Chapter 9: Fort William Henry, Day 1

Forest between Albany and Lake George, August 1757

White Mountains in Arizona Territory, August 1877

Watching Uncas as he left the glade to meet with his father somewhere in the forest, Alice sensed something was going on. Despite his best efforts to act like nothing was wrong, she had spotted the troubled look that appeared briefly in his eyes just before he managed to hide it. Assuming it probably had something to do with the war party that nearly discovered them the night before, she had total faith that whatever it was, Uncas and her new father-in-law and brother-in-law would be able to handle it.

Turning to Duncan and Cora, she saw the questioning look on both of their faces when she bid them good morning and nibbled on the piece of dried meat Duncan had offered her. Trying to act casual, as though nothing was unusual about her absence the night before, she could not hide the radiant look on her face. Dying to know what had happened between her sister and Uncas, Cora tried to wait for Alice to say something but could take the suspense no longer.

"Well?" she finally blurted out.

"Well what?" Alice quietly replied with a benign smile.

"You know very well what! What happened? Did you talk to him? Did you kiss him? Did you slee…."

Looking shyly to the ground for a moment with a blush filling her still smiling face when Cora began to ask her if she'd slept with Uncas, Alice raised her head and let the look in her eyes answer the unfinished question.

"Oh my God….Alice…you did, didn't you!"

"Yes! Uncas and I were married last night. I'm his wife now. We made our own vows together under the stars in our own little ceremony and gave ourselves to each other afterward. Oh Cora it was so beautiful, more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be!"

"Oh Alice, congratulations! I am so truly happy for you! For both of you!" said Cora as the two sisters hugged while laughing and crying at the same time. Visibly uncomfortable at his little sister's reference to intimacy, Duncan cleared his throat and when the girls parted, he also hugged Alice and offered his own best wishes.

"Congratulations Alice! I wish you both all the happiness in the world! I truly mean that! I like Uncas. I like him a lot. He'll make you a fine husband, I'm sure of it!" Then, with a slightly more serious tone, he continued.

"Cora told me about the dream and the vision. Have either of you discussed what you will do next? Where you will live? As much as I hate to say this, it will not be easy to find a place where you will both be welcomed and accepted."

"We know it will be difficult and while we didn't discuss it at length, we did talk about maybe building a cabin somewhere. We're going to talk more about it once we reach the fort. Uncas knows this land. He'll find a home for us." said Alice, her face and voice showing her confidence in her new husband.

"Cora also mentioned that Mama was planning to write Papa about the visions so that he would be prepared for when you each met your husbands. Do you know if she had the chance to do that before she died?" Duncan asked Alice.

"No, I don't. Did she mention anything about it to you, Cora?"

"No. Oh Alice, I never gave it a thought. I just assumed she had. If she didn't, then he will not be prepared to see you with Uncas." replied Cora.

"Well perhaps she did write him and we just didn't know it. But even if she didn't, Mama was Mohawk and Papa loved her very much. Surely he will understand…won't he?" asked Alice, who was now dreading introducing Uncas to her father.

Before either Cora or Duncan could answer her, loud voices coming from the direction Uncas and Nathaniel had gone interrupted their conversation. As the voices grew louder, they easily recognized it was Chingachgook and Uncas who were shouting, and although they were speaking in Mohican, no one needed to understand what was being said to know that father and son were having a serious disagreement. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Alice knew the argument was about her. Then, as suddenly as the yelling started, it stopped and Uncas soon returned to the glade. Trying to appear as though nothing was wrong as he walked over to Alice, it was clear that he was very upset and when he reached her side, she placed her hand on his arm.

"Uncas?" she asked timidly. "Is anything wrong?"

Seeing the worry in his wife's eyes and the concerned faces of Duncan and Cora, Uncas smiled and lovingly stroked Alice's cheek with his hand as he spoke to her reassuringly.

"No, everything is fine. My father and I were just having a disagreement on which route to take to the fort. But it's all right now. Don't worry about it."

It was a lie, but Uncas could not bring himself to tell her the truth, even though he could tell by her eyes that she knew everything was not fine.

"I understand congratulations are in order! It seems I now have a brother-in-law!" said Duncan, trying to sound cheerful in an attempt to lighten the mood and change the subject at the same time.

"Yes! Welcome to the family, Uncas!" added Cora, who joined in with trying to break the nervous tension.

As Cora gave Uncas a hug while Duncan delivered a brotherly slap on his back, Nathaniel and Chingachgook entered the camp. Without looking at anyone or uttering a word, the elder Mohican retrieved his pack from where it lay beside the oak tree and walked off into the forest as Nathaniel approached the others.

"We'll be leaving now. We still have a long ways to go but we should reach the fort by nightfall." he told them.

As everyone made ready to leave, Alice reached down and picked up Uncas's pack and slung it over her shoulder before he could grab it.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I'm carrying my husband's pack as a good wife should. He needs to be unburdened so that he can protect us as we travel." she said with a proud smile.

"It's not too heavy for you, is it?"

"I can manage." she stated confidently, standing straight with her head held high.

"Come on. We better get going." said Nathaniel.

Once everyone was moving, Nathaniel walked up to Uncas and put his hand on his brother's shoulder as he spoke to him in Mohican.

"Uncas, I don't understand what happened back there. What's going on between you and Father?"

With his eyes riveted to the trail in front of him, Uncas fought back the anger he felt rising within him again, and he took a deep breath to calm down before answering his brother.

"Alice and I eloped last night."

"Eloped? What possessed you to do that? You only just met her! You never even saw her before yesterday!"

"Not in person, maybe. But I've been dreaming about her every night for the past two years and she's the one that I've been searching for all this time. I recognized her the moment I first saw her, and the way we met was exactly the way it was in my dream, right down to the last detail."

