“I enjoy traveling. I’ve been north to Aachen many times. I was born in Bordeaux, but I’ve never been across the mountains to Mainz.”
“And did you join the convent to travel the country?” Still cranky, Freda spoke in a chiding voice that carried easily.
“No, of course not,” Gilda answered. She could tell by the grin on Justin’s face as he turned toward her that he had overheard Freda’s words. “I just think that if we need to travel to do God’s work, we might as well enjoy the country he created.”
Gilda’s answer was directed at Justin as much as Freda. They seemed to share the view that she didn’t take her vocation seriously.
Freda shrugged. “In my day, there would be no need for this journey,” she said. “The entire matter would have been handled differently. Charlemagne was a much wiser ruler than his son Louis. He understood human nature. He wasn’t a slave to the dictates of Rome.”
Gilda knew that Freda was referring to the ease with which marriages had been ended twenty years earlier. Charles was King of the Franks before he became the Holy Roman Emperor and earned the nickname Charlemagne. The Franks often had more than one wife, and Charles didn’t press them to change their ways, even after Pope Leo III crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. But his son Louis was determined to be a truly Christian emperor and uphold the laws of the church, including the sanctity of marriage. As far as he was concerned, when a man and woman married, they became one for life.
Freda’s view was not uncommon among older nuns, although few voiced their opinion openly. The king and bishops insisted there were only a few cases where a marriage could be annulled. But many Franks, while desiring to be good Christians, were reluctant to accept the church’s dictates on ending marriages.
“I believe the abbess would advise you to speak carefully, Sister Freda,” Gilda warned in a low voice. She didn’t wish to be disrespectful to the older nun, but they were about to become involved in delicate investigations. It occurred to her that the outspoken Freda might not be the best companion for this task.
Freda seemed to understand her concern. “Don’t worry about me, Sister Gilda. I hold my tongue,” Freda muttered. “But I speak honestly when I can.”
Gilda nodded. She felt the same way and was glad to hear anything Freda had to offer on the subject as long as she was discreet. “Have you had any experience with Gunthar, the Bishop of Mainz?”
Freda checked to see that there was a distance between themselves and Lord Justin before answering in a low voice. “I met him once when I visited my nephew. He’s a monk at a monastery near Mainz. I don’t trust Gunthar. He looks like a toad and acts like a snake.”
Gilda burst into laughter, then covered her mouth with her hand when Justin turned around to peer back at her. She was still chuckling when he slowed his horse so she’d catch up to him. Freda lifted one eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself, Sister Gilda,” Justin said. Actually, he had found her peal of laughter enchanting.
“Don’t look so surprised, Justin. Nuns do laugh from time to time. Between saying prayers and helping the poor.”
He grimaced, remembering his words about the duties appropriate for a nun. He had acted like a pompous fool.
When Gilda saw his expression, she relented. “When are we stopping to eat? I’m starving. I just told Freda that I was hungry enough to eat toads.”
The stern Freda didn’t exactly laugh, but her lips did turn up slightly.
Justin wondered how they could find such an expression amusing. “We’ll stop soon. Then tomorrow we’ll cross the mountains,” he replied. “It’s best to do that early in the morning when we’ve more energy. It’s a beautiful ride. There are many long vistas, but it can be tiring for both riders and horses.”
Gilda could see the tall mountains ahead and felt exhilarated at the prospect of climbing them. There were small, thin clouds that veiled the highest peaks. It wouldn’t be long before the sun would disappear behind them.
By the time they stopped for the night it was dark, and everyone was tired. Their meager meal was eaten in silence. Gilda and Freda set their blanket rolls side by side, and the men settled down a short distance away.
By the next morning the weather had changed, and the mountains had vanished under heavy cloud. The women had gone into the bush to refresh themselves while Justin and Leonardo discussed whether it was wise to try crossing in the cloud cover.
“The weather can be unpredictable this time of year,” Leonardo offered.
“We aren’t in any hurry, but on the other hand we don’t have provisions for a long delay,” Justin replied, remembering how disappointed Gilda had been with the dried meat and cheese. She did like her food.
“The main problem is visibility. If it wasn’t for the nuns, I’d say give it a try,” Leonardo said.
Both men looked up to see Gilda and Freda approaching them. Leonardo flushed, wondering if his words had been overheard.
Freda made it clear they had heard him by saying, “I think we should give it a try. We aren’t going to be harmed by a bit of rain.”
“It’s not just a matter of wet clothing,” Justin answered. “The trail can become treacherous when wet.”
“If you can do it, so can we,” Freda replied. “I was riding a horse before you were born.” The last comment was aimed at Leonardo.
With a grin that was meant to charm, Leonardo said, “I did notice how well you sit a horse.”
Freda grinned back, knowing he must have observed how uncomfortable she had been on the thin saddle. “You have a smooth tongue, Leonardo.”
“You have found him out, Sister Freda,” Justin said. “If we’re going over the mountain today, we should start immediately.” He saw Gilda staring at the food he had been wrapping. “If it hadn’t taken you so long to dress, or pray, or whatever you were doing, you’d have had time to eat breakfast.”
At the expression of alarm on her face, Justin grinned. “Don’t worry, Gilda, you can eat something while we saddle the horses.”
Surprised that the sober Justin was displaying a bit of humor, Gilda almost forgot to be thankful that her hunger would at least be somewhat satisfied. She and Freda ate quickly while the men saddled and packed the horses.
They hadn’t gone far up the steep path when a light rain began to fall. It didn’t do much more than dampen their clothes, and as they continued, the visibility actually improved. Justin was hopeful their luck would hold, but by the time they reached the summit he knew it wasn’t to be. A sudden heavy downpour made the path slippery and forced them to stop for a rest.
“We’ll have to continue on foot. I’m afraid the horses might slip and be injured.” Justin spoke loudly to be heard over the rain as they began their descent. “Leonardo, Matthew, and I will lead the horses and you can follow,” he said to the women. “Just go slow and be careful.”
The normally hard-packed trail was slick. As the women tried to follow Justin’s instructions, Gilda saw that Freda was a bit unsteady on her feet. Not for the first time in her life Gilda wished she were taller. She did her best to steady Freda with her hand on her elbow, but it was hard to really help the tall woman, and they soon fell behind the men.