Alice stared numbly at the tanned, bloody hand that gripped her pale, filthy one like a lifeline. Inwardly, she was questioning herself frantically. What am I doing here in this chaotic war-torn frontier? Her disoriented gaze travelled up to the ruggedly handsome face of the Mohican warrior who was currently struggling to stay alive, each ragged breath he took threatening to be his last. Uncas. If it wasn't for his older brother, his throat would have been slit by the vengeful Huron, Magua. He would have died trying to save her. If he had died, she would have… what would she have done?
They were at the Delaware camp. Cora and Alice had tried their best to staunch the bleeding of Uncas' multiple wounds and hastily bandaged him the best they could using material ripped from their underskirts. Between Nathaniel and Chingachcook, the two men had carried the horrendously injured Uncas to the Delaware camp, which thankfully wasn't too far away from the cliffs. Everyone with medicinal knowledge was lending a hand in treating Uncas. It had been two days since they had arrived at the camp.
I want to go home. She couldn't bear the thought of returning to London without Cora but she was terrified of living it out in the American wilderness. She would never survive here. She wanted to go home. The only reason holding her back was lying on the ground beside her, currently delirious with pain. Uncas hadn't released her hand since he had grabbed it while his wounds were getting stitched. His eyes had fluttered open halfway and he had whispered weakly, "Stay." Alice had nodded shakily, "I'll stay. I promise."
At the back of her mind, Alice suspected that Uncas had figured she was wavering despite giving him her word. He had known from the moment in the cave under the falls that her mind and will were deeply shaken and confused. That was why he had caught her hand earlier and had since refused to let go. He knew.
She wanted to go home. Ever since she stepped foot into the camp, she had been desperate to leave. She didn't belong here. She wanted to leave America behind and wipe out the horrific events she had endured from her memory forever. Her father's younger sister, Aunt Maura, was a widow and resided in London. Alice could live with her. Cora wouldn't approve of her leaving America, which meant Nathaniel wouldn't either. She looked down at Uncas, tears seeping from her eyes and dripping down on their clasped hands.
She was going to repay his protection, his care, his love for her by deserting him in the moment he needed her most. They had only known each other for less than a month but she knew how much she meant to him. He loved her. She knew it every time he looked into her eyes. She felt it every time he touched her. She experienced it with heart-melting pleasure when he loved her in the half-light in the cave under the falls.
She had promised him then she would stay with him if they both survived the ordeal. She was going to break that promise. She was going to break his heart. Worst of all, she was going to shatter his trust and faith in her beyond salvation.
Two nights later, Alice was in Albany, with a coach waiting to take her to the port in New York. She was boarding the next steamer home to London. She had nothing on her except a small bundle that held her meagre belongings. The person who accompanied her to Albany, and paid for the coach and her journey home stood next to her, his weathered face impassive. Chingachcook had been the only person she could turn to.
He had agreed to help her plan her getaway without question. It was as if he implicitly understood why she was taking flight and respected her choice. She hadn't the heart to inform Cora of her impulsive decision – she had left her sister a note with a hasty explanation. She had left Uncas nothing.
Alice faced Chingachcook, shame written across her face, "Thank you." Chingachcook regarded her, his own face unreadable. "Why can't you wait until he is awake and well?" the elder Mohican asked calmly. Alice choked back a sob, "I don't think I can bear to leave if I wait till then." "Then why are you leaving?" he finally queried. "I…I…I can't…" Alice sputtered, shaking her head agitatedly.
Chingachcook placed a strong hand on her shoulder, "Go." Alice nodded mutely and clambered into the coach. The coach took off into the darkness. Chingachcook watched stonily as the English girl stuck her head out of the coach and held his gaze tearfully until she disappeared from sight.
Three years later.
Alice never imagined she would be back in America. But here she was in Albany again, waiting to meet Cora and Nathaniel. Aunt Maura insisted on being her chaperone in the event "a dashing English soldier falls hard for the charms of my beautiful niece." Cora had long forgiven her for leaving without a word – the paltry note did not count as a farewell.
Alice had not seen her sister in three years though they had written to each other regularly. Cora and Nathaniel had a two-year-old son, Byron. Cora claimed they would visit London once Byron was old enough to travel and insisted that Alice sailed to America to visit them instead. Alice was reluctant at first but Cora had piled on the guilt… and so here she was.
For most of her visit, Alice was going to stay at Cora's and Nathaniel's cabin, which was about a day-and-a-half from Albany. The couple had extended the same invitation to Aunt Maura, who politely and promptly refused. She was going to stay at an inn in civilised Albany, thank you very much. Plus, the widow was acquainted with some of the wives of the English military officers. Alice promised she'll make the trip back to Albany often to see her aunt. They were now standing outside the inn, waiting for the arrival of her sister and her husband.
"Alice?" her sister's familiar voice quipped from behind her. Alice spun around, "Cora!" The sisters ran to each other and embraced tightly, tears running down their faces. "You wretched girl!" Cora reprimanded between heaving sobs. "I'm so sorry. I really am." Alice apologised profusely as she kissed Cora's cheek. Her sister looked exactly the same with the exception of her lightly tanned skin.