"That's why you were always so distracted whenever we visited a Yengeese town, you were looking for her." Nathaniel said as Uncas' behavior in the settlements suddenly began to make sense. "But how did Father know you and Alice were together last night?"

"He must have seen her follow me when I left the camp and he saw us lying together after I made her my wife. I knew he was going to be upset, but I never expected him to react the way he did. I thought I could reason with him, but when he started talking about her that way and calling her those insulting names…..nobody talks about my woman that way, no matter who they are!" replied Uncas, who felt his anger steadily increasing as he recalled Chingachgook's words.

"Wait a minute! He saw the both of you lying together?"

"Yeah, just as we went to sleep."

Letting out a low whistle, Nathaniel shook his head.

"No wonder he was so upset. It must have been gnawing away at him all night. Uncas, you have to talk to him! Tell him what you told me about the dream. A spirit dream like that is very powerful and must not be ignored. He knows about such dreams. Our mother had one that told her you and Wol….that you would be born. He'll understand how sacred a dream like that is and then he'll accept Alice as your wife."

"No he won't. He made his feelings very clear….about her and me. He meant every word he said….and so did I."

"You're wrong, Uncas. I know he didn't mean those words, especially when he said you weren't his son anymore. He loves you, you know he does! He was just hurt and angry….and so were you!"

"Maybe. But spirit dream or no spirit dream, he'll never accept Alice as my wife. And he'll ever forgive me for going against his wishes and marrying a Yengeese instead of a Lenape woman…..or for the things I said to him and what I did afterward.

Nathaniel grew quiet after that. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Uncas was right.


By late afternoon, clouds had moved in and a light drizzle was coming down. Sheltered somewhat by the forest, the little band of travelers still became progressively wetter as the day wore on, and everyone was grateful when Chingachgook chose a sheltered area for a rest break. Formed by a grouping of large boulders that jutted out of the side of a hill, one of the giant rocks had a piece split off from it, creating a cave-like recess that was roomy enough for the entire group to sit in. Still not daring to light a fire, they huddled together side by side to ward off the chill from their damp clothing. Only Chingachgook sat off by himself, keeping watch as always.

With the inner wall of the rock on one side of him and Uncas pressed up against the other, Nathaniel thought back to his earlier conversation with his brother about Uncas' dream and his argument with their father. What was left of his family was falling apart around him and he felt uncharacteristically helpless to do anything about it. It was almost like he was destined to live alone. First his birth family had been killed, then his grandfather died, followed by his mother and younger brother. All he had left in this world was his father and Uncas, and now a disagreement between them was most likely going to cause Uncas to leave with his new wife. Then his thoughts led him down another path on memory lane. A path he always tried to avoid traveling on whenever possible.

While speaking to Uncas earlier about the spirit dream their mother had which foretold of the upcoming birth of the twins, Nathaniel had nearly said Wolf's name and even though he had managed to stop himself before saying it, he was unable to stop thinking about his dead brother. He and the twins had always been very close to each other and when Wolf died, Nathaniel was devastated by the loss.

Sitting in the recess, he felt Uncas' body against his and for a moment his memory took him back to another summer afternoon when he and Wolf had been out hunting rabbits and they had taken shelter from a passing shower in a similar recess like this one. Imagining Uncas was Wolf, he smiled as he once more heard the soft voice of a small child speaking to him.

"Hawk?"

"Yeah, Wolf?" replied a ten year old Nathaniel as he looked into the hopeful face of the little boy sitting next to him.

"When the rain stops, will you teach me to shoot your bow? Please?"

"No. You can't shoot it."

"Why not?"

"Because you're too little. You have to be bigger to shoot a bow like this." Nathaniel had said with a smile as he tousled the hair on the four year old's head.

"Oh." a disappointed Wolf replied as he hung his head. Sitting quietly, the two brothers watched the rain pattering down in front of them.

"Hawk?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be bigger tomorrow! Can I try your bow then?"

Looking down once more into the little face that stared up at him expectantly waiting for an answer, Nathaniel smiled again as he put his arm around Wolf and pulled him in close.

"Alright, little brother. I'll measure you tomorrow and if you're big enough…I'll teach you how to shoot my bow. But you've got a lot of growing to do between now and then, so you better eat all your food tonight and go to sleep when Mother tells you to."

"I will! I promise!" said a happy Wolf as he hugged his big brother before snuggling up against him for warmth. "I wish we could sit here like this forever." the little boy added with a sigh as he watched the rain come down.

Coming back to the present, Nathaniel was overcome with an overwhelming sense of loss and longing for the brother who had died so long ago, a feeling that the passing of time had never been able to lessen.

"I wish we could have too, Wolf." he thought to himself. "I wish we could have sat there forever. I miss you."


As the desert sun sank lower in the cloudless turquoise sky, Teme the Wolf knew something was going on with Uncas. Sitting underneath a pinion tree which grew next to the wikiyup he shared with his mother, he felt a strange combination of feelings rush over him. As he cleaned his Winchester rifle in preparation for a hunting trip the following day, he tried to push aside the crazy jumbled mixture of happiness, anger and love which he was sensing from his twin brother. In addition to sharing the same injuries and illnesses, he and Uncas also felt each other's physical pain and could sense each other's emotions, and Wolf knew that something had happened in his brother's life that had him in turmoil. Glancing at his mother, who sat nearby sewing a new shirt while keeping an eye on a pot of stew which simmered over the cooking fire, Wolf could no longer ignore the vibes he was getting and he 'called out' to Uncas to find out what was going on.

'Fox? Are you alright?' he silently asked.

