Thread: The story of when we met (Candira and Kolath)

The western territories were a harsh place to live. Oh, they had mighty fine folk, and the advantage of freedom and large tracts of land, but that didn't make it any easier. Because of this, there were strong men, and strong women. Beauty was often secondary to wealth and to the ability to care for the land and each other, but it was never fully forgotten. It was because of this that many heads turned when the Saffron sisters were in town. Each woman was beautiful in her own way, and each had valuable talents. Cora, the eldest sister and a widower, was a gifted home-maker. She was resourceful, creative, and very good at handling people. She had married Marcus Lane shortly after the sisters came to live in town. They had planned to start a family, but Marcus had gotten ill and passed away. After her husband's death, Cora's sisters, Roxanne, Veronica, and Laura can to live with her on the ranch. Roxanne, the youngest, was a veterinarian. She had decided to come and help her sister take care of everything Marcus had left her. Roxanne was a businesswoman and had many contacts in town. She decided to come and help take care of that end of things. Veronica had come to give moral support and help her sister get back on her feet, but she had never really planned to stay. Only after she'd realized her calling as a foreman was she convinced that Cora really could use her. Together, the saffron sisters had the strongest, most successful business in the area, and they did a good job of giving back to the community and spreading the wealth--something that Cora took charge of herself. Marcus' gift had allowed the sisters to thrive and they gave back in his name. That was why they thought little of hiring on the man who'd seemed down on his luck when he entered town. Neighbors helped each other, right? Besides, he'd been very humble--charming even. He seemed more than happy to be working for the quartet of sisters. When they needed someone to check and herd on the cattle on the northern part of their land, they had sent him, thinking that he was trustworthy enough to do as needed. This was before any news had come to them about robberies, or any other crimes, so they had really never connected the dates to the man's arrival. So it was that the Saffron sisters had unknowingly welcomed a murderer into their ranks. -- Cora was just coming into town. Her long red hair was tied back in a braid, stetson pulled down to shade her face from the hot sun. She wore a blue blouse tucked into her long brown skirt. Her blue eyes shimmered in warmth as she smiled at the people on the outskirts. She greeted them happily and slowed her carriage a bit. She was on a supply run, and would soon be going by the train station and the sheriff's office. It was a good day, and she had always enjoyed talking to folks in town to see if there was anything more she and her sisters could do for the community. When she finally reached the store--her true destination--it was high noon. Trains would be coming in soon. That meant a fresh supply for the store, too. This was just the right day to come to town. Little did she know how lucky it would be for her.