Hello again everyone! Thank you all so much for you continued support of this story, and a special thank you to Lovely102 who has followed this story since Chapter 4 was posted! Please let me know what y'all think of this chapter-I apologize for the delay but I wanted to get some of the rest of the story outlined first so hopefully the next few updates will be quicker. A quick note here- I did change the timeline of events in this story slightly from the movie as you will see. I felt that it needed to happen for the sake of the storyline but don't worry-I'll be picking back up with the movie timeline after this chapter.
Here are two song listings for this chapter (Both from the Last of the Mohicans score):
1. The Courier
2. Stockade
Chapter 5-The Fort Part 2
Crossing the interior yard of the fort with his father and brother, Nathaniel's eyes scanned the battlements for their settler friends. It didn't take long to spot Jack and Ians' positions along the left side of the fort. "Jack! Ian! Do you boys have a minute?" he called out as they made their way towards them. Jack and Ian both turned from facing out towards the French lines and faced their friends. "We were beginning to think you'd headed out without saying goodbye." Jack said, a small smile on his face as he took in the sight of his friends. "Never." Chingachgook spoke up. "Where is Juliet?" Ian spoke up, a questioning look in his eyes. Nathaniel noticed Jack's expression had turned serious as well, the mood having shifted with the question. "She's sleeping with Colonel Munro's daughters while we are here," he answered, "but why she's here is what I need to tell you about. All of you." Jack nodded at this. "Let's gather everyone." he said. "I'll find Ongewasgone and Sharitarish." Uncas offered and headed off. "And I'll get William and the others, they were getting some more powder." Ian said, following along. As soon as Uncas and Ian had headed off, Jack shifted his weight, turning slightly back out to look over the battlements for a moment. "It's bad, isn't it?" Jack broke the silence. Both of the remaining Mohican men nodded. "We came by the Cameron's place yesterday. An Ottawa and French war party had attacked earlier, killing John, Alexandra and James and burning the farm. Juliet was the only survivor." Chingachgook told him. Nathaniel was grateful that his father had spoken up as he knew they'd have to tell the same story to the others, and he didn't like having to repeat it over and over, thereby reliving the painful memories in his mind. But Jack had been a close friend of the Camerons too and he deserved to hear the news first to have a chance to process it before the others came and joined them. Jack turned away from them, his head dropping down as he took in the news. Nathaniel reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. A sideways glance at his father showed that he felt the same way. It was comforting, in a way, to know that someone felt the same grief and sense of loss that they did.
"You told Munro already?" Jack asked tightly turning back around. Nathaniel nodded. "Tried to. He didn't seem to listen." he answered. "But all of us have families out there-us and the Mohawks-I got our terms from General Webb himself." Jack said, a frustrated noise coming out along with the words. "My sons both tried to tell him. He seemed focused on getting a courier out to General Webb in the hope of getting reinforcements here." Chingachgook spoke up, his expression showing his own frustration with the Colonel in charge of the fort. "Got roped into finding one for him and providing rifle cover." Nathaniel spoke up. "Daniel. He's the fastest runner in the militia." Jack offered up. Nathaniel nodded his assent. "How's Juliet doing?" Jack asked quietly, now that the initial shock had passed. "As well as can be expected." Nathaniel answered. "She knows we're looking after her and have promised not to leave her here." Jack nodded at that, a sad but thoughtful expression on his face. "What will become of her ultimately?" he asked. Nathaniel exchanged glances with his father. "Well, we haven't quite gotten to that part yet." Nathaniel said.
"Munro refused to believe what happened." Jack stated after the Mohicans had told the group of militiamen and Mohawks the news of the Camerons. Nathaniel nodded as he loaded his rifle Killdeer. "Does not even want to hear it," he said. He pushed the ramrod down and slid it back out, the jamming action letting him get out some of his irritation as he remembered the Colonel's words. "Well he's going to have too." He continued the process of loading his weapon, half listening to Jack as he spoke to the others, telling them that they would get together in the morning to discuss what to tell the Colonel. He tried to re-focus his mind on the job soon at hand, providing coverage while the courier, Daniel, attempted to run through to Webb with Munro's call for reinforcements. He had met him briefly when he had joined the others for the news, though he had left soon after to prepare for his mission. Like the others, he had a family in the settlements and while he hadn't known the Camerons, the news had obviously distressed him. He had said he was getting leave as soon as he reached Fort Edward and delivered his message to return home to protect his family.
Nathaniel closed the frizzen of Killdeer and set the hammer at half cock, looking up to see that Uncas had done the same with his weapon. Behind them, Jack and several of the militiamen had also prepared their rifles, ready to hand them to Nathaniel and Uncas once they had fired their own first. Nathaniel noticed out of the corner of his eye that Daniel had returned and was being given the dispatch, which he secured crosswise on his back. He caught his eye and gestured with his hand toward him and lifted Killdeer to show that he was ready. Daniel turned away to leave the fort and Uncas knelt down beside him, both of them aiming their guns along the courier's soon to be path.
