(no subject)
ok here is what i have so far for my joan of arc story :)
I can feel the heat on my skin. I can hear the roar of the crowd in the air. I can see the blue sky above me. I am being burnt at the stake. I am being punished, punished for listening to God.
My name is Jeanne, Jeanne D'Arc and I was born in Doremy, France to Jacques D'Arc and Isabelle Romee. My father was a farmer, and I spent most of my childhood there in the fields and surrounding woods. It was there that the Saints first called to me and told me to be good as my purpose was yet to come.
I remember that first time, when I was only about thirteen, and hearing someone speak softly in my ear. It was a hot summer of 1425 and I had just come from confession. I was walking slowly, though the long, grassy fields, running my hands lightly over the grass and humming an old French lullaby that my mother had once taught me, when the voice spoke in my ear.
"Jeanne." It was so soft, and I almost didn't hear it. "Jeanne." I stopped and looked around me, noticing for the first time a bright light shining into my eyes. I squinted and held my hand to my eyes.
"Who is there?" I asked and looked around me.
"Jeanne."
The voices kept talking to me, telling me to be good and go to church. It was not until I was about sixteen when they changed my life.
"Jeanne." This time I knew it was Saint Michael and his angels. I stopped what I was doing, and closed my eyes.
"Yes," I submitted myself to his command.
"You must go to Vancouleurs and see Robert Bauricourt," he told me. He did not tell me why, he just urged me to go and once I was there I would hear from them again. At first I was very apprehensive and questioned him about it.
"Why?" I asked and felt a cold brush of wind at my cheek.
"Because the King of Heaven commands it," Michael replied in a hoarse whisper. "It will help save France."
"How will I get there?" I asked, submitting myself to the idea of going to see Robert Baudricourt, head of the French army and Vaucouleurs as I had heard..
"You will find a way," he whispered and I thought that he was smiling. Then he left me, left me to find my way to Vaucouleurs.
I managed to convince my uncle to take me with him to Vaucouleurs and once there I also convinced him to help me see Robert Baudricourt, whom he had meet before. Robert Baudricourt was a tall man, with balding hair and an attitude that did not meet his appearance.
"Captain Baudricourt?" I asked, standing in front of the man.
"Yes. And who might you be?" he asked with an air of importance to him.
"I am Jeanne D'Arc," I answered, bowing into a low curtsey. "And I have been sent by the King of Heaven "
"The king of heaven?" he laughed and shook his head at me, causing me to become very discourage. It was then that Saint Michael called to me.
"Convince him Jeanne."
"Yes sir," I answered to both Michael and the captain. "He has commanded me to come to you and ask permission to go to see the Dauphin with some soldiers, armor and a horse."
"Oh he does does he?" Baudricourt laughed harder and shook his head before calling to his steward. "Steward!"
"Yes sir?" the small little old man asked, rushing up to us and full of nerves.
"Send this girl away," he told the steward with a flick of his hand, ignoring me completely as if I had already been forgotten.
"But I must go see the Dauphin!" I protested and stood my ground as the steward tried to pull me away. Baudricourt laughed again and walked away, leaving me staring at his back as he talked with a few of his shoulders.
"Go home girl," the steward told me with a kind smile and I let out a long sigh.
"But the King of Heaven..." I began and he shook his head at me.
"No. Go home to your father," he repeated and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Okay," I nodded giving in and allowing him to walk me through the gates to the main road where my uncle took me back to Domedry.
"Jeanne." It was a few weeks later and Saint Michael came to me again in the field near my father's house. I stopped what I was doing and listened.
"Yes?" I answered as a cold breeze rushed around me.
"You must go back to Vaucouleurs and see the captain," Michael told me.
"But he sent me away last time," I protested.
"You were not strong enough," Michael answered softly, "You need to be strong Jeanne. Go once more and tell him you must see the Dauphin. It is necessary."
"Why? And how can I get him to listen to me? I am just a poor peasant girl from the country he will not listen," I informed Michael.
"He will. God will make him listen," Michael responded calmly.
"My father.." I began but he cut me off.
"Stop making excuses Jeanne," Michael cut me off firmly, "You are just scared. You must be strong. Now go and don't take no for answer."
The following January, however, Michael and the others spoke to me again, urging me to back to Baudricourt and not leave until I got what I wanted. So with the help of two men whom God had chosen to help me, we set off back to Vaucouleurs.
"Why are you here again?" Baudricourt asked as the steward, who was shocked to see me, brought me within his presence.
