Overnight Fort William Henry had been transformed.
When news had spread of England's surrender, artillery and munitions had been abandoned, putting an immediate end to the bombardment of sound that had been a constant since they'd arrived. Its replacement was a muted shuffle as everyone slowly started gathering their meagre personal belongings, readying themselves for the journey back home - wherever that happened to be. The English would set sail, the colonial militia would head back to their farms and the Indians back to their camps. It should have been a happy occasion, but for men who took pride in being able to fight to the bitter end, having to wave the white flag felt like a disgrace. On account of the dreary atmosphere there were no celebrations that one would usually attribute with the end of a war; there was only an uncomfortable stillness.
Accepting her father's assistance as he helped her settle behind Cora on the horse that would carry them away from the Fort, Alice gave her parent a tense half smile of gratitude, but didn't say anything. Cora wasn't speaking to him at all, a circumstance she knew pained both of them, but with the one being as stubborn as the other, it would take a while before either party relented.
She, too, was upset with Papa, or perhaps disappointed was a more accurate term, since she knew him to be a fair man. His treatment of Nathaniel was unduly harsh and she could only attribute it to Duncan's claim of Cora's infatuation with the colonial and her father's innate fear that his eldest daughter would abandon him in favour of a simple life with a man he thought to be her inferior. While she could understand his feelings, even sympathise with them since she'd be losing a sister if Cora stayed, if he hoped to maintain any kind of relationship with his firstborn, killing the man she loved was not the best way to ensure her continued devotion.
Looking out across the parapet, she watched as the remaining English troops marched in unison out of the Fort, rifles in hand. As their horse took his first step forward, trotting along behind her father's, Alice knew that she should have felt happy. After all, she was finally going home. But instead, all she felt was an emptiness and a restlessness that try as she might, she was unable to shake. As each step carried her further away from the place that held so many bittersweet memories, she felt suffocated. She didn't understand it; this was what she'd wanted, to go back to the safety of the recognisable. But with every move forward it became harder and harder to breathe.
When they reached the exit point she could see French soldiers in their blue and white uniforms lining both sides of the road leading away from the garrison like some kind of special convoy. No one spoke over the bang of the marching drums and the footfalls of the soldiers as they advanced.
Something doesn't feel right, she thought, shivering slightly.
Still pondering that thought, a familiar flash of green caught her attention. Heart pounding, she saw Uncas and Chingachgook waiting outside the ramparts. As they approached, her sister nodded at father and son, acknowledging them. Uncas was looking in her direction, the cool morning breeze gently lifting his dark, straight hair off his shoulders and fanning it across his back. Standing tall and proud, his long rifle in hand, his bag and powder horn slung across his shoulders, he made a strikingly handsome sight.
Alice felt her body lean instinctively towards him, as though there was an invisible chord between them, pulling her in his direction.
Breathe, she reminded herself sitting back upright.
But she couldn't. It was too hard; her chest was burning, her lungs tight and unyielding. Tears prickled at the backs of her lids, her body trembling and still she couldn't look away from him. It was as if her mind knew that once she passed him, once he disappeared from her periphery, the only time she would see him henceforth, would be in the tormented bliss of her dreams or in that secret corner of her heart where she'd buried all of her memories of him.
And when you leave this place, don't look back, Miss Munro, just forward. Always look forward.
Had he been anticipating this moment? Had he known when he'd uttered those words to her that she would leave and that he would have to stay behind and watch her go?
Her eyes still clinging to his, she saw his frustration and hurt, the force of the latter so strong it would have knocked her backward had her arms not been around Cora's waist, steadying her.
All too soon they passed and Alice was forced to look ahead. She could feel him still watching her, her eyes closing as one part of her struggled to regulate her breathing and the other to stop herself from turning back for one last wistful look.
Somehow, she managed to accomplish the first and compelled herself to forget the second.
They hadn't been on the road for more than half an hour when Alice stopped caring about what she looked like. Her hair, painstakingly tied up into an intricate style that morning, was already coming undone, long strands hanging down the sides of her face. She felt hot and sticky and without a hat to shield her face from the sun, she was growing increasingly listless.
