It had been more than six summers since that day on the cliffs, where Uncas almost lost his life in his attempt to rescue Alice from Magua's captivity. Alice. The sweet and innocent English girl he along with his father and brother had endured so much to keep safe.
From the moment he first lay eyes on her on George Road, his heart was captured. Long, sun bleached hair that still managed to shine despite the horrid circumstances. Her opening grey eyes; filled with fear and hurt yet they continued to hide compassion, kindness and utter purity in their vast depths. It was when he looked inside those eyes that he knew his heart belonged to the English girl.
So when the occassion called for him to risk everything when encountering Magua, he never even though twice about it. He cared not if he died only so that she could live. For a world without her was beyond his imagination. Thus, if he had to give up on his own life in exchange for hers, he would gladly do so again.
Thankfully, the spirits were truly generous and allowed him to live. His injuries were particularly severe and the healing process a long and painful one. But Alice didn't leave his side once; taking constant care of him and keeping him company. Even when he was not awake, she would remain by his side, barely getting any sleep as his father would later inform him.
It was during those months of recovery that he actually got to know Alice. Before, he knew very little but now he had had the privilege to be shown the full depth of her remarkable personality. Despite her being upbrought in the most ladylike manner as all white woman of high society, she was nothing like the typical Englishwomen he had seen before; spoiled and arrogant. Alice was not as naive as she could appear, in fact she was very intelligent and well-read.
She knew a lot about the world - although only from the massive number of books she had gone through in her life. But what was most endearing was her kindness and her sweet demeanor. Unlike her outspoken and unnerving sister, she was rather silent -something they had in common- and never raised her voice once. An angel as he would call her. She was caring and giving in a way he had never seen before.
After sticking by him for so long and responding to his feelings of adornment, he finally asked her what he had longed to ask for so long and they were married soon after their siblings. Despite their union never being met as official by the law -not that they had expected otherwise- and his worry that she would soon regret and realize how much she has given up when choosing to stay, Alice stayed true to him and became the most wonderful wife any man could ever ask for. His wife.
One could ask how they managed to be so happy and get along perfectly fine. Nathaniel and Cora fought very often, exposing both of their very aggressive personalities. Uncas and Alice on the other hand never really fought. They even exchanged very few words; most of which were always loving and affectionate; another thing people wondered about. How they managed to communicate with so few words, as if they could read each others' minds through their stares and adoring glances.
So yes, Uncas was happy. And when he thought he could never get any happier than this, the news of a child -their child- growing inside his beloved Alice came as a pleasant shock. He had certainly though about children in the past, but it had always seemed like a distant dream. At first, his concerns quite outweighed the joy that had spread in the family. After all, he was still an Indian -a redman as white people called them- and despite her adjusting to life in the camp with others of his race, she had always been distinctive -even more than her sister due to her fair features.
Even if their marriage had met little opposition by the locals, he was very well aware that a child of theirs would never be entirely accepted and embraced in neither world. Yet all his concerns and fears vanished in an instant when he first got to see his woman swell with his child and when he felt the baby's first kick inside her.
The baby came while he was harvesting their summer crops, stocking the food away for winter. Alice bit her lip until it bled, holding back her screams, but they burst out of her, and called him away from his work.
She had collapsed in the middle of their wigwam. He found her there, curled in on herself, clutching her stomach.
He immediately hurried to call her sister for help. He didn't wish to do it alone for if he failed there would be blood on his hands and all his hope would be gone. His world would be empty.
Alice pressed her fist to her mouth while he moved her. She mumbled instructions, and some of them made sense but the majority did not. He would never forget the look on her face. She was in horrible pain and screaming at the top of her lungs, suffering miserably. But he held her hand all the way, not leaving her once just like she hadn't left him.
It was the most wonderful moment of his entire life; when he got to hold his daughter for the first time. A creation made from them and their endless love. She was truly a gift from the spirits just like her mother. And as they sat together, Alice in his lap, the baby in her arms, and watched the sun rise - deep happiness bloomed in his heart.
Their beautiful little girl had grown before they even knew it. She had Uncas' dark skin, yet hair much lighter than his and her mother's stunning eyes. Uncas would have it no other way. She was truly a child of his, adventurous and energetic, full of life and desire for wandering - something that would often cause them trouble but they didn't mind. It was her nature after all. They had decided to name her Sayen, meaning lovely in his language and it fitted her perfectly.
