The unlikely group left behind the site of the massacre and began moving north as the afternoon fell. The forest through which they traveled grew denser, the trees gathering close together, their tall canopy nearly blocking out the light of day.
As the day progressed the sounds of birds and other creatures faded away, leaving only the early chanting of crickets and the occasional call of an animal. The travelers themselves made no sound as their footsteps were muffled by the mushy floor over which thousands of fallen leaves and needles had fallen. This was a problem for the women as the ground was quite uneven in some parts and it was hard for them to walk without stumbling every few steps, though this was the least of their worries.
Both Cora and Alice were quite shaken after the ambush and at any strange noise, they halted in their tracks and listened, fearing it was not the call of an animal, but a signal for another attack to begin. Every shadow nearby shadow seemed like an assailant ready to jump out and even the fluttering of leaves gave them the feeling they were being followed.
For this reason, Alice did not dare walk more than a few feet behind their guides and once, her shoe slipped on a moss-covered branch and she fell against Uncas, who'd been walking right in front of her. The young man almost toppled over himself, but with a swift motion, he regained his balance and managed to grab her hand to steady her.
"I... I... I'm sorry," Alice stammered. She had not yet forgotten her behavior towards him, nor the intense way he'd stared at her.
But Uncas seemes to have forgotten the mishap. "Are you alright, miss?" He asked kindly, waiting for her to find sure footing.
She swallowed hard and nodded.
He released her hand and said. "You can try to lift your feet more. Step over branches and roots. You'll fall down less."
Alice offered a timid smile at this and waited for him to move ahead before she continued walking, though she did remember to follow his advice.
A few hours later, they came to the edge of the woods. The treeline ended abruptly as though sliced away by a knife and beyond it ran a wide, rushing river. Cora was dismayed at the idea of having to cross it. It was all very well for the men who wore trousers, or in the natives' case leggings, but she and Alice had been trudging all day in heavy skirts and managing the rough terrain on dainty shoes unfit for anything but a garden party.
"We're not going across, are we?" whispered Alice.
"Not here", said a voice behind of them. It was Uncas, who brought up the rear. "The river will help confuse anyone looking for our trail. We will travel beside it and cross at a point above the falls, where it is dry. At dusk, we'll see what happens."
Their fears momentarily appeased, the women strode on, but Duncan was not wholy satisfied with this idea. "I say, scout, is this a suitable plan?" He said, catching up with Nathaniel.
"We don't know what we'll have to face. It is always better to wait. And, I ain't no scout, yours or anyone's."
"I thought all colonials were assigned to the militia at the forts!"
"We aren't colonials," Nathaniel interrupted pointedly. "We are trappers, if what we do has a name. We travel west to winter in Can-Tuck-Ee."
Duncan's face grew a deep shade of red. "But there is a war going on! How is it you are heading west?!"
The growing arrogance in the officer's tone galled the young man, and he stopped and stared at him squarely in the eyes.
"Well, we kind of face to the north and real sudden-like turn left. This is your war, not ours. We don't want any part in it. Clear it up any?"
Nathaniel continued walking as if nothing had happened, and after a long while he spoke up again. "Your guide... you said he was the man who sprang from the tree as the fight ended. Where did you find him?"
Duncan took several seconds to recall. "Munro sent him to General Webb. He said he was one of his Mohawk allies."
Nathaniel scoffed and shook his head. "That's no Mohawk; he's Huron."
The revelation seemed to have no effect on the officer and Nathaniel gave an exasperated sigh. "The Huron are allied to the French," he explained. "Just like the Abenaki, Ottawa, Algonquin, Potawatomi, and many others. You English would benefit better by learning to distinguish the peoples of this land instead of trying to overrun us."
Duncan sputtered with rage but Nathaniel ignored him. "What reason had he to murder the girl?"
"What girl?"
He motioned with his head towards Cora. "The dark-haired one."
"Miss Cora?" Duncan exclaimed, his fury checked for a moment. "Murder her? I don't think he's ever set eyes on her before today!"
"No insult was given or blood vengeance?"
"Certainly not! Miss Cora Munro is a lady and besides, she's only been in Albany for a week or two."
Alice gave her sister a worried glance. Obviously, Cora had hesrd the entire conversation for all the blood had drained from face. She could not recall seeing their guide during the skirmish, only before it, and she had not crossed words with him at all during their short trip! How then could he have intended to kill her?
Nathaniel remained silent, meditating the information when suddenly Chingachgook called him up ahead. He sped up to catch up with his father and left Duncan, Alice, and a very distraught Cora to follow behind.
A day passed and the group continued their arduous journey. They rose early, just as the sky turned a lighter shade of blue, and hastily ate some of the provisions they had brought with them before setting out. Their path took them away from the valley they'd walked through and began an upward climb into the hills. According to Chingachgook and Nathaniel, this was the safest route as it would avoid most of the territory controlled by France, thereby reducing any danger. For the most part, the group walked in pairs: Alice and Cora together or with Duncan, Chingachgook always remaining at the head, and his sons alternating beside him.
