She was awoken three hours later by her sister. Cora was pacing the room, a furious look upon her face. Alice sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Cora?" she said sleepily

Cora looked up from her pacing her face burned with anger.

"Cora what is it?" Alice asked, pushing herself down the bed towards her sister.

Cora took in a deep breath, "It's Duncan, Alice, and Papa too. I just… I'm just so angry."

Cora sat next to her sister and placed her head in her hands and began to sob.

"Cora," Alice said, surprised. Her sister was normally so calm, so strong. She wrapped an arm about her sister's shoulders.

Cora took her hands from her face, her cheeks wet with tears. "They are going to hang him Alice," she said shakily, "they are going to hang him for doing what was right."

"Who?" Alice breathed.

"Nathaniel," Cora said, getting up from the bed and walking towards the fire.

Alice's mouth fell open. "Then it's true?" she asked, knowing her sister would understand the question she asked.

Cora wiped her tears away and looked at her sister, her jaw set, "Yes, it's true."

"Oh Cora," Alice said in distress, "how could you?"

Cora's face flushed and anger blazed anew in her eyes. "How could I what Alice?" She walked towards her sister. "Not love someone that does what must be done, what's right?" She placed her hands to her breast. "Whose heart is the same as mine," the anger was waning from her voice, "not everything works as it should," she said finally in a whisper.

Alice studied her sister's face. She had never seen her sister speak so passionately and her heart softened. "What happened?" she asked.

Cora sank down onto the bed. "He helped men leave the fort against Papa's orders," she sighed.

Alice looked aghast, "Cora, you didn't help him did you?"

"No, I did not know, but given another chance I would, I would help him and these men that fight here get back to their families, you saw what they did to that cabin Alice, innocent people are suffering."

"But surely Papa would let them go if their homes were under threat," Alice paused and took her sisters hand in hers, "have faith in Papa, Cora."

"I can't Alice," Cora said tiredly, "I told him what I had seen: that Nathanial was right when he said that they needed to be with their families, that the attacks were happening, but he didn't believe me Alice; and Duncan…" she trailed off as his name passed her lips, "Duncan is not the man I thought he was."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"He told Papa he had seen nothing more than a raid by savages bent on thievery."

Alice gasped, "But why would he lie?"

"Because he knows my affections lie elsewhere and it pains him," Cora said sadly. "I wish he would not use our personal quarrels in these matters."

"Duncan is just angry with you now Cora, he'll be himself when we are back in England," Alice said and smiled.

Cora looked at her sister, her dark eyes meeting her blue eyes.

Alice gasped, "Surely not Cora?" She stood from the bed and looked down on her sister, "You can't mean to stay here?"

Cora said nothing, but averted her gaze. Alice bent to her knees and clasped her sister's hands in hers, "Tell me you don't mean that."

Cora remained silent and Alice felt her eyes well with tears, "Cora, you can't mean to leave Papa and me for some savage, to live in this wretched place?"

"I will do what God and my heart wills me to do," Cora said.

Alice flung her sisters hands from hers.

"You are selfish Cora," she said, wiping away the tear that had trickled down her cheek. "You do not think how this will affect Papa, or how people will talk if they hear of this. I'll be the fool of London having such a sister." She sat away from Cora on the bed and crossed her arms.

Cora let out a sour laugh, "Yes, I'm selfish Alice; for once in my life I am selfish." She rose from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Alice spat after her.

"I'm going to see him," Cora said calmly, "why don't you sleep some more."

"Fine!" Alice cried, "Go to him and be no more a part of our family." She fell back on the bed and began to cry.

Cora looked back at her sister then left the room in search of Hawkeye.

Alice heard the door close and continued to sob. How could her sister leave her? She had always depended on, needed Cora. She felt like a part of her was being slowly removed and tried to blot out the feeling with her tears.

Alice awoke, her sister stood above her gently shaking her awake, she moaned and let Cora pull her into a sitting position.

"We must make ready to leave," Cora said.

Cora's face showed no signs of the conversation of the night before and Alice took this as a sign that things still could change, that her sister would see sense and stay where she was meant to be.

Alice grinned "We are leaving?!"

"Yes," Cora said, passing her a comb, "we have surrendered to the French, come here and I will braid your hair."

