Hello again everyone! Sorry for the delay with this chapter-I've had a crazy personal and professional life the last few weeks which unfortunately delayed me uploading another chapter to this story. But here it is at last-I have ended up cutting up the fort scenes into several chapters in order to fit in more dialogue and moments with different characters so I hope everyone enjoys this one. As usual, I will respond more in depth to reviews at the end. Enjoy!

*Words in Italics are usually meant to indicate the characters speaking Mohican/Delaware. I know the characters in the movie spoke Delaware that was intended to be believed by the audience to be Mohican so I have used a few from each that will be translated at the end of the chapter. I got these words and translations from the Lenape Talking Dictionary which is a great resource.

Song Listings for this Chapter:

1. Outside by Ellie Goudling

2. Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath

Chapter 6-The Fort Part 3

Juliet followed Uncas out of the surgery and into the inner courtyard of the fort. Miss Cora had told her she could go with him, and come back later to continue helping. "What are we going to do now, Uncas?" she asked him, looking up at him. Uncas glanced down at her, chuckling to himself at the little girl's curiosity. "We're going to see my father and Nathaniel, like I told you before," he said. "Oh right." she answered. Juliet remembered he had told her that before, but she had been distracted after she had finished breakfast and had started helping Miss Cora and Miss Alice in the surgery. When Nathaniel had come in, she had noticed the way he had looked at Miss Cora and how they had smiled at each other. Uncas had noticed too, because he had nudged her and winked.

Uncas led her over to the left side of the fort, where Juliet saw that Chingachgook and Nathaniel were sitting by a blackened out fire on some hewn logs cleaning their rifles. They looked up as they approached and both stood to greet them. "Hello, Juliet, did you sleep well?" Chingachgook asked, giving her a smile as he reached out and stroked her hair. Juliet nodded. "Yes, Miss Cora and Miss Alice were kind to me." she said, "did you sleep well?" she added, remembering that Papa had told her to ask those types of questions in return to be polite. Chingachgook chuckled at that. "Yes, I did." he replied, tapping her affectionately on the nose before picking up the pieces of his rifle and sitting back down as they all sat down together. "Nooch, my brother said you wanted to speak with me." Uncas said softly in Mohican. His father nodded. "Ahikta, come with me." He answered, gesturing with his hand to the right side of the fort near the barracks where they were staying. Uncas stood while his father reassembled his rifle and secured it across his back before following him as he walked in the direction he had motioned towards.

Juliet watched them go, wondering what they would talk about. A nudge from Nathaniel broke into her thoughts. "Want to help me?" he said, holding out the pieces of his rifle with a smile. Juliet hesitated. She had watched Papa clean his rifle, and he had let James help but she couldn't. James had said it was because she was a girl but Papa had said she was too little yet. "I'll show you what to do," Nathaniel said, "I was only a little younger than you when my father started showing me how to clean a rifle." "All right." Juliet said, curious to learn something new. Nathaniel set the barrel of Killdeer into her hands, and placed Juliet on his knee to start showing her what to do. He smiled to himself as he reached with one hand to grab the ramrod he had wrapped with a rag for cleaning out the barrel. Juliet needed to keep busy and so did he. If he was being honest with himself, he couldn't stop thinking about Cora Munro.

She wasn't like any other woman-white or native-that he had met before. When he'd first met her on the George Road, he had thought she was like any other upper class Englishwoman. He had been around some of their class before, when he was a boy attending Reverend Wheelock's school and as an adult in places like Albany. They were usually sheltered, with a view of life that was very limited in scope although he figured by some measure that wasn't necessarily their fault. He had seen for himself the limits that were placed on them. Her words when they had found the Camerons' farm and Juliet had pretty much solidified that view of her in his mind but then she had surprised him in the burial ground that night. Not only had she apologized, but she had admitted to him that she didn't know what was happening around them. That had caught his attention. He knew from personal experience and his own personality how hard it was to admit that you didn't know or understand something. That, and how she had pulled out the pistol and loaded it with apparent ease. And just now, in the surgery, when she had smiled back at him, he had seen the look in her eyes that had made him smile in return. Could it be?

