3.

Years passed and slowly the additions began to rise from the earth. The first year timbers and stones were brought to the location. With no new dwellings, there certainly would be no weddings and probably not until they completed the compound.

The next summer, they built three dwellings and the west wall.

During the third summer they constructed three more dwellings and the east wall. Late in the summer the north wall connecting the last two dwellings reached completion.

Santo pointed at the north wall, “My Father, instead of two dwellings, we will build one large structure. This will be our great hall.”

“That is a fine plan, my son. The entire clan is in agreement with you and this plan. We will have a great feast and celebration when the work in completed.”

While building the north wall they made provisions for the new great hall to be attached. As rocks were laid they added the beginning of the great hall’s walls. By building the first part into the north wall, it became one structure and tied together for strength.

The men worked inside and outside the north wall to complete the construction before the first snow. Daily it seemed the snow crept closer and closer down the mountains. With only ten or twelve feet of the north wall to complete, the workers knocked an opening in the inner wall, between the two compounds.

As the men closed the last few feet in the north wall clansmen began to dance and shout for joy. They envisioned six new dwellings in the north courtyard and a finished north wall for protection. They also envisioned the beginning of the new great hall.

The clan celebrated the cutting of a gate in the dividing wall and the finishing of the north wall, with the killing of two deer and having a feast.

Vito shouted, “Now, my four grandsons may wed, as the work is completed.”

The night after they cut the opening in the dividing wall, the first dusting of snow fell on the compound. Suddenly the whole compound, seized with excitement, shouted their joy. They also saw, if they worked just a little harder, four weddings would take place before the snow became too deep to travel.

The four grandsons left the morning after the snow to make inquiry if their intended brides and their families were ready for a wedding on such short notice. During the period of waiting for the grandsons to return, the men completed the interior double gate of heavy timbers. Now the two compounds could stand together in an attack or fight independently. The stream of running water bubbled and gurgled through both compounds. With water, ample food storage and ample room, the clan could continue to grow.

When the gates were finished, Vito and Anna moved out of their three level dwelling and one of the larger families, Antonio’s moved into their house. Vito and Anna gladly moved into the house Antonio vacated.

Vito complained, “The three-level house is too big and cold.”

Aldofo and Santo along with their large families moved into the new three level houses. Carlos’ family occupied the only empty three-level houses in the south compound.

With the moving, there were four new empty houses in the north compound. Now the four empty dwellings awaited the arrival of the grandsons with their brides-to-be and their families.

Santo felt pride in the clan’s work and the new additions. He demonstrated his pride, especially of the triple level houses, in their accomplishment, by furnishing fresh deer meat for a feast.

He boasted, “Look at the three level dwellings built in the center of the side walls. They not only served as homes for the largest families but watchtowers for possible invading barbarians.”

With the extra height the lookouts were able to see over the other roofs and watch across the fields and the orchards for intruders. He doubted if the barbarians would attack the compound. They suffered heavy losses the last two times they attacked, and now with the compound, larger and stronger, it stood as a formidable fortress. The defenders only suffered minor wounds at the last raid. Their walls and homes stood safe and sound.

Within days the first caravan arrived with a grandson, his bride and her family. The grandson led the caravan to the first empty dwelling, and the bride’s family began to crowd into the new house.

In a week, three more caravans arrived with the other three grandsons, their intended and large contingents of families. As they arrived, each bride and her very large family occupied one of the new houses.

Most of the visitors were dressed in clothing similar to the Vito clan. The men wore tunics, leggings and perhaps a heavy woolen cloak. Most of them wore heavy leather boots. Every man carried his weapon of choice. They stayed prepared to fight or work their fields.

The women wore long robes, like Sofia’s with the waist tied with a sash. Their feet were covered with heavy fleece lined boots. In most of the clans, the women dressed to work, fight, and harvest or tend flocks similar to the men. Some families wore a colored sash or head covering, thus denoting the difference in the clans. Many of the people simply attached a hood to their robes or tunics. All were dressed for the impending winter. It would certainly come and come soon.

The double compound bustled with people for the weddings. Santo told Sofia, “There must be three hundred people here. The bride’s families are packed into the new dwellings. After the weddings and they leave it will not be so bad, but now, they can hardly move around. I tell you, every level of the dwellings is packed full of those families.”

“Do not worry, Santo. It is only for a few days, and then they will be gone.”

“I just hate to think of an attack by the barbarians at this time.”

“Santo, you worry too much. It has been years since the barbarians have attacked us. Besides, the snow must be two or three feet deep in the mountain passes. They will not move in deep snow. Think of it this way, if they did attack, we have lots of extra men to fight. You saw every man carried his weapons.”

“I know, but.” His voice trailed off. “We do not have enough food for a long siege with this many people.”

“You are right, my husband, and the barbarians could not maintain a siege very long in this weather. What would they do for foodstuff and supplies? Quit worrying.”

“You are right, as usual. I will tell you one thing. I will be glad when the families leave.”

