Chapter 5: And Then They Were Nàwa

Martin sat, legs stretched downward along the cabin's rough wooden tread, staring absently at his old scuff covered boots. He shifted his ankles, right over left, then left over right, incapable of making himself comfortable. The cold air was biting. Glancing up to the sky, Martin knew a storm was imminent. The once blue sky had been completely overtaken by a drab overcast of thick, dark, menacing clouds. Huffing out an exaggerated sigh, Martin pulled his deerskin blanket tighter around his body, the chill from the air slyly sneaking its way amid the small gaps between his figure and his coverings, making him shiver involuntary. He tilted his head further back just as the first fluffy white snowflakes began drifting down from the pearly grey sky and closed his eyes to the feeling of his face and hair being gently assaulted by Mother Nature's silky touch. Martin sucked in a deep breath and lifted his now weighted eyelashes. He blinked, shaking away some the wetness that now saturated his dark brown eyelashes and peered out towards the forest. Were they there yet? Had they made it safely to the Delaware camp? Was Pru alright? Pru….His thoughts continued to whirl throughout his mind just as the snow blew in hushed circles around the glade.

Martin stared absently in front of him, watching silently as the light snow began enveloping the glade in its serene frostiness. He could still feel the gentle caress of her lips on his cheek and almost unconsciously began kneading the skin where her wet lips, still moist from her tears, had touched him. He shifted his ankles again, right over left, and began to squirm slightly in his seat. He reluctantly dragged his fingers away from his cheek, instead placing them atop his belly and gently rubbed his stomach, hoping his efforts would calm the nauseous feeling that had gradually begun to grow there. What was happening? He thought to himself for the twentieth time that day.

"Martin?"

Martin swiveled his head to the side, following his father's voice.

"Come inside son, supper is ready."

"Alright father." Martin pulled his legs up, resting his elbows on his knees as he took one last look out into the glade and watched as a long, thick, dark braid swayed back and forth against the now sparkling silvery setting that was now the glade.

"Martin?"

"Coming," Martin answered as he rapidly blinked his eyes, vanishing his daydream from his mind.


Uncas held tightly to Pru's hand as he quickly pulled her along through the center of the Delaware village. Her feet stumbled over top of the uneven forest floor that acted as the Delaware camp's throw rug. "Uncas…slow down! I can't keep up!" Pru huffed out, trying to catch her breath as she widened her eyes in a desperate attempt to gaze at the new world around her. A world, that at the moment, was whizzing by as if she was riding a horse at full gallop.

Uncas shook his head back and forth as he weaved in and out between wigwams, his feet not stopping until he came about an empty spot of dirt at the very edge of the camp. With his right hand still tightly gripped around Pru's, he stretched out his left palm in way of showing off the dirt covered forest floor. "This…" He began, taking a moment to slow his breathing, "This will be our home." He proudly stated, puffing out his chest a bit and smiling widely.

Pru lifted her eyebrows high into her forehead giving them a slight wiggle. "This?" she said, using her free hand to point to the empty space in front of them.

Uncas began wildly nodding his head yes, his excitement seeping out of him like sweat on a hot day. Pru sucked in another cool breath and peered around the area. Uncas had led her to a partially secluded stretch of land at the very end of the camp. The closest wigwam to where they stood was a good fifty feet away, leaving their new home in almost complete privacy. She had not been able to see much as they ran, but she was able to see that for the most part the wigwams were relatively close to one another, making this specific spot a bit of an outlier. Pru pursed her lips wondering if this location had been chosen by their father specifically with her in mind. Perhaps he did not want her to feel overwhelmed by this new environment, and by choosing this particular spot he knew she would be able to adjust on her own without the inquiring eyes of her fellow villagers constantly upon her.

