Hello everyone! This is my first story here on Fanfiction for one of my favorite movies that I've recently rediscovered. I posted a question about it in the forum so if anyone wants to get a sneak peek of what lies ahead or give some ideas, I'd really appreciate it. I hope everyone enjoys!
Chaper 1:
The little girl lay exhausted in the shade of the trees that lined the edge of the clearing that her family's home sat on. Smoke blew faintly in the breeze from the remains of her home that Papa had built with Mama so they could have a place of their own before she and James were born. "Our own home," he would often say proudly, looking out from the door towards the field or the woods, "a place where we live free and not by your leave from others. A place for you and James to grow up big and strong and be a papa and mama to babies of your own someday." He would often grab her at the end of this, hoisting her up in his arms and twirling her around. She would giggle and laugh, begging for more twirls. Papa would laugh too, and kiss the tip of her nose while Mama smiled and hugged James, joining them in a special family dance that they made up. A happy dance. She started to cry again, looking over the clearing and her heart hurting again when she remembered. Papa was dead. Mama was dead. James was dead. They would never dance with her again. Not when she grew up to be big and strong. Not when she was a Mama herself. Juliet Cameron was all by herself and she would never do the happy family dance again.
She and Mama had been out gathering berries when it happened. The woods were thick with blackberries this time of year, and they were a special treat. Every year when they came Mama would use some of the sugar, the cinnamon and vanilla that Papa had bought from Albany on the rare trip to town and they would gather the blackberries to make a pie. Mama let her help pick the blackberries and arrange them in the crust, but she always made the actual pie herself. Juliet loved watching her Mama roll out the dough on the table covered in flour, the flour made the perfect place on the wood to make pictures. While Mama worked, she would make as many pretty pictures as she could, always drawing her family last. But this year, Mama said that she would show her how to make the pie. "You're getting to be a big girl Juliet," she'd told her as they walked towards the woods that afternoon, "and big enough to make a pie." Juliet beamed with excitement. Finally she could make a pie just like Mama. It had been a happy afternoon, even though Mama wouldn't let her wander far and they didn't go to the thickest blackberry bushes further in the forest. Mama said that there was trouble in the world around them right now, and they needed to be extra careful. "We can't be too careful in times like these." she had told her daughter when she'd asked why. "Is it the same trouble they talked about at the party?" Juliet asked. It had been a fun party, with lots of other children to play with and special food to eat. James and her had gotten to run around all day, and the night before the party, they had even had friends for dinner. Mr. Jack had come out from Albany, and then the best surprise of all, the Mohicans had come too. James had ran out the door immediately, when Papa had told Mama to set more places.
"Who's coming, Mama?"she asked, as Mama went to the shelf near the fireplace and took down three more tin plates. Mama smiled and was just about to answer when Papa's voice called out "Chingachgook! How are you?!" Juliet squealed "The Mohicans?!" That meant Chingachgook and his sons, Nathaniel and Uncas were here! Mama smiled and nodded, moving to the door to greet them, Juliet right on her heels. They came up the steps into the cabin and Juliet squealed as Uncas swung her up in his arms. "Juliet!" he said, his eyebrows shooting up as he pretended to be surprised, "You're getting so big I might have to start calling you 'Miss'!" "I'm no miss Uncas! I'm Juliet!". He laughed and set her down just in time for Nathaniel to do the same thing. "My brother's right, Juliet." He held her out in front of him and looked her up and down carefully, his green eyes studying her with playful seriousness. He nodded slowly. "You are bigger." He smiled wide and planted a kiss on the top of her head before setting her down again. Juliet pouted but secretly felt pleased. She had known them her whole life and considered them to be like extra older brothers. Chingachgook was right behind his sons, and he moved over to Juliet. "Juliet." he said kindly and rested his hand on her head for a moment, petting it gently. Juliet smiled and whispered hello back. Since his sons felt like brothers to her, she thought of him like an uncle and was thrilled to see him too.
The rest of the evening was spent catching up on news, and for James and Juliet, being passed from one pair of willing arms to the next. The memories now made Juliet cry harder.
Her mother had looked so strange, when Juliet asked about the trouble that afternoon. "You shouldn't worry Juliet, the trouble is for grown folks to worry about." She'd given her daughter a hug with her free arm, her berry pail dangling from the other. "But all the same, I need you to stay close to the house for awhile and Papa is telling James the same thing today." Mama had smiled and brushed some dirt from Juliet's homespun apron, the one that she had just sewn for her a few days ago. It matched hers and Juliet loved it. "Now let's get on home and I can start showing you exactly how to make the pie." Juliet happily agreed and they started home together, pails full of juicy blackberries. They were nearing the house when they heard the yelling. Mama had frozen in the path, pulling her down to the ground with her. "Mama who's yelling?" she said. "Hush, child." Mama said, her eyes meeting hers with the most serious expression Juliet could remember them making, "We have to be quiet." Fear gripped Juliet, Mama's voice didn't sound like hers anymore, it was tight and hoarse. The yelling continued and then the cry came, "Mama!" It was James' voice, but it wasn't James' voice. Her brother sounded hurt and scared. Mama gasped then and Juliet could see the tears in her eyes. "What's happening, Mama? What's wrong with James? Where's Papa!" Mama didn't answer only gathered her in her arms and held her tight. Suddenly, the crackle of fire rang out and smoke began drifting through the thicket near the house where they were. Juliet trembled head to toe. Something terrible was happening. She knew it.