Alice sat on the edge of the bed so her sister could dress her hair. "Surrendered, Papa surrendered?"

"Yes, it is a good choice," Cora said, and began to comb the knots from her golden hair.

"Are we going back to London?" Alice asked excitedly.

"No, to Fort Edward, then father will tell us what is to be done."

Alice's grin dropped a little.

"At least we will be safe," Cora said, giving her sister a small smile.

She curled the braid into a bun and fixed it into place, "There now, you look presentable." She patted Alice gently on the cheek and rose from the bed, picking various items up and packing them away.

Alice stood from the bed and brushed the crumples from her dress. Quickly she walked to the mirror and checked her hair. "Is Papa waiting for us?" she asked brightly.

"Yes, nearly everyone is ready to move," Cora said, finishing her packing and slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"It's nearly over;" Alice smiled at her sister "we'll be at Fort Edward within the day."

"Come," Cora said, holding her hand out to her sister. Alice took it gladly and followed her sister outside.

The whole fort was in chaos as men, women and children readied to leave. Alice scanned the crowd for her father and Duncan, and saw them standing besides three horses. Leaving her sister's hand Alice ran to them, "Papa," she called musically.

"Alice." Her father grinned and brought her into his arms.

"We are to go to Fort Edward?" she asked.

"Yes lass, it's all over now." He placed a hand upon her cheek and smiled. As Cora approached she felt her father stiffen and the smile dropped from his face.

He looked at her directly, his eyes cold, "Look after your sister, Cora, keep her close to you as we travel."

Alice looked from one to the other and knew her father was angry at Cora's siding with Hawkeye. Alice grinned at her father trying to lighten the mood a little, "She always does Papa, and you never let me out of her sight."

He chuckled at her and went to mount his horse.

Duncan seemed to have been staring at Cora through this and Cora averted her eyes from his. "On the horse Alice," she said.

With help from her sister, she mounted the horse and Cora mounted in front of her.

"Hold on tight," she told Alice before kicking the horse's flanks gently.

They followed their father from the fort, Cora looking back over her shoulder as they rode for any sign of Hawkeye, but the steady stream of people that followed them made it near impossible to make any one person out. They followed a muddy trail from the fort gates until they came upon the French army, their general at the head.

Alice's father saluted him. "Monsieur, the fort is yours," he said, without making eye contact with the French man, and rode on by.

Alice clung to her sister and turned her head away as they passed the French soldiers.

After many hours of riding they had come to a part of woodland that had a path cut through it and long grass covered the ground. On either side trees, dense and green lined the way.

Alice brushed the sweat from her brow. Her hair had started to become loose from her bun and fell in wisps about her face. She could feel Cora's weariness as she slumped a little in the saddle; she pressed her cheek to her sister's back and hugged her. Cora squeezed Alice's hand in reply.

Cora would turn and look behind them every now and again searching for Hawkeye within the mass of people.

Alice looked towards her father, he too looked weary.

Soon they would be at the fort and could eat and drink and wash, but this thought did not comfort her, what if the fort they now travelled to was under siege? She felt as if she were doomed to stay in a circle of war for the rest of her life.

As Cora looked over her shoulder for what seemed to Alice like the hundredth time, she felt Cora stiffen. Alice turned and followed her sister's gaze to a little further down the line where the red coated foot soldiers marched.

From within the long grass came movement. At first Alice couldn't make out what it was, then she saw a man, a savage, a Huron, running towards the group of marching men, he was alone and with no musket. He let out a whooping cry and dived at one of the men, bringing down his Tomahawk as he did, making the man fall lifeless to the ground. Alice looked up at her sister, fear clouding her face. Cora patted Alice's arm in comfort but her face was filled with a look of horror that Alice knew she mirrored.

Alice turned to her father, he caught both her and Cora's eyes, his look full of concern. He scanned about them.

Behind them came the sound of muskets being cocked.

"Steady! No one fires!" her father called.

The whole party came to a stop.

From the trees came the sound of drums. Their horse moved uneasily, Cora pulled the rein a little tighter to try and calm it.

Suddenly, as if they had appeared from the trees themselves, stood the outlines of warriors, each brandishing a weapon in the air and whooping. There were so many of them that Alice felt dizzy for a moment. They were surrounded on both sides. Alice clung tighter to Cora and whimpered.