Pru shifted her eyes away from the plot of land that would be her new home and up, taking in the darkening cloud-covered sky. The long branches of the trees seemed to wave back down at her as a brisk breeze encased her body, its icy fingers slightly lifting Martin's untucked shirt from around her waist. The once colorful autumn leaves had long browned and now lay skewed across the forest floor. Prudence blinked as she felt the moist coolness of winter's first flurries fall silently upon her eyelashes, their feather light touch sending a series of shivers up and down her slender back. She sighed softly wondering to herself if this home could ever be as warm as the one she had left behind, her thoughts immediately drifting to Sampson and Martin. Pru let her eyes fall shut to image of their last goodbye, the way Sampson snuggled her in his arms and the gentle kiss she had boldly placed on Martin's cheek. She shakily breathed out a breath she had not realized she was holding, the hot exhale of her gasp tinting the air white. Pru fluttered her eyelashes open, peering down at the still beaming face of her brother. She giggled to herself thinking that no matter what mood she could possibly be in, Uncas's sweet face would most certainly brighten it and smiling down at him she said, "It's perfect Uncas."

At low clap of thunder sounded, and both Pru and Uncas raised their eyes to the dark, thick clouds looming above them. "Do you think Nathaniel will be back soon with our supplies? I am not certain how much longer we have before this storm shows us what she is really made of." Pru asked not sure where Nathaniel had scurried off to trying to retrieve those supplies.

Uncas peered over his shoulder looking for Nathaniel and instead, about thirty feet from where they stood, found a small group of Delaware people speaking in hushed voices. Uncas crinkled his forehead at the sight of them. Why were they just hovering over there? Why not just come say hello? He thought staring into the tiny crowd. Then as he continued to question their peculiar actions, felt a sudden bout of protectiveness course through his veins and squeezed Pru's hand hard within his own. "Ouch!" Pru yelped at his abrupt touch.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Uncas quickly replied as he loosened his white knuckled grip on her palm.

Pru narrowed her eyes at Uncas as she took in the annoyed expression that now donned his usually relaxed face and asked. "Is everyone still looking at me?" She was not ready quite yet to turn her body around and face the small crowd that had formed since their arrival a few minutes ago. She had seen the awed faces of many of the villagers when she first entered the camp and despite her attempts to ignore it found herself feeling extremely self-conscious.

Uncas shifted his body, still holding her hand as he continued to peer over her shoulder at the youths and a few older women, all whispering amongst themselves about the young Yengeese girl who looked so similar to Nathaniel. Uncas raised his eyebrows high into his hairline as he considered why she was so shocking to them. Nathaniel was white after all and no one ever batted an eye at him. "Umm, a few." Uncas said with a tentative smile as he shifted his body closer towards her. With their father gone off to speak with the village elders and Nathaniel having disappeared in search their much needed supplies, it had been tasked to Uncas to stay with Pru and help her adjust to their new home until the rest of the family returned. Seeing now the strange reactions from the villagers and Pru's hesitance to even turn around, Uncas felt that he was failing miserably in his task and began frantically scanning the different faces for his father or brother, until finally Nathaniel came into view. He was pushing his way through the small crowd, arms overstuffed with the many supplies they would use to erect their wigwam.

Uncas squeezed Pru's hand one more time before letting go and rushing over to help Nathaniel with the balancing act he was displaying within his arms would see its demise, and everything collapse to the ground below.

"She alright?" Nathaniel asked taking in Uncas's concerned expression as he began dropping the overflowing contents of his arms into brothers'.

"She hasn't turned around yet." Uncas whispered in English and glanced over his shoulder, "I think everyone staring at her is making her nervous."

"Hmmm." Nathaniel murmured to himself and promptly turned on his heels to face the multiple sets of dark brown eyes. "Are you all going to stand there and stare or are you going to help us get this finished before the snowfall?" He gruffly said in a sporadically choppy version of Delaware. At that, much of the crowd dissipated. All of the women and their daughters began filtering away, leaving only a few teenage boys in their wake. Nathaniel looked at the three remaining boys with raised eyebrows and said, "Well?" To which all three of them nodded their heads and stepped forward ready to help begin the construction of the wigwam.

Nathaniel stepped towards Pru, resting a hand on her shoulder and with a light squeeze said, "Pru?" Turning for the first time to face the crowd, Pru saw that almost all of them had disappeared with the exception of three teenage boys. "Pru, this is Tarlo, Pala and Chaska. They are going to help us build our wigwam." Nathaniel said nudging Pru with his right shoulder and continued with, "And this is my sister Pru."

