Coming Back to You
I own nothing but the characters I make up, everyone else belongs to whoever holds the rights to the Last of The Mohican's publication. I also make no money from this so please don't sue me
"I looked for you in everyone
and they called me on that too
I lived alone but I was only
coming back to you"-Coming back to you, The Once
Prologue
Alice was drowning.
She crashed into dark, startlingly cold water that twisted and churned all around her. It tossed her this way and that, like a rag doll thrown between the hands of overzealous children. How strange, she thought, that she should find herself submerged in water when she had leapt from a cliff that ended in flat, smooth rock. She had seen the stones rising up to meet her, she had been resigned, content even, in her choice. Now, in place of the pain and subsequent nothingness she had expected to feel, there was only liquid blackness.
Alice's lungs burned with the need for oxygen. She kicked madly for the surface, panicked by the knowledge that she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. She didn't know if there would be land nearby if she reached the surface or if there was even a 'surface' at all. All she knew was that she had gone from being prepared to die in one second to fighting for her life in the next.
Ultimately, she lost the battle with holding her breath. Instinct took over, forcing her to open her mouth. Water flooded in, choking her, causing her eyes to bulge in distress. She reached up a hand, hoping, praying, that the surface was near. She could have cried in relief when her hand broke through and cold air rushed against her searching fingers.
Alice struggled to pull the rest of her body up but she was sluggish with the need for air. Her legs no longer kicked as strongly, her limbs were growing heavy. Was this how it was going to end, not by a fall but by drowning? She was just beginning to sink below the waves again when a hand shot out of nowhere and took hold of hers tightly. She was aware of long fingers wrapping around her wrist and a strong arm tugging her upwards. She was propelled, none too gently, up onto a hard, slick surface. Sputtering and coughing followed and the hand thumped her back hard.
Alice gagged, retching up water onto the rocks beneath her splayed fingers. She dug her nails into sparse moss, barely holding herself up on trembling arms. Slowly, she became aware of a dark face peering worriedly into hers. Tears filled her eyes when she turned her head and took in the healthy and unbutchered visage of Uncas, the first and only man she had ever loved.
Uncas…" she rasped, his name disappearing in another bout of coughing. She yearned to throw her arms around him, to hold him close and never let him go, but her exhausted body refused to heed her. Instead, she slumped and he caught her before she cracked her head open on the wet rocks.
"Shhhhhhhhh," his voice soothed as he lowered her to the ground gently, "I'm right here."
Alice took another shuddering breath as he rubbed her back, waiting patiently while she finished spitting out water. It seemed to go on forever but finally the awful coughing and retching ceased. She laid her cheek against the damp stones, weak and utterly exhausted.
"Hurts…" she moaned.
"I know." His deep voice responded, solemnly.
"Where…?" she tried to ask.
"I have no idea." Came his quiet reply.
Alice tried to lift her head enough to glance around but a wave of dizziness overcame her and she laid it back down again. She couldn't see much of anything in the dark except that it was night and that it was raining. Beyond that, not much else. After a moment or two, she became aware of a bright light gliding silently overhead. Alice thought she was imagining it at first but then it glided over again. The light was ghostly but bright enough to draw her attention. She pulled her eyebrows together, puzzled as it went over a third time.
"What is that?" She asked roughly, whispering around the pain in her throat.
"I don't know." Uncas answered, his arm stiffening slightly where his hand rested on her back. "It's a light of some sort. I saw it from the water and swam toward it. It looks like it's attached to a structure but I'm not sure what it is."
"Could you describe it for me?" She requested tiredly, unable to sit up and look for herself.
"Well, its tall, cylindrical, and it has a light that spins at the top." He supplied, sounding distrustful despite his assertion that it had led him to land.
"A lighthouse?" Alice guessed, surprised.
"What is a 'Light House'?" Uncas asked confusedly, spacing out the two words and saying them slowly. Alice smiled a little, remembering that the colonies were young and that, growing up in the wilderness as he had, he had likely never seen one.
"They help ships find shore." She explained, raggedly.
"Well, it helped me find shore so it served it's purpose, I suppose." He commented wryly.
"How did we end up here?" She asked. "How are we completely uninjured."
