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look at me. I’m a girl. To marry me off, they’ll need a dowry 19 .”
    Sophie’s thoughts were cut off abruptly when a cat suddenly jumped down from the roof drains, landing effortlessly in front of the two young people. The creature rubbed up against Volmar’s leg, purring. The young monk bent down to pet its soft fur. “Hey, time for another meal, hmm, Samson?”
    Sophie moved forward and cautiously stroked the cat’s gray back and upright tail. “Samson? What an unusual name.”
    â€œSamson showed up at the monastery seven years ago missing an ear and with a dreadful gaping wound on his thigh. I had to shave most of his fur off to apply the sage ointment suggested by Brother Paulus. He looked so pitiful without his hair, so he was named Samson.”
    â€œI thought it was forbidden for monks to have pets.”
    â€œTrue. We are prohibited from indulging in such worldly pursuits. However, Samson takes care of the rats that eat our stored grains and the voles that plague the gardens of Brother Albertus. Everyone gives him scraps to show their appreciation, so he’s quite well-fed and essentially belongs to all of us.”
    Thomas, the head mason’s red-headed son and apprentice, approached the two from the building site of the Anchorage. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, unknowingly smearing more mud and mortar across his face. Volmar knew of him, and was always a little wary of his unpredictability. He had the reputation of being both intense and temperamental, the kind of boy who remedied his boredom through arguments. “Couldn’t help but overhear the story this girl told you, Volmar,” he said, turning his back on Sophie in further insult. “You can’t possibly believe that she was allowed to work on a cathedral.”
    Volmar nodded to Sophie. “I believe her, Thomas. Sophie’s grandfather was a stonemason in Mainz.” Volmar realized almost immediately that he should have kept out of this, for Sophie was perfectly capable of holding her own against this young man’s condescending attitude.
    Sophie turned to Thomas skeptically. “I don’t see how you can use up all that mortar you’ve mixed. We were never allowed to be so wasteful. You’ll still have more than half of it left over after you finish your courses of stone.”
    â€œClever little runt, aren’t you?” Thomas said, crossing his arms and leaning up against a pillar. He was actually smiling at her, his teeth surprisingly white despite his worn appearance.
    â€œA runt is a small dog or cat and, in case you haven’t noticed, I am neither.” Sophie stuck out her tongue at him, lifted her skirts and took off down the hill towards the kitchens.
    Volmar inclined his head towards Thomas, who apparently didn’t seem to mind being made a fool of. Maybe, the young monk reasoned, the apprentice was grateful to meet a worthy opponent.

CHAPTER 4: ROAD-WEARY TRAVELERS
    Open Dining Hall at Disibodenberg Monastery
    Harvest Festival, Late Morning
    The smell of warming bread quickened Sophie’s steps, and soon she was running ahead of both Samson and Volmar as she hastened to get in line behind several other road-weary travelers.
    The dining hall near the open kitchens of the monastery was practically full to capacity. Visitors from all over the region were milling in and out due to the festival and were grateful for the charitable hospitality. Volmar took pleasure in studying those around him and reading their lives in their faces. It did him good to hear laughter and to listen to children crying around him out of greed, not pain. These were mostly peasants from neighboring villages, he judged, mingling with a few merchants smelling of exotic spices and carrying colorful caged birds.
    Volmar blessed Sophie’s food before sitting silently across from her at the long trestle table. He watched her in amazement as she devouredseveral bowls of