Page 317 (1/1)

"Have you told Brother Fortunatus this news? He’s still waiting to meet with the lay sister froht, Sister He hoped to meet with the lay sister just before Lauds"

"I thank you, Sisters You did well" Ruoda grinned, as if expecting the praise, but Heriburg dropped her gaze huem, and a jewel, as Mother Otta often said of her best novices, worthy to serve in the regnant’s crown "Now back to your work It will not do for everyone to see you gossiping here withwriting desk set aside for her personal use With a sigh of relief and hope, she settled down, trimmed four quills, and studied the words she had written out thatfroer

At that ti taken both Wendar and Varre fully under his control, he was called by his ar, and Protector of all His fame spread to all lands, andto find favor in his sight, for truly it could be said of hiranted no ated the eastern tribes and having thrown the Eika raiders back into the sea, he announced his intention to e to the holy city of Darre for the sake of prayer

Yet within a week of this announcement, his infirmities so disabled him that he was forced to retire to his bed

He called together the leading nobles of the realnant To his other children he granted honors and lands of great worth as well as a share of the regnant’s treasure, but Henry wasof Wendar and Varre and the al and all in attendance had acclaireat lord, who had by his efforts united Wendar and Varre and, being first ain all the lands He reigned for eighteen years and lived to see the age of four and fifty He was buried in Quedlinhame before the Lady’s Hearth That day, many wept and all mourned

She wiped away a tear Thewoman, still had the power toup knife and quill to begin writing

Here ends the First Book of the Deeds of the Great Princes

She had to scrape away the last letter and write it again, but at last, with a quiet chuckle, she sat back and surveyed the final sentence Hard to believe that this portion was, at long last, concluded Yet truly, there would be no rest for the wicked: she still had to write the second part, her chronicle of Henry’s reign so far Sometimes it seemed the ould never end There was always more to tell than space to tell it

She dabbed her quill in the ink pot

Here begins the Second Book--

"Sister Rosvita" Fortunatus came up behind her He bent as if to exa his voice low "Palo She has been patient, but I swear to you that yesterday when I htened I convinced her to remain onethe red cloak of a presbyter walked into the scriptoriu the aisles toward her

"We’ll speak later, Brother"

The vault of ceiling ht Watching Brother Petrus approach, Rosvita had leisure to examine the painted frieze at the far end of the roolory froels

"Sister Rosvita" He inclined his head She hid a s’s confidence, the respect of the schola, and the ear of the queen A presbyter like Petrus, however nobly born, did not wield as much influence as she did, and he knew it "I have been sent by Lord Hugh to request your presence in the skopos’ cha down her knife and handing the still wet quill to Fortunatus He could only nod, frustrated and helpless, as she left hie of her history

They crossed out of the regnant’s palace and into the gilded corridors of the skopos’ palace, dense with silence as a mere handful of presbyters, clerics, and servants hurried along the halls on their errands No wall here was untouched; s, or tapestries covered every wall Coluht colors Sculptures filled the courtyards and lined the colonnaded arcades dohich they walked, in blessed shadohile the sun beat down on eraveled pathways beyond This tiht, no one walked under the sun because of the heat