'Yes and no.' was Uncas' reply. 'I have some good news though! I finally found the woman I've been dreaming about. It happened exactly the way I saw it. Her name is Alice Munro and we were married last night.'

Not expecting to hear this kind of news, a surprised Wolf let out a joyful whoop which startled Lila, causing her to prick herself with the sewing needle. Sucking her wounded finger, she glanced over at her son and smiled. Knowing that he was 'talking' to his brother, she continued on with her sewing.

'You found her? Fox, that's great! Your dream came true, I'm so happy for you! I want to know everything and I want you to tell me all about her, but first I need to ask you something. Does um….does she have a sister?'

Wolf could hear the smile in Uncas' voice.

'Yeah, she does! A very beautiful dark haired sister named Cora, although she's not as beautiful as my Alice.'

'Her name is Cora? I like that name. It fits the woman I see every night.' With his thoughts drifting off as he pictured his woman and imagined the two of them together, Wolf gradually became aware that Uncas had grown silent.

'Something else has happened though, hasn't it?' he asked.

'Father and I had a huge argument about Alice this morning. He doesn't approve of her or our marriage and he no longer considers me his son.'

Listening to Uncas as he filled him in on the argument he had with Chingachgook, Wolf felt himself getting angrier by the minute. Although possessing much the same personality as his brother, he had
never been one to hold back his temper. Unlike Uncas, who was calm and easygoing, Wolf never let anyone tell him what to do and if he was upset with someone, he let them know about it in no uncertain terms. Bold by nature, he had been forced to take on the role of protector and provider at a very young age and now, at the age of twenty, he was already a seasoned and noted warrior who was often called upon to lead raiding and war parties. Having learned about his father from what his twin had told him over the years, he knew that he and Chingachgook would never have gotten along and it always angered him to hear of how their father treated Uncas.

'Fox, I know you love Father very much and that you're feeling angry and hurt right now, but he brought this on himself. He never let you get close to him and he never took the time to get to know you or to hear what you wanted out of life. All he could think about was making sure that you continued the family bloodline. This is his loss, not yours. Let it go! You have a wife to think about now and a chance to live the life you've always dreamed of. And as soon as we can figure out how, I'll come back there and you and I can be together again. Forget about him. Move on and don't look back.'

Uncas knew there was some truth in his brother's words, but he also knew that some of what he'd said was due to the fact that he'd never had the chance to know their father. Having been too young to remember him, Wolf's perception of Chingachgook was not based on personal experience, but was instead based on what Uncas had told him over the years, which unfortunately consisted mostly of complaints and gripes, and for that he felt guilty. Wolf never saw the tender side of their father the way he had. He never saw the patience he'd shown Uncas when he taught him all the things a Mohican warrior needed to know, or the pride in the man's eyes as he'd watched his son grow into a man. And he never saw how their father held a baby rattle every night and grieved for the lost son he'd loved so deeply.

'I hear what you're saying Wolf and, yes, he has always been obsessed with continuing the family. It was a weight that he carried on his own shoulders until we were finally born. But you never got to know him like I did, and I take part of the blame for that. I should have told you more about what a good father he was instead of just complaining to you about him when I was upset about something….like I'm doing now. I guess this is why his disowning me hurts so much….Uh oh…I gotta go. We're getting close to the fort where Alice's father is and I just saw that we're being followed. We'll talk again later.'

'Alright. Listen, be careful brother and take good care of your woman….and mine.'

'I will.'

Leaning back against the pinion tree, Wolf threw the rag he'd been using to clean his rifle onto the ground. Seeing her son's mood had changed, Lila became concerned to know what was going on in her youngest son's life.

"What news is there from your brother?" she asked.

"You have a daughter-in-law. Fox has found the woman from his dream. They were married last night."

Lowering her sewing down to her lap, Lila looked straight ahead as a sad smile came to her face.

"I am very happy for him." she said. "She will make him a good wife. But I can tell there is something more, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is." replied Wolf, who proceeded to tell his mother about the argument Uncas had with Chingachgook.

"You should have taken both of us with you, Mother. Then Fox and I could have been together all these years and he wouldn't have had to live with him."

"That's not fair Wolf." scolded Lila. "You never had a chance to know your father. He's a good and kind man and I know he loves Fox very much, just as he loves you which I know he still does, even though he thinks you are dead."

"Fox said pretty much the same thing."

"It's true. This is all my fault. I didn't want to break up this family. I wanted all of us to come here so that we could have remained together, but it wasn't allowed. The spirit named Roarke said only I could go, but he finally agreed to let me bring either you or Fox with me….so I chose you. I never should have done that. I never should have separated the two of you. It was selfish of me to do that and I'm sorry. I should have come here alone. That way you and Fox would have grown up together. I'm so sorry, Wolf. Please forgive me?"

Rising from his seat under the pinion tree, Wolf went over to where his mother was sitting and squatted down beside her. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he hugged her tenderly.

"There's nothing to forgive. I've told you that many times." he said softly, looking at the mother he loved so deeply. "I'm glad you took me with you so that I was here to protect you and provide for you. I just wish Fox had been allowed to come too."

"I know." she said. "But everything that has happened has been for a reason. You'll soon see what I mean. Everything's going to be changing very quickly now." Lila said.

Wondering what she meant by that, Wolf watched her as she continued to sew the shirt she was making, and a smile came to his face.

"How many shirts do you think I need? You just made me a new blue one." he said playfully.

"This shirt is not for you. It is for Fox. I want you to give it to him when you see him in a few days, along with the clothes I have made for your wives." she said without looking at him.

"What did you say?" Wolf asked as he stared at his mother in disbelief.

"You are not the only one your grandfather speaks to." said Lila, who put down her sewing and looked up at her son. "He told me you will be returning to where Fox is once he locates his wife and that your brother will need your help as soon as you get there."

