For the first time in what seemed like forever, Alice exhaled. She had held her breath during the storm of violence and now, as she finally breathed out, she felt her fear, along with the oxygen, escape from her body. What had just occurred on this rocky cliff was more horrifying than anything she had ever witnessed or even imagined before. She still could not fully comprehend the battle, Magua's hatred, or great divide between the reds and the whites; But she knew that the worst was over.
Nathaniel and Chigachgook had arrived just in time to stop Magua from slitting Uncas' throat. After their leader was defeated, the rest of the Huron army fought back, but with more confusion than determination. Eventually they retreated back down the cliff, leaving behind Alice's saviors and their fallen Huron leader. For the last month, violence and chaos had enveloped her, had suffocated her, but now it seemed that she had finally escaped its clutches. There would be no more running away, no more hurried journeys through dangerous forests, no more savages and soldiers hunting for her and her sister. Magua was dead. And now, She could finally free her mind of the constant paranoia of being followed and being preyed on.
Alice! Alice! Are you hurt?! Cora cried out as she stumbled from path below.
No... Alice whispered. The tremble in her voice was miniscule compared to the rapid thumping of her heart.
Alice tried to concentrate on the figure laying infront of her. He was hurt. Badly. Blood had dyed Uncas' shirt black, creating a pattern that weaved from his side, where Magua had struck him, to his shoulder. His mouth was slightly open, and though his eyes told Alice he was still alive, they projected immense agony and pain.
"Quick!" Nathaniel directed as he worked with Cora in cutting off long strips of cloth from her dress. Chigachgook had gone back down the path to retrieve water.
Do something you useless girl
In a panicked realization, Alice began to look around, trying to find something, anything, she could do to help. Her eyes flashed when they landed on Uncas' chest. The satchel that was intended to wrap over his shoulder had become tangled with his hair and his shirt. Without a second thought, Alice dove to free Uncas from the satchel's chokehold. The moment she loosened the straps of the bag from its grip on Uncas' left arm and neck, he started taking large and rapid gulps of air. Seeing evidence that she had actually made a difference, Alice felt a little spark of pride and confidence. Chigachgook reappeared with three flasks full of water. Together through an unspoken understanding, they washed and dressed Uncas' wounds.
Trying her hardest to steady her trembling hands, Alice gently peeled back Uncas' shirt. It was sticky with the mixture of blood from multiple people, the feel and smell of it forced an unpleasant lump rise from the back of her throat. As she removed the cloth completely, Alice gasped. On his left shoulder was a gash the length of a palm, most likely from the strike of the Huron's tomahawk. It oozed blood so dark and so black that even Alice knew without any proper education on the matter that it could be fatal if not treated right away.
It dawned on her that perhaps the worst was not over. That even after Magua was defeated, Alice would have to continue to bear the pain, the loss, and the guilt that comes from being stuck on this land in the midst of this war. Having a man come running to rescue her from danger would have made her heart race and her cheeks blush when she was back in England, but now in the harsher reality of this wilderness, she could only feel regret and hopelessness. Somehow it was not worth it. She had gotten to know this quiet warrior, his brother and father as they protected herself and Cora on their journey through the wilderness. Though unique and different as ever from men in London, her protectors were every bit as gentle and gallant, perhaps even more. They were peaceful creatures, their spirits happy and free. But now, the father tends to his son's wounds - because of her.
As Uncas' face continued to tense at the pain, Alice held back the instinct to hold his hand. She willed herself to ignore the needs of her own body and instead to concentrate on Uncas. Alice and Cora were orphans now, with no home and no destination. Their only assets being the trouble and bloodshed that seemed to follow them everywhere they went. And as she watched Chigachgook and Nathaniel lift and shoulder their bleeding brother, she could not help but think about how unfortunate they were to have crossed paths with two penniless and fatherless English girls.
The group slowly made their way down the cliff. Cora and Alice held hands as they followed Nathaniel and Chigachgook, who shared the streneous task of holding a full grown Mohegan warrior up and guiding him down the rocky surface. They walked in silence; the sky was beginning to darken and in a few more hours they would have to make camp. The men had decided their best option was to go to the Delaware camp. It was only one day's travel south of the river and the camp would have plenty of food and supplies. Their main priority was to get Uncas proper treatment for his injuries. However, the fate of the sisters and where they would go after was left unspoken.
Alice listened to the sounds of the growing darkness. They had stumbled upon a stream and efficiently made camp beside it. Uncas' wounds had stopped bleeding and the landscape had changed from a dangerous wilderness to a welcoming haven, abundant with trees and shade and berries that they snacked with on their way. Now, Stomach full with the fish that Chigachgook caught and which she and her sister helped roast, Alice found herself resting warmly by the fire, dreamily waiting for night to settle in. The fighting and danger that had endlessly terrified her for the past month was not successful in taking her life, but it did rob her of an oppurtunity to appreciate the beauty of the land she had been running through, and now as she watched the sky dance through multiple shades of blue, magenta and pink, she felt braver, as if she had conquered this hardship and this beautiful view was her reward. Cora was already asleep next to her, Nathaniel and his father were also laying down allowing a short and light sleep. Peace in her surroundings and peace within the people around her that she loved suddenly made her inexplicably happy.
She couldnt help herself but smile, and felt foolish for smiling at something so intangible...so...weird Alice thought. But the word made her smile even more and she wondered if she was going crazy. Before she could stop it, a giggle escaped from her. Alice scrambled to cover her mouth with her hands, and glanced cautiously around to see if she had awoke anyone. Everyone seemed undisturbed, then Alice's gaze found Uncas, who was sleeping, lying across from her, seperated by the fire. He laid on the ground, his brothers pack cushioned under his head, his black hair sprawled across over it. Was he smiling? Alice's brows knotted in confusion. It was quite dark now, she couldnt not see for sure, his eyes were closed and he looked as peaceful as any sleeping man, but there was a slight difference in the line of his mouth. His lips were always set in a stoic line, but now they quirked up gently at the ends, it was so subtle that Alice had to squint to get a better look, and even then she was doubting herself.
I must be going mad and seeing things...
She glanced back down at her lap, her face growing red. She had studied his face a little too intensely, the firelight had emphasized his high cheekbones, his full yet strong lips and his thick black lashes that sweeped gracefully over his lids, his smooth bronze skin seem to glow in soft light... Her heart began to beat faster. It always did when she saw him. And just one day earlier as she stood on the promontory and saw him running up the rocky terrain, she thought her heart was going to explode...
Suddenly nervous, and unable to comprehend the foreign feeling of anxiety and unease beginning to grow within her, Alice flopped back down on her sleeping quarter and tucked her blanket under her chin. Her last thought a remnant of the handsome face illuminated by the firelight.