Chapter 12: Just Beneath The Surface

August 1746

"Again!" Nathaniel bellowed, drawing his knife from its sheath and gripping the smooth cool steel in his palm. He turned his head to the right, staring into the side of Martin's face as he prepared to throw his own blade. His friend's eyes were narrowed, his gaze locked on the small carved out spot that they used as a target and without any hesitation, let the blade soar through the air. The silver steel flickering brightly against the hot summer sun as it embedded itself into the intended target. "Well done!" Nathaniel said smacking his friend hard on the back and turning towards Uncas on his left. "It's your turn little brother!"

The first morning light had broke only an hour ago, its yellowish orange glow creeping through the solitary window that occupied the loft and ushering all three boys from their slumber. Eager to have them join the new day. The boys rose together with a soft stretch of their arms and a quick curl of their toes. Each one slowly gliding their sleepy legs off the bed with a sigh before climbing to their feet, ready to begin the day. After having a small breakfast of warm biscuits and blackberry jam, they headed outside to enjoy cool morning mist before the afternoon blaze would arrive.

"Little brother...ha! Don't think for a second that you're instructing us on how to throw knives. We've both been doing quite well for sometime now...BIG brother!" Uncas said to the sound of Martin's near hysterical laughter and quickly rolled the knife around in his palm, tossing it effortlessly into the tree trunk beside Martin's shinny blade. Uncas smiled a soft tight lipped grin, clearly pleased with himself and began casually walking to the tree to retrieve his knife.

"Well...well...well, twelve years old and already he thinks he's the cock in the hen house!" Nathaniel snickered at him.

"I think you're rubbing off on him!" Martin said. His body bent forward with his hands resting on his knees as he tried to recover from his bout of laughter.

"Clearly," Nathaniel began, raising his hand palm up to Uncas as he continued his slow strut towards the tree, "His aim has never been better!"

"Whose aim has never been better?" Pru asked, a small bite of biscuit still visible in her mouth as she spoke. She had been the last to awake. The boys hearing her soft snores drifting through the quiet cabin and quickly decided to leave her to her good dreams. After waking to the rambunctious sounds of laughter, Pru flung her body out of bed. She dressed quickly, too quickly, as got her right foot caught in her shift and went crashing down against the wooden floor. Yanking foot free as she laid on her back, Pru was silently thankful that the boys' laughter was coming from outside as she was certain they would have burst into the room to check on her, then quickly fell to the floor in hysterics over how she ended up flat on her back with her limbs tangled up in her shift. After regaining her composure, Pru finished dressing and began making her way out the cabin. Though not before Chingachgook forced her back, seeing that she took a jam covered biscuit with her. Subsequently, earning him a kiss on the cheek as she then eagerly continued on her path out of the cabin and into the glade.

"Our little brother!" Nathaniel said with a wide grin as he twirled his tomahawk in his hands. "I wonder how his aim would fair with something a bit larger."

Pru narrowed her eyes at him, always feeling a tad too protective of Uncas and quickly snatched Nathaniel's tomahawk from his grasp and after taking a good throwing stance, hurled it far in the opposite direction. The weapon nestling itself smack in the middle of a tree about twenty feet away, making her smile widely to herself. "And don't you dare try and take credit for that! We all know father showed me how to throw a tomahawk!" Pru said as she swiveled her body around to face all three boys. Her smile widening even more when she saw Uncas hurl is own tomahawk across the glade, connecting it with the tree just above her own.

"That goes for me as well!" Uncas said, adjusting his stance to its normal position and draping an arm around Pru's shoulders.

Nathaniel threw his hands up in surrender and said, "What else did father teach you?"

"To be humble," Chingachgook softly spoke from behind them, as both he and Sampson each led a horse, their backs piled high with furs, over to the children. All four of them tuning towards them and Nathaniel dipping his head down a bit in acknowledgement of his father's words. "We head for town this morning. All of us except Pru. She has lessons to complete with Sampson today," Chingachgook finished. His eyes resting on his daughter, who smiled softly back at him. He knew all too well that she generally disliked going to town. When given the choice almost always preferring to stay back at the farm, even if the only one remaining behind was Sampson. A choice that always left him wondering if it was because she simply preferred the peacefulness of the farm to the bustle of town or if the reason was something much deeper. Something that she was still unable to reconcile with, something that Chingachgook knew she may never fully reconcile with and that he would not force upon her. "Come along boys. I'd like to get there before mid day."