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Wolf was so happy to learn that he would be rejoining his brother that he did not notice the sadness in his mother's eyes.

"I'm going back? When? How? Why didn't Grandfather tell me about this?" Bombarding his mother with questions, he stopped when he saw she was upset.

"Your grandfather will tell you more and answer all of your questions when the time comes." Lila explained. "All I can tell you is that you will return the same way that we came here, in that strange fog. You will leave in a few days." she added, placing a hand on her son's cheek as tears streamed down her own.

"What do you mean I will leave? You're coming with me, aren't you?"

"No my son. Only you will be going back. I cannot come with you. You must go there without me."


By the time evening approached, the sisters were growing weary of walking. Several times throughout the day Uncas, Duncan and Cora each offered to relieve Alice from carrying Uncas' pack, but each time they asked she refused. Since the life she would live with her husband would be far different than anything she had known before, Alice knew she needed to be strong and able to take on her fair share of the load and she was determined to show Uncas that she did not need to be pampered and taken care of like some silly, invalid schoolgirl. As the sisters walked together along the trail, Cora decided to ask Alice more about the previous night.

"Alice? I'm curious. Did what you saw in your dream really happen last night?" she asked.

With a smile and a blush at the memory of seeing Uncas naked and of their lovemaking, Alice relived every detail of her wedding night.

"Yes, it did…exactly the way I dreamed it. After we were joined, we talked for a little while before going to sleep in each other's arms. A short time later, Uncas woke me up and said it would be best if we got dressed before sleeping the rest of the night. After we dressed, I wanted to stay awake and enjoy some more private time alone with him, but I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open, and since he had fallen back to sleep as well, I did the same. Then, at some point during the night, I awoke and saw the stars twinkling overhead through the treetops. I turned to look at him and he was lying on his side with his back to me. I saw his long hair and the red feather tied to the braid. That's when he rolled over onto his other side to face me and I watched him sleep for a little while. He looked so peaceful and handsome that I couldn't resist touching his cheek. When I did, he woke up and even though he was still half asleep, he reached out and pulled me into his arms and kissed me. Oh Cora, it was exactly like my dream, but this time it was real. After he took me into his arms, we kissed and made love again, only this time we didn't disrobe, but I wish we had. He is so strong and beautiful. He makes me feel things I've never felt before!"

Caught up in the memories of the previous night, Alice did not notice the wistful expression on Cora's face, nor did she see her sister gaze longingly over to where Uncas was walking in the distance ahead of them.


Moving cautiously along the trail, Uncas came to a stop when he sensed something was not right. Tilting his head slightly to the side in a bird-like manner, he listened intently and heard what sounded like thunder…but he knew better. Having been raised in the wilderness, he knew every sound it made and this was not one of them. With quick yet silent movements, he disappeared into the dark foliage of the forest.

Even though it was dark, Alice could just make out her husband as he stood alert and scanned the surrounding woods. Noticing that he appeared to be listening intently to something, she strained to make out what it was but could hear nothing except thunder. Seeing him disappear into the underbrush ahead of her, she innocently assumed he had gone to see if they could make it to the fort before the approaching storm hit.

Coming to a steep hill, Duncan noticed Alice slip several times on the wet leaves that covered it as she attempted to climb the hill. Watching her readjust the pack after recovering from each slip, he knew it was throwing her off balance whenever it slid down from where she'd slung it on her back. Taking her by the arm, he helped her climb to the top of the ridge and was glad that her pride did not prevent her from accepting his assistance.

Speaking softly as the made their way up the hill, Duncan promised her that he and their father would see to it she got a hot bath and any comfort she needed once they reached the fort. Although he didn't tell her so, he was proud of the way she had endured the journey on foot, even going so far as to carry that heavy pack all day without complaint and refusing all offers of assistance. Of his two sisters, he had always considered Alice to be timid and delicate, but now it was obvious that she was not. Seeing her in a new light, he knew that she possessed great strength, both physical and in spirit. Perhaps even more than he and Cora had.

Once they had reached the top of the ridge, Duncan paused alongside Alice and Cora to catch his breath after the climb. Listening to the thunder, he thought it had an odd quality about it that didn't sound quite right and he saw flashes of bright light that was far too low to the ground to be lightening. Remembering Nathaniel saying they were nearing the fort, Duncan felt a sinking feeling deep in the pit of his stomach, but he kept his fears hidden from the two women so as not to unnecessarily alarm them should it turn out he was wrong.

Having lost sight of Chingachgook and Nathaniel who had moved on ahead of them, Duncan guided the women in the same general direction, and when another burst of light flashed through the foliage ahead of them, they saw Uncas watching something intently. Joining him, they saw what he was looking at and the sight made a chill run through each of them.

Situated on the southern shore of Lake George, Fort William Henry was under attack. Watching the bombardment of the fort from their place on top of the ridge on the eastern shore, all doubt was erased from Duncan's mind as the thunder revealed itself to be cannon fire and the lightening the result of exploding mortar bombs.

"My God!" said Duncan. "It must be Montcalm! I knew he and his army were heading south but I had no idea they made it this far. We'll have to go to Fort Edward, or else back to Albany!"

Looking behind them, Uncas could see shadowy figures moving about and he knew the Ottawa war party was fast approaching them.

"We can't. We have to go to the fort." Uncas told Duncan. "There's no other choice. The Ottawa are right behind us."

"What?" said Duncan, who turned to look in the same direction and could barely make out the shapes of figures moving in the darkness.

"Come on." said Uncas, who took Alice by the arm and began moving down the other side of the ridge to the shore.