The women were extremely tired after an uncomfortable night but they found solace in the beautiful sights the land offered. Above the treetops, the air was cool and crisp, and eagles and hawks soared the strong currents up to incredible heights. The mountains beyond stood out clearly against the horizon, their snow-covered peaks glistening in the sun. Directly below them, the trees seemed like a green sea with golden spots, swaying back and forth with every gentle breeze. It was both wondrous and daunting, and Cora thought that the stories had all fallen short in their description of the New World, for there seemed to be no words to truly describe it or what it inspired within one's soul.
Along the trail, there were certain places where their path narrowed so much, they were forced to walk in a single file. Whenever this happened, the English were alternated with the natives to ensure their constant protection. In one of these occassions, Cora found herself walking behind Nathaniel and she studied him intently, wondering how he had come to be with Chingachgook and Uncas.
She had, of course, heard horrible tales of savage attacks on small farms or cabins where all the inhabitants were killed or taken captive. Had this happened to Nathaniel? Had he been stolen from his family and home? She thought about Chingachgook. The old man seemed peaceful and wise, and he treated his adoptive son the same way he did Uncas, as though there were no difference between them. If he harbored such hate for the English, would he have taken Nathaniel under his wing? Or for that matter, would he have agreed to help them in the first place?
All of a sudden, Uncas gave a loud whoop and pointed his finger to the sky. "Fire!"
They lifted their eyes and saw a single column of dark smoke rising into the air. He and Nathaniel exchanged worried glances and turned to Chingachgook who nodded. Swift as deer, the young men sped on ahead of the group, their weapons at the ready, while the others followed at a more moderate pace.
"Where are they going?" Alice asked. "Could there be another attack?"
"Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough," Cora answered, though she too felt the clutch of fear grasp at her heart.
They descended into an open clearing and found the smoldering remains of a lone cabin and barn at its center.
"Keep quiet and stay close," Chingachgook warned them.
The young women walked beside Duncan, who kept his sword and pistol out, but there was nothing there now that would attack them. As they drew near the ruins, the officer caught sight of the bodies strewn on the grass. He halted and turned around to hold the sisters back, but his precaution came too late.
The bodies of a woman in a white sleeping gown and a baby lay on the ground, splattered with blood. Beyond, the walls of the ruined cabin were caved in and another small body could be seen, crushed underneath the logs of the roof. Cora put a hand over her mouth and muffled a cry, while Alice hid her face in Duncan's jacket and sobbed.
Chingachgook turned back and spoke quietly to Duncan. "Major, please take the women to the orchard. My sons and I will find out what happened here."
Duncan nodded and turned back, herding the women away to a small orchard surrounded by a picket fence. The apple trees were still heavy with fruit, and Alice picked several apples and handed them out. They sat down under the shade of the trees and hough the food and rest were quite welcome, their mood was a grim one.
Yet again, Cora found her mind turned upside down. What was it about this place that such violent things happened to good and innocent people? She kept seeing the woman's blank stare and shuddered at the thought it could have been Alice or herself. Was this the consequence of the raging war that ravaged the country? Or was it just the way things were in America?
Their guides were absent for the better part of an hour and when they exited the cabin, they crouched in a small circle, muttering amongst themselves. When Cora and the others joined them, they rose with somber determination painted on their faces. They picked up their satchels and weapons and began walking towards the far end of the clearing where the tall trees rose up again.
"We are leaving," Nathaniel said.
The English stood perplexed. Were they simply going to leave the bodies in the open-air, without any ceremony? Duncan stepped forward and, for the first time, spoke in a gentle tone. "Let us look after them. It cannot take long."
"Let us go," came the harsh reply from Nathaniel who had turned his back to follow his father and brother.
Cora was shocked at his frigid attitude and followed behind him. "Surely they are entitled to a Christian burial, even if we knew not who they were."
"Leave them, Miss."
"I will not!" She answered sharply, the accumulated shock and bewilderment finding an outlet at last. "I have seen the atrocity of war before, sir, but I've never seen it carried out on innocent women and children, or people whose cold indifference should reach the same level of its cruelness!"
Nathaniel had been purposefully walking away from Cora, blotting out her accusations. But, to have her call judgment on him without having the slightest idea what this tragic discovery meant, filled his aching heart with rage.
He whipped around so violently that she had to take several steps back. "They were not strangers," he said through gritted teeth. "And they stay as they lay."
Though Nathaniel stared at her with eyes as hard as steel, Cora did not back down. She knew it would not do to anger these men who were helping them get to the fort, though her sense of justice demanded her to fight it out until the end.
"Cora, let's just go," Alice said timidly, approaching her with uncertain steps.
Cora fought silently against Nathaniel for a few more moments and then lowered her eyes. She took a few, deep breaths and waited until she was sure Nathaniel had moved on. When she looked up, she saw him, far up ahead beside Uncas. She waited a bit more and then, ripping her mind away, began following their guides away from the tragic scene.