"Your guess is as good as mine," He answered, "One minute I was falling and bleeding out, and the next I was in the water without a mark on me."
"Do think this is... purgatory?" She asked, suddenly frightened.
"If it is then it's a lot colder and wetter than Reverend Wheelock led us to believe." Uncas mumbled thoughtfully. They were silent for a long moment before Uncas spoke again.
"What happened to you?" He asked quietly. "Did Magua-?"
"No." She cut him off before he could finish that thought. "No. I never gave him the opportunity."
There was no need to elaborate further and Uncas didn't ask for any details. Instead, he squeezed her shoulder before gently rolling her over so he could gaze down into her face.
"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to save you." He said remorsefully.
"I'm sorry I simply wasn't strong enough." She countered. Uncas reached a hand down to cup her face, smiling at her warmly.
"You were always stronger than anyone gave you credit for." He corrected firmly.
Alice reached up a hand to cover the one on her face. She returned his smile, albeit a little sadly, before looking up to see the light pass over them again.
"We're truly dead, aren't we?" She said, framing her words like a question though she honestly wasn't expecting a response.
"Maybe," Uncas grunted, gathering her into his arms and holding her against his chest, "But I don't think so. Call me crazy but I think this is something else entirely."
"Limbo, perhaps?" Alice offered with a humorless little laugh. Uncas gave his own quiet chuckle before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Well, if we really are trapped in limbo at least we're trapped together." He replied warmly. "I could think of far worse fates."
Alice smiled as she relaxed against him. Cold and wet it might be in this odd 'between' space, but it was warm and safe in Uncas' arms. If this truly was to be their purgatory, then Alice thought she would be happy to stay right where she was forever. Together, they stared out over the water in companionable silence. All was quiet save for the lapping of the water against the rocks and the gentle patter of rain.
Feeling drowsy, Alice began to hum to herself, a little tune her nanny used to calm her when she was a young child. She hadn't thought about the lullabye in ages but, as they lounged there by the water, she began to sing quietly.
"Voices like songs that are heard in the dawn," She sang, eyes closed as she listened to the gentle fall of rain, "Medhel an gwyns, Medhel an gwyns."
"What?" Uncas interrupted, pulling back, she presumed, to look at her.
"Hmmmmm," she replied sleepily and then opened her eyes to smile at him, "Oh, it's just a lullabye my nanny used to sing."
"What do those words mean?" He asked as he played with a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers. "Metal and...gwen?"
"It's 'Medhel an Gwyns," she corrected him with a laugh, " and to answer your question, I have no idea what it means. Lyddie was from Cornwall and often sang local folk songs so-" Alice's story was brought to an abrupt end when there was a heavy splash of something hitting the water somewhere out in the darkness.
"What was that?" Alice gasped, feeling Uncas tense up next to her.
"Not sure." He replied, gently placing her back on the rocks. He stood up and squinted out into the dark, waiting for the light to come around again.
For a few moments there was nothing unusual, just the constant patter of raindrops on stone. Then they dimly became aware of something moving out in the darkness. Alice followed the line of Uncas gaze as the beacon momentarily lit up the water. Her blood ran cold and she gripped Uncas ankle in sudden fear.
Out of the waves, like some monster from a fairytale, came a figure she had hoped never to see again. Magua, wading through the water towards them, his scowling, painted face, or what she could see of it, like something out of a nightmare. Alice felt Uncas body tense again as he went to draw the knife from his belt, grunting in frustration when he discovered he had nothing.
"Be ready to run." He hissed warningly down at her.
Alice struggled up onto shaky knees and grabbed a tight hold of his arm.
"Uncas, no!" She cried. "You can't face him with brute force alone!"
"If I don't have a weapon then I doubt he has one either." He pointed out, his eyes never leaving the water.
"You don't know that!" Alice cried, casting a frightened glance at the figure who was drawing ever closer to shore. Uncas clenched his jaw but held his ground.
"Uncas, please!" She begged, "If he overpowers you then I will be trapped here... at his mercy and I can't bear the thought of losing you again!
A range of emotions flitted over the Mohicans face as he considered what she was saying. She knew it hurt his pride to admit that Magua was the more seasoned warrior. She hated asking him to run but, unlike before, there was no chance of anyone coming to their rescue and they had nothing with which to fight him off. They were truly on their own.
