With three very adept men to construct the wigwam, and an additional two women to help, it was complete in just a couple of days. The first day was spent cutting 2 inch thick saplings for the arches, and one inch thick saplings to secure horizontal rings around the arches. Uncus carved spikes into the ends of the saplings meant for arches, and heated them to dry and harden over a fire. They were then placed into holes in the ground, and cord was used to secure them together. With the rings in place they had a sturdy frame. The women bundled dried grass that the men arranged and secured around the frame. A fire pit was dug in the center with clay to line it, and a hole was made in the roof for the smoke to escape. They would soon build platforms to line along the walls as beds, but for now, they would just use furs. The sleeping quarters were cramped, but what was most important was that they had shelter, and one just as warm and safe as any cabin. When it got colder and wetter, they would cover the grass exterior with birch bark for added protection from the elements.

With this done, it was time to see to the animals. They needed a fenced in area and barn, as well as a chicken coop. And they needed hay for the winter; a lot of it. Jack had told them of a farm up North that had ample hay and would be more than happy to sell. Nathaniel set out early the next morning in hopes of returning by noon with a months worth of hay for feed. The wagon would carry no more than that. They would have to return each month over the winter for more. Uncas and Chingachgook planned to stay behind to begin chopping wood for a fence.

"Be careful," Cora warned Nathaniel as he was setting off.

"I'm less concerned with safety than I am with being able to communicate with this family," he stated. "Jack says they speak only German."

"Well, Alice speaks German," Cora said. "She wanted to learn it because our mother was Prussian."

"I didn't know you were part German," said Nathaniel.

"Yes our parents met when our father was posted in Prussia after the Great Northern War. They married and she returned with him to live in Scotland for some time before my father became an officer."

"Well, can Alice ride with me to translate?"

"Of course, she can."

Alice was busy clearing an area for cooking, so she could begin preparing proper meals. She had found a generous area of bare dirt and begun to lay rocks around it.

"Alice, Nathaniel needs you to translate for him with some German farmers."

"Okay," Alice agreed in slight annoyance that the task she had set for the day was now being interrupted.

"How long will it take?"

"Nathaniel says you'll be back by noon."

She would never have enough time to set up an outdoor kitchen and prepare a decent meal by the end of the day.

She hopped into the wagon without argument.

Uncas saw Alice joining Nathaniel in the wagon and could not fathom why she would be going with him. Did she harbor a crush on him and want to steal some time alone? Was she trying to avoid being around Uncas? Was she interested in what other young men she might meet at this other farm? Whatever the answer, he was consumed with jealousy that his brother could just ride off in a wagon with the woman he loved, and he would never be able to do that. He took out his frustration on the logs that needed splitting.

Nathaniel and Alice rode until mid morning without speaking a word to each other. When they came upon a field of copious hay bales, Nathaniel was certain they had arrived. They continued on to the house in the distance. This was not a traditional cabin, but a house made of stone. It reminded Alice of their estate in London, and she thought it quaint.

A man walked out from behind the house then, with a curious expression on his face. He was clearly waiting for them to speak first.

"What do you want me to say?" asked Alice.

"We need a months worth of hay for these two draft horses and a dairy cow. We would like to repeat the order every month for 6 months." He told her the maximum she could negotiate and that they would pay each month.

Alice stepped down from the wagon and said something to the man that sounded like a friendly greeting. She spoke further, and the man nodded, gesturing for them to come into the house. She gestured for Nathaniel to follow her in. Inside, a number of adults and children sat around speaking a language he did not understand while smells he did not recognize came from the hearth. Women sat around the table peeling potatoes and chopping onions. Alice took a deep breath in and said something to the woman who appeared to be the matriarch of the family. The woman smiled warmly and seemed to offer for them to partake in their upcoming meal, but Alice apparently declined. She continued to speak to the man and the woman for several minutes as Nathaniel stood there feeling rather inept. Soon, they were being ushered back out and Alice instructed Nathaniel to pay the maximum he had been willing to offer.

"You couldn't talk them down a little in price?"

"It will be worth it. You'll see."

Men began to emerge from the barn and stack the hay onto the wagon. Nathaniel tied it down with rope. As they shook hands and Nathaniel prepared to leave, women began to emerge from the house with strings of sausages, baskets of breads, something large wrapped in cloth, as well as five earthenware pots containing some unknown items.

What's all of this?" he asked, as Alice found places between them and at their feet to store all of the food.

"It's part of the deal I made. The most delicious German food you will ever taste every time we come for the hay. I will simply heat it all over the fire when we return, and we will have a feast for our midday meal. The rest will last for days in the root cellar."

Nathaniel looked at her in surprise.

"You're more resourceful than I've ever given you credit for."

On return, Alice saw That Uncas and Chingachgook had felled many trees and begun to assemble them for two coops and a fenced in area for the chickens. Uncas had removed his shirt and sweat slowly trickled down his body. She could not fathom that he was so hot when the weather was starting to turn chilly. He must have been working very hard today. Alice remembered the night his sweat dripped all over her body, and forced herself not to stare.

Cora had followed Alice's instructions to finish lining the ground with stone and then started a fire within. In actuality, she had been unable to start the fire and Uncas had to do it for her. Alice used the poker to move embers from the fire into several discreet spots and placed several of the pots from the German farm on top of these to warm. She also placed five sausages over a griddle.

"Cora, go and set out a blanket with actual plates and bowls, and we shall have ourselves a fine picnic." Alice piled food onto each person's plate once it was heated. From one pot there was Schnitzel warming up and from another pot she covered it in mushroom gravy. From another pot she ladeled sauerkraut and from yet another german potato salad. The last had spaetzl. She topped off each feast with a brautwurst, which she was almost certain none of them had tried before.

