Upstairs in her room, Sara looked at her self the mirror. She was a terrible sight. Her nose had stopped bleeding, but her eye was swelling up and was red; she knew it was going to swell more and blacken. Outside she heard Uncle Jim fire his gun, and deep inside Sara hoped he shot what he was aiming at.

"Sara?" Aunt Catherine said as she opened her bedroom door.

Sara looked down at her feet and focused her attention on fixing her braid. "I'm fine, aunt," she said softly.

Aunt Catherine stepped into the room and shut the door. "You're not fine. I know you better than that," she said, picking up a hair brush to brush Sara's long hair.

Sara bit her bottom lip and it quivered. She usually succeeded at not showing her emotions, but right now emotions were all she could feel.

"I just can't believe he did that to me," she said.

Aunt Catherine ran the hairbrush down Sara's hair gently. She was always careful not catch the brush on a tangle.

" You're ahead of the times. Us women don't have the rights that you think we should. If a man wants to rape a woman, then he will. Or if a man wants to hit a woman, he will," she said.

Sara blinked back her tears. She had seen her father hit her mother and the neighbors turned a deaf ear to the screams and cries. A lot of her past she wanted to forget, but a lot of it she relived every night in her dreams. Her mother had taken a stand. Not necessarily the best one but a stand nonetheless.

"I'm glad you and Uncle Jim showed up," Sara said.

Aunt Catherine set down the hair brush and separated Sara's hair into thee sections. "You should be thanking Captain Gilbert. James and I wouldn't have known something was wrong if he hadn't called out," she said.

"How did he know?" Sara asked.

"James said Gilbert was helping to fix the wagon wheel when he heard you cry out. If he hadn't been so near we would have never heard you," Aunt Catherine replied.

Sara was silent, but she nodded. She was indeed grateful to Gilbert, but she was unsure if he would accept her gratitude because she had been so rude.

"You're hair is so beautiful, Sara. It's so dark, but it shines like silk. 'A woman's hair is her glory'." Aunt Catherine said, quoting the bible.

Sara did indeed have beautiful hair, It was long and when she stood it came far past her waist. She brushed it a hundred strokes before she went to bed at night, to keep it from tangling. Once a month she would haul water from the pump and boil it. When it was hot enough for her to stand, she wet her hair and lathered it with store bought soap. After she rinsed it once, she would rinse it again with cool water. Her mother had always taken care to wash her hair like this, and Catherine did as well. She liked her Aunt Catherine's hair, it was red. Her family had migrated to New York state from Ireland before she was born. She had a small figure and her beauty always amazed Sara. She thought that her own looks were rather plain. She had boring dark hair and boring dark eyes. She also was tired of wearing it in a plain braid with a boring white cap on it. The white cap was good for hiding undressed hair, but that was about it.

"Come," Aunt Catherine said when her hair had been re-braided. "lets get supper."

~~O~~

For supper Uncle Jim had brought home two squirrels. It was sad to skin the squirrel and dress it, but squirrel meat was a good treat. While Sara cut one of their remaining tomatoes, Aunt Catherine diced onions. Sara never really like to dice onions because the smell stung her eyes and made her cry. They also made spoon bread, which was made with corn meal instead of flour.

"Sara, why don't you make some pudding," Aunt Catherine said.

If there was one thing Sara liked to make, it was pudding. Her favorite type was called Birds' Nest and was made with apples and cinnamon. She took four of the apples from the cellar, cut their cores out, and peeled them. Then, she added the eggs and spices. Birds' Nest was always great to eat and didn't take as long for her to make as Aunt Catherine's Yorkshire pudding. When supper was ready everyone came into the kitchen to eat.

"James, go and ask Captain Gilbert to come and eat with us," Aunt Catherine said.

Uncle Jim stepped out of the house, followed closely by John. Sara began to feel nervous as she waited for the men to come back. Quickly she looked at her reflection in a spoon and pinched her cheek to give it color. When Aunt Catherine cleared her throat Sara put her spoon down.

"Can you believe the captain is going to eat with us!?" John said, rushing up and taking his seat.

Aunt Catherine waved a hand at him. "You mind your manners," she scolded.

Uncle Jim and Gilbert walked came in through the kitchen door. "We are honored to have you eat with us. Just take that seat beside Johnny," Uncle Jim said.

Gilbert walked around the table and sat in the empty seat next to John. John looked at him with his mouth open.

"Wow, so do you fight Indians?" John asked.

"I've seen a few, but the ones I've met have been civilized," Gilbert answered.

"Did you ever see an Indian raid?" John asked.