"I am here by the command of my lord the King of Heaven," I answered, this time with more confidence than before, "And I have brought with me two men, Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy, who are willing to escort me to see the Dauphin if you would give me a horse and some armor."
"What makes you think I will allow such mockery?" he asked, obviously angry with me disturbing him.
"It is not what I think sir," I responded and bobbed into a curtsy, "It is what God wills what you are to do that was put into my mind."
"Really?" he glared at me and looked at the steward, "Well then it is my will to send to back to your father, and here's hoping that this time he'll give you a good flogging!"
"That's what you believe sir," I said with a small smile as Saint Michael spoke to me again, reassuring me that Baudricourt would change his mind. "But you will soon change your mind."
"So you are now presuming I will change my mind?" the captain asked me with a amused look on his face. I shook my head.
"No sir," I answered sweetly, "It is God who tells me you will."
"Fine," he muttered as if he'd had enough of me, "Just to keep you quiet I will. Steward!"
"Yes sir," the steward came running back.
"Get this girl a horse," he told the steward, who looked at him aghast.
"Are you sure squire?" he stammered, trying to catch his breath.
"Do I look unsure?" the captain boomed and glared at the steward. "Just do as you're told."
"Yes sir," the steward nodded and gave a low bow.
"Good," Baudricourt nodded and turned to me. "Are you happy now?"
"Yes sir," I smiled and curtsied again. "But may I also request a suit of armor?"
"Now that's pushing it a bit much!" the captain snorted and shook his head at me. "I've already given into your request for a horse and now you want armor? What ever for?"
"I have already told you sir," I told him and he sighed.
"Yes I know," he answered running a hand over his face. "So you can go see the Dauphin. But you don't need armor for that."
"No sir," I answered in agreement. "But will I not need armor if I am to raise a siege on Orleans?"
"Raise a what?!?" he asked shocked turning to face me, his eyes were red and blood shot.
"A siege on Orleans," I repeated softly, bowing my head. "It is what God is sending me to do."
"Girl you are mad," Baudricourt replied with a shake of his head. "If I give you what you want will you go and leave me alone?"
"Your name will be remembered as one of the first to help me in my mission," I said brightly, lightening up once I knew he was listening to me.
"Yeah yeah," he muttered and ordered someone to get me some armor, we were going to see the Dauphin.
I can feel the heat on my skin. I can hear the roar of the crowd in the air. I can see the blue sky above me. I am being burnt at the stake. I am being punished, punished for listening to God.
My name is Jeanne, Jeanne D'Arc and I was born in Doremy, France to Jacques D'Arc and Isabelle Romee. My father was a farmer, and I spent most of my childhood there in the fields and surrounding woods. It was there that the Saints first called to me and told me to be good as my purpose was yet to come.
I remember that first time, when I was only about thirteen, and hearing someone speak softly in my ear. It was a hot summer of 1425 and I had just come from confession. I was walking slowly, though the long, grassy fields, running my hands lightly over the grass and humming an old French lullaby that my mother had once taught me, when the voice spoke in my ear.
"Jeanne." It was so soft, and I almost didn't hear it. "Jeanne." I stopped and looked around me, noticing for the first time a bright light shining into my eyes. I squinted and held my hand to my eyes.
"Who is there?" I asked and looked around me.
"Jeanne."
The voices kept talking to me, telling me to be good and go to church. It was not until I was about sixteen when they changed my life.
"Jeanne." This time I knew it was Saint Michael and his angels. I stopped what I was doing, and closed my eyes.
"Yes," I submitted myself to his command.
"You must go to Vancouleurs and see Robert Bauricourt," he told me. He did not tell me why, he just urged me to go and once I was there I would hear from them again. At first I was very apprehensive and questioned him about it.
"Why?" I asked and felt a cold brush of wind at my cheek.
"Because the King of Heaven commands it," Michael replied in a hoarse whisper. "It will help save France."
"How will I get there?" I asked, submitting myself to the idea of going to see Robert Baudricourt, head of the French army and Vaucouleurs as I had heard..
"You will find a way," he whispered and I thought that he was smiling. Then he left me, left me to find my way to Vaucouleurs.
I managed to convince my uncle to take me with him to Vaucouleurs and once there I also convinced him to help me see Robert Baudricourt, whom he had meet before. Robert Baudricourt was a tall man, with balding hair and an attitude that did not meet his appearance.
"Captain Baudricourt?" I asked, standing in front of the man.
"Yes. And who might you be?" he asked with an air of importance to him.
