By the Light of the Moon and Stars

British Controlled New York — August 18, 1757

Alice slowly wandered over to the waterfall, the shimmering moonlight hypnotizing her in. It was just like a scene from a fairytale she had read on the voyage over; and since the first attack days before, Alice found herself drawn more and more to think about princes and heroes and happily ever after's. Such fantasies seemed to bring a limited measure of comfort to her.

Her life and circumstances had drastically changed since her arrival with Cora to Boston. Even during the voyage, her life of luxury hadn't been lessened. In fact, the Munros were treated with the same dignity as that of royalty. They were allowed full use of the Captain's private rooms — which although does not come in comparison to their family's home in London — still bore all the comforts that were afforded to those of high station. Followed by her stay in the General's townhouse in Albany, Alice and Cora Munro were never deprived of anything. She remembered smiling fondly at the thought of adventures, just like the heroes and heroines from her books. Now, Alice wondered if she would ever experience the happiness to smile again. And that all changed one fine Spring day when they traveled peacefully along the King's road. She had come to understand the true harshness and cruelty of the world. It was nothing like her novels, full of heroic actions and unexpected romance. How quickly the young Miss Munro came to know pain and loss. The pain of the body and soul, and loss of friends and family and the life she had known.

However, Alice had carried herself with all the nobility of a true English rose, despite her past fragile and frivolous lifestyle. And although, Cora, confronted life with a more realistic view, and bore contradictions and hardships with courage and dignity — Alice, who had been sheltered most of her life, possessed an unknown bravery which was seen by few and hidden from most, even herself.

Vacantly, she continued to move closer to the edge and gaze out at the moonlight through the sheer curtain of water. She wanted to reach out and caress it. To feel the coolness wash over her skin.

"Get back!" A deep thunderous voice shouted from out of the darkness.

Suddenly a pair of hands took hold of her roughly by the arms, jerking her down to the ground, and away from the edge. Her first thought was that it was a member of the war party which was tracking them. She knew they wouldn't give up their search so easily. She wanted to scream out, but a hand was cupping her mouth trying to keep her silent.

Alice raised her eyes and recognized the face of Uncas. His coppery complexion glowed with the pale light. He drew a finger to his lips, indicating for her to be quiet. Almost immediately her muscles relaxed, allowing her body to melt into his. She realized he had pulled her away for fear that the Hurons would discover them, but now seeing they were still safe, Uncas loosened his grip, allowing her to get up once again. Yet Alice didn't move. She had given way to the warmth and comfort of his body. The feeling of his protection was something she needed desperately. Closing her eyes, Alice inclined her head into his chest and encircled her arms around him completely.

She couldn't elucidate what it was about Uncas that made her feel so safe and protected. It was that way from the beginning when he had taken hold of her, restraining her from going after the horses. She thought about how he grabbed her by the arms and spun her around to face him. His hold was firm, but not rough. Both eyes met and were instantly silenced. At that moment, he saw in her a strength and strong will that even Alice didn't know she owned. If only she knew what Uncas sensed in her that day, she would have laughed at the notion. Alice then recalled the night they had arrived at Fort William Henry. Even with the sound of the cannon blasts ringing through the air, mixed with the screams of dying men, Alice wasn't afraid as she climbed, hand in hand with Uncas, up the steep muddy hills that lead to the walls of the encampment. It was only when, Uncas, released her hand from his, that her suppressed fears rushed in. His touch brought a calmness over her. And as he caressed her, it launched electrifying waves up and down her spine. It brought her a feeling of contentment and affection she never knew in the past.

Once more, his arms loosened, falling on either side of their bodies, implying she could once again move freely. Alice tightened her grip on him all the more, burying her face in the folds of his shirt and muttering softly through her lips, "Uncas..."

He didn't resist her actions. In fact, he received them as one would welcome a familiar friend. He couldn't deny his feelings for her, it was there since their very first meeting in the woods. Uncas could sense her pain, her fear, and sorrow. All he wanted was to steal those feelings away. Once again his arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer to himself. He began to murmur soothing words of his native tongue.

"Ntàpi ehòlit, ntàpi."

