Chapter 16: Footprints in the Snow

"The Soul would have no Rainbow if the eyes had no tears"

- Cherokee quote

"NATHANIEL!" Pru screamed at the top of her smoke filled lungs as she watched her brother and Tanda fall helplessly to the earth below. Blasts and screams ricocheted through her ears. The chaos of the village whirling all around her. Her body came to an involuntary halt when she lifted her eyes up to see a Huron sitting atop an alabaster horse, musket perched on his arm as he scurried to reload. He had fired at them, shot down Nathaniel and Tanda, both of whom lay silent in the snow. "No!" She bellowed as she watched the Huron take aim once more at her brother. "Noooooo!" Pru gripped tightly to the tomahawk with both of her hands and arched her arms far behind her back. She sucked in a shaky breath and swung her arms forward with all of her might. Her sweaty palms releasing the weapon into the air in front of her. Her eyes gapping as the tomahawk twirled gracefully through the pearly grey smoke, before violently embedding itself into the Huron's chest knocking him from his horse to his own frozen fate.

Pru rushed towards Nathaniel and Tanda's motionless bodies, quickly falling to her knees beside her brother. "Natty!" She yelped and began frantically gliding her palms up and down his body in search of a wound.

"Uhhh...," Nathaniel moaned. He shifted his weight, freeing his right hand from its trapped position beneath his chest. His fingers still clenched around the blood stained handle of his tomahawk. The warm crimson liquid emanating tiny wisps of heat into the frigid air. "Tanda?" He questioned as tried to push his weight up off the ground. He could feel Pru's shaky palms atop his shoulders, slowly helping to guide him up onto his knees. The piercing screams of frightened villagers swirling in and out of ears as he tried desperately to focus thoughts. "Tanda?" He questioned once more and squeezed her soft hand, their fingers still loosely entwined. Nothing. He felt nothing, except the warmth of her palm in his.

"Nathaniel!" Pru shrieked.

Nathaniel raised his head to the sound of his sister's screeching voice ringing in his ears alongside the echo of musket blasts exploding all around him and peered into her wide, petrified eyes. Her pained expression focused past him and quickly he turned his head towards Tanda. Her once pale blue linen shirt now a deep violet, the whimsical color tainted by the blood free flowing from the wound on her back. "TANDA!" He screeched. Discarding his tomahawk into the snow, he snaked his arms around her body and gently flipped her over, cradling her tenderly against his chest. He could feel the weight of her body, heavier than usual as she had not one ounce of strength to help ease herself into his lap. A faint moan escaped her lips as he carefully adjusted her in his embrace. His internal panic grew as each slight movement caused a rapid gush of crimson to seep vigorously from her figure. Her warm blood painting a wicked image of life and death upon the ivory snow. "Open your eyes Tanda! Look at me!" He demanded, gently laying his forehead against her own. "Please…," Nathaniel pleaded.

Tanda could feel the rhythmic sprinkle of moisture as it delicately fell upon her face. Tears, perhaps? She thought. She felt strange. Her limbs were weak and her body was cold. Colder than it had ever been in her life. Life. Her head was woozy, her thoughts jumbled in a disarrayed mess throughout her mind as she fought in vain to try and make sense of what was happening. She could hear his voice in her ears. Her name on his lips. Nathaniel. She breathed in, a sharp, stinging breath that ricocheted everywhere inside her, forcing a low painful wail to slip from her lips.

"Tanda!" Nathaniel yelped, lifting his head from hers and scouring her face with his eyes. Her once honeyed skin now a sick pasty grey. Her plump lips almost completely devoid of color. He knew, he knew, what was happening. Her precious life was trickling out of her, into his arms, into the snow, everywhere but where it should be. Safely nestled inside of her.

"Naaaathaniel…," Tanda whispered.

"I'm here. I'm with you," Nathaniel sputtered out. His voice almost too low to be heard over the violence that ensued around them.