"I am Jeanne D'Arc," I answered, bowing into a low curtsey. "And I have been sent by the King of Heaven "
"The king of heaven?" he laughed and shook his head at me, causing me to become very discourage. It was then that Saint Michael called to me.
"Convince him Jeanne."
"Yes sir," I answered to both Michael and the captain. "He has commanded me to come to you and ask permission to go to see the Dauphin with some soldiers, armor and a horse."
"Oh he does does he?" Baudricourt laughed harder and shook his head before calling to his steward. "Steward!"
"Yes sir?" the small little old man asked, rushing up to us and full of nerves.
"Send this girl away," he told the steward with a flick of his hand, ignoring me completely as if I had already been forgotten.
"But I must go see the Dauphin!" I protested and stood my ground as the steward tried to pull me away. Baudricourt laughed again and walked away, leaving me staring at his back as he talked with a few of his shoulders.
"Go home girl," the steward told me with a kind smile and I let out a long sigh.
"But the King of Heaven..." I began and he shook his head at me.
"No. Go home to your father," he repeated and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Okay," I nodded giving in and allowing him to walk me through the gates to the main road where my uncle took me back to Domedry.
"Jeanne." It was a few weeks later and Saint Michael came to me again in the field near my father's house. I stopped what I was doing and listened.
"Yes?" I answered as a cold breeze rushed around me.
"You must go back to Vaucouleurs and see the captain," Michael told me.
"But he sent me away last time," I protested.
"You were not strong enough," Michael answered softly, "You need to be strong Jeanne. Go once more and tell him you must see the Dauphin. It is necessary."
"Why? And how can I get him to listen to me? I am just a poor peasant girl from the country he will not listen," I informed Michael.
"He will. God will make him listen," Michael responded calmly.
"My father.." I began but he cut me off.
"Stop making excuses Jeanne," Michael cut me off firmly, "You are just scared. You must be strong. Now go and don't take no for answer."
The following January, however, Michael and the others spoke to me again, urging me to back to Baudricourt and not leave until I got what I wanted. So with the help of two men whom God had chosen to help me, we set off back to Vaucouleurs.
"Why are you here again?" Baudricourt asked as the steward, who was shocked to see me, brought me within his presence.
"I am here by the command of my lord the King of Heaven," I answered, this time with more confidence than before, "And I have brought with me two men, Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy, who are willing to escort me to see the Dauphin if you would give me a horse and some armor."
"What makes you think I will allow such mockery?" he asked, obviously angry with me disturbing him.
"It is not what I think sir," I responded and bobbed into a curtsy, "It is what God wills what you are to do that was put into my mind."
"Really?" he glared at me and looked at the steward, "Well then it is my will to send to back to your father, and here's hoping that this time he'll give you a good flogging!"
"That's what you believe sir," I said with a small smile as Saint Michael spoke to me again, reassuring me that Baudricourt would change his mind. "But you will soon change your mind."
"So you are now presuming I will change my mind?" the captain asked me with a amused look on his face. I shook my head.
"No sir," I answered sweetly, "It is God who tells me you will."
"Fine," he muttered as if he'd had enough of me, "Just to keep you quiet I will. Steward!"
"Yes sir," the steward came running back.
"Get this girl a horse," he told the steward, who looked at him aghast.
"Are you sure squire?" he stammered, trying to catch his breath.
"Do I look unsure?" the captain boomed and glared at the steward. "Just do as you're told."
"Yes sir," the steward nodded and gave a low bow.
"Good," Baudricourt nodded and turned to me. "Are you happy now?"
"Yes sir," I smiled and curtsied again. "But may I also request a suit of armor?"
"Now that's pushing it a bit much!" the captain snorted and shook his head at me. "I've already given into your request for a horse and now you want armor? What ever for?"
"I have already told you sir," I told him and he sighed.
"Yes I know," he answered running a hand over his face. "So you can go see the Dauphin. But you don't need armor for that."
"No sir," I answered in agreement. "But will I not need armor if I am to raise a siege on Orleans?"
"Raise a what?!?" he asked shocked turning to face me, his eyes were red and blood shot.
"A siege on Orleans," I repeated softly, bowing my head. "It is what God is sending me to do."
"Girl you are mad," Baudricourt replied with a shake of his head. "If I give you what you want will you go and leave me alone?"
"Your name will be remembered as one of the first to help me in my mission," I said brightly, lightening up once I knew he was listening to me.
"Yeah yeah," he muttered and ordered someone to get me some armor, we were going to see the Dauphin.