head to Great Wexly I was really excited! I couldn't believe it! I remembered Father Quinel telling me that that's where I can gain my librities.Finally the two of us took off on our journey together.
Before I know it the lifeless village was now behind us and we are on our journey. Through our journey I learned a lot about Bear and Bear learned a lot about me. He even taught me how to sing and play the recorder. He told me we could preform in the town when we could. I learned that Bear's first profession was suppose to be a priest, but then his father made him want to leave the profession because he told him he ate a lot and caused too much trouble. Bear even told me his feelings about Lord Furnival. He thought he was a cruel man lacking skills and he made up for it by bragging, drinking and killing. Worst of all Furnival even took money from others for himself, what a greedy man! Therefore Bear considered  all nobles, kings, and lords arrogant and cruel. For what I had told Bear was about my mother. I told him that she had just recently passed away. She was always the person that got stuck will all the hard worked assigned by the steward and didn't get paid much at all. No one was even nice enough to thank her for her great work. After telling Bear all about me, we see something in a distance.
We take a closer look and realize it is John Aycliffe with twelve other men! Bear and I start to panic, we then hide behind the closes thing we saw so he wouldn't spy us. I wasn't the only one that was alarmed, Bear was also, he didn't understand why trying the hunt me down and killing me was so important to john Aycliffe. I was frightened half to death! By now I told myself, the faster I learn how to stay alive the long i will live. I didn't think I would actually tell  myself that, now I feel like a value my life more.
Bear then tells me that he is part of something.... a brotherhood. He explains that the brotherhood helps him get freedom and to improve the life in the middle ages. He must go to Great Wexly because he promised his brotherhood that he will survey citizens and by their answers he will form a final judgement with his brotherhood on what should be done. Bear also had a rebellion against the king. He wanted equality, justice, and rights for everyone, but mainly peasants.
From a distance,again, I saw something else that perhaps looked like a village. Getting closer to it, it felt like deja vù. To me it looked EXACTLY like Stromford, if no one told me I would've thought it was Stromford. Men, women, and children were all at  work weeding, plowing, and hoeing. They wore similar clothes to what people of Stromford wore. Here and there I would see a sheep or cattle graze. I thought that it was so weird I had traveled this far and see another village that looks almost identical to Stromford. Perhaps all villages looked the same? Walking around some more Bear told me that we should perform now. So Bear told me to start playing some music, so I did. As I was playing some music, he started to dance in the center. Midway through the performance Bear started to juggle his leather balls. There were "oohs" and "ahhs" coming in all directions. Then a little boy walks up with one eye. The other eye was patched up with an eye patch. He was a mysterious person that we happened to come upon.
After exploring the village Bear took me to the church. I was in the church with Bear looking around. Again, it looked like the church in Stromford, but I realized some of the imagery was different. The picture of Jesus harrowing Hell, to demons frightened to behold. A little after an official walked in with a troop of people. They all said that I, a youth was very dangerous! I was in shock. Me?! Then they said how I was proclaimed a wolf's head. Bear and I then learn that I also have been framed for killing Father Quinel. Right there, right then, I had NO CLUE why I was getting blamed for all this. Why in the world would I kill my only friend?!

Leaving Stromford

My name is Asta's son, I guess? I am a 13 year-old peasant boy that lives in Stromford Village. Stromford had a church in the middle, a river to the side, a manor where the steward lived, a couple mills where wheat and barley was grinded, and a place where the peasants grazed animals such as oxen and sheep. For a while now Stromford had been controlled by John Aycliffe, as Lord Fernival was away at war. My mother had just died due to the Great Plague and my father died from the Great Mortality. Due to my mother’s death I had to give up my ox for the death penalty. I didn’t know what to do and had nowhere to go so I scrambled into the woods. I went deeper and deeper into the woods as my leather shoes kept getting caught on roots and stones causing me to fall. Each time I fell I picked myself right back up and continued to run until the time my head struck stone. I woke up finding John Aycliffe talking to a stranger. The stranger then spotted me and stared to run at me with his sword! You wouldn't understand how terrified I was! I got up, tripped and fell. Then, I just spent the rest of the night in the forest hiding. There was a search party going after me so I had to take cover and hide. Therefore my visit to Father Quinel had to wait until the next day, I was really sad. I then find out that some awful person  has now accused me of something I have not done, steal money from the manor house. I was then proclaimed a wolf’s head by the steward! I then dashed down to the church where Father Quinel was and he gave me some information I should have known and some food. He told me that my mother was literate, my name was Crispin, and that my father did not die from the Great Plague. I was in shock, I HAD A NAME?!  How could I have such a royal name. I was only a peasant in the manor. I worked long hours from sunset to sunrise with little pay and food. My mother had to pay unfair taxes and the value of my life was not more than a penny. Yet, I had a name so grand, Crispin. 

I have never been outside Stromford village; therefore I’m petrified of leaving to a foreign village. Not knowing where to go is horrifying and uncomfortable. I wish i had someone to talk to but I just found Father Quinel on the ground, lying there with a slit across his neck and blood gushing out of it! Without doubt I swear the death of Father Quinel had to do with me and my mother. Maybe it was because the priest was helping me by telling me information about my mother and father? There, I froze there in time; I could only lay my eyes on him, trying to urge to leave him. I ran into the woods trying to forget the horrifying image in my mental screen, but it had scarred me. I am devastated that someone would do something like that, even John Aclyiffe. From seeing Father Quinel, my best friend, i couldn't take it anymore and I ran off again. Sometime i would run, but others all I could do was walk. Then I  stopped when I saw the eye catching an omen that stood right before me. I thought was a message sent from God. It as a hanging man that had one eye that was hanging from its socket and the other one was budged out. His face was moldy green and his fingers looked like which they were chewed off by a pack of wolves. I was thinking to myself, why did God send me this message? Am I dead in hell? God, where am I supposed to go? Where are you leading me?...