Then they came, down the hill and right at them, hundreds of warriors letting their war-cries loose and holding their weapons high, ready to kill whoever stepped into their path.

Alice saw her father turn and spur his horse towards where they would first strike. "Do not break ranks! I want these ranks to hold!" he shouted at his men.

Cora kicked their horse towards the shelter of a fallen tree and pulled Alice roughly from the saddle, pushing her down towards the ground and covering her ears with her hands.

Alice clung to her, pressing her face into her sister's chest, blocking out all sight of what was happening around her.

Suddenly her sister released her hands from Alice's ears and all the sounds around her came crashing into her mind, the screams and cries of battle. She cried out and clung more tightly to her sister but Cora was pulling her to her feet.

"Get up Alice!" Cora shouted, clearly terrified. "We have to run!"

Alice looked about her and saw many warriors heading their way. She shrieked, Cora grabbed her hand and they began to run.

Through the murder and chaos they weaved, trying desperately to avoid being noticed, to find a way out of the carnage around them. Alice's heart beat hard in her chest and she tried to avoid looking at the scene around her, concentrating on following her sister's footsteps and keeping pace.

Cora reached inside her dress pocket and pulled out a pistol, she tugged Alice onward.

Directly in front of them a Huron warrior rose from a crouch, in his hand he held a fresh and bloody scalp, the solider below him lay dead. He turned and faced them, his tomahawk at the ready.

Cora let go of Alice and brought the gun up, pulling the trigger, it hit the Huron directly in the face, sending him flying a few feet backwards.

Losing her sister's grip even for a moment, Alice felt abandoned and alone. She looked in front of her, her eyes talking in the scene before her. A Huron warrior driving the blade of his tomahawk into a English soldier's stomach over and over again. The blood gushed and Alice felt faint, she wanted to escape, she wanted it to be gone, she felt her mind seeming to call her into herself and for a moment her eyes glazed. She felt the peace inside her mind and wanted to stay, but Cora's hand found hers and she was jerked back into reality.

They began to run again, desperately trying to find some cover, some protection.

Suddenly from the side a warrior barrelled into both of them, Cora was knocked to the ground and Alice fell to her hands and knees. Terror flashed in her mind as she looked up at the man before her, huge and strong, his chest was covered in blood and a snarl curled his lips.

She whimpered and tried to crawl away from him but he caught her by the hair, pulling her savagely to her feet. She let out a cry of pain and saw his weapon raised, a sob escaped her lips and she closed her eyes. She smelled the stale sweat mingling with the fresh blood upon him and felt her stomach turn, this was to be her death, it would be over and she was thankful. She felt she could go on no more, she welcomed it.

The warrior stumbled forward, and she saw Cora had just struck him with a rock. He batted her away, sending Cora to the ground; his attention was back on Alice. He again raised his weapon, suddenly his grip was jerked from her hair and he fell sprawled to the ground, Uncas followed his punch by bringing a tomahawk down upon his head.

Alice dropped to the ground, feeling all strength leave her, and then strong arms were pulling her to her feet and supporting her around her waist. She looked up into Uncas' face and for a reason unknown to her, which seemed almost absurd, she smiled at him. His eyes shone with concern and he furrowed his brow, as if asking if she was alright. She grabbed his arm and leaned into him, never had she thought she would be so happy to see him again; he had rescued her, like in a fairytale.

Hawkeye ran to Cora and pulled her to her feet, running his hands softly over her face, checking she was okay.

Chingachgook motioned towards the lake and said something Alice didn't understand, but the next thing she knew they were all heading in that direction.

Chingachgook led the way, cutting through anyone that tried to stop them. Hawkeye followed suit, leading Cora by the hand, and Uncas, his hand wrapped tightly around Alice's waist, brought his tomahawk down on anyone that got too close to them. Alice clung to him, her fingers digging into the flesh on his shoulder, unwilling to let go of her saviour, of the protection he offered. As he swung his tomahawk down she looked away, not wanting to see him in the same light as the others around them. Their weapons and ways were almost the same but Alice could not think of Uncas as a savage, she could not trust him if she did, and she wanted to trust him, it eased her heart to feel she had a protector, a knight to fight for her.