In front of her Cora was mostly silent. She kept looking around to see Nathaniel, but since Alice had resolved not to do the same, she didn't know where the American or his two family members were. Their group had just entered a narrow grass-lined lane capable of permitting only three soldiers to walk abreast, where beyond the tall grass, on either side of the path, large trees rose high into the air, shielding their eyes from the thick forest behind it. The fields on either side of them were lush and green, thriving in the soaring summer heat.
Alice was just admiring its beauty when out of nowhere, an animalistic shriek came from up ahead, piercing through her sleep deprived mind and jolting her to full attention. The same feeling of unease she'd had all day rose up again as everyone stopped, the soldiers looking around cautiously.
Wrapping her arms around Cora, their heads swivelled from side to side, their horse turning in circles agitatedly, as they tried to ascertain what was happening. Her heart in her throat, her worst nightmare revisited when she heard the collective screams of savage Indian's running out of the trees, their fierce looking weapons held aloft as they sprinted towards the soldiers. Shots rang out from around them, men falling like flies. Cora steered their horse towards a nearby tree and both of them alighted quickly, crouching down beside the trunk, their arms around one another. A soldier took up guard beside them as the area filled with smoke and screams, red flashes shooting across the air as rifles discharged at random. From every which way, fearsome red men, their bodies decorated with war paint, ran into the fray, the ambush so much worse than the one they'd escaped a few days before.
It's happening again, she thought, paralysed, flinching against Cora as another shot rang out close by. Just when she'd thought all the killing was finally over, she found herself in the midst of another attack. Will I survive this one? Watching the throng of attacking Indians, their murderous intent clear, she didn't think so.
Through her fog of disbelief, her mind flashed to Uncas. Where was he? Was he safe? Her neck craned around, searching frantically through the bodies twirling around in a horrific dance of death. The English were being massacred, their numbers far too few to hold the hordes of blood thirsty red men at bay. Already panicked because she couldn't see him, her fear escalated exponentially when she noticed the Indian's heading their way, a terrifying gleam of determination in their eyes. Cora grabbed her hand and stood, running blindly into the woods, their father's officer trying his best to keep their dogged pursuers at bay.
A man tried to block their path and Cora shot him, but Alice couldn't react. Her gaze was fixed on the grisly sight of an Indian hacking a soldier viciously to death. Even when it was clear that there was no fight left in the man's body, the animal kept slashing, blood coating his savage expression.
Snatching her arm, Cora tried to pull her away. "Come, Alice!" she called, but she stood frozen, her legs rooted to the spot. She couldn't stop staring at the lifeless remains of the soldier. She wondered, a little hysterically, what would happen to all the dead bodies strewn across the ground? Who would bury them? Or would they stay as they lay, eventually disintegrating into nothing?
She felt a hand at her jaw, pinching her skin painfully and her stomach lurched. Her eyes widened as it took in the ferocious expression of the barbarian turning her towards him, his arm swinging upwards to strike her. She stared at him in horror, her mouth falling open to scream when Cora hit him over the back with a stone. Without any physical reaction to the attack, he turned, slapping her sister so hard across the face that she went flying backwards. Throwing Alice to the ground, he turned back to Cora, grabbing her by her hair, his knife at her throat.
We're going to die here, she thought wildly.
Then Nathaniel was there, knocking Cora's assailant to the ground. He turned towards her sibling, their arms wrapping around one another in a rousing embrace. Chingachgook was at her side, grasping her elbow and helping her to her feet. Before her, she could see Uncas, relief at his being alive briefly penetrating through her inertia, causing her to stumble. He was looking at her, his eyes briskly assessing her physical condition as they travelled over her from top to toe. Satisfied, he waited until they raced towards him before turning around and darting ahead to clear a path for them to follow.
