"Cora and I are thinking of getting married earlier." Nathaniel shared, as he and Uncas cleaned their rifles outside their wigwam. Uncas glanced up at his brother, squinting against the early morning sun, "That's good." "I'm glad she didn't insist on having a white wedding but we are going to register our marriage in Albany. Daniel and Marianne will help us with arrangements." Nathaniel said, studying his rifle intently. "We probably can get married in about two weeks." Uncas' lips quirked into a rueful smile, "Guess we all have to make a trip to Albany again."
"I want you. I only want you." Alice's cheeks flushed as she reminisced about Uncas' romantic declaration in the empty wigwam and their kiss. Should she have responded in kind? Alice had wanted to but was strangely hesitant. Uncas seemed so convicted and sure of his feelings for her… but did she feel as steadfast towards him? If she did, that would indicate she would be staying in America and live a frontier life with him. Did she really want that?
"Hold the knife this way." Uncas instructed, gesturing Alice should imitate the way he was holding his knife. It was after lunch and they were having their first lesson in an open space near Uncas' wigwam. Alice did so obediently, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was dressed in a simple white blouse and pale yellow skirt with her hair weaved into a single braid – Uncas thought she looked endearing and lovely.
"If you are going to stab someone, better to use two hands for more strength and force." Uncas advised staunchly, adjusting Alice's fingers to ensure a firm grip. Alice shivered at the thought, "I hope I won't need to." Uncas regarded her sternly, "You have to if someone attacks you. Aim for the heart or the centre of the chest. Hard to miss." They practised a little while longer before they took a break.
They sat down on the ground and Uncas handed Alice his pouch of water. She eagerly drank from it and paused momentarily, "Did you teach Huyana how to use a knife too?" "These kind of lessons are usually taught by a girl's father or brother." He smoothly deflected, taking the pouch from her and alleviating his own thirst. Alice wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily, "Huyana only lives with her mother, no?" Uncas shrugged, "Her father died about three years ago. We learn these things as a child." He dusted his hands and yanked her to her feet, "Let's continue."
A few days passed and Uncas religiously coached Alice on her knife skills every afternoon. If he had other things to do during that time, he would have the lesson in the morning. Alice realised sourly that though Uncas didn't encourage Huyana's advances towards him and politely moved away when she touched him, he didn't completely ignore her either. Alice had spotted them having friendly conversations a few times, though it was Huyana doing the talking most of the time. Alice knew she was being terribly silly and immature, but she disliked seeing Uncas with Huyana.
Nathaniel was going around the camp searching for Chingachcook when he stumbled upon Alice, who was partially hidden a wigwam, looking glum. She was staring at something in the distance and he followed her line of sight – Uncas, Huyana and Cheveyo were chatting in the communal area. Huyana and Cheveyo were laughing animatedly, while Uncas just listened to them in amusement. Huyana was sitting very close to Uncas, her sable hair brushing his arm. Nathaniel knew that Uncas thought and felt nothing of the proximity because he genuinely had no feelings for the girl outside of friendship. But Alice was obviously bothered by their closeness.
"She took an arrow for him ten years ago." Alice jumped as Nathaniel soundlessly materialised at her side. "I beg your pardon?" Alice replied, confused. Nathaniel nodded in the direction of the trio, "We were out in the forest playing around one afternoon. We had been warned by our elders that it was dangerous to do so because there was unrest among the different tribes then. But we didn't care and still headed out. Got surrounded by some Mohawks. Uncas was busy fighting one and he didn't see another with his bow aimed at him. But Huyana did and jumped in front of him. The arrow hit her shoulder. She still has the scar."
"I see." Alice said in a small voice. Nathaniel smiled at her kindly, "That's why he doesn't ignore her despite her ways. She saved his life once. But that doesn't mean he has special affection for her." Alice bit her lip, "I understand." She genuinely did and it made her feel worse. "Are you staying?" Nathaniel asked abruptly. Alice stuttered nervously, "I don't…don't know yet." Nathaniel nodded wearily, "Hard decision to make. But don't make my brother wait too long. Ain't fair to him." With that, he patted her shoulder in a brotherly manner before taking off.