Alice met Nathaniel's shrewd dark eyes with apprehension. He had every reason to dismiss her after what she did three years ago. Nathaniel came forward and patted her shoulder genially, "Alice, good to see you again." Alice heaved a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully at her brother-in-law, "It is lovely to see you again, Nathaniel." Cora greeted Aunt Maura with a warm hug, which the older woman returned in kind. Aunt Maura jovially introduced herself to Nathaniel, who charmingly kissed the English woman's hand. Cora rolled her eyes at his theatrical gesture, which incited the giggles from Alice. It felt wonderful to be reunited with her sister again.
After an early supper at the inn, Alice, Cora and Nathaniel set off for their journey to the cabin. Alice couldn't wait to meet her nephew. "Who is looking after Byron? Did you leave him with neighbours?" Alice inquired curiously. In her letters, Cora had mentioned there were other colonials and Indians who lived a few miles away from them, and they often interacted. "Chingachcook kindly offered to look after him." Cora replied with an amused smile. "Byron loves him more than he loves us." Nathaniel grunted in exasperation.
Cora chortled, "True. But I think Byron's favourite person in the entire world is his uncle. Uncas –" Cora broke off in mid-speech and an awkward silence resumed. Nathaniel cleared his throat loudly, "Byron is dying to meet you since he hasn't met any of Cora's relatives before." Alice answered smoothly, "I can't wait to meet him, too. I bought presents for him."
The trio took a break a few hours later. Cora rolled out a blanket and surveyed her sister thoughtfully. Alice was perched on a flat rock, trying to brush out the tangles in her blond hair. There was something different about Alice. Cora was surprised that she had barely blinked at the mention of Uncas. Alice looked the same. She was her usual quiet self…but she appeared colder than before. Her grey eyes had lost its girlish innocence…Cora kicked herself mentally. Of course Alice had grown up. She wasn't eighteen anymore, but twenty-one years of age.
The sisters had not mentioned Uncas in their letters to each other over the past three years. Alice never asked about him, thus, Cora didn't offer information about him either. It was as if Uncas had ceased to exist for Alice. Now that Alice was in the flesh in front of her, Cora was disturbed that Alice had not inquired about Uncas once since they had met, not even out of courtesy. Though her sister did smile, her smile didn't reach her eyes.
They finally reached the cabin just after dawn less than two days later. Nathaniel knocked on the door and it was wrenched open in the next second. Chingachcook stood at the threshold. When he saw Alice, he nodded politely, "Alice." "Chingachcook. You look well." Alice greeted cautiously, but her smile was genuine.
Byron was still asleep atop a pile of furs in one corner of the cabin. All Alice could see was a small, silky dark head. There was a small bedroom where the couple slept and Nathaniel had built a small cot for Alice and it was placed in another corner of the cabin.
Cora quickly set the table and swiped a loaf of bread from a shelf. The four of them ate hungrily in silence for a few minutes before Chingachcook abruptly suggested, "Alice can stay in the cabin down the path. More space there. I'll stay here." His elder son choked while his daughter-in-law gaped at him in astonishment.
Alice took a sip of water, "Who stays at that cabin?" "Neighbours. They are away." Chingachcook supplied shortly, reaching for another slice of bread. Alice cocked her head, "Will they not mind having a stranger occupy their home?" "Er… it happens all the time here. We neighbours look out for each other." Nathaniel said, a wry grin tugging at his lips. Cora could only gulp her water down nervously.
Byron stirred a few hours later and to his parents' delight, he took to his aunt immediately. "Pretty hair," were his first words to Alice. Alice was charmed on the spot. The toddler spoke with English with a mish-mash of accents, sounding both British and American at the same time. He was a little more fluent in Mohican, and seemed to love chatting with his grandfather. The little boy squealed in delight at the toys Alice had given him and that occupied him for most of the afternoon.
After supper, Nathaniel offered to walk Alice to the other cabin, which was a mere five-minute stroll from his home. "It's safe here. Don't worry." Nathaniel assured as they drew up to the cabin. To Alice's surprise, it was bigger than Cora's. Once inside, Alice was glad to note it was more spacious too. Nathaniel took her on a quick tour and showed her the bedroom which housed an actual bed, though Alice could see it was crafted by hand using solid wood. There was also a long wooden tub for baths. The owner's belongings were in the only chest in the room, so Nathaniel suggested Alice put her things in a small set of drawers in the living area.
"This is quite lovely." Alice commented in satisfaction. Nathaniel winked at her, "It is, isn't it?" After pointing out where wood and food were stocked, Nathaniel left. Alice decided to spruce up the cabin a little though its interiors were already clean and free from clutter. She swept the living-cum-dining area and the bedroom. She wiped the windows and shelves vigorously. It felt good to get some work done.
Alice was scrubbing the wall when she heard the door creak at the opposite end behind her. It must be Nathaniel or Cora checking on her. Before she could turn around, a knife whizzed past her ear and embedded itself on the wall just inches away from her face. If Nathaniel was trying to scare her…
Alice wheeled around, "You told me this place was safe and…" A familiar towering figure stood at the doorway, his ebony hair and copper-hued skin glinting in the moonlight. His face was shadowed but Alice knew who it was instantly, instinctively. Uncas. He stepped into the cabin, and the firelight from the hearth danced on his chiselled features. Uncas.
Alice stood rooted to the spot. Did he recognise her? She looked straight into his fathomless eyes. Yes, he did. When she first returned to England, she used to imagine what Uncas would say to her if they ever were to meet again. He didn't keep her guessing for long.
"Get. Out."