As they reached the edge of the lake, Nathaniel signalled to some canoes at the waterside. Hurriedly, they made their way towards them. Uncas, already running into the water, grabbed an injured soldier in the shallows and helped him towards the boat. Chingachgook reached them first and throwing his rifle inside, he held the vessel steady as Cora, her hand still protectively on Alice's sleeve, climbed inside. The soldier hopped in next while Uncas stood to the side waiting for her. Their eyes met; his filled with a grim resolve, hers with fear.
Holding the boat with one hand, he offered the other to her. When their fingers touched, she felt her world right itself again, his steadfast presence grounding her momentarily. Once she'd climbed in and settled, he hopped in front of her, paddle in hand. With Nathaniel right at the front, Chingachgook brought up the rear with the injured soldier wedged between Cora and herself.
Frantically the men paddled down the river, the smoke from the gunfire like a mist they had to glide through.
"The canoe's unbalanced!" Nathaniel shouted as it pitched awkwardly to one side.
Uncas turned in his seat, his hands reaching for her waist. "Hold on," he said, lifting her effortlessly while simultaneously sliding backward into the spot she'd just vacated. Alice yelped, her hair which had long since come completely undone, hung down over her arms and draped over his too, as she reached for his shoulders to steady her. Their eyes connected the whole time, he deposited her, with the greatest of care, in front of him.
"Better?" he called to his brother.
"Much!" was the only response.
Alarmed, she saw the front of another canoe emerge alongside theirs. Duncan, his musket aimed at Nathaniel, was at the helm, a single soldier further back.
"Got nothing better to do on the lake today, Major?" Nathaniel called scornfully.
Duncan looked furious, but realising that he couldn't injure his prisoner without harming both sisters too, placed his weapon back into the pocket of his waist coat.
"When you fall into British hands again, I'll have you hanged!" he promised, reaching for his oar.
"Faster!" Nathaniel called, ignoring the Major as Cora picked up the extra paddle and started rowing too. "Head for the river!"
Duncan's canoe was falling back with only two of them rowing as opposed to the four in their boat. To help them, Uncas dived into the water and hopped into their canoe. Picking up a paddle, he rowed furiously.
Looking back, Alice could see their pursuers gaining ground, their eyes glinting with malice.
Ahead of them was a waterfall, her eyes widening as Nathaniel directed them straight over. Temporarily airborne, they landed back in the water with a crash, the paddling commensing again. Turning around, she saw Uncas as he fell backward, their canoe landing safely.
Wet and cold, her hair soaked, she peered ahead. Another waterfall was coming up, but Nathaniel was slowing down, an indication that he was not planning to take them over. He hopped out just ahead of the fall and helped her alight. Cora fell out, her gown soaking in the freezing water. Chingachgook helped her up as he and Nathaniel directed the canoes over the water's edge. Behind them, Uncas and Duncan did the same.
Walking over the top of the falls, the elder Mohican directed them down and around until they entered the cave behind it, the mass of water they'd almost crossed over now falling like a silken curtain to their side. Uncas, just ahead of her, frequently glanced behind him to make sure she was following all right. His nearness was the only thing that propelled her forward, the sight of him right there, within touching distance, keeping her feet moving in the right direction.
"Where are we going?" Duncan demanded when they reached the innermost cavern.
"Nowhere!" Nathaniel called back. "This is as far as we go! If we're lucky, they'll figure we beached our canoes and headed across land. If we're very lucky, they'll figure we went over the falls. Our only hope is they pass us by."
The cave was dark, but not so dark that they couldn't see. With daylight filtering through the veil of water, they could at least negotiate the ground in relative safely.
Reaching a drop, Chingachgook extended a hand to help her down, his son ahead of him, his hand suspended in mid air. Passing his father, she grasped Uncas's tightly, the warmth of his palms like a patch on her frayed mental state.
"If they do?" Duncan asked.
"Take the south rim down the mountain. It's twelve miles cross country to Fort Edward."
Before her, the water cascaded loudly, plunging downward without any relief. There was a captivating beauty about it, a kind of symmetry as the water, infinite and powerful fell constantly in a seemingly endless stream. Mesmerised, she closed her eyes, feeling the faint breeze and light spray being kicked up by the deluge as it tickled her face.
"And if they don't?" Duncan persisted.