Brother and sister stood almost cheek to cheek, both listening as Tarlo and Pala gasped at the sight of their faces side by side. Their jaws falling open in shock as both boys stared mystified at them. "She looks just like you, Hawkeye." Tarlo said in Delaware and began unconsciously reaching his hand out as though he might touch her, until a rough smack from the third boy knocked his arm back down to his side. "Ow, Chaska!"

Nathaniel turned his head towards Chaska, his signature smirk playing across his lips as he gave his old friend a slight head nod of appreciation, not completely sure where that stray hand was headed. Then turning back to Tarlo and Pala said, "Yes well, do me a favor and stop gawking at her like that." Nathaniel said in Delaware and shifted his gaze, peering down at Pru from the sides of his eyes, "It is making her uncomfortable."

"When are you going to finally learn to speak perfect Delaware?" Pala asked with a laugh at some of Nathaniel's pronunciation. Nathaniel rolled his eyes, being that he mostly spoke Mohican or English, sometimes his Delaware fell short lacking the proper intonation and Pala was always quick to point it out to him. Nathaniel sucked in his breath and biting his tongue, quickly passed Uncas the last few supplies still in lingering in his arms as the Wigwam was more important than the verbal altercation Nathaniel saw looming Pala's eyes.

Pru eyed the three boys evenly as Nathaniel and Uncas began shooting off what she could only assume to be directions as to where the wigwam would go and how they wanted it erected. She shifted out of their way, shuffling her feet quickly to the left as she continued to take in the three boys' appearances. Tarlo looked to be about her age, too tall to be considered short, more like his body had not yet fully finished growing. He had warm dark brown, almond shaped eyes and long raven hair that fell neatly in two braids along his shoulders, and a wide smile that grew wider each time he made eye contact with her. Pala was just slightly taller, most likely the same age as his friend. He had a long lean waist and slender arms that appeared almost too long for his body, still caught in the awkward stage of adolescence, unlike Unlike his friend who still wore the slight pudge of infancy. Pala wore his hair pulled back away from his face in a long thick braid that ran almost the full length of his back. After briefly smiling at their introduction, both boys quickly began helping with the wigwam. Glancing towards her left, Pru saw the third boy already squatting next to Uncas and getting right to the preliminary stages of construction. Chaska was clearly older than the other boys, probably even older than Nathaniel. He wore only thick buckskin leggings and a breechclout with no shirt of any kind, despite the cold temperature and impending snow. His long black hair flowed completely unrestrained down his back and Pru could clearly see several different tattoos trailing down along the coppery skin that encircled his arms and wrists. He, unlike the other two boys, made absolutely no effort to greet her, though it was clear that he and Nathaniel were friends. Pru merely shrugged her shoulders and dropped into a squat beside Uncas, determined to help wherever she could.

Chaska busied himself helping Uncas, forcing himself not to turn around and look at her. When first she entered the camp with the Mohicans, he had been completely taken aback at the presence of a white woman. He, just like many of the other villagers, had never seen a white girl before. He had gaped unblinkingly at her milky skin, and her exotic blue eyes. She was fairer than Nathaniel, who over time and with the sun's constant touch had a slight amber shade to his skin and judging by her height, guessed that she was close to Nathaniel's age. Though what really shook him was the understanding that she was his friend's blood born sister. He might not have believed him had he not seen their faces side by side when Nathaniel made the introduction. She had never been to their village before and in the long years that he had known Nathaniel, never once did he ever mention her. Though after seeing them in that way, their similarities were undeniable. Even now as he watched her through the sides of his eyes, Chaska could see the similarities in the way they moved. The way they tilted their heads or how they both seemed to chew on their thumbs when they were deep in concentration. It was utterly uncanny and Chaska could not help but wonder where she had been all of this time.