Nathaniel and Uncas quickly hustled over towards the tree that currently housed their tomahawks, and swiftly yanked them out of the tough bark. While Pru crossed over towards her father and Sampson, wrapping her arms around her father's middle and snuggling in for a quick embrace, before releasing him and taking her place beside Sampson. Martin crossed over towards them and ran his hand along Bishop's light brown fur, whispering softly in his horse's ear.

"Sweet nothings?" Pru asked with a giggle as she observed Martin's gentle mannerisms with his horse.

Martin glanced up at her from under his shaggy blonde hair and with a slight curl forming across his lips said, "Something like that." His nonchalant response making Pru giggle even louder.

"Do you whisper into anyone else's ear like that, or just Bishop?" Pru softly asked as she closed the small space between them and began running her palm along the horse's coarse hair. Then twirling Bishop's mane in her fingers as she began unconsciously braiding it.

Martin's face softened even more as he watched her distractedly entwine Bishop's mane. Her thin fingers moving left over right and right over left as she glanced sheepishly up at him from beneath her dark eyelashes. He watched as she slowly crept closer towards him, though not too close as to gain any additional attention from those around them. Her teasing question echoing through his ears as it seemed to be laced with a distinct curiosity. The very idea of her being curious about him whispering into the ears of other people making his innards do flips inside him. He parted his lips to answer her, though at that moment Nathaniel and Uncas came up beside them and forced their little conversation to a halt. Martin watched as Chingachgook handed each of his sons the reins to one of the horses, an act that had him suddenly furrowing his brows in surprise. "I'm not going?" Martin questioned as he glanced past Pru and back and forth between his father and Chingachgook.

"No son. I need you here to help with Pru's lessons today," Sampson said resting a palm atop his son's shoulder. Martin was taken a bit by surprise at first, though after a quick assessment of the situation, he merely nodded his head in understanding. His face giving away nothing in response to his father's news, keeping all of his emotions well intact. While he would have liked to be joining the Mohicans in town, he was silently elated to be able to stay back at the farm alone or almost alone with Pru. After months of an extended separation and no real private time since her arrival on the farm, Martin found this an ideal opportunity to be close to her without Nathaniel's keen eyes upon him. Which he had noticed since their arrival, his best friend's eyes always were.

As if reading Martin's thoughts, Nathaniel came up behind him and smacked Martin on the shoulder, whispering into his ear, "You get to stay back and be Pru's medical dummy. I'm certain you are filled to the brim with rage over it."

Martin smiled despite himself and spun around, whacking Nathaniel hard in his chest and sending him stumbling backwards until he connected with the ground beneath him. Martin, Uncas and Pru, all three of them, breaking out into wild laughter.

"Serves you right I'm sure for whatever it was that you whispered into Martin's ear!" Sampson said with a chuckle as he watched Nathaniel right his long dark locks and adjust his belt and shirt before popping back up onto his feet.

"It was worth it, Sampson!" Nathaniel said, his usual smirked splayed across his lips.

"Alright then, enough," Chingachgook with a low chuckle as he turned to Sampson. "If it gets too late, we will sleep in the forest and return tomorrow," Sampson nodded his head in understanding and Chingachgook kissed the top of Pru's head. They almost never left her. Chingachgook, as well as the boys, never liking the idea of her being far from them. These rare occasions only ever occurring while they stayed at the farm, as Sampson being the only other person in this world that he would ever trust with Pru. He leaned in and kissed her once more on her forehead as he began ushering the boys off into the forest. Uncas ran over to Pru, squeezing her gently around her waist before quickly turning and running after his father. Nathaniel walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her and cupping her head in his left palm. He too bidding her goodbye with a kiss atop her forehead. Though before fully retreating away from her, he dipped his head down and whispered into her ear, "Be good little sister." And with a wink towards Martin, turned on his heel and began following Chingachgook and Uncas into the forest.

