Dark Age Maiden

She and him before going into a battle

       Carina returned his steady gaze. Seeing the firm resolve in his face, she felt reassured. Her spirit lifted, and she was again eager to see more of the town.

        When they entered the next shop Carina was enthralled at the variety of shoes on display.

         "Sit down there, take off your shoe and slip your foot into this box of clay," said Sergio, the cobbler. "I'll have shoes made in your size that will be ready in short order."

        "Oh, no," she answered. "He has spent too much on me already."

        "Go ahead, Carina. When do you ever get a chance to shop? Besides, Sergio is the best shoemaker this side of the Alps. You'd have to go to Pavia or Rome to find anyone better."

        Carina sat on the stool and took off her shoes. She put one foot and then the other into the thick clay.

        "That's the way," said Sergio. "Now gently lift your feet, heel first, to leave a good impression. Then if you swing around and put your feet in the water, I'll towel off any stains from the clay."

        It didn't take Sergio long to take the measurements, but it took Carina much longer to decide on shoes. Finally, she took both Sergio and Giancarlo's advice and selected two, one for walking and another for special occasions as for dancing or at Christmas or Easter. She didn't need the second pair but they were so pretty and Giancarlo encouraged her to get them.

        There were so many other things to see. They walked past stone cutters, masons and carpenters using winches to slowly erect the walls of the new cathedral. Giancarlo stopped and introduced her to a gray haired man whom she learned was the overseer of the project. He and Giancarlo talked about things relating to the construction that she didn't understand. When they left, the man smiled and she thought he winked at her. They entered the old church. In the dim light she viewed the hand hewn statues and the colorful old paintings gracing the walls. As they walked away from the church grounds, several men in clerical garb greeted them and two of them bowed toward Giancarlo.

        Continuing on to the next street, they heard yelling and enthusiastic voices, which became much louder when they reached the intersection. Approximately twenty-five men were huddled around some kind of activity going on in front of them. They were yelling to each other and laughing, holding up coins and using hand signals to get their meaning across through all the noise. "What is it?" asked Carina. "What are they doing?"

        "It's a cockfight. Want to take a look?"

        "No. I once watched one—until I saw the blood."

        "It's popular here, but personally I can't get excited about fighting roosters," said Giancarlo. "Not with far more interesting creatures around."

        The sun was setting, casting long shadows, and the shops were beginning to close. Giancarlo and Carina stopped at a bakery and bought a loaf of bread and then hurried to another store to get cheese before returning to the stronghold. "I have some excellent wine that will go well with this," said Giancarlo.

        Carina was hungry, but she was apprehensive about Giancarlo's plans for dining. She was beholden to him already for his generous gift of shoes and the silk and wool yarn. She regretted her excitement at seeing the town had caused her to accept more of Giancarlo's generosity than she should have. Still, she had turned down many of the things he had offered her. She had learned more about Giancarlo during their shopping and saw he was liked and respected by the townspeople. She knew her father counted him as one of his friends. Nevertheless, she didn't trust him.