Sitting outside their family wigwam, small swirls of smoke escaping his slightly parted lips, Chingachgook continued to dwell on his decision to leave the farm. Nearly a week had passed since they first arrived at the village and slowly the chatter that had initially arisen at Pru's presence began to dissipate, for which Chingachgook had been extremely grateful. He had feared during the entire journey to the camp may not have been the right choice for Pru at that moment. While he knew her physical wounds had healed, he could see her emotional ones still etched along the lines of her face. She tried to hide them, tried to mask them with a smile or a laugh but he could see it, see her vulnerability, even more so now than when she was at the farm. And making matters worse, her nightmares had returned. Not every evening and not with the severity of those first few nights after he had found her. Still, her pained whimpering in the middle of the night had not just caught his attention, but the boys' as well. Perhaps he had only been so insistent because it was what he had always done, leave the farm and travel to the Delaware camp for the winter. Chingachgook sucked in another puff of smoke as he pondered, the mouthpiece of his long wooden pipe resting on his caramel lips. Now, just like with his sons, his choices would have to include the health and well-being of his daughter.

Chingachgook pinched the bridge of his nose, desperate to relieve the tension that had snuck its way into his mind. He sighed with resignation and focused his eyes across the village to where Nathaniel, Uncas and Pru stood helping themselves to the communal pot of food that sat nestled in the center of camp, encased by a large circle of logs strategically placed around the pot as makeshift seating. He watched as, even after a week, both of his sons continued to flank her, Nathaniel at her right and Uncas on her left. The two boys kept an ever watchful eye on their sister as she made the transition into her new life. As much as it warmed his heart to see his boys take such good care of her, it also worried him that Pru had yet to try and forge any other relationships with any of the Delaware. He had seen on several occasions the young village girls coming up to her, trying to engage her the best they could with the language barrier. And though Pru always smiled and always greeted them with absolute politeness, the interactions had yet to turn into any kind of kinship, his young daughter still remained exclusively by Nathaniel and Uncas's side. Chingachgook tilted his head to the heavens, wishing that his wife were here to help guide him through what he knew would be a winding road with his daughter. "What shall I do Kima? How can I help her?" Chingachgook asked of the silence and took a deep breath in anticipation as though at any moment he would hear the singsong voice of his wife trickle in through his ears, offering a wise reply. He let his eyes fall shut, picturing her face in his mind and whispered, "For if our beloved daughter continues in this fashion, I suspect it will be a very long winter for us all."


The day's air was cold and Pru could feel Mother Nature's icy fingers caressing her cheeks and the exposed skin of her neck. Other than her hands, those were the only areas of her body still exposed to the elements now that she wore traditional Delaware clothing. Chingachgook, wanting her to be as warm as possible, had acquired her a red woolen blouse with a slightly ruffled yellow collar that draped just past her shoulders, knee length buckskin leggings, a long buckskin wrap around skirt that was stitched with white and blue thread along the bottom hem and waistband, moccasins and a buckskin coat with a hood that was intricately designed with colorful stitching and tassels round the bottom hem and cuffs. Pru found the garments to be absolutely exotic looking and though at first she was a bit hesitant, once she was fully dressed, she found herself loving the softness of the buckskins atop her legs. They provided not just warmth but were also surprisingly comfortable, allowing her to move more freely than the English dresses she always wore. Though it was the moccasins specifically that had stunned her. When first Chingachgook handed them to her she had wiggled a questioning eyebrow at them, not quite certain how something so simple in design would ever give her feet the protection they needed. However, once she slipped her feet into them that first time she had been completely taken aback by how soft and warm they were. She could feel her toes breathe and expand inside them. This was the closest she would get in the winter to being barefooted and she loved being barefooted. The fur lining was like two small blankets covering her feet as she curled her toes repeatedly inside of them. Pru sighed suddenly, feeling badly for Martin's shiny new boots. Martin...

"You alright?" Uncas asked settling down beside her on the log she was currently using as a seat and interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes. Of course." Pru answered just a tad too quickly to seem nonchalant.

"You don't look alright," Uncas answered jostling her in the ribs with his elbow.

Pru narrowed her eyes at Uncas, who returned her irritated stare with wide eyes and an exaggerated shake of his head. Pru pursed her lips and chose not to answer his question. Instead, she gazed off towards the communal pot noticing a couple of young girls chatting with Nathaniel while he scooped his share into a small wooden bowl. She tilted her head to the left and let her mouth fall agape as she watched the way they both gawked at him, one girl touching his forearm while the other kept casually brushing her long raven hair further and further away from her back with a loud giggle.