"Well then my two little turtle doves..." Sampson cheerfully began as he peered into both sets of their youthful eyes and seeing the slight narrowing of Martin's green and brown speckled ones back at him. A silent confirmation that his son did indeed understand his delicate reference to the love pairing birds and could not help but chuckle as Pru remained quietly ignorant. Sampson slowly comported himself under the slightly irritated stare of his son and continued with "...shall we begin?"


The mid morning sun was bright and strong as it blazed down upon the glade. The thousands of white and yellow daisies, all craning their stout necks up towards the golden heat, meeting the sun's warm embrace with their petals spread in a broad smile upwards. Martin lay nestled amongst the beautiful morning blossoms, flat on his back in the soft green grass in front to the cabin. His shirt, boots and socks had all been removed and his trousers had been rolled up to his knees. The smiling flowers tickling him all along his exposed sun kissed skin. He lay with his arms and legs extended out, palms facing upwards just like the flowers that snuggled along his skin and doing his absolute best not to squirm under the constant touch of Pru's fingers as they grazed up and down along his body. They had started by poking and prodding around his torso as his father explained where the different organs where and what their specific functions was within the body. While his father was careful to keep her touching him to a minimum, Martin still felt every soft contact made between them like a bolt of lightning shooting its way through his body and electrifying his spirit. He had to force himself not look at her, not to take in every detail of her quizzical face as she followed his father's words with her brilliant blue eyes and listening ears. For fear of giving himself away to her, as it was clear to him now that not only was Nathaniel knowledgeable of this feeling for Pru but so was his father. And so alternated between keeping his eyes tightly shut so not to see her hovering above him and staring straight up into the cloudless blue sky. He could feel the loose tendrils of Pru's dark brown hair sweeping lightly across his skin as she moved her body this way and that above him. His heart reacting even before his mind was able to. And just at that moment, Sampson placed her palm flat against his chest mumbling about how the heart pumped blood throughout the entire body through a series of blood vessels. Martin pinched his eyes tighter shut, desperately hoping she could not feel the rapid thump beneath her palm.

Pru gulped as she stared down at Martin's tightly pinched eyes, now acutely aware of him battling the urge to open them. She could feel the rapid fluttering of his heart just beneath her touch. Its rhythmic thumping completely drowning out Sampson's words. No matter how hard she tried to listen. Did his heart always beat this way? She thought, pressing her fingertips ever so gently into his taught skin and realizing rather quickly that as she did that, his heart began beating even faster than before. No, this was because of her, because she was touching him. And she did not even try to conceal the wide smile that spread across her lips at her profound revelation.

"Pru?"

"Yes?" Pru answered and begrudgingly tore herself from her reverie.

"Are you listening?"

"Yes, Sampson," and carefully she began reciting Sampson's previous words. Words that for the past few minutes, Pru had been randomly shuffling into the back of her mind and found herself ultimately relieved when she spouted them out almost verbatim how Sampson had.

"Alright now," Sampson said as he took Pru's hand in his placing it atop Martin's neck and began lightly gliding her fingers up and down along his skin. "This is where your arteries are. You have several housed within your body. Your arteries main function is to push your blood throughout your body. Different from your veins, which push your blood to your heart. If an artery is punctured or slit in any way, you will most likely bleed out and rather quickly, resulting in your death. They are here...," Sampson and continued tracing Pru's fingers further down Martin's neck. "This is your carotid artery. And here...," he lifted her fingers and placed them on the inner side of his arms, gliding her fingertips along his soft skin and unknowingly torturing both Martin and Pru. "These are your brachial and radial arteries. Both of these arteries, as well as the carotid in the neck, are the best locations to find a pulse. And here. This is your femoral artery," and once more lifted her palm and placing it carefully atop Martin's inner thigh, causing his son to flinch rather uncontrollably beneath her touch. Pru's eyes went wide as she watched Martin fling his eyelashes open, exposing his startled springtime eyes to her own, both spooking the other with their nervous stare. Pru quickly shook her hand free of Sampson's, withdrawing her fingers from Martin's clothed inner thigh and rolled herself back on heels. Desperately needing to put a bit of distance between their bodies. The mutually anxious reactions of both Martin and Pru forcing Sampson to look towards the heavens and roll his eyes. "Alright my children, it's enough of this for today. Pru, come into the cabin with me. I have something I want you to read," He said rising to his feet and pulling Pru up with him. Then looking down at his son continued with, "And you…you can clear that woodpile."