Gilbert chuckled. "I have heard of them," he said.

"Johnny, that's enough questions. Let the captain eat," Uncle Jim said.

Uncle Jim bowed his head and blessed the meal. Naughtily, Sara swiveled her eyes towards Gilbert. He was sitting right across from her and she would have to say something to him sooner or later. When Uncle Jim had said 'Amen', he filled the plates. First he filled Gilbert's, then Aunt Catherine's, then Sara's, then his own, and finally Johns. When Uncle Jim had taken the first bite, then everybody else ate as well.

"So, Captain Gilbert-" Aunt Catherine started.

"You can just call me Gil, Mrs. Brass," Gilbert said.

Aunt Catherine smiled at his politeness. "Gil. Where are you from?" she asked.

"I'm from Maryland, but I have lived all over. I travel a lot," he answered.

"What is your trade?" Uncle Jim asked.

"I teach science," he answered.

Aunt Catherine and Uncle Jim seemed to be impressed. Sara had already known all these things. She was waiting for him to say something she didn't know.

"How long have you been in the Army?" Uncle Jim asked.

"Since I was a young man. I count my blessings that I have been able to study and get a degree," Gil responded.

"Do you have a family?" Aunt Catherine asked.

"No," Gil answered.

Sara seemed interested by this. During all of their talks together they never discussed his family, or if one existed. She wondered if this was his own fault, or fault of society.

"Sara, bring the dessert," Catherine said as she cleared everyone's empty plates.

Sara walked over to the stove and pulled the pudding out of the oven. She set it on the table and Aunt Catherine brought the sugar up from the cellar. The pudding smelled delicious and the crust was making Sara's mouth water. Uncle Jim put a thick slice onto everyone's plate and they began to eat it.

"This tastes wonderful," Gil said. "what is it called?'

"Birds nest," Sara piped up. "It's a Birds' Nest pudding."

Aunt Catherine nodded. "Sara can make the best Birds' Nest pudding for miles," she said.

"It tastes great. May I have a second slice?" Gil asked.

"Of course you can," Sara said, spooning another slice onto his saucer.

It made Sara proud when somebody liked her cooking and she did indeed cook to please. She watched as Gilbert finished off his pudding and smiled. She felt a kick under the table and looked up to see John grinning at her. She kicked him back and went back to her pudding.

~~O~~

November 1777

One morning Uncle Jim came into the house with a letter in his hand. He was excited and as Aunt Catherine read it, she became excited too.

"Who is it from papa?" John asked.

"It's from Uncle Charles in Philadelphia. He says that our nation has proposed what is to be known as 'The Articles of Confederation'," he said with a smile.

Sara was puzzled. "What do the articles say?" she asked.

"Well," Uncle Jim said. "there is thirteen of them and the first one gives us the tittle of The United States of America!"

John threw his hat up into the air. "We're gonna lick 'em!" he shouted.

Aunt Catherine hushed him. "Got outside and shout if you're going to shout," she said.

"I'm going to go see Gil," he said as he rushed out of the house.

Sara picked up the letter and read it to herself. Uncle Jim was right, on November fifth congress had agreed on thirteen articles and they were to be ratified. Not only were they to going to be 'The United States', each person would be permitted to travel from state to state. Also, the accused were guaranteed a trial and just hearing. Was this the future that people were fighting for? What if they didn't win this war that was still raging?

"Sara?" she heard Gil say as he walked in through the kitchen door.

Sara looked up at him and smiled a bit. Since he had saved her they had rekindled their friendship, but her heart thudded wildly when he walked into the same room as her. She handed him the letter and stood by as he read.

"What if we loose this war?" Sara asked him.

Gil pursed his lips. "I don't know," he said. "but the rewards of winning look bright," Gil paused. " I have to go on soon."

Sara nodded. She knew he had to go back, but she wasn't expecting it so soon. Her heart ached for him to stay.

"When?" she asked.

"Next month the troops will stop in Valley Forge. I will meet up with them there," he answered.

Sara nodded. "Do you think you might ever come back?" she said.

"I don't know. If I make it to my next leave I can come and visit you," he said.

You. She did indeed want Gil to come back and visit just her, but she didn't think it was fit to tell him so. She always thought he was just a friend, but now she knew that deep inside it was something more.

Sara looked down at her shoes. "You may write to me," she said.

Gil turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I will write to you every day," he said.

"Sara," John said as he came through the back door. "come and look at this salamander!"

Sara smiled at Gil and turned to go and see her little cousin's findings. She now looked at Gil in a new light and she knew it was love.