"You'll just have to forego the pleasure of hanging me."
Behind her she heard Nathaniel speak in Mohegan. Uncas responded but her attention was too arrested by the falling water to pay their conversation any heed.
Slowly, she turned, not listening as they talked about gun powder and who knew what else, strolling back the way they'd come. No one seemed to notice her movements, everyone too engrossed in the discussion surrounding their current predicament. She didn't want to hear any more voices. All she wanted was the deafening sound of thunder the water created to drown out every bloodcurdling wail of agony that reverberated inside her skull.
Alice felt drained, weary into the very marrow of her bones, of running away from the butchery and bloodshed that seemed to follow her wherever she went in this crude and primitive part of the world. Inside her head she could still hear the screams of terror, taste the fear of ruination, smell the stench of death.
It's not loud enough, she thought desperately, wandering towards the shimmering avalanche they'd passed on their way in. Rounding the corner, she heard it, the roar louder and more vociferous, the light crisper and clearer than anywhere else. Walking towards it, she wondered what it would feel like, if she lifted a hand to touch it? Would it's strength hurt her delicate skin? Would she even feel the icy chill when she was already so cold, so numb?
Almost in a trance she continued forward, her hand lifting. She just wanted to touch-
"Get back!"
Uncas. A familiar pair of strong arms pulled her backward and into his embrace. Snapping out of her hypnotic state, her hands instinctively wrapped around him, the heat of his body bleeding into hers. She felt him run a hand through her wet hair, his arms cradling her tightly as he hauled her towards him and away from the pounding water.
She didn't know what eventually caused it. Perhaps it was the culmination of everything that had happened up to that point finally taking it's toll, or perhaps it was the tenderness with which he held her, so at odds with the violence she'd just witnessed, but burrowing deeper into the warmth of his arms, something inside of her finally broke. The strength she'd tried so valiantly to hold onto, tore apart, and it was as if she lost all emotional control. Trembling forcibly, she started sobbing, her tears coming hard and fast, wracking her slender frame as the sounds of her distress was muffled by the crashing water.
It was more than she could bear. She'd seen and heard too much, all of which whispered to her menacingly, threatening to drive her mad. With her fists bunched against his shirt, she wept into his chest, her grief staggering. She cried for all the men who'd died so brutally on the road to Albany, for the little boy who'd had his young life cut short so violently, for the young mother who would never realise any of her hopes and dreams, for the soldiers who, on that day, had fought so heroically but never really stood a chance.
But mostly, she cried for the naive girl who'd ventured to this part of the world thinking that an adventure awaited and that when it was over, she'd go back home completely unaffected. That girl had been a fool, her assumptions about life on the frontier and the people who inhabited it altogether farcical. It shamed her to think about all the ways in which she'd been a bigot and a snob when in the end it had been the very people she'd prejudged who'd ended up risking their lives to save hers.
If, by some miracle, she survived this ordeal, how could she go back to her previous life? How could she pretend not to be fundamentally altered?
Throughout it all, Uncas held her close, his mouth at her ear murmuring soothing words she didn't understand. His arms, like fortresses around her, nestled her protectively against his chest until her harsh sobs subsided to silent tears and then to occasional hiccups. Her head resting directly above his heart, she listened to its strong cadence, undeniable proof of his vitality. Not once did he loosen his grip on her, or stop his constant stream of comforting words. He just held her close, in exactly the way she hadn't known she'd needed, for as long as she needed it.
Eventually, a lifetime later, Alice raised her head to look at him. Those beautiful, expressive eyes worshiped her, conveying intangibly what he couldn't say over the thunderous torrent of water surrounding them.
You're safe, I've got you, they communicated clearly.
Her pulse, just recently subdued, soared. Of its own volition, a hand lifted and cupped his smooth cheek. His eyes flared with heat, her mouth going dry in response. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but she didn't care. He was the only man she'd ever met who made her feel alive, who had the power to steal her breath with just one glance and return it with the barest touch of his lips. If she was going to die here, then she didn't want to waste any more time being circumspect and responsible and timid.
