Chapter Text
It's going to be a good day!
Without yet opening her eyes, but feeling through eyelids the morning rays penetrating the shutters, Arte already knew it. Though the sun was rising over Florence as usual, and the same familiar sounds were coming from the streets to the rooftop house, but Arte had a happy anticipation that today she would succeed in any work. And maybe master Leo will even praise her...
And indeed, Arte ran down easily, without tripping once on the steep steps.
- Buon giorno!
In all the time she had spent in the workshop, Arte had never managed to get up before her master, every morning she had found Leo already at work, whether orders in the workshop or the household duties.
- Ciao, - Leo nodded briefly, still at work as he kneaded a fresh batch of dough. Arthe remembered that they had just run out of bread.
- This is enough for several days, take it to the bakery today.
- Got it, - Arte picked up the empty buckets. - I'll get water first!
- I've ordered some new pigments, you have to get them from the apothecary after that, - Leo thought for a moment, - We have a new order, Madonna and Angels, you're going to do the clothes and backgrounds. Time to learn how to work with lapis lazuli.
Lapis lazuli was the most expensive pigment, and the fact that Leo had trusted her to work on such a serious painting, and with such a valuable paint, was a success for Arte.
Definitely, her hunch was not deceived!
***
- Dacia! - from a distance Arte saw among the women near the well a girl with serious green eyes and auburn hair, neatly arranged at the back of head, exept two strands currently framing her freckled face.
- Ciao, Arte, you shine like the sun! - Dacia smiled as she tousled a lock of hair, and Arte in her artist habit quickly noted that it would be a good to ask her friend to pose, unraveling her luxurious curls.
- I'm just in a good mood, - Arte began to turn the winch on the well. - And how are you? Did you learn our last spelling lesson?
- Well...think so, - Dacia hesitated, glancing around at the other women. Unlike Arte, Dacia was from a poor peasant family, and to pile up dowry, she had been working in the sewing workshop for years. It was not easy, especially when the owner was always trying to cheat the workers, but like all her fellow women, Dacia did not have the opportunity to learn reading and writing to change the situation. That's when she met Arte...
At first, Dacia was embarrassed by her new company, for there were the most incredible rumors about Arte.
An aristocrat who refused not only her origins but even her gender, openly expressing her desire to become an artist. And to prove her determination, she cut off her hair right in the street in front of everyone, and now she lives in the studio and works on an equal footing with the men...
In short, a weirdo!
However, after getting to know Arte better, Dacia discovered that this work is not a whim for her, and that Arte fights every day for the life she has chosen. Her determination and sincerity surprised Dacia and made her want to change something for herself as well...
So now, in her free time, Arte taught her literacy and numeracy. And although in her opinion Dacia was making progress, she was still shy to believe in her own strength.
- All right, all right, I have some time, let me take the water and then we can check if you've memorized everything, - Arte's disarming enthusiasm was hard to resist. Dacia watched as her friend, puffing with effort, lifted the full buckets.
- Maybe...
- It's nothing! I can handle it!
Arte was anxious to change too; until recently she had barely had the strength to carry one bucket. Now she could carry two, as well as anyone. And the fact that Arte, a recent aristocrat, was so proud of this not only amazed Dacia, but touched her. Arte regarded any work as honorable and was glad of Dacia's company, despite their very different backgrounds.
- I don't quite understand the spelling of some words," Dacia admitted, as Arte hoisted the buckets at the threshold of the workshop and straightened up, stretching her shoulders.
- Wait a bit! - looking around Arte picked up a twig from the road and started to write quickly on the ground, - Some words are not pronounced the way they are spelled. Letters can be mixed, and sometimes they can sound or read differently in different parts of the word. For example, in the word "calcio," the first "c" sounds like "k" and the second one sounds like a "ch". Here, try to write...
Watching Dacia, biting lip with diligently and writing on the ground by the stick, Arte again regretted that, leaving her parents' house in a hurry, she had not thought to take her old teaching supplies and books - now they could be so in handy!
- I'm sorry we have to study like this. You know, we got a good order, master Leo let me paint part of the picture myself, and with the proceeds I can buy a slate and a textbooks and...
- No need, I'm already understand it! - Dacia protested.