“You might as well calm down. The weddings will occur when the priest arrives, and then the celebration will last for four days. You know when the celebration is over and the hurting heads have stopped pounding, then they will go home. It is going to be at least a week of a very crowded compound.”

Santo nodded and climbed the stairs to look out the windows at the surrounding area. He opened the inside shutter and then the outside one, to give him a clear view outside. To his surprise the sky cleared and he saw the stars and moon. The mountains loomed white in the distance. He moved from the west side to the north and found, on the white snow he saw for miles. Here he saw the mighty Alps covered with snow. Closing the shutters he moved to the east side and looked out at the compound interior. Over the roofs he saw trees, valleys, hills and cliffs. They stood in stark contrast against the white snow. Across the empty miles, he found nothing moving on the white background.

Closing the east shutters, he moved to the south side of his home and opened the window. From this vantage point he saw part of the north compound and the entire south compound. Smoke drifted up from every chimney and people moved about the grounds. The south gate now closed, stood barred against the barbarians and the elements. He smiled and closed the window against the cold.

To everyone’s delight the weather stayed clear and cold. The weak sun warmed the compound during the middle of the day. So, when the priest arrived, the mothers of the brides decided the weddings were to be held outside.

Santo took charge when the women lamented the wedding members should not be seen in the flat courtyard.

Santo pointed, “See the great pile of stones stacked in the north courtyard. They are for the great hall, but for now we will use them for a platform.”

He and many men leveled the top, covered the stones with timbers and then covered the timbers with planks. Planks were hard to make, but there were enough available to make a platform. The men built a stairway to the platform. The wedding parties would be situated high enough, so they might see.

The priest arrived the next day, and the weddings were held in the afternoon. Clan members and guest families formed a circle around the raised platform to watch. The priest led the four grandsons of Vito and their brides to the top. The oldest grandson led the way and the youngest climbed the stairs last.

The priest placed the couples at the four points of the Zodiac. He intoned the blessing of the gods and walked around the circle of brides and grandsons. He stopped in front of each couple and blessed them.

He traversed the circle the second time tying each couple’s hands together. When he finished, he turned the couples facing out from the platform. The crowd cheered as the couples moved clockwise to the four points of the Zodiac, or the four sides of the platform, so they could be seen.

When the priest finished, he shouted to the crowd, “They are wed!”

Bedlam broke out in the compound. Music started, wine flowed, and a great feast commenced. By roaring fires the families danced and laughed.

As night came, the little ones were taken to the warm dwellings and put to bed. Slowly the courtyard emptied of children. Only the oldest children were able to stay awake, but by the third bell they to were off to their beds and asleep.

The dancing and drinking continued until dawn. Sometime during the night the four newly wed couples slipped away and found their respective bridal chambers. With the flowing of wine the other members of the clan did not notice the couples slip from sight. Nor did the clans notice the freezing weather. They were a hardy people and used to the cold. Besides, with wine and dancing, no one cared if it turned cold and snowed.

For four nights they danced, drank, laughed, and ate. The newlyweds joined the celebration to shouts of joy, teasing and love. At the end of four nights of revelry, the bride’s families were ready to leave.

The fifth morning arrived before splitting heads were ready to travel and the four caravans departed the compound. The clan followed the caravans out of the double gates and down the slope toward the river Agno. At the turn in the road the clan stood and waved until the last person vanished from sight.

This night, the fifth night would be for the clan to have a private feast. After the feast, with a wine flask in hand, Vito stood. “I would propose a toast to our newlyweds. We welcome our four new daughters. May you have many sons and daughters and may you find happiness with our clan.” The family shouted encouragement to the four couples and drank the toast. One at a time, brothers and uncles stood and made a toast to the younger clan members and their brides.

With the weddings and celebrations over, fall suddenly ended and winter arrived, bringing great drifts of snow. Two days after the last guest left, it began to snow. Snow fell for a week and piled high against the compound walls. The temperature dropped and froze the River Agno solid.

Vito declared, “I can not remember the river freezing solid and this early in the season.”

To keep warm and conserve fuel, families began to move together, in common houses.

By the New Year the clan lived in the four three-level dwellings. Eleven dwelling sat empty and vacant. Santo and Felix took in the four newlywed couples. In the south compound everyone moved in either with Carlos or Aldofo. They even moved their stock onto the lower floor of each dwelling. The combined heat from the animals kept the occupants in the upper floors warm.

Carlos observed, “We build extra houses and now they sit vacant. I feel our work wasted.”

Vito declared, “Aye, my son, but we will need the extra houses as the clan continues to grow. Also, remember this is the worst winter I have ever seen.”

His wife Anna spoke from beside the fire. “My husband, do we have enough firewood?”

“Yes, Anna. If we run low we can burn the logs we are going to use on the great hall. We can always bring more timber from the forest next summer.”

So the winter raged as storm after storm piled snow high around compound situated on the Agno River. As the winter progressed, many people along the Agno perished in the cold and snow, but Vito’s clan stayed warm and snug on the upper side of the Valley of Po and just south of the Alps.