Alice didn't comprehend their meaning, but the sound of his voice put her more at ease. Again she thought of the heroes and princes from her novels. Alice freely let her mind wander, needing to find an escape from the world so full of hate and death. A world Alice didn't want to return to. She let the intimate scenes and notions from their pages fuel her moves. Alice gazed upward, her eyes encountering those of Uncas.

Shifting a little, she pulled away and turned to face him. She reached up a hand and traced the outlines of his face, finally letting her thump come to linger over his lips. Alice leaned in to kiss him. Uncas pushed her away and stood up, moving back from her a little further.

What he must have thought in those moments, she didn't know. Alice could only guess that their thoughts were one and the same. How could they ever work? He was a savage. An Indian, born and raised in the wilderness. trained to hunt and track, to forget about pain and discomfort. And she... she was an English lady, born into a life of luxury, wealth and station, and expected to marry into a life no less than such. Only in an ideal world could they be together; and this world was far from a perfect one. But Alice didn't care, and she believed Uncas didn't either. He was merely trying to shelter her.

Without any lingering hesitation, she pressed her lips to his. Uncas didn't pull away, he didn't want to. Instead, he took control, pressing his lips against hers in response, trailing gentle kisses up her cheek and jaw line, before finding her lips again. Alice's hands began roaming up his forearms and shoulders, finally entangling her slender fingers in his long, ebony hair at the base of his neck. Uncas' fingers lightly skimmed her neck and torso before encircling her waist.

There was so much feeling in that kiss. So much love and hunger. It was unlike anything Alice had ever experienced or even imagined. Countless times she had thought about what it would be like, the feeling of it. She had built it all up her head since she was a little girl. Alice always knew it would be special, but she never thought it would be like this. No, this was so much better. In a quick motion, Uncas lifted her into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Gradually they fell back onto the damp floor until Uncas came to rest on top of her. In the eyes of the world, she was a noble lady, and he, a savage. But there, alone in the darkness, with nothing save the light of the moon, they were just Alice and Uncas. Social standing and barriers had been forgotten because they had never existed, at least never in the mind of Uncas.

A million unspoken words exchanged between their two hearts. Words of love, of compassion, words of understanding.

Alice gazed into his eyes, the light of the stars shining in them. She ran a hand along the sleeve of his shirt, tracing his tattoos with her index finger and pondering what they meant.

Uncas' eyes glanced down to where her slender hand lay on his arm.

"They're for bravery and courage, the signs of a true warrior to my people," he explained. "They were given to me after my coming of age ceremony."

Alice's finger trailed to the one on his wrist; two separate lines, one deeper than the other, surrounded by small rectangular dots, which appeared to be wildflowers. "And this one?"

"They represent the symbols for my tribes. The first one is for the tribe of my father's people, the Mohicans. The second is for my mother, the Delaware."

Alice didn't answer. She felt that the need for closeness and connection far surpassed the need to speak. Raising her head a little, she brushed her lips gently against his, before bringing him closer and deepening the kiss.

Slowly, Uncas kissed her again, while never invading or breaking their sacred veil of innocence. He was unaware that an unknown qualm had suddenly taken hold of Alice. It was only when the girl's sobs reached his ears did he stop and pulled her into his arms once again.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." The girl whispered between her sobs.

"For what? There is nothing you need to be sorry for." He wiped her tears away and pressed her head to his chest. "Ntàpi Ehòlit."

Alice's tears, now dry, she raised her eyes to his once again. Her lips parted to speak. "I think I may have fallen in love with you, Uncas."

He smiled and combed his fingers through her damp hair. Instinctively, Alice leaned into his palm and rested her hand on top of his. "I know I have. Uncas, everyone treats me like a child. All my life I have been sheltered and protected: told what to do, where to go. How to behave, but I'm not the childish, invalid school girl everyone thinks I am anymore..."

"Ehòlit, you are not a child. You are Ila kwëti. Brave one. I knew that from the moment I saw you in the woods. You possessed a fire inside you that even Hawkeye doesn't own, or will ever own. Even Cora doesn't have it."