Martin smiled at his father in acknowledgement and watched as Sampson turned on his heel, Pru's thin hand still gripped in his father's own and began walking back towards the cabin. At least only somewhat grumpily, since his anatomy lesson had been disturbed by the silent affection that seemed to linger between himself and Pru. A seemingly mutual affection that Martin now knew his father was unquestionably aware of. He lifted himself up on his elbows, watching as her braid swiveled from side to side across her narrow back to the gentle rock of her supple hips. Her dress was knotted up on the right side, exposing her leg from just below the knee down along with her filthy bare feet. Lord…she's beautiful, he thought as he pulled himself up into a seated position and watched as one by one they climbed the cabin steps. Martin stared entranced at her back, silently wishing to himself that she might turn back towards him if only for a moment gracing him with the same look of longing that he was bestowing on her from afar.

His muted plea drifting further and further from him with each step she took. Until just as she was about to cross the threshold, she grabbed onto the archway releasing her hand from Sampson's and slowly angled her head around her shoulder. Her bright blue eyes twinkling as she gazed directly back at him and a delicate smile spread out along her lips. Martin felt his heart nearly explode in his chest as he hopped to his feet, it was enough. Enough for now.


Pru sat distractedly at the wooden dining table, her head bent forward and eyes fixated on only a single blurred word that she thought might be the word muscle. The neatly printed letters swirling into one another and appearing more like a blackened blob and much less like a word in the English language. Pru sighed softly to herself, her mind far away from the anatomy book that Sampson had long ago placed in front of her. She had tried repeatedly to stay focused on the information that Sampson had continuously slung at her throughout the day, only sporadically catching bits and pieces of what he was saying to her. His fatherly voice filtering in and out of her ears as though he was making almost no sound at all. It had not taken him long, given her distracted demeanor, to surrender his planned lessons in favor of leaving simple reading material in front of her and even that she could not stay focused on. All she think of was how the beat of Martin's heart felt below her palm and the look in his eyes after she had glided her fingers down his neck and arms. Then how he had flinched when she touched his inner thigh. The passion filled expression on his face playing over and over again in her mind. The way his plump lips parted and his teeth nibbled on his tongue. His springtime eyes hooded with yearning. A yearning she had never seen before upon his perfect face. Pru pinched her eyes shut, sucking in a slight breath as she felt a sudden tingling sensation course through her belly and down into her groin. The shock of this new sensation, forcing her to press her knees together and cross her ankles tightly beneath the table. What was happening?She thought, catching her breath against the foreign feeling radiating sweetly between her thighs. Though the pleasure of the moment was quickly thwarted, when the stirring within her body suddenly drove her mind back to that cold dark night in the forest and to the blinding pain she had once felt in that very spot between her thighs.

What was only a moment ago a need, an urge to have Martin's soft fingertips caress her body, had been hastily replaced by the vulgarity of a sweat ridden monster shattering her most precious possession. Pru bit down hard on her lower lip, as she shifted subtly within the confines of her navy blue dress. The thin linen fabric catching on the rough disfigured flesh that was now her back. A back that was once milky white and as smooth as silk, skin completely untouched by disease or man. Man. The word struck like a white hot burning poker. He was not even a he, more like the vengeful beasts of the fairytale stories she once loved to hear. Pru laid her cheek down upon the book, silent tears streaming out from the corners of her eyes slipping down past her ears as they slowly began forming a sunken puddle in the pages of her book. Her bright blue eyes staring blankly out of the cabin's wide open door as she watched the little particles in the air swirl and dance within the sun's shimmering rays. Would this happen every time she felt desire creep up into her belly? Would she always fall back into the dark recess of her mind, filling her heart and soul with disgust and shame? And was it fair to put the blackness of those scars onto the shoulders of someone so pure, so beautiful, so deserving of every drop of happiness this world has to offer. Because that is what she wanted for Martin. A life of all encompassing magic. A life so exalted that even the Greek Gods of legend would have been envious of him. Not a life shackled to a bruised and broken girl. A girl whose lack of purity could bring shame to both him and his father, tarnishing the family name.