Quickly making their way down to the lake, they took cover behind a dense clump of bushes growing near the shoreline. Looking around, Uncas spotted a canoe sticking out from under some branches that someone had placed over it in a feeble attempt to hide it from view, and he thought about putting the women in it and guiding it through the water in order to approach without being seen. Spotting movement to his right, he saw his father and brother were also coming down the side of the ridge toward them. Weighing all possible options in his mind, Uncas knew the canoe would be the best way to reach the fort and he decided to put his own plan into effect instead of waiting to see what his father intended to do.

"This way, quickly!" he said as he sprinted out from behind the bushes with Alice in tow.

Following him to the canoe, Duncan and Cora helped to uncover it as Nathaniel and Chingachgook joined them. They had also seen the large war party and knew that reaching the fort was their only hope. What they hadn't seen was the canoe, and Nathaniel felt a rush of pride for his younger brother when he realized what his plan was. Glancing at Chingachgook, who intended to make a run for it along the shore, he tried to see what his reaction was, but the man's face was an unreadable mask. Pushing the canoe into the water and placing Alice and Cora inside of it along with their packs and muskets, Chingachgook and Nathaniel took hold of the left side of the craft while Uncas and Duncan held onto the right and the four men waded out and slowly guided the canoe through chin deep water towards the fort.

Terrified at the sight of the fort under attack by the French, Alice watched the cannon fire light up the night sky and illuminate the structure in an eerie silhouette as the smell of smoke and gunpowder filled her nose. Holding onto the rim on either side of the canoe with a white knuckle grip, she moved her right hand slightly and felt it bump into another hand. Peering over the side, she saw Uncas struggling to push the canoe with his head just above water. Breathing hard from the effort, he periodically spit out water after it splashed over his face. Briefly turning his head toward her, he gave her a quick smile of reassurance and placed part of his hand over hers while still keeping a grip on the canoe.

After what seemed like hours, Alice finally felt the bottom of the canoe scrape the stones of the lakebed and as Chingachgook and Nathaniel held the craft steady, Duncan and Uncas assisted the women as they climbed out and stepped in the shallow water before each man retrieved his gear. Making their way up a path that led to the fort, the group was soon met by an officer and a number of armed soldiers, some of whom held torches as they stood outside the north wall at the entrance to the sally-port tunnel. As they drew closer, Duncan called out to the officer to identify himself.

"Open up! I'm Major Duncan Heyward!"

"Captain Jeffrey Beams! Didn't expect you to make it through." replied the officer. Raising his torch, Beams saw the women in the group of new arrivals and, recognizing them, was surprised to see that the sisters had accompanied their brother to the fort.

"Where's Colonel Munro." Duncan asked as they were escorted through the tunnel leading into the fort.

Stepping out of the tunnel and into the fort's interior, Alice felt like she had just arrived in hell and she clung tighter to Uncas' arm as she quickly glanced around the parade ground which was aglow from the light of numerous small fires. Everywhere, men were running to and fro while yelling at the top of their lungs over the loud booms of musket and cannon fire, some of them moving carts or artillery weapons while others carried away the injured and the dead. To her right, a mortar exploded, striking one of the gun crews and she instinctively ducked as debris landed nearby and the sounds of the wounded and dying filled the air.

"Hello, boys!" one of the colonial militiamen shouted down to Uncas, Nathaniel and Chingachgook from atop the walkway on the upper part of the fort wall.

"Nathaniel!" Jack Winthrop shouted down as well.

"Need to talk to you, Jack!" Nathaniel shouted back, which Jack acknowledged with a raised hand.

"Uncas!" said another colonial militiaman as he ran up alongside Uncas. "Thought you and Nathaniel weren't joinin' up?"

"Didn't!" replied Uncas.

"We just dropped in to see how you boys is doin'." Nathaniel added.

Just then a door was flung open up ahead and Alice and Cora saw their father running toward them as he removed his jacket. At the sight of her father, Alice broke free from Uncas and ran toward him.

"Papa! Papa!" she cried as she and Cora ran into their father's arms.

"Alice, Cora! Why are you here? And where the hell are my reinforcements?" hollered Colonel Ian Munro as he threw his jacket around his daughters and led them to his staff room along with the men.

"Get Mr. Phelps!" Ian shouted over his shoulder to an enlisted man, who quickly left the room to bring the company surgeon as ordered.

"I told you to stay away from here! Why did you disobey me girls?" Ian asked his daughters as Capitan Beams closed the heavy door behind them.

"When? How? I…." asked Cora.

"My letter."

"There was none." stated Cora.

"What?"

"There was no letter." she repeated.

"I sent three couriers to Webb!" said Ian.

"One called Magua arrived." said Duncan.

"He delivered no such message." added Cora.

"Does Webb not even know we are besieged?" asked Ian.

"Sir, Webb has no idea." replied Duncan. "And he certainly does not know to send reinforcements."

Staring at the floor as the realization that help was not coming sunk in, Ian remembered his daughters were present and for a moment, he changed roles from colonel to father as he looked into the frightened eyes of Alice and Cora. Noticing for the first time their bedraggled appearance, he gave them a warm and reassuring smile as he reached out and placed a hand on their arm.

"What happened to you" he asked.

"On the George Road. Attacked." Duncan answered.

"We're fine." Cora assured her father.

"Are you alright?" Alice asked him, concerned at how tired and stressed her father appeared.

"Yes." he answered.

"What will happen here, Papa?" she asked, too worn out to put on a brave front and hide her fear.

"We'll be alright, girl." he said as he took her into his arms and hugged her, trying to sound calm and reassuring while hoping that his own fears did not show in his voice.