Tanda fluttered her eyes slowly between open and closed, determined to look upon him. She needed to see his face. Desperately she desired the sight of his bright blue eyes and accompanying bushy eyebrows. His long pointed nose and broad chin. Still and always to remain devastatingly beautiful in her mind. She sighed softly, resigning herself to her fate. Their fate. Tanda thought of the child inside her belly. The child she knew had already left this word and would be eagerly awaiting her. It will not be long my sweet girl, she thought, I will be with you soon. Tanda swallowed another painful breath, thankful she had not been able to speak of their child to Nathaniel. Thankful that he would not have to carry that with him now too. Comforted in the knowledge that Pru would keep her promise and never utter a word of the baby to him. Their sisterly bond is steadfast. Even now she could feel her friends palms upon her back, desperate to stop her bleeding. Though Tanda was certain Pru knew her efforts would be vain. Tanda knew she could leave Nathaniel in no better hands, than those of his beloved sister. She would see him safely through this labyrinth of pain.

Tanda could feel her breath hitch, each new intake of air harder than the last. Then slowly, and with great effort, she raised her right palm up and placed it gingerly upon his chest, right above his heart. As they so often did when declaring their love. Nathaniel clasped her hand in his. Their eyes met, lingering in beautiful horror as Tanda softly smiled up at him, her lips parted and lightly she murmured, "Always Nathaniel…I will always watch over you. Wherever this world leads you, whatever you face…I will face it with you. Always my love…" Tears streamed down her cheeks, in a rush at first, then slowly grew less and less as his face blurred from her vision. Until all he was, was a splotch of dazzling rainbow colors, set against a perfectly white canvas, and then nothing. Nothing at all.

New tears sprung to his eyes. He clenched her palm in his and lifted her fingers to his mouth. "No! Don't you dare do it! Tanda!" Nathaniel stared into her golden eyes, tormented as the flickering golden sunlight within them faded. "No..." He wailed as he pulled her up to his chest, cradling her head in his palm. "I love you Tanda! I love you!"

Pru could feel the shift of Tanda's weight against her palm. Her friend's body once weak and limp atop her touch, sagged with finality as Tanda's beautiful soul succumbed to death. Slowly, Pru pulled her blood covered hands away from Tanda's body. Nathaniel drew her lifeless form flush against his chest, rocking her back and forth in his arms. Pru's red rimmed eyes now fixated on her brother. His anguished cries muffled as he buried his face in Tanda's long silken hair. How could this be happening? How could The Great Spirit take her and their child into the afterlife? Their child. Pru's frozen eyelashes flew open and her eyes went wide. Did he know? Had Tanda been able to tell him before chaos ensued around them? Her whirling thoughts suddenly broke as a musket discharged just behind her. The blast whizzing just past her right shoulder and forcing her to hunch forward into Tanda's motionless form. She grabbed ahold of Nathaniel's forearm, panic once more making the hair on her arms stand tall and gently rubbing her palm along his slightly exposed skin proclaimed, "Natty...we have to move! We aren't safe here!"

Safe. It was the only word he heard come out of his sister's mouth. Of course they were not safe, his woman's lifeless body dangled in his arms. Murdered. Forcibly taken from him and this world. Nathaniel could not breath let alone think. He felt like the whole world had stilled around him. Both his mind and body suspended in time. The only movement he took notice of was the swirl of fluffy white snowflakes as they descended lightly upon him. Why? He clutched tighter to Tanda's soft, supple body, desperate to feel her warmth again. Desperate to have her snake her arms around his body and playfully yank him towards her. Nathaniel hung his head lower in despair, his eyes peering past her lifeless body to the pool of crimson colored snow that encased them. All around him he saw red. If not from her body then from the countless others that littered the snow covered village. Then, once more he heard the frightened sound of his sister's voice echo loudly through his ears. Her ice cold palms cupping his cheeks as she angled his face up towards hers.

