Chapter One: The New World

Alice Munroe stood on the deck of the ship and stared out onto the darkening wilderness. After surviving several near brushes with death, she was finally on her way home. Alice looked down at her hands, which were covered in bruises and rubbed them with embarrassment. The ladies of London would disapprove of such bruised fingers and Alice had no idea what she would tell them. How could she explain what happened to her? What happened to her sister and father? Alice shuddered despite the warm breeze that had enveloped her. She would be dead too if it had not been for the red man. The man who stared at her with hungry eyes.

Uncas.

She shuddered again.

Uncas had saved her life time and time again. Even risking near death as he fought with the man who kidnapped her. His white brother and father killed most of the Huron party before rescuing Alice and Uncas. From there, she and Uncas were taken to Ken-tuck-ee where they both recovered from their wounds under the care of Chincagook's friends. While Alice had some small injuries, Uncas had stomach wounds and nearly died from blood loss. Alice slowly walked around the deck remembering.

Remembering how she almost lost Uncas. At night, he would hallucinate as she gently washed his body. During the day he would watch over her while she slept. When he grew stronger, they walked together along the river. Sometimes they talked, and sometimes they didn't say a word. Every day, their feelings grew stronger and Alice knew that she wanted to stay in America. Stay with Uncas.

"Unroll the sails!" shouted the captain.

Alice started at the sound of his voice. She turned to watched the massive sails unroll like white clouds. Soon, they would start sail for London. The captain told her when she boarded the ship that the journey would take two months and that the ship would face rough seas in the North Atlantic.

"A delicate lady, like yourself miss, should take care and stay under the deck." said the Captain.

Alice smiled at him, but said nothing. Everyone always thought of her as a delicate piece of china. Beautiful to look at, but easily chipped when touched. After watching her sister burned alive and her father shot, nothing frightened her anymore. She turned back and looked at the shoreline. No, she thought, nothing frightened her, except losing Uncas. She knew when he was sick that she wanted to stay with him and become his wife. While Uncas recovered, Alice began to learn how to take care of herself. She learned how to cook, how to clean, how to build fences. Alice learned things that would have horrified her friends back in England. She smiled at what she imagined their reactions would be. Still, the backbreaking work did not bother her. In fact, she felt more alive working than she did when she sat smiling benignly at friends during teatime gossip. Her new life made her happy.

Yet Chinchagook disliked her. He looked at her with mistrustful eyes and often took Uncas away from her when she and Uncas spent time together. Alice believed that in time Chinchagook would accept her. Yet one night, Alice overheard a conversation between Chinchagook and Uncas that convinced her to go home. Alice was staying with a Cherokee family while Uncas stayed nearby with his father. Every night, Uncas came to visit her and they walked along the river. But this time, Chinchagook followed his son and stopped him before he could reach Alice's home. Alice always waited by the window for Uncas's arrival and when he did not show, she set out to look for him. She was following the river when she spotted Uncas and Chinchagook. Quietly, Alice ducked behind a tree. Uncas and his father never disagreed and Uncas always deferred to his father's good council. Yet in listening to the conversation, Alice realized that she was coming between father and son.

"Why are you spending so much time with this girl?" asked Chinchagook.

"I love her." Uncas replied softly.

"Did I not teach you anything?" hissed Chinchagook. "She is English." "She is not one of us."

"Look at what she has overcome." "How hard she works." said Uncas. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

"You are my son." said Chinchagook. "You are the last of our tribe." "You have a responsibility. . ."

"I know my responsibilities, father." said Uncas. "I have always lived with honor." "I love Alice and I want to marry her."

"You dishonor your ancestors because of your actions with this girl." said

Chinchagook. "And you dishonor me if you marry her."

Before Uncas could reply, Chincagook walked off. Uncas stared after his father with his shoulders slumped. He sat down and stared at the river. Alice watched him, but did not move toward him. Finally, Uncas stood up and walked in the direction of his father. Alice's heart sunk. She knew that Uncas had chosen his father's way. She returned home and went to bed, crying in her sleep.

For the next several days, Alice stayed in bed. She did not eat and drink and Uncas did not come to visit her. Her adopted family worried about her and sent word to Uncas that Alice had taken ill. Alice waited, but he did not come. Finally, Bird Elk, her adopted Cherokee mother, came to Alice and ministered to her. Alice had no memories of her real mother, who died in childbirth. With her father always gone, she only had her sister Cora. Now that her entire family was gone, Alice felt grief every time she needed someone to talk too. Bird Elk was the closest person she had to a friend in this strange new world she was trying to live in.

Alice sat in the bath while Bird Elk washed her hair. The water was cold, and despite Bird Elk's gentle ministrations, Alice winced whenever her hair was touched. Alice had not bathed in a long time and her hair was a blond mass of tangles. Using soap, herbs and water, Bird Elk worked on Alice's hair. With every strand that was untangled, Alice felt herself relaxing. The two women sat in silence. Finally, Alice spoke.

"Why did he not come to see me?" she quietly asked.

"It is difficult." said Bird Elk. "He loves you, but he is the last of his people."

"He has responsibilities."

"But I could help." whispered Alice.

"You cannot help." said Bird Elk gently. "You are English, different."

"Am I so different from you?" cried Alice. "We are the same."

"No, we are not." replied Bird Elk. "You are a good girl, Alice, but you come from a different world." "No matter how hard you try you will never fit in here."

Alice did not reply and Bird Elk said nothing else. When her bath was over, Alice dressed and walked toward the river. Some of her happiest times were spent walking these paths with Uncas. Alice looked around at her new world and felt tears come to her eyes. She came to this world seeking adventure, hoping to have stories to tell her friends in London. She did not expect to watch her family die. She did not expect to survive a massacre. She did not expect to fall in love.

Alice dried her tears and walked back to the house. She knew what she had to do. When she told Bird Elk, the older woman seemed surprised, but nodded her assent. Quietly, Alice gathered her belongings and Running Elk, Bird Elk's husband, took the girl to the nearest town where she caught a caravan that took her 200 miles to the ocean. From there, Alice managed to find passage abroad one of the ships. The captain was an old friend of her fathers and was happy to help Alice find her way home. But for Alice, home was wherever Uncas was, and he was gone from her life.

Alice sighed deeply and wrapped her shawl closer to her body. She took one look back at the shore. Perhaps hoping to see Uncas there, but there was no one left as the skies darkened. The captain shouted his last call and the ship moved away from shore. Alice stood on the deck until she could see nothing and then went below deck.