Pulling his mind back to the present, he looked down at Juliet. "You hold the barrel here," he said moving her hand to grip it properly in her left hand, but using his own hand wrapped around hers to help hold it steady. "Then you take the ramrod," he said holding it up with his right hand, "and run it through the barrel until the rag comes out clean." He took her right hand and placed it on the ramrod and started to run it through the barrel, guiding her though the process. As they worked, he glanced over to the barracks, where his father and brother stood nearby talking. He knew what they were talking about, having had a similar conversation with his father that morning. Looking down at Juliet, he smiled to himself.

It was possible that, some way or another, they could have a new family member.


Uncas waited for his father to begin the conversation, wondering what it would be about. He had an idea of course, and it was likely about their plans they had made and what would ultimately happen to Juliet. They had promised to take care of her, and she would come with them whenever they left the fort, but after that, nothing had been decided that he knew of.

Chingachgook had led his son over to the side of the barracks reserved for the settlers and natives, giving them a semblance of privacy though of course the fort was crowded with people. He turned to his son, "Nkwis, I have already spoken to kxans about this as well and now I must talk to you. About Juliet." Uncas nodded, it was exactly what he had thought it would be about. "Ahitka, Nooch." he answered respectfully, to let his father know he had heard him. Chingachgook glanced away from his son back over to where Nathaniel and Juliet sat, his older son showing her how to clean Killdeer. He smiled briefly at the sight, before returning to his younger son in front of him. "She has no relatives here anymore. John, Alexandra and James were all she had here." Again, Uncas nodded. He knew that. John and Alexandra had been indentured servants from England when they had first landed in Virginia, and had arrived with only each other as husband and wife to be family. He remembered the Camerons telling them the story, and in a way it had forged a special connection between his family and theirs because they knew what it was like to only have a couple of people left that could be called ones' own.

"You know how Hawkeye came to be my son and your older brother." His father continued, continuing the conversation where Uncas had figured it was going. "Now we have a similar decision to make concerning Juliet, whether she is adopted as one of us or see if one of our friends can take her in." His father stopped speaking and looked at his son. Uncas didn't feel surprised exactly, given that he had guessed that this is what his father would say but yet in a way he was. Adoption was not uncommon among their people or among other tribes in the area, but this felt different. Taking a child from their original culture and placing them in a different one was a serious decision in his opinion. Then again, his father had firsthand experience with this. "I don't know, Nooch, she's a little girl and she's white…is it right to take her from her own people and culture?" Uncas asked, curious to know what his father's thoughts were on this. Surprisingly, the subject had never come up before, at least not directly. As the younger son, he had never known life without Nathaniel in it. His father's eyes turned very gentle and kind, as he laid a hand on Uncas' shoulder. "I am glad to see that you are concerned about those things, nkwis, I had to face the same questions with Hawkeye. In a way, it is a similar situation. As you know, your mother and I had known Hawkeye's first family like we knew the Camerons, and when the yellow fever took them and I found him alive, I thought the same thing. A child who had already lost his first family…was it right to take away his first identity from him as well? Raise him in a culture and language he was not born to? Make him Mohican instead of white?" Chingachgook paused and looked at his son, wanting him to understand that he had wrestled with these questions and worries for Nathaniel, loving him as his own son and yet at the same time, wanting the best for him as a father did any of his children.

Sensing that Uncas had taken in his words, he continued, "There isn't a simple answer for a situation like this, it's complicated because it's a situation that would never have happened if life had gone as expected. But that didn't happen, and here we are. But I can tell you what I realized about making Hawkeye my son and your brother, and that is it was never about taking anything away from him, only adding to who he was and could be. He never stopped being white just because he also became Mohican." Uncas digested his father's explanation, taking it in. It made sense, but like his father had said it still wasn't a simple situation. "But she should have a mother, she's a girl…" he answered, thinking it over. Chingachgook nodded. "Ahitka, she should. You or your brother could take a wife." He said pointedly. Uncas laughed at that. Again, his father was pushing that issue. "We don't have to decide anything right now, I only wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter." Chingachgook told him. Uncas nodded at that, giving him a smile. "If it was what was best for her, Nooch, I would gladly welcome her to our family and people." He told him. Chingachgook smiled back at his son. "Welhik. Let's go back to them now," motioning with his head towards his brother and Juliet. Uncas walked alongside his father as they made their way to them, thinking about what his father had just said. But there was a lot to think about right now, beyond what would happen to Juliet. Just as they reached them, Jack Winthrop joined them. "Hello all," he said, "I got us militiamen and Mohawks a meeting with Munro tonight to try and get our rights to leave and protect our families. Would you help me try and explain things to him, Nathaniel?" Nathaniel nodded, "I'll try to clear it up for him." He said sardonically. Jack nodded grimly and then looked at Juliet who was still on Nathaniel's lap, his eyes softening as he managed a smile for her. "Juliet.." he said, crouching down to her eyelevel, "I'm sorry about your family. Your parents and brother were some of the best people on the frontier any of us could've ever hoped to meet." He said sincerely, his eyes becoming moist at the thought of his friends and their son. Juliet nodded, the pain hitting her again but there was also a strange comforting feeling when she saw Mr. Jack's eyes well up too. Like the Mohicans, he had also loved her family and was sad they were gone. She was glad when he bent forward and gave her tight, loving hug. "I have to get back to my post," he told them all, pulling away from Juliet, "but we can meet up at supper for the meeting." The Mohicans nodded at that, everyone hoping that the meeting would go well and Munro would release everyone to go home to their families.