Fiercely, they fought their way to the lake.

When they arrived at the water's edge, Alice saw what they had been running towards, there floated a good dozen canoes. Chingachgook took the back of the canoe, Uncas helped Alice into her seat then sat behind her, Cora sat in front of her and Hawkeye helped an injured solider into his seat, he rested his head on Cora's lap, moaning. Hawkeye sat in the front seat. The three men picked up the paddles and they began to move across the lake.

The smoke from the battle onshore swirled around them, and soon Alice could no longer make out the shoreline.

"No!" Cora cried suddenly. Alice looked in the direction her sister stared. There, having just emerged from the smoke, was Duncan, also in a canoe with one other solider. They were both injured, Duncan's leg was covered in blood and he'd tried a make shift bandage around it.

Cora's cry had been because Duncan now aimed his pistol directly at Hawkeye.

Hawkeye didn't falter in his paddling; he calmly looked back at Duncan. "You got nothin' better to do today on Lake George than shoot me, Major, then go ahead!"

A loud boom came from behind them, Alice turned. Not too far away from them, and gaining, came two other canoes full of Huron, they were firing muskets in their direction.

Alice looked back at Uncas; he gave her a nod as comfort.

Duncan lowered his gun as if regaining his senses, took back up his paddle and began to paddle hard. He shouted across to Hawkeye, "When you fall into British hands again, Nathaniel Poe, I will have you hanged."

Hawkeye gave a small laugh from the front and kept paddling.

Duncan's canoe began to lag behind, the men within were tired, their injuries slowing their pace. On seeing this, Hawkeye turned, "Uncas," he said.

Without being told what it was he was to do, Uncas jumped overboard and swam over to Duncan's canoe, heaved himself into it and began to paddle furiously.

Together the two canoes headed towards the white water rapids ahead. Alice gasped and clung to her sister's shoulder as they neared the foaming and rushing water. Suddenly Alice saw ahead of them that the rushing water seemed to end, a small waterfall, she cried out.

"It's alright," Hawkeye called from the front, "hold on!"

Alice clutched her sister as the canoe went over the edge, her stomach lunged and then as they hit the water below, a wave was thrown up from both sides, drenching everyone.

Through the rapids they were tossed, all the men's eyes searching for the jutting rocks, pushing the canoes away from them with their paddles.

Alice glanced behind her and saw that Uncas and Duncan had made it over the waterfall safely.

Quickly the water became calm and the ride much easier. Duncan's canoe followed behind them and Duncan let out a relieved laugh.

"Here's where it gets tricky," Hawkeye called back to him.

Alice looked past their canoe to what lay beyond, the water seemed still as a mill pond, but then it fell away as if it just ended. Then the roar of water filled her ears, they were at the lip of a waterfall, and one much bigger than the one they had just come over.

Hawkeye began to guide the canoe to shore, the other canoe now steered by Uncas followed suit. Once they were near enough to the shore, Cora got out, helping the wounded man to the shore then returning to help Alice.

Alice clung to her sister and whispered over and over, "Don't leave me."

Cora hushed her and stroked her hair as she guided her to the shore.

Duncan reached out and grabbed a rock, trying to pull his canoe to shore. Suddenly his grip slipped and the canoe sailed swiftly towards the edge, Cora and Alice gasped.

Uncas lurched himself sideways, grabbing a tree root, saving them from toppling over the edge. He carefully pulled himself towards the rock and shore. He quickly motioned with his head for Duncan and the solider to get out, that he could only hold it for a while. They both had to jump onto the land, then with great effort Uncas leaped from the canoe and it fell like a stone over the falls.

Panting from their escape, the three men joined the others on the shore.

Hawkeye had covered the remaining canoe in branches and greenery in an attempt to hide it. When he was finished he motioned for everyone to follow him, and taking Cora's hand, slipped into a crevice of rock. Chingachgook followed, and Uncas moved towards Alice.

Duncan quickly blocked his path and narrowed his eyes, "You take him," Duncan said, pointing to the injured solider. Uncas looked up at Alice who seemed to watch her sister slipping from view, but her eyes really stared at nothing.

Duncan turned and clasped his hand around Alice's wrist. Gently he tugged her until she began to walk blindly behind him.