Pru whimpered slightly, as a small trail of blood seeped out from the small tare her deeply embedded teeth had caused in her lip. She blinked her eyes at the pain, allowing several more tears their desperate release from the pool they were nestled in along the lower rim of her eyes and focused her mind to the rhythmic thump of Martin's heart beneath her palm. It's unwavering beat lulling her from her dark abyss of repentance and back to the late afternoon light that now fully encompassed her body in its warm embrace. Martin…her Keesog, once more bringing her out of the obscurity of nothingness, to the radiance of the here and now.

Martin, she thought. Almost three years of smiles and laughs abruptly skewing themselves across the forefront of her mind. Each and every tiny detail of those moments screaming loudly at her, striking down her fearful notion that she was not worthy of his love and devotion. Since for three years he had been quietly convincing her with every small and large act he had bestowed upon her, that she was more important to him than anything else in this world. His actions repeatedly imposing upon her that nothing else mattered. Pru lifted her head up from the book. Her tear stained face glistening against the sun's translucent light and abruptly stood from the table, her eyes fixated on the glade before her. She had to see him right then. She had to know with certainty what he felt for her and suddenly took off running though the cabin door, leaping from the top of the cabin steps to the soft earth below. Her head swiveling in all directions as she desperately sought him out. Her eyes quickly scanning the area around her, trees, flowers, blue sky, though no Martin. Until she gazed upon the now completely cleared woodpile. Pru focussing in on the unusual splotch of color that donned the ground beside the chopping stump and immediately recognizing it as Martin's balled up blue linen shirt. She paused for only a moment as Mother Nature sent a gentle breeze her way. Its all encompassing touch gripping the loose tendrils of her hair and blowing them in the direction of the lake. Pru gathered her skirts in her fists and began sprinting along the narrow and worn dirt covered pathway. The determination she felt from within barely leaving her able to acknowledge the faint sound of her name being called in the distance.


Martin lay floating on his back on the surface of the water. The hot summer sun still radiating down upon him, even as it began its slow surrender to the evening moon. He stared up at the dark green leaves, watching them as they shimmied and shook against the soft caress of Mother Nature's gentle breeze and replaying every moment of his afternoon. He closed his eyes as he remembered the feel of her skin against his own. How his heart had threatened to explode when she laid her palm atop it or when his father stroked her fingers along his elongated neck. Each small touch so sensual, it had taken all of his will power not to move and then finally losing his small battle with self restraint when she touched his inner thigh. He would always be eternally thankful to his father for ending the lesson there, because even one moment more and Martin may have become extremely embarrassed by his body's nasty betrayal of his emotions. Huffing out a small laugh, Martin rolled his body over in the water, diving down deep into its depths. Until he was able to graze his fingers along the soft bottom. He was just about to resurface when he felt a ripple of water slosh all around him, indicating another presence in the water with him and began kicking his feet upwards. His body breaking the surface at the same moment as Pru.

"Pru!" Martin exclaimed, momentarily started by her presence.

"Martin," she calmly stated as she bobbed up and down in the water, mere inches from where he had breached the water.

Martin swallowed hard as he stared wide eyed back at her, taking in every inch of her exposed sopping wet form. The way little beads of water slipped from the point of her nose. How her long dark hair laid flush along her scalp, its natural part falling slightly to the left and how because of it a a long thin strand had attached itself to her cheek there. He filtered his eyes down, seeing her white shift now practically translucent as it was soaked through and matted against her curvy body. The sight leaving very little to his rather elaborate imagination as her thinly clothed breasts floated just at the water's surface. The sight of her like this filling his mind and body with a wild hunger for her. A hunger made more intense by the current proximity of their bodies in the water. And suddenly Martin could feel his groin pulse and throb with an unrequited desire to wrap her in his arms and kiss and caress her all over her lithe body. Almost as quickly as the impulse overtook him, did he remember that while she was wearing something that only served to tease him even more than her typical every day dress, he was wearing nothing at all beneath the surface of the water. And as the gentleman his father raised suddenly regained control of his psyche, Martin began slowly receding from the small space that seemed to envelop them both. "Out for a swim, Pru?" Martin asked as he receded away from her, desperate to keep the conversation light as he could already feel his innards going to mush.