Not only did he have the enormous responsibility of defending the fort, along with the safety and wellbeing of everyone inside its walls and the consequences that would result should he fail, he now had his entire family to think about. It was bad enough Duncan was here and that his only son could possibly die defending this damned pile of glorified timber, but now his daughters were here as well and his stomach twisted in knots at the thought of any of them coming to harm. Releasing Alice, he brought his attention back to Duncan, who had gone on to explain further what had happened to them.

"This Magua led us into it. Eighteen killed. These men came to our aid. They guided us here." he said with a nod toward Uncas, Nathaniel and Chingachgook.

"Thank you! Do you need anything?" Ian asked with a smile, grateful that these men had saved the lives of his family.

"Help ourselves to a few horns from your powder stores." Nathaniel replied with a polite smile.

"And some food." Uncas added as he sized up his new father-in-law.

"Indebted to you!" said Ian.

Standing next to Nathaniel, Uncas watched the tender scene between the colonel and his children unfold before him and he had the sense that while the colonel was not only a tough military officer, he was also a tender and loving father and he hoped that the man would be willing to accept him as part of the family. Just then, the muffled sound of an explosion filled the room and dirt fell from the ceiling above them as a man wearing blood splattered clothes entered the quarters from outside.

"Miss Cora, how are you?" he asked.

"Hello, Mr. Phelps." she replied.

"Mrs. McCann will get some dry clothes for you." he said with a nod to Cora before leaving the room to arrange for clean dresses to be brought to the women and food to the family, suspecting that all of them were hungry.

"Thank you." replied Cora.

"Might I enquire after the situation, sir, given that I've seen the French engineering from the ridge above? Duncan asked.

"The situation is, his guns are bigger than mine and he has more of them. We keep our heads down while his troops dig thirty yards of trench a day. When those trenches are two hundred yards from the fort and within range, he'll bring in his fifteen inch mortars, lob explosive rounds over our walls and pound us to dust." answered Ian, his voice grim.

"They look to be three hundred yards out. If they're digging thirty yards a day, you'll have three days." said Duncan.

"Damn. Damn."

"A man here can make a run straight through to Webb." suggested Nathaniel.

"Three days is not enough time to get to Albany and back with reinforcements." said Ian.

"Webb's not in Albany." Duncan informed him. "He marched the 60th to Fort Edward two days ago."

"Webb is at Edward?"

"Yes sir."

"That's only twelve miles away. He could have reinforcements here the day after tomorrow!" Ian said as he turned to Nathaniel. "You, sir! Pick your man! Major Heyward will provide a diversion. I'll draft out a dispatch. Captain Beams will seek you out and give it to you later."

"Somethin' else." added Nathaniel. "Cameron's cabin. Frontier cabin. Came upon it yesterday. It was burnt out, everyone murdered. It was Ottawa, allied to the French."

Hit hard by the news of the attack, it confirmed Ian's suspicions that Montcalm's army was larger and farther reaching than anyone had expected. He also knew that many of the colonial militia serving at the fort had families who were unprotected because of their absence and he wished he could let the men go home to defend their loved ones, but the siege prevented him from doing this. Casualties had been heavy and he needed every man he had to keep the fort from falling. Knowing that if the French were to take Fort William Henry it would place the frontier farms and settlements in peril, he swallowed the bile coming up into his throat for the stand he had no choice but to take as he responded to Nathaniel's information.

"Aye. So?"

"It was a war party!" said Nathaniel, who was stunned at the colonel's indifference. "That means they're gonna be attackin' up and down the frontier."

"Thank you, sir!" Ian said curtly.

Bristling at the blunt response he'd just received, Nathaniel had had enough of this Yengeese officer.

"People here….Mohawks, settlers….have family out there!" he retorted.

"That'll be all, sir!" replied Ian, firmly.

Furious that the colonel was unwilling to allow the militia to return home in order to protect their families, Nathaniel leaned over and whispered to Uncas that it was time for them to leave the office as their father repeated the same in Mohican. Heading for the door, he stopped and let Chingachgook pass him as he turned around to see if his brother was coming with them. Remaining where he stood, Uncas briefly met Nathaniel's look before turning his head the other way and Nathaniel's disappointment and sadness was clearly visible on his face as he also left the room.


After Nathaniel and Chingachgook left, Ian Munro turned to Captain Beams and instructed him to assemble a group of enlisted men for the diversion and to notify him and Duncan when they were ready before dismissing him and the other soldiers from his office. Waiting until after they'd left, Duncan then spoke further to his father.

"Things were done. Nobody was spared." he said, trying not to recall the gruesome scene at the cabin.

"A terrible feature of war in the Americas, I'm afraid. As much as I wish I could send the militia home, I can't spare a single man at this point. The safety of all of the settlers living out there depends on this fort remaining under British control. Best to keep your eye fixed on our duty…to defeat France. That hangs on a courier to Webb." said Ian, stepping to his desk for a piece of parchment to write the dispatch for Webb.

"Papa?" Alice said softly as she went to Uncas and guided him over to her father. "There is someone I'd like you to meet. His name is Uncas….and he is my husband."

Dropping the quill pen he was holding, Ian turned toward Alice and the young warrior who had his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to his side while she held him about the waist, with her other hand on his chest. Taking note of his younger daughter's nervousness, he saw the young warrior looked straight at him without wavering, although his rapid breathing showed he was nervous as well. Then he noticed Duncan and Cora moving behind the couple, with their faces also showing their uncertainty of what his reaction would be. Taking a close look at Uncas for the first time, Ian's mouth dropped open for a moment before a look of astonishment came over his face, which then turned into a smile.

