Did I spend an hour researching the thermodynamics of fire, and the weather patterns of 1849-1850 for this story? Yes, yes I fucking did. I hope you appreciate it.
The spring came late in the season, but April brought rain, and every day Sara had to walk through the heavy rains with her cloak and hood over her head. When she got to school she would hang the cloak on the nail nearest the stove to let it dry as best it could throughout the day. The kids were excited because school would come to a close soon so they could help their parents on their farms through the spring, and then to the harvest.
One evening about a week after the rain came, it stopped, but the rumbling thunder and cracks of lighting rolled through the prairie. Sara awoke from her sleep with a start at the sound of a crack of lightning close to the house and she heard Elijah crying in the other room. "That was close," Milo said as he started to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to go outside and watch," he said as he moved around the room and Sara got out of bed as well. She got dressed quickly and climbed down the ladder to join her cousin. When she got to the bottom of the ladder she found him standing just outside the door and when she stepped over to join him she could smell the storm.
"How bad is it?" she asked as wind whipped around them, the strong wind making the windows rattle in the walls and making her skirts swirl around her ankles.
"Watch," he said softly, pointing to the sky. She could see light moving around inside the clouds and after a few moments of standing there silently there was a loud crack as a bolt of lightning struck the ground about ten yards from where they stood. Sara jumped and gripped his arm and he smiled as they watched more bolts of lightning hit the ground in the distance, sometimes multiple strikes at once.
The wind shifted and soon was coming from the direction of the school, and with the wind came the smell of smoke. "Do you smell that?" Sara asked with a frown and Milo looked off in the direction of the school.
With the wind changing directions it was now easy to see the smoke that came curling over the prairie, and Sara clung to his arm as the realization seemed to wash over both of them. "Oh god," he pulled away from her and took off running in the direction of the school, Sara didn't know what to do for a moment before she ran into the house and began to gather rags.
"Caroline," she called and after a moment she saw her cousin's form enter the room, holding the still squalling Elijah who didn't understand and hated what was happening. "The school." she managed to say as she grabbed a basin and put the rags into it.
"Sara," Caroline said softly, and Sara looked over. "There's nothing you can do."
Sara, not one to give up, took the basin full of rags and ran out of the house, running after Milo in the direction of her perfect little schoolhouse. She ran through the wind, even though it tried to knock her from side to side, she ran down the trail towards the heat and the sound of the crackling fire, the smoke stinging and burning her eyes before she came upon the scene.
Milo was there with three other men, the fathers of her students she realized as they moved, bringing buckets to the well where one of the mothers, Linny, was pulling the water up. Sara moved to help Linny, they poured water into her basin and the fathers began to take up the rags to try and beat the flames out while Sara and Linny kept buckets full, some of the dads would move forward, they would throw water on the flames from their buckets and then move back to let the dads with wet rags beat at the flames, while Sara and Linny were refilling their buckets, but before long, the flames engulfed the entire school.
At that point the job turned from putting the school fire out to keeping it contained to just the school. One of the fathers began to set smaller fires around the school in the grass, then put them out with the rags, soon they had created a whole ring of blackened, wet grass around the school so the fire would have no place to live if it jumped.
By the time the sun came up, the school was a smoldering shell of the beautiful new schoolhouse it had once been when she first began to teach.
Its skeleton stood, still glowing and Sara helped Linny pour some water into a bucket for Linny's husband to throw on the glowing embers.
When it was midday Sara and Milo returned home, each covered in soot, burns, and coughing from inhaling too much smoke.
Caroline had filled up the tub and kept the water warm, and after drawing the curtain around them she helped Sara strip down and get into the tub. She was shaking, and Caroline quietly helped wash her off and then began to tut softly as she touched Sara's hair. "What is it?" Sara asked softly and Caroline began to show her the ends of her hair which had been singed from standing so close to the fire.
After wrapping Sara in a bath sheet she began to cover her hands in a poultice that she wrapped in clean cloths and then sent Sara upstairs to bed. Sara got into her nightgown and listened as Caroline did the same for Milo, wrapping not only his hands but his arms in the poultice, and sent him to bed as well.