Uncas took a few more heartbeats to consider their options before giving a curt nod. He grabbed her arm firmly and hauled her up. Moving quickly, he began leading them both away from the shore.
"Run!" He commanded firmly.
Alice tried but she was still sluggish from the near drowning. Uncas was forced to wrap an arm around her waist, half dragging her when she stumbled over driftwood and clumps of marsh grass. They fled as though demons were at their heels but there was only one demon here, Alice reminded herself, and it wasn't going to be long before he made it to shore.
The only visible place in which they could hide was the Lighthouse so the Lighthouse was where they went. Uncas led Alice around the side of it, looking for any opening and following the trail of light as it spun above them. After what felt like an eternity, they came to a door but when Uncas twisted the knob, it refused to yield. It wasn't so much locked as blocked by something on the other side.
"He's getting closer!" Alice warned, shooting a glance over her shoulder to see that the Huron was not only out of the water but halfway to the Lighthouse now.
In desperation, Uncas hit the door with his shoulder. One blow and nothing. A second blow and still nothing. On the third blow it was as if whatever was blocking the door decided to move. It swung inward, releasing a blinding, white light. They halted so suddenly that Alice nearly pitched forward into it. Uncas arms caught her and they stared in awe at the light spilling out towards them.
"Is it safe to go in there?" Alice asked, frightened to move forward but knowing that what lay behind them was infinitely worse.
"I don't think we have a choice." Uncas replied, his arms tightening around her.
"What if it takes us somewhere worse?" She whispered fearfully.
"Do you really believe anywhere could be worse than here." he responded. Alice conceded that he had a good point.
"Come, we must hurry!" Uncas said, urgently pulling her forward until they were right on the edge of stepping into that blinding light.
"What if we are separated?" she cried, looking into his face with a desperate expression. Again a myriad of emotions marched across his handsome features. Anger, fear, love. After a few seconds he pulled her in against him in a tight embrace.
"I will always find you." He promised raggedly before pulling back to stare down into her tear streaked face. He tried to give her a brave smile as he took one of her hands and pressed it against his chest, right over his heart.
"This is yours. It always has been and always will be." he told her with so much emotion that she let out a quiet sob.
"I love you." she whispered, tearfully.
He opened his mouth to return the sentiment but before he could Magua was upon them. Uncas leapt backwards with his arms still wrapped around her, tipping them both into the light. They tumbled into that white nothingness and, right before Uncas was ripped from her arms, Alice heard Magua's cry of rage echoing from somewhere far away.
Author's note:
Well, here it is guys, the prologue of the new and improved Coming Back To You. Hopefully, this version will go better than the old one. I've already deleted the original story and, after going back and re-reading it, I'm glad I did. It was a mess and I didn't take the time with the characters that I should have. Going back and revisiting them, I realized how much I actually liked this story and how much I wanted to finish it.
Much like with Mine, I'm not sure how often updates will be. I have several chapters written and backlogged but I need to make sure they're flowing the way I want them to before I update again. Also, much like Mine, the POV will shift from chapter to chapter. Not every character in the story will get their own personal POV but at least 4 of them will at any given time.
I also plan to add a line from a song to the beginning of each chapter that corresponds in some way with whats going on in the narrative. This one is a little different because it only has musical score associated with it. The lines that I put at the top come from the song that spawned this story in the first place so it seemed appropriate that I start the story with them. The lullabye that Alice sings is by Anne Dudly and from the tv series Poldark. It's written like an old Cornish folk song and was so hauntingly beautiful that I decided to incorporate it into my story.
Most of the time, when I create a soundtrack for what I write, I try to put the songs in order I think they would play in a movie or a show. If you guys are curious what would be playing in the opening scene here then I will direct you to a piece of music called 'Hungry Face' by Mogwai. It, much like Medhel an Gwyns, is hauntingly lovely.
A a special thanks I'm going to give a quick shout out to MohawkWoman who has been a ginormous help with Civil War era facts. I seriously could not write this without help from someone who knows what they're talking about. Thank you for reading little bits and pieces of this as I wrote them and offering insight into the world. (also for listening to me bitch about how long it was taking XD)
As always, reviews are welcome and I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of Coming Back To You.