It didn't take long for the first two Ottawa to appear in the woods as soon as the courier began his run. Both leapt straight forward into Daniel's path as he ran, letting loose war cries as they did so. Nathaniel aimed with his customary precision and fired, killing the first warrior while Uncas quickly took care of the second one. Both reached back with one hand and gave their empty rifles to their friends to be reloaded and aimed again with the loaded ones that took their place. Three more men, two Ottawa and a French settler appeared near Daniel, who doggedly kept on running without so much as looking at his pursuers. Nathaniel and Uncas made quick work of the two Ottawa while the Frenchman ran in pursuit of Daniel. Handing off his spent rifle, Nathaniel took Killdeer back into his hands and aimed, feeling the familiarity of his weapon. He aimed, sighting down the barrel, and waited. The Frenchman gained ground on the courier and still he waited, weighing and watching. None of the men urged him to take the shot, trusting that he knew what he was doing. He knew the right moment to fire.
Now.
He fired, and the Frenchman tumbled down just behind Daniel who ran on without looking back. He disappeared from rifle range, with no more pursuers in sight. Turning away, Nathaniel reloaded his rifle as quickly as he could before securing it across his back. "Come on, I'll show you where you can get some food and then where we're staying in the barracks." Jack said, as all of them got up from their crouched positions. "Sounds good," Uncas said, as they started moving across the yard presumably towards the field kitchen. Their father had already gone ahead of them, shortly after the group meeting. Nathaniel noticed that his brother was leaning to one side slightly as they walked along, obviously trying to offset some of the pain from his knife wound. "You need to get that sewn up, sooner rather than later." He told him. "In the morning. We need food and rest right now." his brother replied. None of them had slept much the night before, even after the French and their allies had turned back. It had been imperative to keep watch. But now it was catching up to them. Nathaniel felt it too. "You just make sure you do." He replied, giving his brother a tired smile that was returned.
Juliet felt something or someone shaking her as she slept. She thought she heard her name being called from far away. "Juliet…" the voice came again. She sighed and snuggled back further into her dreams. James hadn't poked her all night which was nice. Papa had told him to be nice to her and set a good example for her when she'd told him about James poking her in the middle of the night. Now she could sleep through the night. "Juliet…" the voice came again as the shaking continued. Who was it? It didn't sound like Mama.
"Come on, Juliet. It's time to wake up." the voice continued. Juliet opened her eyes and gasped. Where was she? Nothing looked familiar. She wasn't at home…all of a sudden the memories of the last two days came rushing in. Mama, Papa and James were dead and the Mohicans had found her. They had gone to Fort William Henry with Miss Cora and Miss Alice and Major Heyward and she had been sent to sleep with them last night. Miss Cora sat beside her now, and it was her voice and hands shaking her that had woken her up. She looked at Juliet sympathetically. "Did you sleep well?" she asked her. Juliet nodded. Cora smiled at her and reached out to smooth her hair. Juliet had drifted off to sleep almost immediately after she had settled her down last night when Mr. Phelps had shown them to the room that they were all sharing next door to her father's quarters. Cora was glad that she had, she needed all the comfort they could provide right now and helping care for her was giving her mind a needed distraction from Mr. Poe. Nathaniel, his first name echoed in her mind. While it was acceptable to call close friends by their given name, as she and Alice did with Duncan, it felt wrong to think of him that way. It projected a level of intimacy that she was sure she did not feel comfortable with. Or at least that's what she was telling herself.
"Where's Miss Alice?" Juliet's question drove her back to the present, as the little girl looked around the room. "She went to get us some breakfast. I told her that I would bring it or possibly see if one of the soldiers could but she insisted." she told her. Juliet nodded, looking down at the quilt on the cornshuck mattress. It wasn't as pretty as the one Mama had made for her and James, using pieces of the dress she had worn when she and Papa had gotten married and colorful scraps she had saved up. Miss Cora had reminded her of Mama though last night, when she had tucked her in last night beside Alice before laying down to sleep herself. She knew how to tuck the quilt in tight and give it an extra pat. She kind of looked like Mama too now, even though Mama had blonde hair and blue eyes and Miss Cora's hair and eyes were dark. But Mama had often worn her hair loose in the morning the way Miss Cora's hair was now. "Can I see the Mohicans after breakfast?" Juliet asked, wanting to see them as soon as possible. Nathaniel had promised that she would see them in the morning. Cora nodded, "Of course." she said, rising to her feet and helping Juliet out of bed. "But right now, we need to get ready for the day. I will be helping Mr. Phelps in the surgery." "What can I do?" Juliet asked. Mama had always told her how she could help in the morning when she woke up and they got ready for the day. Cora paused, trying to think of how Juliet could help. She had planned to start Alice off by rolling bandages and she knew Mr. Phelps would probably be giving her a few lessons as well, just as he had done with her. Juliet could probably help with the bandages and maybe some other things too. Cora knew from her own life that staying busy helped with grief.