"No. I was looking for you," Pru said as she waded her body through the water, keeping herself as close to him as she could.

"What? Why? Is everything alright?" Martin stumbled out as he continued his now half hearted pursuit of distance between them.

"Martin…stop moving!" Pru half yelled, half laughed at him. Her tone making Martin abruptly halt his arms and legs light swishing in the water, bringing his body to a full stop as Pru reached down and took ahold of his right palm in her left. She squeezed it gently, the cool water filtering through their slightly parted fingers and began slowly raising their hands to the surface of the water. Her blue eyes transfixed on his own, the brilliant green hue of his eyes overtaking the golden brown speckles in the fading sunlight and making Pru's heart skip yet another beat. Pru waded slightly closer to him. Her body following along with her minds desire for intimacy and only hesitating mere feet away from being flush up against him. She took a steadying breath, letting her boldness find its way down her arm to their clasped hands and slowly raised their entangled palms to the surface of the water. Where she gently laid his spread palm atop her chest, so he might feel the rapid beat of her own heart in his presence.

Martin's breath caught in his throat at the feel of his palm so intimately placed along her chest. A simple act that carried such a strong meaning, as the accelerated thump of her heart within her ribcage spoke the silent words that he had longed for years to hear and with it a peacefulness was born inside of him. A contentment that he had only dreamed of living until this moment right now and so he smiled. Martin smiled, his sweet lips spreading wide across his face and he began tracing his thumb along the blueish green vein that ran across her skin, just above her right breast. Each small, soft stroke against her warm water glazed skin building a quiet explosion within him. This was happening, he thought. Years spent desperately holding onto small moment after small moment, though not any longer. This was really, truly happening.

Pru gazed up at him from under her thick dark eyelashes. The feeling of his thumb gliding across her skin returning her to that cardinal feeling deep within belly and this time all she saw was him. All she felt right then was him. Pru lifted her right palm from the water, lightly laying it upon his cheek. "Martin…," she breathed as she dragged her own thumb along his bushy eyebrow and feeling the tip of his nose as it gently pressed into her palm. His long eyelashes fluttering against her calloused skin and then his soft lips as he placed a delicate kiss upon the sensitive skin encircling her wrist, forcing a low sigh from her lips and Martin's springtime eyes back towards hers. Their bodies treading closing and closer. This was happening, Pru thought. Her mind and body both swirling with excitement at their closeness. In all of the years they had spent together, never had they touched each other like this, with longing or desire and Pru was quickly finding herself intoxicated by him. Her eyes fluttered between open and closed as she felt overwhelmed by his hot puffs of breath as they grazed along her cheeks, determined in their caress of her face. The intimacy of the moment washing courage over her and making her squeeze tighter to his hand upon her chest. Her eyes sparkling tenderness and desire, meeting his gaze as she said, "Martin...I..."

"Martin! Pru!" Sampson's booming voice came echoing across the water and into their ears. Pru feeling a shaky wave of anxiety course through her veins at the sound of Sampson's fatherly intrusion, immediately pushed Martin's hand away from her chest and quickly ducked her entire body under the water. While Martin also startled by his father's presence at their private moment, glanced down through the water at a fully submerged Pru. Even with slightly pushing off his chest, her body still remained only serval feet from his own and remembering his nakedness hastily began pushing backwards through the water. His eyes zig zagging sporadically across the top of the water as he went, trying his best to locate his father. Then finally spotting Sampson waving his arms annoyingly towards him as he ushered Martin to swim to shore. His brown trousers gripped tightly in his father's right hand. "Let's go Martin," Sampson hollered over the sound the small rushing waterfall, "Before our beloved Pru drowns." The very thought of Pru drowning forced Martin's glance instantly downward and seeing that tiny air bubbles had begun floating up to the surface, he quickly swam across the lake to were his father stood eyebrows raised and dangling his trousers in the air. "Mmmm hmmm..." Sampson said to himself as he watched Martin swim the width of the lake in mere seconds.