Sara didn't know when she fell asleep, but the next thing she knew Caroline was waking her up with a bowl of broth and a cup of tea. After eating her broth and drinking her tea Sara let Caroline cut her hair with the sharp sewing scissors she kept in a box that she had brought with her when she and Milo traveled from the east.
After that was done Caroline insisted she go back to bed, she had been up half the night and had inhaled too much smoke, she needed to sleep it off.
Within a week Milo had gotten news that the school on the prairie was canceled because of the fire, he was sent the money for the rest of Sara's contract, which he gave to her and as they were both feeling better, he told her that he would be bringing her home the next day, there was no reason for her to stay there anymore, and she would be better served back home where she could go to school again, or even find a new school that could use her.
She could also work on getting things ready for her wedding, Caroline pointed out and Sara smiled as they worked on collecting all of Sara's things.
As they packed her bags Elijah played with the small stuffed dog that Sara had made him out of a pair of Milo's socks that had been too damaged to darn again comfortably for him.
When they finished packing they had a meal of bread, cheese, and blueberry preserves, and went to bed early.
The next morning Sara woke up to Caroline shaking her arm gently, and after getting out of bed and dressing she folded up the quilt she had slept under and the sheets she had slept on and left them at the foot of the straw tick mattress.
After putting her last few things into her bag she brought them down the ladder and washed her face at the bowl and then helped with breakfast in the house in the country for the last time. They made baked pancakes and covered them with fruit before the four sat and ate together. Milo had already hooked up the horses, and luckily it was a clear, albeit chilly, day.
After wrapping up in a cloak and bringing her things to the wagon she hugged Caroline and Elijah and then climbed into the wagon with the help of Milo and then held the reins while he got into the wagon and soon they were off.
Not much was said between them for the journey, Sara thought about the fire, she remembered the sight of the schoolhouse she had loved burnt down, and she sighed.
After a lunch along the same ravine that King had first brought up speaking to her father, where Sara picked some flowers and smiled as she remembered their conversation, his insistence that she was a beautiful woman and that he'd have been a fool not to notice her, she smiled and then walked back to the wagon, leaving behind her melancholy at losing the school and thinking about the future.
She could find a new situation, that was true, but this could also mean she could be married even sooner. It would all depend on whether or not Klaus was building his new house yet, but either way, it gave her something to look forward to.
When they were a little less than an hour from town, the wagon came over a small hill and she smiled as she saw a familiar horse on the distance. Her paint was being ridden by Klaus and when he saw the wagon she stood and waved her arms, making Milo pull his horses to a stop.
The paint was a fast creature and within a few minutes Klaus was within sight and he slowed the horse to a trot and then to a stop as he pulled up alongside the wagon. "What is it?" he asked as he looked her over. "What happened, why aren't you at school?"
"It burned down," she told him and he immediately looked her over.
"Were you hurt?" he asked and she showed him some of the burns on her hands and arms. "Come to the house later, I've got something that will help," he told her. "I'm sorry about your school, but his highness will be very happy to see you," he smirked lightly and she smiled at him.
"Is he miserable?" she asked and he let out a laugh.
"He can hardly eat without you," he quipped, making it Sara's turn to laugh.
"And how is my Ranger?" she asked as she reached out to stroke the paint's neck and Klaus leaned forward, also rubbing the horse's neck.
"He is a great beast," he assured her. "You'll enjoy riding him very much."
"I can't wait," she told him before looking at Milo who nodded. "I'll see you later," she told him and he reached out to take her hand, carefully, so as to not hurt the burns on her hands.
"I'm sorry about your school," he told her again. "But I'm glad you are all right. And not just because if you weren't King would be a mess," he teased and she smiled at him before she leaned forward and gently kissed Klaus' cheek.
"I'm quite sure I'll see you soon," she told him and he nodded as he let go of her, and Milo started the horses walking again. Klaus gave her a wave before he turned Ranger and the two galloped off across the prairie and she laughed as Klaus gave a loud whoop.
When Milo pulled the horses to a stop in front of Sara's house, school was letting out and her younger sisters were just getting home. Her mother opened the door to their excited yells and questions and had several questions of her own. Milo explained what had happened while Sara handed her things down to her sisters and then climbed out of the wagon, and stretched.