"Please...brother...please!" She spat out. Her words almost completely drowned out by the wicked sound of war whoops. "Please Nathaniel...I don't want us to die here." Pru could see the lost look in his glazed over eyes. Her words only barely held his focus. She needed him to move. They had to move, before this day claimed their own precious souls. She squeezed his cheeks, looked straight into his eyes and she said, "Tanda would want us to run. She would want us to live." She dropped her right hand from his face and grabbed ahold of his tomahawk. "Let her go brother," she whispered, resting her cheek against his own. "Let her go."

Nathaniel leaned into Pru, his forehead rested against her cheek for a moment. She was shaking. Violently. Her quivering form jerking him from his paralyzed state and back to the horror around him. She was right, they had to move and quickly. The realization hit him even harder when finally he lifted his head from her cheek and allowed himself to fully take in the terror in his little sister's eyes. "Pru...," he began but swiftly trailed off, his attention drifting back to Tanda. Slowly he lowered her body to the cold hard snow covered ground. His body momentarily hovering just above her as he ran his fingers along her wide open eyelids, closing them forever. Nathaniel leaned further down and placed a soft kiss atop her head. "Always," he breathed into her face. Then, without another word, popped up onto his feet, clutched Pru's hand in his and ran as fast as he could through the fray of violence and into, what he hoped, would be the sanctuary of the forest.


"Spend all your time waiting

For that second chance

For a break that would make it okay

There's always some reason

To feel not good enough

And it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction

Oh, beautiful release

Memory seeps from my veins

Let me be empty

Oh, and weightless and maybe

I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of the angel

Fly away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage

Of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angel

May you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line

And everywhere you turn

There's vultures and thieves at your back

And the storm keeps on twisting

You keep on building the lie

That you make up for all that you lack

It don'y make no difference

Escaping one last time

It's easier to believe in this madness oh

his glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel

Fly away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room

And the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage

Of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angel

May you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of the angel

May you find some comfort here"

"Angel" - Sarah Mclachlan

(For Tanda)


"Here!" He proclaimed as threw their bodies up against a small stone alcove several hundred feet south of the village. "Do you remember this place, Pru?" Nathaniel questioned as he quickly checked the contents of his satchel.

Pru shifted her eyes around her, carefully analyzing the area. The trees, the stone, even the ice crusted stream behind them. She had been here before. "I know it, but I don't...where are we?"

Snap! Nathaniel swirled his head around, quickly he clutched Pru's shoulder and pushed her down onto her knees in the snow. Her body instantly surrendering to his touch. He put a finger to his lips, silently telling her to remain hushed. Then unslung Killdeer from his shoulder and quietly passed his beloved long rifle into his sister's palms. It would be unwise to use the rifle first. The blast could potentially give away their position to anyone nearby. Instead he gripped tighter to his tomahawk and pressed his back flush against the alcove's jagged surface. He glanced down at Pru, who steadied Killdeer firmly in her grasp as she too silently prepared for what may come and nodded his head at her before he turned his attention back towards the shuffle of rapidly moving feet atop the snow.

Nathaniel could feel a thundering within his chest. His heart pounding into his rib cage in anticipation. Slow seconds ticked by. His fingers flexing against his tomahawk's wooden handle as he tried to steel himself to the events of the day and focus on what now needed to be done. He sucked a small, stinging gulp of air. The hairs along his arms raised high towards the cloud covered heavens above. His body's way of telling him, any moment now. The shuffles grew louder and louder until they were right beside them just past where the rock wall hid them and quickly Nathaniel sprang from his spot, wielding his tomahawk high in the air. The ear splitting clash of metal against metal booming in their ears as his tomahawk collided hard with another warrior's weapon. He had hardly had time to focus his eyes when suddenly he felt a forceful blow smack against his chest and his body went reeling backwards into the snow.

"Nathaniel?"