Soon enough, just when little Sayen turned three summers old, they were blessed with another child - a son this time, whom they decided to name Hotah for his skin was slightly more tanned than Alice's. Joy spread for once more although Uncas could see Cora was a little troubled, jealous of their happiness. Unfortunately, she and Nathaniel were never blessed with a child yet they both helped a lot when raising Sayen and Hotah.
And so their life continued, Uncas spending most of his time either working or having small adventures in his barely four years old daughter's company, to whom he wished to teach everything and encourage her curious nature. Alice instead spent more time in the camp, taking care of their infant son who unlike Sayen, was silent and tranquil, carrying an uncanny resemblance to his mother. Their son never wished to leave Alice's side, clinging on to her and seeking her wonderful lullabies that even Uncas himself found to enjoy.
But what is established in years can collapse within minutes and this was the case with Uncas' happiness. That summer a grim plague hit the camp and people were falling sick one after the other. It was a dreadful sight but more than that it was dangerous, especially for their two children. It was Alice who fell sick eventually though and her state was devastating. They all did their best in their abilities to keep her alive and he never left her side for once more, whispering sweet nothings to her, hoping that she would hear and wake up for him - for their children.
Uncas would never forget that moment of pure uselessness he felt while the love of his life, Alice, died slowly slipping away from him. And when the awful moment came along all he could feel was numbness. Utter numbness and grief. A internal pain unlike any pain he had endured before. His world had been shattered, his very soul taken away from him.
He remembered holding her hand to his lips, kissing it repeatedly and murmuring pleas for his love. He could remember Cora's body, next to his own, wracked with sobs. He simply remained frozen where he was, staring at Alice, even when all the others had left. He'd lost his soulmate. He couldn't register the ugly thought in his head. Alice is not coming back, ever.
Alice, who looked happy even in death, had been taken from life far too young. She was only twenty two years old. Uncas studied her face. She looked like she was sleeping, her pale skin, her honey blonde tresses framing her angelic face. Slowly, he climbed in the bed beside her, longing to hold her one last time. He wrapped his muscular arms around her, pulling her close. Her head fell so naturally in place against his chest. And at that moment, his world broke down. His salty tears dripped onto Alice's lifeless cheeks. The sobs that shook his body, rattled the corpse he held tightly. How he wanted her to wake up, to kiss him good morning, to ask to see her children, to ask him why he looked such a state. He would laugh, tell her about this horrible dream and she would laugh too. But it was no dream, it was real. So very real.
Hours later Cora was surprised when she came in, to say her final farewells, to find Uncas sobbing with her beloved sister cradled in his arms. His head was bowed, his shoulders sagged. He looked every bit like a man whose world had been torn apart.
He settled her body back on the bed, peaceful as she was and placed a kiss on her cold forehead, heading outside and struggling to walk the numbness off his legs. He staggered outside and was startled enough to see everyone else outside the wigwam where she laid. They were all talking hushed voices, barely above a whisper, heads bowed together. Nathaniel looked up and spotted him, standing shyly in the corner. Nobody dared to speak a word apart from his father, Chingachgook, who slowly approached him and placed a comforting hand on his back.
He spoke loudly, making his voice heard as Uncas could barely even stand on his feet. "When you seek to cut a flower in a garden, you always choose the most beautiful one. And just like that, the High Spirit chose Alice to take by its side, guarding her purity and beauty."
"She loved you all so much." Uncas croaked, his hoarse voice breaking the solid silence that had followed. No one had expected him to say anything.
Nathaniel also rose, approaching his father and brother. "Her heart was big enough to fit us all in there. That's how great she was. But you had always been first in there." he held back a tear.
Tears begun streaming down Uncas' face, his body was wracked with sobs. No one made a move or made any further gesture towards him to console him. There was only one person he needed now. He needed Alice. He needed his love. He sunk to his knees, his head buried in his hands, tears streaming, pouring, rushing from his eyes like a never ending river.
The pain and heart break in his soul never left. He had never found peace again. He never dared to even dream about anything else but her. For he always had and always will love her. Until he himself takes his final breath in this world. But now he had to stand strong, for the sake of his children. To honor her memory, to keep her spirit alive through them. And his children would grow up to know that their mother was the sweetest spirit to ever walk this earth. To know how much she had done for him - for them. How selfless and kind she was. An angel indeed.
And who knows? Perhaps one day when he as well is taken away by the spirits, he will find again comfort in her arms and get to leave the rest of eternity by her side. Loving her perhaps even more than he loved her in this world, not that such thing would ever be possible.