She wanted to feel.
Tugging Uncas's head down she sighed with pleasure, her eyes drifting shut, when his lips met hers. The kiss was just as incredible as she remembered, but different. There was an urgency to their embrace that had been absent the first time, as if both of them knew that this might be the last time they were ever afforded such an intimacy.
Her arms circling around his neck, Alice held on for dear life as his mouth plundered hers, his ardour fueling her own rising passion. His hands threaded through her damp hair, holding her head captive as he deepened the kiss, her mouth opening to accommodate him enthusiastically. She heard him groan, and it gave her a tremendous sense of satisfaction to know that she was the cause. His lips lifted from hers and she gasped for air, her heart racing as he kissed a sensitive spot beneath her ear before trailing a moist path down towards the hollow of her throat.
Heat coursed through her body, melting her from the inside out. She felt feverish and frantic, her hands running across the expanse of his back, desperate to get closer to him. Raining a string of kisses across his brow, she cried out in relief when his lips merged with hers again, sending her pulse skidding off into the stratosphere. His tongue, an organ of many talents, she reflected fervidly, dove into the cavern of her mouth, stroking expertly as their hot breaths mingled. She lost all sense of time and place as she basked in the flames of their burgeoning desire, her hands and mouth communicating what she was not yet ready to admit out loud.
Abruptly, Uncas tore his lips from hers and Alice moaned in protest. Their foreheads resting together, their breathing ragged, she smiled. It was probably the most inappropriate time to feel happy, but she couldn't help it, she felt wonderful. He used a finger and lifted her chin until their eyes met. Seeing her smile, he reciprocated, his lips splitting into a wide grin. Her stomach aflutter, she realised that it was the first time she'd ever seen him smile; he was heartbreakingly beautiful.
His large, strong hands lifted and reverently touched her hair, his eyes roaming over the sodden mass in fascination. Carefully, he gathered a damp tuft on one side of her head and divided them into three equal parts. Curious, she held still as he worked, enjoying the feel of his gentle ministrations. It was only once he'd reached into his pocket and extracted a thin leather string, winding it around the bottom of her hair, that she noticed it was a braid.
Charmed, she touched it fondly, her fingers intertwining with his.
They were still beaming at one another when Uncas suddenly cocked his head to the side, listening. With a sense of dread, Alice stood to one side as he gestured to her to be silent. Pulling his weapons from his belt, he peeked around the corner, then turned back quickly, his face a solemn mask.
Grabbing her hand, he urged her ahead of him, back towards everyone else. "Go!" She read the words on his lips since it was impossible to hear anything.
Doing as he instructed, she rushed ahead, reaching the others a minute or so before he did. He hurried in and went straight to his father and brother. Wringing her hands anxiously, she watched as they conversed in Mohegan, the certainty of what needed to happen already sinking in.
They have to leave, she thought, chilled. It's the only way.
Seconds later, Nathaniel confirmed it. "If we go there's a chance there won't be a fight!" he shouted above the raging sound of the water. "There's no powder! If we don't go, then there's no chance! None!"
Her eyes seeking the comfort of Uncas's, she read the truth in them. Tears welled, hovering briefly before falling onto her cheeks and sliding down towards her chin. She saw how her anguish affected him, his shoulders drooping slightly, his heart in his eyes. She knew it pained him to have to leave her as much as it hurt her to have to watch him go. It struck her then that it was the exact opposite of their positions earlier that day - only then, she'd been the one leaving him behind.
All too soon, he turned to see the lights entering the tunnel behind them. He grabbed his gun, his father already jumping through the curtain of water into the great beyond. Lingering for a second, his eyes burned with a fierce determination that made her tears run faster.
Goodbye, she whispered tearfully, as he turned away, disappearing into the unknown, taking her heart with him.
Glancing behind her she saw the lights drawing closer. Using the palms of her hands she dried her tears and sniffed loudly. She would not give those animals the satisfaction of simpering like a coward. Striding over to Cora, she grabbed her sister's hand and stood up straight.
Whatever came next, she vowed to be ready.