Nathaniel's flaying limbs stilled and he raised his head to the familiar voice. His weary eyes finally meeting the warrior in front of him. "Nooch!" He yelped and scurried up onto his feet.

"Father!" Pru cried out, dashing into Chingachgook's embrace.

Chingachgook lowered his gunstock war club and pulled her tightly against his chest. She was alive. He trailed his palm up and down her quivering back, trying his best to soothe what he knew simply could not be and shifted his eyes to his son. Nathaniel's bright blue eyes dazzled, more now than ever before, against bloodshot redness that all but consumed the white of his eyes. He gazed into his son's tear stained face, Nathaniel's young features overwhelmed with agony and despair. His eyes taking in his son's blood stained skin and clothing. No, he thought. He knew Nathaniel had disobeyed him and instead of seeing to the task he required had instead sought out Tanda. Nathaniel's distressed and blood covered appearance was no doubt the result of the day's violence and the loss of his girl's beautiful soul. That poor, sweet girl. Chingackgook's lips parted to speak, though he could not. He knew the pained expression on his son's face far too well and where he knew right now words would fail him, instead reached out for his son and forcibly snatched him up into his shared embrace. "I am sorry son," he whispered into the side of Nathaniel's face. "So sorry."

Nathaniel clutched onto him. His fists coiled in his father's dark blue shirt and his forehead laid loosely atop Chingackgook's shoulder. All three of them softly weeping. The anguished melody of their cries momentarily drowning out the violence that was drifting towards them. Nathaniel snaked his arm around Pru's back, tugging her closer to him. The feel of his sister and father's embrace suddenly stormed his mind with worry. He lifted up his head, eyes focused on his father's and questioned, "Where's Uncas?"

"Uncas!" Pru yelped, pulling out of both of their arms and frantically scanning the desolate forest around her. "Where's Uncas?"

Chingachgook cupped both of their chins, his eyes shifting from one set of bright blue set to the next. He could not conceal the concern that weighed heavy on his weathered face. He had hoped that all three of his children would have made it to this spot. A spot carefully chosen by himself the first time they had wintered here with the Delaware. While his boys had spent all of their lives amongst the trees, Pru had not. And knowing that safety was truly nothing more than an illusion, he had taken all three children to this very spot. Should the village ever be attacked, they were to flee as soon as possible to this stoney alcove and wait until he arrived. Uncas had only been ten years old at the time and Pru had had no training at all in self defense. He remembers the irritated expression on Nathaniel's face, his oldest son's glaring defiance silently shining out from his bright blue eyes. He was older, always would be older than his younger siblings, and while Chingachgook knew he could fight and would be a valuable asset to the village, their family was more important. Later that night he had made Nathaniel promise, regardless of what was happening around them, that he would always protect Pru and Uncas. Always see them to safety, no matter his own personal desires. When the village fell under attack, Chingachgook knew that Nathaniel would do everything he could to ensure his brother and sister's safety. Seeing him with Pru had been an overwhelming relief that had been swiftly shattered by the absence of Uncas. "I am going back into the village to search for him..."

"I'm coming!" Nathaniel declared, cutting off his father mid sentence.

"No!" Chingachgook swiftly answered, voice stern and eyes narrowed. His forcefulness took both children by surprise. Chingachgook took a deep calming breath and softened his voice as much as possible before he continued with, "No, I need you to take Pru and make your way to the farm. I can not risk losing you or your sister to this madness. I will go back and find Uncas...alone. We will meet at the farm," Chingachgook said finally as he fully released his children from his embrace. "Go now, and take care of each other." His eyes lingering a moment on their youthful faces. Before he turned on his heel, his gunstock war club clenched tightly between his fingers and quickly ran straight back into the wild fray, desperate to find his youngest son.