When all of the plates had been assembled, Alice brought a basket filled with different breads, including one full of raisins, and placed it in the center with butter. She also opened the large item wrapped in cloth to reveal a delicious looking cake filled with apples. Cora called the men to the midday meal and their mouths hung open at the amount of food before them.

"Alice negotiated a great deal of food to come along with each order of hay," Nathaniel explained. "No more than the maximum I was willing to pay for the hay alone."

Uncas looked at Alice in renewed adoration. They all sat down and carefully tried these foods that were so new to them, finding them to be immensely delicious and satisfying. Alice savored the familiar flavors of her mother's homeland, which she had urged the cook in England to learn to make, as they helped her feel closer to the mother she never knew. Uncas was the first to finish everything on his plate, and then eyed the cake of apples. Alice saw this and could not deny him. She cut him a large piece and placed it in his bowl. The look on his face when he took the first bite was well worth the half day she had spent in the wagon. He finished it quickly, always the ravenous one among the men.

The doctor had been right. Alice started to feel better when Cora had begun to make her eat, regardless of whether or not she wanted to. The nausea improved as well. Uncas noted her appetite was slowly returning, and he noticed that she cleaned off most of what was on her plate for this meal. He was relieved to see that she was recovering from the many traumas she had endured.

Given the amount of food left over, Alice needed only to keep the remaining pots on the fire warm for the evening meal. This left the rest of her day free for a new project. She looked at the remains of the old cabin, now just a crumbled pile of timber, most of which had rotted away. It occurred to her that some of what was left, if it had been protected from the elements, may still make for good building material. She also noted remnants of stone from the old chimney, which she thought may be reused for the new one. If all else failed, she could use the remaining wood as firewood. She began to trudge precariously through the old cabin site, picking out pieces to dry for firewood, and setting some aside that looked rather intact for building. She also began to form a well-organized pile from the stones, and found most of them to be in close to their original condition, other than perhaps being a little worn on the edges. She turned to place two more stones on her pile, only to find Uncas standing directly behind her.

She jumped. "Uncas, you scared me!"

He had looked up to search for her while he chopped wood, to satisfy his incessant need to watch her, and saw in horror that she was ambling through what could be a breeding ground for rattlesnakes or copperheads.

"Alice, snakes love to hide under wood and rocks. You need to be very careful, here."

Alice froze.

"I'm terrified of snakes. Uncas get me out of here."

He easily complied with her request by picking her up and carrying her through the rubble, making sure to lightly kick the stones and boards around him before he took each step, to give any potential snakes fair warning to flee or rattle a warning. He put her back down once they were outside the cabin's foundation.

"Uncas, I thought you said the foundation was still good and you could use it for the new cabin. Doesn't the area need to be cleared?"

"Yes. Very carefully."

"So, what am I to do?"

"It never even occurred to me that you would try to do this on your own. You just have to be very careful. Never pick up a single stone or piece of wood before using something to rustle it around. You have to scare the snakes away when you can and know when it's time to leave them alone. Isn't this all too heavy for you, anyway?"

"No, I'm managing. I'll bet I can get Cora's help with the heavier parts, and we'll have it cleared by the time you are ready to start building."

"Where is your sister, anyway?"

"I think she said she was going to pick berries."

Uncas was quickly realizing which sister was the more useful of the two in this rugged frontier, and it made him love Alice all the more. He fought the urge to pull her body close to his and hold her.

"I think I shall stay away from here for the rest of the day, as I am now finding myself paranoid of snakes."

"Good."

"Cora has been gone awhile. I will see if I can find her."

"Stay on the path if you can, and if you must, only venture out a few feet. It's too easy to get lost in these woods. Especially for you.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you have no sense of direction."

Alice looked at him pointedly and nodded toward the root cellar. "That way is North."

"Yes, you know that because I told you, but what would happen if I took you into the middle of the woods and spun you around a couple of times?" he teased her.

"I could find my way."

"I'll bet you a batch of blueberry muffins that you could not."

"And what would I get if I could?"

Uncas could not speak of what he would like to give her.

Don't be gone long, it's going to rain soon."

"The sky is bright."

"Trust me. You have an hour before the rain starts."

Alice turned around dismissively and began to walk in the direction she thought her sister had gone. For the most part the area around them had no paths, but some had been formed from people walking the same routes over the years. After about twenty minutes of traveling the path she thought Cora had gone down, the path ended, and still there was no Cora in sight. She recalled the German family, the Plamanns, telling her of an apple orchard nearby. She was pretty sure it would be just a little farther up. She walked on another ten minutes, but still found no apple trees. She turned around and realized she could no longer see the path. She looked to her left and right, and could not decide which way to go to get back on. She made the best guess she could and began walking again toward the right. After walking some time she figured she must not have gone far enough to the right, so she veered further and continued on. Eventually, it occurred to her that she may have passed the homestead altogether. Which way, now? She made a turn in the opposite direction and continued to search for her way home. Small droplets of water began to sprinkle her face.

Nathaniel, Chingachgook and Uncas finished a make shift shelter for the animals just as the rain began to lightly fall. Nathaniel and Chingachgook knew not to question Uncas when he forecasted inclement weather. He could always somehow feel it; smell it. They returned to where Cora sat drying the dishes from earlier.

"Where is Alice?" Uncas asked.

"I assumed she was napping in the wigwam."

"She went looking for you an hour ago."

"I've been back for some time and I never saw her," Cora said with concern. "Nathaniel, please check the wigwam."

Nathaniel soon returned saying, "She is not in there."

"She never returned?" Cora asked in concern.

"She went off the path," Uncas said. "I told her not to go off the path."