Nathaniel ground his teeth in frustration. His efforts to help clear things up for Munro were going to waste. What did the man not understand?! "And how am I to know it wasn't a raid by common thieves?" the Colonel demanded imperiously. Restraining himself, Nathaniel forced himself to answer at least somewhat reasonably, "The cabin was attacked by a war party fighting with the French. They're sweeping south down the frontier, attacking farms and Mohawk villages all the men are stuck here." Munro's expression remained unchanged. "I need proof more convincing than this man's opinion before I weaken the fort's defenses by releasing the militia. "he replied in the same tone. Jack took over the conversation at that moment, "Chingachgook's of the same opinion about the raid. Taken together, that's gospel. Your fort will stand or fall depending on Webb's reinforcements. Not the presence of the colonials," he finished, gesturing back towards the other militiamen. Murno crossed his arms and glared, "I judge military matters here, not you." He said with a touch of disdain that reminded all of the militia of their position in the eyes of their motherland. Having enough of it, Nathaniel stepped forward, speaking in a low but forceful tone, "Your judgement is not more important than their right under agreement with Webb, to defend their farms and families." Turning his glance to Major Heyward for a moment, who had been silent so far, he continued, "Major Heyward was there," gesturing with his hand towards him, "he was at John Cameron's. He saw what it was." Raising an eyebrow, Colonel Munro turned towards the Heyward. "What exactly did you see, Major?"

Duncan was floored by the question. Looking towards the doorway of the council room, he saw Cora standing there with an armful of linens, looking at him resolutely, Do the right thing, her eyes said. Glancing quickly between her and Nathaniel, Duncan felt jealousy rear its head within him. He had seen the way things were between Cora and Nathaniel. Steeling himself, he stepped forward "I saw nothing that would lead me to the conclusion it was other than a raid by savages bent on thievery." he said, surprising even himself with how easily the lie came out. Nathaniel's dark expression quickly brought him back to reality. "You're a liar." He growled out. Duncan moved forward. How dare this backwoods nobody insult him?! "Major!" Munro stopped him as soon as he did so. Turning back to the militiamen and Nathaniel, he continued "Montcalm is a soldier and a gentleman. Not a butcher." He said, as if that was supposed to calm them down. "Easy for you to suppose." Nathaniel said, walking towards the colonel, forcing himself to remain as calm as he could which wasn't easy, "It's their women and children alone on the farms, not yours. You saw Juliet with us, now multiply that by all the men here." "You forget yourself sir!" Munro spat out. "We're not forgetting Webb's promise!" Jack all but yelled, leaning in. "British promises are honored." Munro said, returning to his imperious tone, "And the militia will not be released, because I need more definite proof than this man's word." Nathaniel didn't understand it. Was the man so blinded by his own position and rank that he had lost any compassion or human decency? Any true sense of the honor he had the gall to just mention?

Pulling himself back to the conversation, he heard Munro declare the meeting over and the militia would be staying. Certain that if he opened his mouth it would be to say something that he knew would logically make the situation worse than it already was, he was glad that Jack bit out, "Does the rule of English law no longer govern? Has it been replaced by absolutism?" To hell with it, Nathaniel thought as he said, "If English law cannot be trusted, maybe these people would do better making their own peace with the French." It couldn't be worse than what they had already. "That is sedition!" Major Heyward cried out. "That is the truth." Nathaniel answered, looking steely in his direction. "I'll have you beaten from this fort." Heyward returned venomously. Nathaniel considered him for a minute, looking him over. He knew the reason for the man's anger towards him: Cora Munro. "Someday I think you and I are going to have a serious disagreement." he replied.