Uncas' senses pricked and he scanned his surroundings keenly. He saw a flash of gold behind a wigwam. Alice. Without saying a word to Cheveyo and Huyana, he got to his feet and went after her. He had warned Alice not to wander far from the camp and she usually obeyed him when it came to issues of safety and danger. But he could tell she was getting a little restless being stuck at the camp all day and occasionally ventured a little farther than she ought to. She never once complained and simply did her part helping out with all the duties expected of women living in such a camp. As much as Uncas was aware she was naturally quiet by nature, he sometimes felt she was a little too quiet.
Alice found a nice, shady spot under a tree and plonked herself down. In her hand was Chingachcook's book on sonnets. He had passed it to her earlier in the day, guessing that she was beginning to feel a little bored with life in the camp. Alice much preferred life at the cabin where it was tranquil and isolated. She enjoyed taking short walks around the cabin, discovering a new trail or edible fruit each day. Here, Uncas didn't like her stepping out of the camp if possible. Not that she blamed him - but she just wished there was more she could explore and do in solitude. She flipped the pages of the book and smiled when she saw that the elder had discreetly marked a few pages - his favourites, maybe.
She paused to look at one such page: it was William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Alice suddenly wished she could listen to Chingachcook recite the sonnet just once - like how her father used to read her stories at bedtime when she was little. "You like sonnets, too?" Uncas drawled lazily as he crouched beside her. "No. But your father probably thinks I should develop an interest in them." Alice admitted, fingering the smooth leather-bound cover. She didn't' add that she suspected his father just wanted her to develop an interest in something or anything that wasn't related to camp chores.
Uncas glanced over her shoulder, "Ah. The summer sonnet." Alice's raised an eyebrow - these Mohican men certainly knew their poems. Will wonders never cease. Uncas flicked a blade of grass off his wrist, "It was my mother's favourite. She made it into a song and sang it to Nathaniel and I every night to make us sleep." Alice turned towards him in surprise - this was the first time he had mentioned his mother to her.
Alice wondered how Uncas' mother looked like: Lenmana sounded like a kind and beautiful woman from what she learnt from Nathaniel, who talked about her quite a fair bit. Uncas moved so swiftly that she barely had time to blink. One second he was crouching beside her, the next his head was on her lap, his long legs stretched out. Alice tried to roll his head off her lap but he was immoveable, "What are you doing? Anyone can walk by and see us!"
Uncas grounded his head more deeply into her lap, one hand reaching up to twirl a lock of her hair almost dreamily. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." he murmured in his deep voice, his eyes effusing dry humour and boundless warmth. Alice had been serenaded before but never with a savage on her lap who was rather eloquent when the occasion called for it. Alice huffed crossly but her eyes crinkled with defeated amusement, her fingers daintily playing with one of his braids. "You are insufferable." His mouth widened into a wicked grin and he dropped butterfly kisses on her fingers, "Don't know what that means, Miss Munro."
Huyana spied at the blissful couple under the tree, seething with sickened jealousy. She had never seen Uncas so relaxed and playful in the twenty years she had known him. He rarely smiled or laughed but here he was, doing both with the white girl who was as silent as he was. Huyana vividly recalled her first and only kiss with Uncas when she was sixteen summers. She had been so taken by the brave of eighteen summers and swore that he was taken with her too. They had spent some time together alone that summer but Uncas' interest in her seemed to fade with each day. They had kissed one night under the moonlight - Uncas had been willing but detached. But after, he had resisted all her advances... until today. Did he remember she once saved his life? Huyana had a nagging feeling that he did remember but didn't deem it reason enough to settle down with her for good.
Uncas scrutinised Alice from his vantage point: she looked a little dejected despite the breezy mood. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she distractedly outlined the tattoo below his collarbone with one finger, "I heard Huyana took an arrow for you." Uncas decided enough was enough. He brushed her hand aside and sat up with panther-like grace. "Why are you so bothered by Huyana?" He demanded, his hands gripping her arms with gentle firmness. Alice was at a loss and retorted defensively, "Because you are bothered by her." Uncas eyed her narrowly, "I said I only want you." Alice exploded with pent-up fustration, "She doesn't know that!"
"She knows." Uncas corrected as he hauled her closer to him until their faces were just mere inches apart. "What she doesn't know is whether you want me as badly as I want you. Whether you own me." Alice gaped at his choice of words. "Huyana won't stop unless she's certain I belong to another woman." Alice was mesmerised by the banked embers of fire in his eyes.
He inched in even closer and asked silkily, "Do I belong to you, Alice Munro?"