She had offered to pay her tuition before, but knowing the trouble Dacia had had to put the money aside, Arte refused, especially since her friendship with Dacia was much more valuable. Until now, she had had no girlfriends her own age. Arte stopped communicating with her aristocratic peers, leaving her paternal home, especially since they had not shared her hobbies before, and among artists, of course, there were no other women besides her. Of course, she was friends with Veronica, but still, difference in life experience did not allow Arta to feel as at ease with cortigiana as she was with Dacia. So the young seamstress was the first person she could speak freely with.
- You going to help the master? - Dacia checked the words she'd written against what Arte had written and noted grimly that her handwriting was far from perfect. - I thought you've drawn some painting on your own before?
- Just once, and then only because Mistress Veronica asked me to, - Arte shyly scratched the back of her head ("just like a boy," - as Dacia noticed). - Apprentices are not trusted with full artwork. I still have a lot to learn before I'm sure that the result will satisfy the client... And Master Leo is always telling me to redo things a few times before I get them right.
- You seem to enjoy it, - Dacia said with a smirk, keeping her attention on her letter.
Arte smiled thoughtfully. Being an apprentice didn't mean painting from morning till night - the lion's share of the time was spent doing related work, and only then would mentor allow her to touch the canvas. She was lucky that master Leo had allowed her to assist in his work so early - according to Angelo, in other apprentices wait months before they are allowed to hold a brush!
Perhaps soon she would get her own order again. That would be great...
- Hey, get out of the way!
A high-pitched neighing drowned out a yell from across the street. Coming back to mind up, Arte discovered that, carried away by lesson and daydreaming, she had moved away from the safe side of the road, and a huge cart was rushing right at her. The driver yelled and pulled the reins, but the frightened horse was going full speed ahead, so that the cart's wheels almost flew off its axles.
- Look out! - Arte darted away, but Dacia, still squatting, tripped over the hem and nearly fell over.
And that's when her newfound strength came in handy! Before Arte could even think about it, her hand grabbed Dacia's shoulder and dragged her away from the hooves. Except that, miscalculating, Arte herself turned too sharply, and her foot caught on a rock protruding from the pavement.
The wheels of the cart rumbled very close!
Someone nearby screamed.
- Sancta Maria, Mater Dei... - the girl pleaded, and, tensing her whole body, she lunged forward.
A pain pierced her ankle!
The wind with the pungent smell of horse sweat blew over them ... And in the next second, Arte stunned and completely ungraceful, rolled over the side of the road, still clinging to Dacia with a deadly grip.
When the dust settled, people rushed to them from all sides.
- Have you lost your mind? What are you... Hey, it's Arte! Arte, are you all right?
- It's the horse-driver, idiot! How could he race a horse in such way! Just a little more...
- You've born under a lucky star, senoritas! Go to church today...
- Dacia, are you all right? - asked Arte, anxiously examining her friend, whose face, despite the layer of dust, was whiter than a sheet.
- I-I'm... okay, - Dacia opened her eyes and turned from pale to crimson in an instant, finding a crowd gathered around them.
- I'm sorry, I think I ripped your shirt, pulling it too hard, - Arte said, furtively rubbing her bruised thigh. It's going to be a big bruise, and the dress won't be easy to wash.
- Wha?!.. - Dacia jumped up, coming to her senses. - You saved my life!
The crowd around shouted in agreement, and Arte felt quite uncomfortable. She should get out of here as soon as possible, if she didn't want to be the talk of all local workshops again. It wouldn't be long time before master Leo finds out...
The thought of master was like a thunderbolt across her head.
She still need to go to the farmacia and to the bakers and...
- I have to go! - Arte gasped and got up. Then, with a sob, she sat back down.
- What? - asked Dacia, frightened, as she leaned over her friend, - Are you hurt?
- My leg... can't step on it, - Arte heard her voice tremble, but told herself not to cry.
She managed to rise with Dacia's help, but she couldn't bear the weight on her right leg - it was felt like a needle of pain pierced an ankle.
- I'll be fine, - Arte murmured, like soothing herself rather than Dacia. - Just help me get to the workshop, and then I'll take care of myself! It'll be fine, you'll see.
Arte tried to smile, but then she bit her lip to keep from screaming. And Dacia's worried look only confirmed how unconvincing her words sounded.