After hugging each of her sisters she sent them inside with her bags and then looked at Milo who was talking to her mom. "I'm afraid I can't stay, I want to go to the store before I go back home, Caroline needs a few things and I'd prefer to get home to her tonight."
"Well you three must come visit us sometimes soon," her mother was saying and he smiled.
"I'll bring it up with Caroline," he told her and she nodded before he looked at Sara. "I'll be seeing you," he told her and she nodded back.
When he left, Sara hugged her mother before the two women walked into the house.
After getting her things unpacked and showing off her burns and telling the story of what had happened at the fire Sara was able to relax on the couch while Myrtle and Iris helped their mother with the chores. Shannon sat at the table, working on a small cross stitch she had taken up, and Sara, feeling utterly useless, looked at Mary who was writing a letter.
"Mother," she said. "Is there anything I can do?"
"There's nothing to be done yet," she said after a moment of thought. "I don't need to start dinner for another hour."
"Maybe, if it's alright, might I go visit Dr. Schultz?" she asked hopefully and Mary smiled at her softly before she nodded.
"Yes, go on," she agreed and Sara smiled before she went up to her room and changed from the traveling dress to a nicer cream colored dress, and then after fixing her hair from the long journey and putting on a matching hat she walked out of the house, and down the wooden plank street.
The next street over was where all of the shops were, and when she got there she headed straight for the dentistry where a small bell rang when she opened the door. King was sitting at a desk in the front of the shop, looking very overwhelmed by whatever he was working on.
"I'm sorry, we're closed," he said without looking up and she smiled softly.
"What a shame, I suppose I'll have to come back another time," she commented and he looked up quickly.
"Sara," he was on his feet the moment he realized it was her and after crossing the floor he scooped her into his arms, holding her close. "How- How are you here? What happened Mein Liebe?" he asked as he looked down at her while she rested her hands on his chest.
"The school burnt down," she explained and a look of pain crossed his face and then concern.
"Tell me." he told her as he guided her to a couch against the wall for those who were waiting for their appointment. He sat on the couch, and pulled her into his lap. She smiled as she snuggled against his chest and laid her head on his shoulder, still weary from traveling, but happy to be with him now.
As she told him the whole story he stroked her back and occasionally her cheek before she talked about her hands. He took her hands into his and inspected the raw skin of her hands and wrists before he gently kissed her hands. "Klaus has something that will help with the burns," he told her and she nodded.
"I know, we came upon him when we were getting into town," she explained and he smiled gently.
"My love comes home and I'm the last to know," he said gently and she smiled lightly before she gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"You simply must pay more attention," she whispered against his cheek. He smiled as he turned his head and pressed his lips to hers, bringing one of his hands to her cheek and gently stroking her soft skin with his thumb while they kissed.
When the kiss ended King sighed as he pressed his forehead to hers before he stroked the back of her neck. "Come home with me tonight," he requested and she smiled before nodding.
"I will," she agreed and he smiled before giving her another kiss. "Come pick me up when you're heading home."
"I will," he agreed himself before pressing another kiss to her lips.
When Sara left the dentistry she stopped at her father's shop where she was granted a reprieve from telling the story again, Milo had stopped and told her father the story before he left to go home, and after giving her a long hug Franklin looked at his eldest daughter curiously.
"Will you be looking for a new situation?" he asked and she shrugged.
"I'm not sure," she explained. "I know I should, I have the certificate, but I also wonder if maybe I should stay closer to town so I can work on my trousseau,"
"Well," he said carefully. "I've been thinking since your cousin left, I have been having very good business lately, the town is growing exponentially, and I find it harder and harder for myself to have the time to do my own bookkeeping and keep up with business," he explained. "And as you are the best person in town with numbers, I could pay you to do my bookkeeping once a week," he offered and she smiled.
"I would like that," she agreed.
"We'll go over the details later," he agreed and she hugged him before she pulled back and looked up at him hopefully.
"Dr. Schultz has asked I spend the evening with him," she told him and he sighed as he looked at her for a long moment before running a hand through his hair and nodding.