Munro spoke up then, "Anyone formenting or advocating the leaving of Fort William Henry will be hung for sedition. Anyone actually caught leaving will be shot for desertion! My decision is final! Get out." He finished, gesturing with his head to the door. Knowing there was nothing else to be tried with the Colonel, Nathaniel gave him the smallest of nods before turning to leave with the other men, all of whom were talking amongst themselves. They knew the same thing he did.

This wasn't over.


Cora walked down the hall towards the one of the fort's storerooms, where Alice and Juliet were waiting for the linens she was bringing to turn into bandages. She trembled with anger when she remembered Duncan's words from the council room. How could he lie like that? She had always known him to be an honorable man, but that one lie had reduced her trust in him. She had been glad to hear Nathaniel call him out on it and had almost turned around to give him a piece of her own mind but she had restrained herself. If she had judged Nathaniel as well as she thought she had, Duncan would get plenty of what she was thinking from him.

Reaching the door of the storage room, she paused and leaned against the wall, bringing a hand to her forehead. This confirmed it for her. She couldn't marry Duncan. While he may have been a respectable match back in England, this wasn't England and quite honestly she didn't know if she'd return to England. That thought startled here as soon as it entered her mind. Not return to England? Would she even have that choice? It was one thing to turn down Duncan's proposal, but quite another to not return to England. She shook her head to herself. She'd have to consider that later. Letting herself take another moment, she thought back to the moment she and Nathaniel had shared in the surgery, and how she had known something had ended in that moment and something was still yet to start. She had had her answer to the first part of that statement-her answer to Duncan's proposal-but not the answer to the second part of the question. Nathaniel. His name came to her mind again. She considered it. Was it possible?

"Where's Miss Cora, Miss Alice?" Juliet's voice from the storeroom broke her out of her reverie and she shook herself slightly. She had work to do. "Here." She answered the question for Alice and Juliet alike as she entered the room. "We should be able to make quite a few bandages from these." She said, spreading out the linens. As they got to work, her mind kept wandering back to Nathaniel. She thought about him, and wondered.


Nooch: Father (Mohican)

Nkwis: My son (Delaware)

Ahitka: Yes (Delaware)

Kxans: Older Brother (Delaware)

So the plot thickens. No worries-I have some special scenes with Alice and Uncas coming up-hint: a beautiful dance scene inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, especially the conversation between Uncas and Chingachgook regarding Juliet and their view of adoption. It's a conversation that I really wanted between the two of them since they are the biological members of their family/tribe and I was curious to see what they would think about it, in addition to potentially bringing in a new family member. In my mind, I see Chingachgook having a fairly progressive view of adoption compared to his contemporaries whether they are native or white. I think that being one of the last of his tribe or clan would give him a special affinity to the idea of identity and I wanted to bring that out in the storyline. This is hinted at in the movie in several ways-the fact that he sent both his sons to a missionary school so "they would know both worlds" and how he calls Nathaniel his "white son." I don't think he views Nathaniel as any less of a Mohican than he or Uncas is, but I think he calls him that sometimes in order to show a kind of respect to his son's "first culture or "first family." Chingachgook is one of my favorite "supporting" characters in the story (although he is really a backbone character when you think about it) and I look forward to exploring more of his character in the storyline.

Lovely102, thank you for saying I did a good job creating the hair combing scene between Cora and Juliet. I have worked with children, and I definitely agree that it's a common fear that it will hurt to have your hair combed or brushed. MohawkWoman, Uncas and Alice are growing on me (I'm finding it's easy to let my imagination go with them since there's so little canon to work with compared to Cora and Nathaniel) but I can't say what their ultimate fate will be yet. Rest assured, there's lots more to go before the end of the movie portion. BlueSaffire, I'm glad you enjoyed Uncas' gentle side and think he's wonderful with Juliet (I agree!). I'm trying to keep people guessing with some of my foreshadowing and character interactions, and I hope you and everyone else stay tuned for more.