Finally feeling the stoney edge of the lake's hard terrain, Martin quickly scaled the slick surface, popping up onto his feet when he reached the top and peered behind him to see if Pru had resurfaced yet. "I would worry about yourself right now son. Pru knows what she can endure," Sampson stated as he lightly shoved Martin's trousers against his chest. His knowing eyes staring back at Martin straight on, as he waited impatiently for his son to dress. "I think you will be needing those," He said pointing to the trousers still balled up in Martin's hands. "Now get dressed. I have supper on the hearth and if you two make me burn it with your shenanigans…well you know what will be filling your belly instead of the venison stew," Sampson finished with a sharp look at his son and turned his attention back to the water where Pru's head was clearly visible bobbing up and down. "Prudence…don't take too long, supper is almost ready," Sampson paused a moment until he saw a distant wave of her backwards arm, confirming to him that she had indeed heard him. Then gripped his now half dressed son my the neck and began leading him away from the lake.

Pru swiveled her body around in the water, watching as Sampson guided Martin away like an unruly child by the neck. The sight of him slightly hunched forward, his head bent forward with the ends of his shaggy blonde hair dripping water down his neck and across his shoulders, clearly pretending to be remorseful for his actions, sent a fit of uncontrollable giggles slipping from her lips and out into the humid summer air. The wind carrying the honeyed sound of her voice across the lake and wafting it into Martin ears, willing him turn his head back to look at her and seeing a wide gleeful smirk splayed across her beautiful face. Her blissful expression bouncing from her lips to his own as he too began smiling wildly back her and taking advantage of the flirtatious twinkle in her eyes, added a quick wink her way for good measure. To which Pru laughed out loud and skimmed her arm along the top of the lake sending a playful, though fruitless, splash his way. Her laughter echoing through the forest even more when she saw Sampson's large palm making its way across Martin's sun kissed cheek, forcibly turning his head forward once more and breaking their precious connection. Though only for a moment...

"Birds flying high

You know how I feel

Sun in the sky

You know how I feel

Breeze drifting on by

You know how I feel

It's a new dawn, it's a new day

It's a new life for me, yeah

It's a new dawn, it's a new day

It's a new life for me

Ooh, and I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea

You know how I feel

River running free

You know how I feel

Blossom on the tree

You know how I feel

It's a new dawn, it's a new day

It's a new life for me

And I'm feeling good

Dragonfly out in the sun

You know what I mean

Don't you know?

Butterfly's all having fun

You know what I mean

Sleep in peace when day is done

That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world

And a bold world

For me

Yeah, yeah

Stars when you shine

You know how I feel

Scent of the pine

You know how I feel

The freedom is mine

And I know how I feel

It's a new dawn, it's a new day

It's a new life for me

I'm feeling good"

-Feeling Good - Nina Simone

( For Martin and Pru )


Author's Note: This was mostly a Pru and Martin chapter. A series of events will happen rather quickly from this point on, so I wanted to dedicate this one chapter to our budding lovers. To show the exact moment when Pru and Martin acknowledged their mutual feelings together. And while I tried to keep as much of this chapter as light as possible, giving Nathaniel and Uncas a fun repartee and Sampson being his usually lighthearted self, there was no way of doing that while Pru reflected on her assault and her feelings of unworthiness because of it. Sadly this will not be the end of Pru's struggle with her feeling for Martin verses her disgust over her assault. But that will come about in due time. For now, these two fifteen year olds are just enjoying their mutual affections for each other!

And I just had to finish the chapter with Feeling Good! That song encompassed everything that those two were feeling in that moment! Plus...I love Nina Simone ;)

Thank you to everyone who viewed/reviewed, MohawkWoman, AsterLaurel, BlueSaffire, Hazel222, ELY72, BrynnaRaven. You are all incredible! Lord knows how much your continued support means to me!

And lastly huge thank you to BrynnaRaven for being my on call medical professional...I truly appreciate ;)

Thanks for reading ;)