"You are engaged," he said and looked at her and put his hands on her arms. He squeezed them lightly before he nodded again. "You will always be my little girl," he told her as he held her for a moment and then let go of her. "But I trust you and Dr. Schultz, and I know he will take care of you. As far as I'm concerned, if you are planning your life together, you have the right to spend any evenings you wish with him." he told her and a smile broke across her face.
"Go on home," he encouraged her and she hugged him once more before heading home to pack a bag to bring to the Schultz home.
When King picked her up that evening it was on a cart she had never seen before and it took everything in her system to keep from laughing at the ridiculous new cart with a bright white shining tooth on a spring on the top of it.
"What on earth is that?" she asked and he looked back at it before looking at her.
"Ah, you were away," he explained. "Well since so many people have been stuck near the river's edge through the winter, they needed medical care and many of them couldn't get into town, so I bought this cart from Mr. Davies and I repurposed it." he explained.
"I'm sorry- why did Mr. Davies have a cart with a giant tooth on it?" she asked as she stared at the tooth swaying in the wind and he chuckled.
"No, I had that made and attached to the top," he explained. "So many of the people alongside the river can't read, so they know what I'm there to do when they see the tooth,"
"I see," she said, unable to tear her eyes from the tooth as he spoke. "And you ride around town in this?" she asked as she finally looked at him with a grin and he scoffed softly.
"Do you not want to come with me?" he asked and she put her hands on his chest.
"No, of course I do," she said as she smiled at him. "Come, let's go," she said as she picked up her bag and followed him outside, where he put her bag into the back of the cart and then helped her up onto the seat. It was just wide enough for the both of them and was pulled by one horse, Sara managed to keep her laughter to herself as King got settled and spread a light blanket over their laps, but was completely unable to keep from laughing as the horse started to move and the spring started to creak as the tooth moved with the movement of the cart.
She had to bury her face in King's shoulder as she laughed while they moved out of town, King not saying anything until they got to the Schultz farm and Klaus came outside to help with the horse and upon seeing Sara's face where she was trying to keep from laughing he started to laugh making her start laughing all over again.
King was annoyed but amused by the two as they howled with laughter and he couldn't help but join in himself as he helped Sara down and Klaus unhitched the horse. "Oh I told you she'd find it ridiculous," Klaus smiled at his older brother who shook his head.
"I believe the word you used was funny,"
"Ridiculously funny perhaps," Sara quipped making Klaus laugh and Sara dabbed at her eyes. "Oh my goodness," she smiled and looked at King before she cupped his face. "I'm sorry,"
"I doubt that," King said as he looked at her fondly. "But come, let's get you inside,"
As they turned to the house she noticed a tipi in the yard and paused, looking at it curiously. "Is there an Indian here?" she asked as she looked at King who shook his head, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"It's Klaus'," he explained as they walked into the house. "He's going to be going to the Indians to do some trading, Singing Wolf gave him the lodge some time ago and he decided to bring it along so he can stay there comfortably while he's trading,"
When they got inside King took her bag up to the room they shared when she was there while she went to the pantry and then down to the cellar to see what fresh meat they had. After collecting some meat she brought it back up to the kitchen and began to cook dinner for the three of them.
When Klaus came in from doing the chores King was sitting at the table talking while Sara cooked. "I hear you're going out to see the Indians again," she commented and he smiled.
"Would you like to come?" he asked and she looked over at him with wide eyes.
"Would they let me?" she asked and he chuckled as he sat at the table with his older brother.
"Singing Wolf asks for you whenever I see them," he told her and she smiled.
"Does he?"
"Oh of course," he nodded. "And your Ranger will be needing to be ridden by someone," he told her and she looked at King who gave a small nod.
"When will we leave?" she asked and he smiled back at her.
A week later they were ready to go out to the tribe to trade and stay for a few days time, while her parents weren't exactly thrilled with the Schultz brothers for taking her so far out of the way they agreed that since she was to marry King, and she'd likely be doing this once they were married, they couldn't stop her from going, though she was sure they were hoping that she would get out there, realize she hated it and then convince them never to take her again.
When King picked up Sara in the cart she loaded her stuff into the back and then got onto the cart with King behind the one horse. "We aren't riding the cart the whole way are we?" she asked softly and he smiled.