"He will be tall and dark, wearing a plum colored shirt and his long black hair will shine like a raven's wing. Aye! I was expecting this ever since I received the letter your mother wrote me about the visions she had for you and your sister, although I must confess I'd forgotten about it, what with the siege and my not expecting your arrival here. I must say I was bit surprised, to say the least, to learn who my daughters would be marrying. But I remember your dear mother's visions all too well. They always come true, and you can't go against them."

Looking at the young couple standing before him, it was obvious to Ian that the love they had for each other was strong. He could also see how happy Alice was and he knew without being told that her young man had risked his life to help save not only her, but her brother and sister as well. Noticing Uncas had relaxed somewhat but still appeared to be tense and unsure about whether or not he'd be accepted as Alice's husband, Ian smiled warmly as he went over to his new son-in-law and gave him a fatherly hug.

"Welcome to the family, son! Welcome to the family!"

Caught off guard by the easy welcome the colonel gave him, Uncas didn't quite know how to respond at first. All that day he had worried about what kind of reception Alice's father would give him and he had prepared himself for the man to be furious and order him to stay away from her. He had been ready for that, but this was something he hadn't expected. Returning his new father-in-law's hug, he felt a lump in his throat when it suddenly occurred to him that, in the course of one day he had lost one family but gained another in its place.

Giving Uncas a hearty pat on the back, Ian pulled away and as soon as he did, Alice rushed over to him.

"Thank you, Papa!" she cried, throwing herself on her father and hugging him tightly while Cora and Duncan each gave a loud sigh of relief.

"My little Alice, a married woman! Well, since you and Uncas will be needing someplace private to stay, why don't you both take my personal quarters." Ian offered, nodding his head toward a door at the back of the room. "I know it isn't the most ideal place a father can give his daughter for her honeymoon but it'll have to do for now!" he added with a wink. No sooner had he finished speaking, another explosion somewhere nearby shook the room and reminded them all of the battle taking place outside.

"We must send that courier off now. Every second counts. We can't hold on like this much longer." Ian said as he turned back to his desk to write the dispatch.

Exhausted from a long day of travelling, Alice walked over to the door of her father's private quarters and lifted the iron latch. Just as she was about to enter, she stopped and looked back when she realized Uncas had not come with her.

Looking from the door leading out to the parade ground and then at Alice, Uncas was torn between wanting to be with his wife and wanting to help defend the fort. He had heard the colonel when he'd said they needed every fighting man they had and he had seen for himself how bad things were when they'd arrived. Unable to bring himself to tell her he was going out into that hell to fight, he instead tried to say his intention with his eyes.

Standing up from the chair at his desk as he handed the message he'd written to Duncan, Ian saw the looks passing between Uncas and Alice, along with the tears that were streaming down his daughter's face. Realizing his new son-in-law intended to go outside and fight, he could not bear the thought of his beloved Alice becoming a bride and a widow in the course of one day and he quickly intervened in the situation to keep Uncas from going.

"It's alright, son." he said as he went over to Uncas and patted him on the shoulder. "You've had a long day and I know you're tired. Go be with Alice. Your new bride needs you with her tonight more than I need one more man out there."

"Please, Uncas. Listen to Papa and stay here….please?" pleaded Alice after rushing over to Uncas and taking hold of his arm, her tear filled eyes begging him to stay with her.

Standing behind his father, Duncan looked at Uncas with concern and Cora, who had come up to stand beside Alice, said nothing but her expression also implored him not to go, as she could not bear the thought of his being hurt or killed any more than her sister could. Seeing everyone's anxious faces, Uncas reluctantly nodded his head, still wanting to fight but unable to stand seeing his wife so upset, and he was touched by the genuine concern the rest of the family had for him.

"Alright. I'll stay here tonight, but tomorrow I want to help out. I can't just sit back and do nothing while men are dying out there trying to defend this place. I want to do my part." he stated.

Before anyone could argue with him, a knock sounded on the door and Duncan went over to answer it. After opening the door, he stood back as three women entered the room carrying food, a large tea pot and clean dresses for Alice and Cora. Placing the items on a table, the women stepped back outside and retrieved two large buckets of hot water, which they set down on the floor near the same table. Then, with a courtesy to the sisters and the colonel, the women left the room.

After the women left, Ian and Duncan proceeded with making arrangements for the dispatch to be sent. Alice and Cora then busied themselves by serving out the food and tea to their father and brother while Uncas carried one of the water buckets into the sleeping room. Pouring some of the contents into a large wash basin which sat on top of a table against the back wall, he set the bucket on the floor and placed the clean dress Alice had tucked under his arm on the bed. Following him into the room with a bowl of stew for each of them, Alice set them down on a desk and placed the two cups of tea Cora handed her beside the bowls.

Taking a quick glance around the room her father had called home for nearly a year, Cora's eyes settled on the bed that her sister would share that night with her husband and she began to imagine herself lying there with her warrior. Staring at one of the pillows, she smiled as she pictured herself running her hands over his body until the picture unexpectedly changed and she suddenly envisioned herself lying with Uncas instead. With a soft gasp of surprise escaping her lips, she quickly composed herself and made for the door. Without looking at either Uncas or Alice, she bid them both a good night and closed the door behind her.


After leaving Colonel Munro's office, Nathaniel followed Chingachgook over to where a makeshift kitchen had been set up, and after each had been given a bowl of stew and some stale bread, they managed to find a relatively quiet and private spot to sit and eat their meal. After he had finished eating, Nathaniel rubbed his tired eyes and fought the urge to close them, knowing he still had to find a man to deliver the message to Webb and provide cover for him as he left the fort. Having shared the night watch the previous evening in the burial grounds with Chingachgook, he knew his father must be just as exhausted as he was and he was just about to suggest the man adjourn to the barracks for some much needed sleep, when he stopped and instead remained silent. Watching what his father was doing, he gave a deep sigh and decided to interrupt in order to gently broach a very sensitive subject.