For the first in what felt like ages, Alice felt a smile play across her now plump lips. "What an amusing thought!" She said in almost a whisper, before placing another gentle kiss and resting her head on his shoulder. "Am I truly brave?" She asked him.

"You have the soul of a true warrior, and the heart of a gentle dove."

Again, Uncas laced his fingers through her long honey tresses. It felt smooth. Soft, like silk, or flowing crystal waters. Taking a section, he began to braid it. Alice traced the strands of her neatly folded hair. She stopped when she felt his warm skin. Fetching a thin strip of rawhide, Uncas tied it around the end of her hair. Nimbly, she ran a hand along it again. "What will happen to us?" She asked thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on the braid which hung over her left shoulder.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, expelling a deep sigh. "This cave, we hope, has bought us protection for now. Hopefully, the war party will think we're hiding in the woods and not here. If so, then come the next nightfall, we'll take you to Fort Edward. If not..." his voice trailed off, obviously hiding the harsh reality of the situation from her.

"If not? If not what?" Alice said sensing his sudden reluctance. Uncas made no answer. "Tell me." There was no harshness in her voice. Only concern and want of truth.

He thought for a long moment before making his answer; the words came slow and hesitantly. "If not... if they do find us, we have no means to protect ourselves, let alone you and your sister. We'd have no choice but to either stay and be killed or leave and come after you. Our powder is wet. It's ruined. Without it, we are utterly defenseless..."

He stopped for a moment, as of to prepare her for what was coming next. Before he could finish, the flickering of golden lights against the cavern walls drew his attention away instantly. Darting quickly to the edge of the cave and hiding behind the wall of his lookout, Uncas's eyes quickly searched ahead. Seeing the fast approaching Huron war-party, he turned quickly and in one fluent motion, retrieved his musket with one hand and Alice with the other, and ran back to where the others were hiding.

"If they take you hostage," he began as they ran back in the direction of the farthest section of the cave, "just do what they tell you. Don't say anything. Don't resist. The three of us will have to leave you behind. It's the only way you'll be safe. They'll kill us if we stay, but I'll come after you. I..."

Alice stopped abruptly and pressed her lips to his once again, telling him she understood and would obey his every command, knowing he would find her. "I trust you!" It was her turn to take control. Pulling him by the wrist, Alice, fearless and brave, ran back to join the others.

Footnotes:

The Native American words used in this chapter are is a combination of Mohican and the Delaware language. The actual Mohican Dialect is considered a dead language since the late 1930s, when the last person known to have spoken it, died. However, there are people who have gathered and compiled an English/Mohican dictionary. The words are limited. And in the Mohican dialect, one English word can translate into several different variations, depending on how you mean it. As for this story, I decided to use a mixture of Delaware, Lenape, and Mohican. The translations to the words can be found in the footnotes at the end of every chapter.

(Lenape)

Ntàpi - I am here

Ehòlit - My love

Ila Kwëti - Brave one or Strong one.

Authors note:

Hello everyone!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter of Innocent Hearts. I apologize for the number of times I have changed it in the past few weeks, but I am a perfectionist. If I see a flaw in my work, I can not sleep at night until it has been resolved, literally. Sometimes, I do not catch my mistakes until after the chapter has been posted.

Innocent Hearts was a sudden burst of inspiration for me. After watching the movie for the first time just a little over a month ago, I realized that there was a beautiful, even more enduring romance bubbling in the shadows of Hawkeye and Cora. That couple was Uncas and Alice. I had already loved the character of Uncas from almost the beginning, and I wish they had given both him and Alice a little more screen time. Well, soon after concluding the film, I was instantly struck with an inspiration for this story. The words just seemed to flow out of the pin as I wrote, and I knew that I could not pass up an opportunity to share it with you. I had read in an interview with Eric Schweig, that both he and Jodhi May had filmed a love scene after the waterfall. He even expressed a wish they had put it into the final cut. To this day, that scene, sadly, remains locked safely in the studio vault. Hopefully, someday they will release it to the public for all the Uncas/Alice fans.

Again, thank you for reading my newest book.

Sincerely

M.M. Darling