"No Darling, we're going to go home and pick up Klaus, there you'll be able to ride your precious Ranger," he told her as he took her hand and kissed it gently.
"Good," she smiled. It was funny, the more time she spent with the Schultz brothers, the freer she felt, there was something so wild about the two brothers, something so free and wonderful about them that made her just want to be with them forever. They didn't scare about the rules of society, they were their own people who encouraged her to find her own way, and while Sara had never before thought of herself as being held back by the societal expectations of her gender at the time, she realized the most she spent time with them that she preferred their way of thinking.
"What are you thinking about?" King asked softly and she smiled as she looked at him.
"Just that- if I could marry you today, I would," she told him and he smiled as he looked over at her before he took her hand and kissed it again.
"Do not tease," he said softly and she smiled before she leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.
"Who's teasing?" she asked and he sighed as he wrapped his arm around her.
"When we return, let's take a look at that trousseau and see if there's anything we can get along without," he said softly as he kissed her jaw. "Because I know I cannot get along without you for much longer," she giggled at that but nodded as she looked at him and beamed.
"Agreed," she said softly.
When they got to the Schultz farm Sara got off of the cart quickly and walked over to Ranger who knickered when he saw her and nudged at her chest making her laugh before she drew the apple she had brought for him from her pocket. "You spoil him," King called as he watched her rub Ranger's neck and coo at him.
"You're just jealous," she replied as she shot him a mischievous smile.
"I? Jealous of that beast you shower with unconditional love?" he asked with a small scoff making Sara laugh again as she kissed the side of Ranger's face.
When Klaus came out of the barn leading his own horse he was carrying a new saddle in his hand which he walked over to Ranger and plopped down on his back. "Here," he said as he showed Sara how to cinch a saddle and how to make sure the horse wasn't sucking his breath in to make the saddle cinch looser. When he pulled the stirrup back down Sara got her first look at the saddle, it was a beautiful golden leather, and was carved with wonderful flowered designs and looked incredible, but there was one flaw.
"Klaus, this is a man's saddle," she pointed out after circling the horse to look at the other side of the saddle.
"I did not realize the saddle had a gender," he quipped, making her smack his arm lightly.
"What is the problem?" King asked as he approached the two.
"Sara hates the saddle," Klaus commented making her gasp.
"I never said that," she looked at King quickly. "I only said, that is I pointed out that this is a man's saddle."
"How can you tell?" King asked as he looked at the saddle curiously.
"A woman's saddle is side saddle," she told them and the two looked at each other before Klaus shook his head.
"You are far too proper Sara," he told her before he turned her towards the horse and grabbed her hips. He lifted her up and she grabbed the smooth polished horn of the saddle and slipped her foot into the stirrup instinctively before she looked down at Klaus who nodded and she sighed before she swung her leg over the horse and he walked over to the other side of the horse to adjust the stirrup height on the other side.
"How do you feel?" King asked as she tried to fix her skirts so they were covering her ankles.
"Um, I don't quite know how to answer that," she admitted bashfully and he smiled as he ran his hand up her leg, under her skirt.
"Darling," he said and she looked down at him as he rubbed her knee. "There is no one to see you, just Klaus and myself. And while I love to see you be as free as you like, if you do not wish to ride Ranger like this, you can ride on the cart with me," he assured her and she sighed before shaking her head.
"No," she told him. "I'll ride."
"And if you decide you're done, I'll take you on the cart with me and we can tie Ranger on the back, okay?" he offered and she nodded.
"Okay," she agreed.
When Klaus got on his horse the three set off, Ranger tossing his head and having the time of his life as he started to trot happily following Klaus' horse while they made their way to the Indian tribe. For the first time since the schoolhouse burnt down Sara felt free.
She was with the man she loved, his brother, and riding away from the civilization she was used to, on her way to a place where the types of expectations she was usually held to were foreign and something about that made her excited. After nearly an hour of riding she took off her bonnet and passed it down to King who accepted it and the hat and hair pins as she let her hair out around her shoulders to his delight.
She could hear her mother's chastising voice in her head, without her bonnet to protect her from the sun she would be as brown as an Indian. Well at least she'd fit in where she was going.
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