Nathaniel kept his eyes on their father's back, wanting to ensure he at least made it safely back into the ensuing chaos. When finally Chingachgook's silhouette vanished from his sight, he scanned the area around them. They were alone, for the moment. His eyes focused on the deeply embedded footprints their father had made in the snow. It would be impossible to cover their tracks. All he could do right now was pray to The Great Spirit for speed and concealment. Nathaniel clutched Pru's hand in his and turned his head to face her. He could feel her palm lightly squeezing his own. A silent confirmation that she was ready.

"Natty..."

"I know," he said, swiftly cutting her off. "But there's no time for this now. Stay right beside me and don't let go of my hand. Understand?" Nathaniel finished with urgency.

Pru parted her lips to speak, though her words and thoughts quickly left her. Her eyes widening with freight as she stared just past her brother's face at three Huron warriors, weapons in hand, racing directly towards them. Seeing her ghostly expression, Nathaniel quickly glanced over his shoulder to see with his own eyes the three warriors swiftly gaining on them. He immediately released Pru's hand and shoved her down into the snow. He yanked his satchel over his shoulder, tossing it haphazardly at her as he unslung Killdeer from his right shoulder. Poised with Killdeer in his arms, he narrowed his eyes to the approaching Huron and calmly asserted to Pru, "I will take a shot, then you reload and take the next. Yes?"

"Yes."

Nathaniel took aim, his left eye falling shut to his dominant right as he focused on the Huron closest to them. His lips yielded to the calming breath his body desperately required to assuage his trembling nerves. It had only been minutes since the Huron invaded Chaska's wigwam, dispatching into motion a series of tragic events that he thought he may never recover from. Tanda was now gone from this earth. Gone from him. Forever. Reminding himself of Pru's words he thought, fate will not take us today, of that I promise you Tanda. He gritted his teeth, stifling his panic and focused on the weaving warrior in front of him. Pru's throaty breaths filtering in through his left ear. He would not lose her as well and snapped back Killdeer's trigger, discharging the small lead ball whizzing through the frozen forest and directly into the chest of the closest Huron. Whose body lifelessly propelled forward to its snowy grave. Nathaniel thrusted Killdeer at Pru and hastily unsheathed his knife and tomahawk from his belt in preparation for impact.

