THE BRAID
by Greylyn
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The sound.
The unbelievable sound.
Never in her young life had Alice Munro heard such a sound. To her, it was the roar of death coming to claim all who heard it. The shrieks from those hidden voices rang out in all directions, making the blood in her veins turn to ice. Fear clutched at her, taking on a life of its own. From atop the horse she rode with her sister, Alice slowly tightened her grip each time the screams rose in their intensity. Leaning against her sister's back, she fought to control her rising panic. She wanted to run. Somewhere. Anywhere. As long as it took her away from that awful sound.
Struggling to control their horse as it danced nervously under them, Cora Munro felt the tremors racking her younger sister. Trying to calm Alice's fears as much as her own she said, "It will be alright, Alice. It will be alright."
Wide-eyed, Alice nodded mutely as her sister continued to whisper to her. Though terrified at what was happening, Alice turned in the saddle and stared into the long line of people strung out behind her. Her eyes swept frantically through the mob of soldiers and civilians hoping to see the one face that could assuage her growing fears. The man she had fallen in love with...
Uncas.
Try as she might, she couldn't find him in the growing hysteria, but she knew he was there, somewhere. When they rode out of the fort that morning, she had caught sight of him briefly—in a dark green shirt, his black hair flowing, his noble face intent on every thing around him. He had been walking with his father and brother. Hawkeye had been arrested by her father the night before. So that morning, as they left the fort, he and the other prisoners were marched out as one group--Uncas and their father, Chingachgook had stayed with him.
Cora had been absolutely livid about the arrest. Alice had never seen her so furious. Though she had asked what had happened, her sister had only given her a short, terse answer before sweeping from the room they shared. Alice knew her sister wasn't angry with her, but with their father. As much as they both loved Papa, he could be extremely rigid and unbending in his thinking and it had been the source of more than one argument in the past.
The sound of gunfire shook Alice from her memories, jarring her back to the present. Sensing the danger around them, Cora guided their horse from the road. Grabbing Alice's arm, she pulled her from the horse and into a clump of tall grass to hide. Terrified, Alice clung to her sister, trying desperately to control the whimpers gathering in her throat. Every shot, every howl from the attacking Indians made her recoil in terror. She had been so excited when their father had sent word to join him in the Americas. 'What an adventure!' she had said to Cora. What an adventure indeed.
"We should go!" Alice whispered, unable to control the tremor in her voice.
As if on cue, a guard from their father's escort staggered and fell beside them, his face covered in blood. Bolting from their grassy covering, both women fled into the surrounding battlefield. They had only gone a few steps when Alice broke free from Cora's grip and plowed ahead of her older sister, not really knowing where she should go. With her heart pounding painfully in her chest, she ran as if the very devil himself was chasing her.
The two women hadn't gone far when a painted savage rose up in front of them, cutting off their retreat. The sight so startled Alice that she stopped dead in her tracks. Cora walked past her and without hesitation, raised the pistol she carried and fired, killing him instantly. Through the drifting smoke, she stared at the man's lifeless body and felt nothing. What she had done was necessary for their survival and she would do it again if need be.
Turning away, she caught sight of Alice standing mutely behind her--her eyes wide and transfixed on the ghastly carnage all around them. Grabbing the girl by the shoulders, Cora tried to drag her away, but something inside her snapped and she struggled against being moved.
"Alice," Cora hissed, trying to reach the traumatized girl, "Move! Move now...or we shall die where we stand!"
Staring blankly at her sister, Alice tried to comprehend the words being spoken to her. The effect of seeing so many people die had clearly taken its toll. Fearing for both of them, Cora finally forced her unresponsive sister in the direction of the woods, hoping to find some refuge for them. Pointing toward the trees, she shoved Alice forward, telling her to run then stopped to retrieve a pistol she spied on the ground. Her one prayer was that the weapon was still loaded.
Without her sister's guidance, Alice took only a few more steps before stopping. She had seen too much horror, too much death and it was more than her young mind could handle. Retreating into her thoughts, she wondered if Uncas still lived and if so, would he risk all to find her. Another part of her mourned him as already dead and grieved the loss of a love that had just begun to blossom. Instead of seeking sanctuary, she instead turned and gazed at the distant horizon. Her pale, unemotional eyes stared at a world gone mad, no longer aware of her surroundings.
As she stood gazing blankly into space, five strong fingers gripped Alice under the chin and slowly forced her to face their owner. Turning, her eyes locked with ones that were dark, cold, and murderous. She tried to force a scream from her mouth, but couldn't utter a sound. Terrified, she watched as a blood soaked hatchet rose into the air, preparing to strike her down.
"Leave Her Alone!" screamed Cora, her angry words splitting the air.
Rushing the Huron from behind, she slammed the butt of an empty rife against his back. Shoving Alice aside, he turned and with one blow, backhanded Cora, knocking her to the ground. Before she could get to her feet, the savage quickly grabbed a hand-full of dark hair. She gasped in pain as he wrenched her onto her knees and pressed the sharp blade of his hatchet against her throat. Feeling her time had come; she said a silent prayer and prepared to die.