Pru nudged Uncas with her hip and asked, "Who are those girls with Nathaniel?"

Uncas lifted his head from his bowl and smiling widely and said with a huff, "Awena and Bena."

"Hmm. Well they seem very interested him." Pru said with a chuckle, still eyeing the way the girls openly flirted with her brother.

Uncas nodded his head in exaggeration and said, "The girls here LOVE him! I don't know if it is his white skin or his blue eyes or even his personality…"

Pru reached out and grabbed Uncas's arm, promptly cut off mid-sentence and mockingly said, "It's not his personality!"

Uncas laughed out loud and continued, "Maybe not, but they have always loved him. He is a strong, brave warrior, someone of heart and who will always provide for his family. Because of these known facts, already the young girls are after him to be his wife!"

"His wife? But he is still so young."

"He will be sixteen in the summer…we think anyway. And that is not an unreasonable age to start thinking of taking a wife. Though I am not sure that that is his true intention." Uncas winked his right eye at her before sheepishly saying, "I think it has more to do with him just liking the attention and less with him wanting to be a husband!"

"Ha!" Pru blurted out with a laugh so loud, that it drew the attention of not just Nathaniel and the girls but Chaska as well, who she made instant eye contact with after as she tried to control her small bout of laughter. He sat opposite them about twenty feet away and after witnessing Pru and Uncas's jest, had the faintest trace of a smile playing on his lips as he looked back at her. Pru cleared her throat, still trying to grasp control of her giggles and whispered to Uncas, "Chaska is very quiet. Why does he always sit alone? He seems well liked by the people of the camp."

Uncas took a deep breath, settling his own fit of giggles and said, "He is well liked. Chaska is strong in both mind and body, always willing to learn and help where he can." Pru watched as Uncas's once joyful demeanor seemed to shift into a state of solemnity and listened as he continued with, "He is completely alone. His mother died in childbirth with his younger brother and his father died fighting the Huron when they raided our camp a few years ago. He has no other living family. It's very sad really. Nooch had actually offered him to come along with us the last time we left, but he declined. He did not want to be a burden on us, I think. Which of course he would not have been. He is a brave warrior and a skilled hunter. It is just that his soul is so lonely. Oh...and Nathaniel taught him English or some at least, so that he could trade better, so if you speak in front of him he will most likely understand what you are saying."

Pru's face creased with a new understanding of this boy. Loneliness was something she was familiar with, something she understood at the core of her being. More so now than ever, since she now found herself in the constant company of at least one of her brothers. Their presence solidified the bitter contrast between alone and togetherness for her in a way she had never truly grasped before becoming a part of their family. Pru peered at Chaska, gazing into the depths of his soft brown eyes, her soul identifying with the somber look that lingered in their melancholy eyes. Even though their lives were vastly different, she felt she had a sort of paralleled existence to him. A strangely deep understanding of who this boy inherently was and suddenly found herself waving him over towards them.

At the sight of Pru beckoning him over, Chaska's smile immediately faded into nothingness and was swiftly replaced by a thin incredulous line across his face. He narrowed his onyx gaze at her, wondering silently to himself exactly what this Yengeese girl was trying to do. He continued to sit unmoving until he felt a light grip upon his shoulder, swiveling around to see Nathaniel standing just behind him.

"Why don't you join us?" Nathaniel asked, squeezing lightly at his bare shoulder. "I think it would do you both some good." Nathaniel said eyeing Pru. Chaska furrowed his brows at Nathaniel's words not understanding their meaning, but rose to his feet just the same. The two walked side by side over to Uncas and Pru. Chaska dropped into a squat directly in front of Pru just as Nathaniel slid into the empty spot on the log, squishing his little sister between himself and Uncas.

"What were you laughing at just now?" Nathaniel asked, nudging Pru with his left knee.

"Oh...I hear you are quite the sought after prize, big brother." Pru said pointedly and with the same sly smirk so often seen on Nathaniel's own face.