All of a sudden, Mama pushed her out of her arms and stood up. Juliet got up too but was pushed back down. "Stay here, Juliet!" her mother said in a firm voice. "But Mama…" "No buts, there is no time. Do what I say or you will die today." Juliet burst into tears. Die?! She was not even six yet. And Papa and James…Mama! Mama spoke quickly, "I have to be sure, Juliet. Maybe they will be all right. I have to go help Papa and James. Stay here and I will come get you when it's safe." She dropped a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "Never forget we love you, Juliet Cameron, Papa, James and I." Then she was gone, running out of the woods to their farm, blackberries spilling everywhere as she kicked over the pail in her hurry. Juliet hugged herself and cried. What was happening?
Juliet didn't know how long she had sat there, the yelling and strange shrieks seemed to fade away almost instantly and she felt relieved when they were gone. Who had been making all that noise? The smoke drifting over started to fade too, but Mama didn't come back. Papa and James didn't come either. Juliet felt her stomach get tight, but she wasn't hungry. She couldn't imagine eating ever again. Where was her family?
Slowly, she got up and looked through the thicket and trees to where the farm was. Mama had said to stay but the yelling was gone and the smoke was fading so maybe everything was all right but Papa and James had been hurt and she had to take care of them. She would need help. Juliet could fetch water and help her take care of them. Maybe making the blackberry pie would make things better, Papa had always loved blackberry pie and so had James.
Stepping out into the clearing, Juliet took a few steps forward and stopped. Near the corn field, was a funny white shape. Red colored it and there was hair that looked like Mama's at the end of it. Mama! Running to the shape, Juliet dropped beside it. "Mama! Mama!" She grabbed the face that looked like Mama's and shook it. "Mama please! Please wake up!" There was no answer. "MAMA!" Sobbing, Juliet shook her again. No use. Mama was dead. Dead. Picking herself up, she ran to the cabin that was now half burned and ruined. Something that looked like Papa was lying near the door, but he wasn't moving and red colored him too. Blood, like what came out from the scratches from the blackberry thorns. "Papa!" Juliet shook him. "Papa please! Wake up!" Papa didn't move. He was dead too! A bit of brown cloth caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see part of her brother's leg in the burned part of the cabin. James was gone. All of them gone. They would never come back. Never be with her again. Papa would never twirl her again, James would never elbow her again and Mama would never teach her to make a pie. Ever.
She couldn't stay there. Turning she ran back to the trees at the edge of the clearing and threw herself down, sobbing. Finally cried out, she fell asleep.
Sniffling, Juliet sat up again and looked around. What would happen to her now? Her family was gone. Overhead the sky looked normal and the sounds in the clearing were normal too. Birds chirping, wind whistling lightly through the trees and the corn swaying in the breeze. Clouds chased one another. She felt anger along with her tears. How could everything look normal when everything was wrong?
The shadows across the clearing shifted. Through her tears, Juliet saw figures emerging from the trees. Whimpering, she pulled her knees to her chest and bent her head. Were the people who did this back? She didn't know and didn't care. How could she live with her family gone? Who would take care of her?
Peering through her hands, she watched one of the figures bend down and gently touch her mama's body. Blinking her eyes, Juliet looked closer. Could it be…? She blinked again. Yes, it was him!
"Uncas?"
Uncas looked up from his crouched position at Alexandra's body at the sound of his name. His heart ached for the loss of his friend, a woman who in many ways was like an aunt or second mother to him. Her whole family's life lay in ruins around them, them and their children's bodies.
Or maybe not.
"Uncas?" The voice came again. There, standing several yards away, was Juliet Cameron. She was pale and trembling and her eyes were overflowing with tears. But she was alive. A small bit of relief came over him as he realized that not everything the Cameron's had was gone. Their daughter was alive. "Juliet!" he called out, running to her and pulling her into his arms. She wrapped herself around him and sobbed. He stroked her back, wishing that there was some way to take her pain away. "Mama's gone…and Papa and James…" she wailed. "I know. I know." Uncas hated how hollow the words sounded that came out of his mouth. "You are safe now. We will look after you." he told her, continuing to stroke her back as he carried her over to where his father and brother were standing surveying the ruins of the cabin. They had been watching him and Juliet and their faces reflected similar emotions to his, grief and relief mixed together. When they reached them, Chingachgook reached out and touched the Juliet's shoulder, gently squeezing it. Juliet seemed to calm down at his touch and between that and Uncas's back strokes, her sobs began to fade to sniffles.
"They didn't take anything." Nathaniel told his family. "Moving Fast. A war party." Chingachgook nodded, "Ottawa. Two Francais." He said pointing to a footprint. "What did you say?" an unfamiliar voice to Juliet spoke up. She looked over Uncas' shoulder to see a Regular officer and two women dressed in fancy dresses standing nearby. Who were they?
"Let us look after them." The officer continued. Nathaniel shook his head and they began to walk towards the tree line, Uncas still carrying Juliet. "Leave them." He responded and Juliet whimpered. Uncas looked at her sympathetically. "We can't take care of your family right now, little one." he whispered. "We have to get out of here safely. They would want you safe." Juliet nodded but more tears slid out. A gentle finger wiped them away. Uncas kept on walking, and Chingachgook followed them. Behind them, Juliet could hear one of the women arguing with Nathaniel but she couldn't make out the words until the last part.
"Miss Munro. They aren't strangers. And they stay as they lay."