"Father, why do you do this to yourself every night?" he asked as Chingachgook removed the baby rattle from the folded cloth he'd just taken out of his pack.

"When you have children of your own, you will understand. I cannot let go of him. He is dead because of me. I should have taken all of you away from that village as soon as I returned home with those sick men. Now, because I didn't, my little Wolf is gone, without ever having the chance to become a man…to find a wife…to have a family of his own. Uncas had that chance, but instead he has chosen to throw it away, along with his life. This would not have happened if Wolf had lived. He would have stopped his brother from making this terrible mistake."

"Father, I spoke to Uncas today while we were on the trail. He told me about a medicine dream he's been having every night for the past two years. Each night the dream was exactly the same, and in that dream he saw Alice, who the spirits told him would be his wife. That's why he was always looking at Yengeese women. He was looking for her, as the spirits told him to do. You know the power of such things, Father. It was just such a dream that told Mother my brothers would be born." said Nathaniel, who had expected news of the dream would make Chingachgook understand what had motivated Uncas to behave the way he did. But when his father instead remained silent, he tried a different tactic to get through to him.

"You were both upset this morning and you both spoke in anger and said things to each other that neither of you meant. I know how much he hurt you with his words and his actions, but you hurt him as well….and I also know you still love him. Father, please….talk to him."

"He meant what he said." Chingachgook replied in a low, flat tone. "He would never have said those words if he did not."

"And I suppose you meant your words to him?"

"No." Chingachgook closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Not all of them, only the ones about her. But you are right about one thing…I do still love him. I did not mean to call him a fool and I did not mean to strike him….and I did not mean to say he is no longer my son." Chingachgook's voice began to break as he whispered. "He will always be my son."

Nathaniel placed a hand on Chingachgook's arm.

"Then go to him! Talk to him! I know you can both work this out!"

"No. He has chosen the path he wants to follow. Today, I have lost him. He will never come back."

"He is only following the path that the spirits showed him in the medicine dream." said Nathaniel.

"You think he is following the path of a sacred dream. I think he is following the path of someone who does not know what he is doing." Chingachgook said grimly. "She has blinded him and will make him miserable. As much as I love Uncas, I cannot forgive him for disregarding his responsibility and marrying this woman, and I will never accept her as his wife. And her father will never accept him as her husband. You saw the man. Even now he will have already ordered your brother to stay away from her. Perhaps he has even had him imprisoned for laying with her. He could even have Uncas beaten or whipped, or hanged for having dared to touch her in that way. If he does, I will kill him. But even if he doesn't, Uncas will soon die anyway, either by drowning himself in a bottle of whiskey or by his own hand after the girl rejects him, which I know she will do now that she is back with her own people. When he realizes he was just a toy for her to play with and meant nothing to her, it will kill him."

Seeing the pointlessness of trying any further that night to persuade Chingachgook to go to Uncas, Nathaniel gave a resigned sigh and said nothing more. But he was not about to give up on reuniting his family and decided that tomorrow he would try speaking once more to his brother. Somehow, he had to get one of them to make the first move toward reconciliation.

And he hoped his father was wrong about how the colonel would react to Uncas.


Taking positions at an opening on the northeast parapet, Nathaniel and Chingachgook prepared their weapons, along with several other borrowed muskets as they made ready to provide protection for the courier when he exited the fort through the sally-port door below them. Peering into the darkness at the forest outside, it appeared to Nathaniel that no one was out there, but he knew better. The woods surrounding the fort would be peppered with French Rangers and their Indian allies, waiting to ambush anyone who might attempt to leave.

On another side of the fort, Duncan and three companies of troops were themselves getting into position outside of the walls in order to divert attention away from the escaping courier.

With his own musket now loaded and ready to be used for the last shot, Nathaniel finished loading one of the borrowed weapons as he spoke to Jack Winthrop who, along with three other colonial militiamen, had come to help.

"And Munro refused to believe what happened?" asked Jack.

"He does not even want to hear it…..but he's gonna have to." replied Nathaniel.

"Get together by the west bastion. Ian, Sharitarish, Ongewasgone and William." Jack instructed one of the colonials, who left immediately to find the men and inform them of the meeting.

After signaling the courier to leave, Nathaniel and Chingachgook each took aim as they scanned the half-light of the forest for even the slightest of movement. Just as they suspected, the trees and underbrush came alive with French Rangers and warriors as soon as the courier exited the fort. Picking off the enemy one by one as they ran out to attack the runner, father and son worked as a team with Jack and the two remaining militiamen, exchanging empty muskets for loaded ones until only one last pursuing ranger remained. Taking careful aim with his own trusted musket, which he had loaded in a special way with extra powder and silk fabric in order to gain another forty yards, Nathaniel waited until he had a clear shot at the ranger and fired. Knocked to the ground by the bullet, the ranger fell just behind the courier, who now disappeared into the distant underbrush with his message to General Webb.

After receiving congratulations on their shooting, Nathaniel and Chingachgook took their muskets and left the parapet along with Jack and the other militiamen, who all split up as they left to discreetly make their way over to the meeting place.


Author's Note: I will continue to do my best to share my time between updating both this story and "When Two Worlds Meet", but because my free time to work on them is limited, and because I can only work on one at a time, updates on "Second Chances" will not occur as regularly as they had before. I only mention this so that you will know I have not abandoned this story. "Second Chances" was my very first fanfiction entry and it is important to me to complete this rewrite, which will make it into the story it should have been all along.

My sincere thanks to all of you who are taking the time to read and follow this tale and give reviews on it. It means everything to me! Thank you! MohawkWoman :)