Nathaniel leaned around Pru, glaring at Uncas, who sheepishly stared into his bowl and began quickly shoveling his corn mush into his mouth. Though before Nathaniel had a chance to give his little brother a piece of his mind, Pru shifted herself in front of Uncas and mockingly glared back at him. Seeing that Pru had drawn a protective line in the snow between himself and their treacherous little brother, Nathaniel huffed and shifted back to his original position.

Pru smiled wider, satisfied that Nathaniel had retreated and turned her attention to Chaska. At sixteen he already had several geometrically drawn tattoos decorating his body along his upper chest, rather similar to the ones that decorated her father's chest. She followed the lines down his skin to his bare arms, where she saw he had three lines encircling each wrist, almost like black bracelets, though without the glossy shine that jewelry provided. She traced the thin lines with her eyes, wondering how she had managed not notice them when he helped erect the wigwam. His hair was long and silky, trailing completely unrestrained down almost the full length of his back. He was wearing the same buckskin leggings as the day she first met him, with the only difference being that today he was wearing moccasins as well. Pru shook her head at him thinking he must be at least mildly crazy to be so scantly dressed in the near frigid weather and without even realizing, babbled, "Don't you ever wear a shirt or coat?"

Nathaniel and Uncas instantly began laughing at her abruptness. All three eyed Chaska as he, let his mouth split into a wide grin. Shifting his bowl to his right hand, Chaska reached out and took Pru's hand from her lap and placed it directly atop his pectoral muscle. Her mouth fell instantly agape, not because he had been so forward as to put her hand on his chest but because his skin felt like a rush of searing heat to her touch. Her once stiff fingers seemed to melt into his flesh as his warmth radiated through her skin. The clash of temperatures sending a chill down her spine. "You are so warm!" Her shocked expression made him laugh.

"Whoa! Did Chaska just laugh?" Nathaniel said, mockingly looking between all of their faces.

Chaska, still holding Pru's hand to his chest, faced Nathaniel and said, "It was bound to happen sometime my friend."

"He speaks too!" Uncas mocked, happy he could interject into the lightheartedness.

"Not everyone is worth speaking to." Chaska casually stated, finally releasing Pru's hand from his chest.

"Fair enough!" Nathaniel said, slapping his friend on the back.

Pru drew her hand away from Chaska, laughing heartily along with the rest of the boys. There was no denying that Chaska was a force of his own. His quiet fortitude masked what she knew, as someone who understood pain, to be a much different person hiding just beneath his shirtless, coppery skin. Having caught a small glimpse of that boy, Pru now found herself silently determined to seek out the rest of his true self.


Author's Note: So our newly formed foursome has made it to the Delaware camp! This chapter was very much a transitional chapter, with the introduction of a few new characters...Chaska being the one to watch.

I want to keep Martin and Sampson in each chapter as much as possible, since they are still main characters even if the Mohicans are not currently on the farm. You can see that Martin is feeling their absence...especially Pru as he daydream's about seeing her braid swinging as she walks away from him. Both Martin and Pru are beginning to question exactly what their attachment is to one another. Feelings which neither one of them understand because they are both so young and inexperienced with them.

Chaska has been a long time friend of Nathaniel and Uncas, Nathaniel particularly though do to the closeness in age. That boy has suffered great loss and with it feels extremely lonely, even though he is constantly surrounded by people. That is something Pru sees in him and understands right away, making her feel an instant type of kinship with him. Guess we will see exactly where that kinship goes!

*Nàwa means four in Mohican

***It'a Vader: Thank you for your input! I must have just mentally decided to change the spelling of the word, because I did actually look it up. So I went back and fixed it! I also appreciated your 3.) critique and went back and added a few extra lines hoping to make it more clear that they were making up the scene as they went. Though I stand by my choice to write it. Children...just like adults experience all sorts of trauma and as it may be graphic...given Pru's own experiences...it did not seem out of the wheel house for her imagination to take the twists it did.

Thank you to everyone that viewed/reviewed this chapter...BlueSaffire, AsterLaurel, BrynnaRaven, MohawkWoman, ELY72, Evermore22 and It'a Vader...Your support is absolutely incredible! A THOUSAND thank you's would simply never be enough!

Thanks for reading ;)