"You can come along with me to the surgery and Alice will be coming too." she said, picking up a comb on the small table in the room and turning towards Juliet. "Would you like me to comb your hair?" she asked, holding up the comb. Juliet nodded, turning around so Cora could start at the back of her head. She tensed up slightly, hopping Miss Cora was gentle with the comb. Mama always had been.
Cora felt Juliet tense up, and laid a hand on her shoulder first. "I'm good with combing hair, I used to do this for Alice when she was younger." She reassured her. After their mother had died, Cora had started combing Alice's baby curls the way their mother had combed hers with gentle strokes. It had brought them closer together while they grieved. Gripping the hair at the crown and pulling it away from the head, Cora began to comb through Juliet's hair. It reminded her a lot of Alice's at a similar age, fine baby hair in a beautiful golden color. She continued the process, feeling Juliet relax as she did so. She smiled to herself. This what they both needed.
Alice was tempted to give a very unladylike groan of frustration as she tried vainly to find the fort's kitchen. Why had she insisted on getting the breakfast? Cora had tried to tell her she'd get it or send someone to bring it, but Alice insisted on doing it herself. She didn't want to be useless. Besides, how hard was it to find the kitchen?
Apparently harder than she had thought.
She should probably just ask someone, why she hadn't done so before made her want to smack her forehead at the thought of being so empty-headed. She spotted one of the officers to her right in the outer yard, surely they would know… "Miss Alice?" a voice that seemed familiar came from behind her. Alice jumped slightly and turned to find Uncas standing there, already raising his hands in apology. "I didn't mean to startle you, miss. Good morning." He said giving her a smile. Alice didn't know what to do, she felt awkward all of a sudden. He had said good morning. She needed to return the greeting. "Good morning Mr. Uncas." she replied, trying to return his smile. Uncas didn't seem to notice her awkwardness. "Did you sleep well last night?" he asked. Alice nodded quickly. "Yes, thank you. And yourself?" she asked quickly. Uncas nodded, "Very well, it was good to rest through the night." He said, and looked at her questioningly. "You seem like you're trying to find something." Alice groaned inwardly. Now she felt twice as awkward. But still, she needed to find the kitchen. "Yes, actually, I am trying to find the kitchen. I told my sister and Juliet that I would see to getting us some breakfast." She confessed. Uncas smiled again. "I'll show you the way. How is your sister, and Juliet?" he asked as they started walking, concern in his voice when he asked about Juliet. He had hated being apart from her last night, and he knew that his father and brother felt the same way. He had seen the way they had all hurt when she had started crying in the council room and begged them not to leave her again. They would want to see her soon. "My sister is fine, and Juliet seems to be doing all right." Alice answered honestly. "She went to sleep as soon as she was tucked in." Uncas nodded, feeling relieved that Juliet hadn't fussed anymore after she had been sent with the Munro sisters to sleep.
"How's your wound?" The question from Alice surprised him, after her shyness when he had first approached him. He shrugged, "It need suturing. I will head over to the surgery once I help you bring breakfast to your sister and Juliet." He answered. Alice nodded. "My sister will be glad to suture it for you. She is good with those type of things." She told him, once again reminding herself that she needed to be paying close attention to learn the type of things that her sister knew. The events of the last two days had confirmed for her that she needed to grow up more. As she and Uncas entered the busy field kitchen, she promised to do just that.
Miss Cora had just finished tying her apron, which had dried overnight, when a knock sounded at the door. "Yes?" Cora called out, as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear that had fallen loose from her bun. "It's me, Alice," she heard her sister's voice answer, "And Mr. Uncas is with me." Juliet smiled when she heard Miss Alice say that. Uncas had found her! "Come in." Cora answered. Alice opened the door, holding it open for Uncas who balanced a large wooden tray on which rested three bowls of oatmeal and a teapot. Cora was thrilled to see the teapot, tea always helped her feel more awake when she started the day. Uncas set the tray down on the small table and was almost immediately hit with Juliet who threw her arms around him and held on tight. "Uncas!" she cried out happily. Uncas smiled as he picked her up in his arms. "Well good morning to you too Juliet." He said. "Did you sleep well?" Juliet nodded. "Good," he said, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Well, I'll leave you to your breakfast." He told the Munro sisters as he set Juliet down again. "Can I go with you?" Juliet asked quickly, tugging on his shirt. He knelt down to eyelevel. "First you have to eat your breakfast," he told her, "then I need to get my wound dressed. Then you can come with me. I know my father and brother will be glad to see you." Juliet nodded with a sigh, she had thought he would say that. Uncas ran his hand along the back of her head, and smiled at her. "We'll be along to the surgery shortly, sir." Cora offered. "I can help you." He nodded, "Miss Alice told me you were quite the field medic." He said, glancing at Alice again who blushed at his words. Cora smiled slightly, and touched her sister's hand. "That was kind of her." Uncas nodded at all of them and took his leave.
The surgery room in the heart of the fort was dim even in the daytime, the candle sconces creating shadows on the wall as they illuminated the room. It was busy too, and Mr. Phelps had wasted no time in assigning them all tasks. Alice had been put to work rolling bandages which were desperately needed as the siege continued, and Cora was tending to her Uncas as her first patient with help from Juliet. Juliet had begged to help with Uncas and both Mr. Phelps and Cora didn't have the heart to say no. It was actually quite helpful, Cora thought, as there was someone to help press the edges of the wound together while she sutured it. She had wondered if Juliet would be squeamish at the sight of blood but it hadn't seemed to bother her. Then again, she had been raised on a farm on the frontier and so Cora guessed that blood and wounds weren't that uncommon of a sight. Besides, she and Uncas were obviously close and she could tell that Juliet was glad to be able to help him. All three of them were so involved in the task that they didn't notice Nathaniel approaching. "Miss Munro?" Mr. Phelps voice came from the door of the surgery. All three of them looked to see Nathaniel standing there. "Gentleman looking for you." he continued. "Miss Munro." Nathaniel greeted as he entered the room, "Juliet." he said with a smile as he passed by her. Cora felt flustered all of a sudden, though she tried to hide it. "Hello." she said. Nathaniel made his way over to the set of shelves where medical supplies were stored and picked up a roll of the blue silk salvaged from her ruined riding habit. "May I?" he asked. Feeling surprised by the gentle nature of his request, Cora nodded before returning to her finishing her work on Uncas' wound. "It'll seep and then it's going to draw." She told him, trying to focus again as she began to bandage the newly sutured cut. "Thank you, miss." He told her. "Bout done holding hands with Miss Munro?" Nathaniel asked his brother as he finished cutting off a length of silk and replaced it on the shelf. Uncas rolled his eyes, chuckling at his brother's sense of humor. "Our father wants to talk to you." He told him. Cora glanced at Nathaniel as he nodded to her and prepared to leave the room. She felt a flash of irritation with him for making her feel as flustered as he did. Since they had met on the George Road, she had noticed that he had the ability to make her feel both secure and insecure at the same time. This had been confirmed in the burial ground the previous night. Why did he have to do that?
She came out of her thoughts to realize that he was still in the room, and now he was staring openly at her. Her irritation and insecurity came to the forefront of her emotions again. "What are you looking at, sir?" she quietly demanded. What gave him the right to look at her? He didn't flinch or stop staring as he responded, "I'm looking at you miss." He answered honestly. All of her irritation fled with that but her insecurity remained. She dropped her eyes, taking in his words and knowing his eyes were on her still. While she had been admired by a number of gentleman in London and in Boston, they had never spoken this freely. Their intentions had always been couched in some fancy turn of phrase, wit and cleverness being praised in social circles with flattery used to impress the ladies. But the honesty of the words touched something inside her, satisfying a need that she hadn't fully realized she had. Once again, she was aware that she had never known anyone like him. Nathaniel. His first name came to her mind again and this time it didn't seem uncomfortable.
A moment passed, and then another. Cora could still feel his eyes on her. She lifted her eyes to meet his, and studied the newfound warmth in his green eyes as he looked at her. They were sharp and yet they managed to be gentle too. A smile graced her face before she was aware it was happening and she quickly dropped her gaze again, only to glance immediately back up towards him. She was glad that she had, because at that moment, a beautiful, crinkly smile bloomed on Nathaniel's face. It remained there even as he turned and walked away from her and out of the surgery. She stared after him for a few moments, feeling a strange mix of clarity and confusion that came from inside her.
Something had ended and something was still yet to begin. The question she had to answer was what were those things?
So the next part of time at the Fort has occurred! I hope everyone enjoyed the deviation from the movie timeline-I felt it needed to happen in order for some of the extra scenes to work and to give some characters (e.g. Jack, Alice etc.) more "screen time." I enjoyed showing more of Uncas' gentle side with Alice-stay tuned for more! I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I will say that there is more to come with them.
Caliste9 I'm glad to hear you can relate to Alice having someone looking up to her as well. It's a side of Alice that I wanted to showcase and I hope you enjoy how it continued in this chapter. Lovely102, I'm glad that you also like it too-I don't want to give away the storyline as I said before but I hope no matter what you will stay tuned!