Pru's whole body was convulsing. Nathaniel had thrust Killdeer at her rather than to her and immediately she fumbled it in her grasp. Her clumsiness landed Killdeer with a splat in the soft snow. She reached for it, while looking past her snow covered eyelashes at her brother. He had widened his stance, tomahawk in his left hand and knife in his right, eyes shifting back and forth as he prepared for battle. Stop it, Pru! She thought. Stop morbidly gawking at him and focus on the task at hand. This is how you help him. Vanishing a thousand tiny dark thoughts from her mind, she returned her attention back to Killdeer. She pulled the rifle up against her shoulder and began fumbling through Nathaniel's leather satchel, easily locating his powder horn, which she swiftly yanked from the bag. Her whole body was quivering from the cold and fright of the day. Stay focused! She chided herself. What else? Lead balls. And quickly she reached down in the depths of the bag, her fingers grazing across a multitude of no doubt useful objects. Though none what she greatly sought. Until she felt the smooth leather pouch that contained the lead balls and hastily yanked it from the bag. What else? Pru thought as she hastily rummaged through the bag. The patches! She plummeted her palm deep into the bag, swishing this way and that. Where are the patches? The sound of metal clanking forcing her head up and away from her task as the first warrior came head on at Nathaniel. She stared in horror as Nathaniel reeled back against the Huron's blade as it sliced across his chest. She swallowed down the scream that gurgled up her throat, knowing it would only achieve more harm than good and swiftly went back to Killdeer. Where were the damn patches? She shifted Killdeer in her arms, the smooth cold brass at the handle brushing against her wrist and plunging a memory to the fore front of her mind. The patches! Quickly Pru fingered the side of the rifle, searching for the small button that opened the tiny hatch on Killdeer's side. Once locating it, she pressed forcefully, flinging the brass hatch open and revealing the patches. Pru yanked several out, holding one between her fingers while stuffing the rest into her shirt. Clutching the ingredients in her left palm, Pru hopped up onto her feet, pulled the antler plug out of the powder horn with her teeth and began filling the rifle. Doing her best to gauge the amount by her eyes. She dropped the horn to the ground and stuffed the patch into her mouth, suckling it for the briefest of moments before placing it on top of the rifle's long barrel opening. With one hand wrapped around the barrel and her thumb holding the patch in place, she popped the antler plug from the small leather pouch that contained the lead balls, her fingers fumbling once more and the bag went soaring down into the snow. Though not before she managed to recover a singular ball from the bag. She placed it atop the patch, pushing both pieces slightly in with her pinky finger. Then quickly she pulled at the ramrod, yanking it from the side of the rifle and shoved it forcibly down the barrel. Her fist wrapped tightly around it as she pounded down several times before dislodging the ramrod completely and discarding it to the ground. She leaned down, swiping the powder horn from the snow. A small dusty trail of slate grey tainting the air as she rose to her feet. Pru stood as straight as possible as she cocked Killdeer's lock back, instantly seeing the powder pan and began promptly filling it. Dropping the powder horn she closed the frizzen, cocked the hammer back and took aim. Her long slender finger hooked on the trigger. She could feel the sweat from her brow sliding down against her elongated neck. She closed her left eye and forcefully tugged on the trigger. A burst of fire and smoke exploded out from Killdeer. Thin wisps of heat floated down, charring the sleeves of her buckskin coat. The lead ball soared through the air, embedding itself at close range into the shirtless back of the warrior, just as he was about to slam his tomahawk into her brother's skull. Pru released the breath she was unaware she had held and watched as his body fell sideways to the ground. The fallen Huron's tomahawk plunging deep into the snow, just beside where Nathaniel stood battling with the last warrior.

The blast echoed in Nathaniel's ears. The acute ringing in his head momentarily dulling his senses and with his body and mind both heavy with exhaustion, felt the cold steel of his enemy's blade penetrate his right thigh. "Ahhhh!" He yelped through gritted teeth. His body suddenly collapsing backwards towards the snow. Forced there by the sole of the Huron's moccasin clad foot. Nathaniel's arms flung outwards, palms wide open. He had already lost his tomahawk in the fray, now he was certain he would lose his knife as well, leaving him with no weapons at all. His eyes briefly catching Pru's. Her terrified expression stinging him more than any blade ever could. He sucked in a breath as his body smacked against the ground. Even with Mother Nature's snowy padding, he could still feel a radiating burn scorch through his limbs on impact. Immediately he flipped his palms in search of the knife he was certain he had lost. Though he did not. The sticky wrappings around the handle had cemented it into his open palm. Tanda. Her name passed painfully across his mind. She had saved him for the second time in the span of a day. Nathaniel fingers constricted around his knife's handle. Hastily, despite the throbbing pain in his thigh, he sat up just as the Huron lunged at him with a small war club in hand swooshing wildly back and forth through the air. His sudden speedy actions took the Huron by surprise and Nathaniel quickly thrusted his knife into the side of the Huron's paint covered neck. The Huron's war club missed striking Nathaniel in the head, instead it landed with a crack atop his shoulder. Nathaniel struggled supporting the dead weight of the Huron's body dangling from his well placed blade. Pain radiated viciously throughout his weak limbs. Just as he thought he would collapse, Pru swung Killdeer hard against the fallen warrior's body, knocking the lifeless Huron into the snow beside him.

"Ahhh...," Nathaniel winced.

"Don't touch it!" Pru shouted, laying Killdeer down beside her brother and falling to her knees to better examine his wound.

"We have to move Pru," he said through gritted teeth.

"Not with this in your leg," she said. Her eyes focused on his bleeding thigh. The blade had been forced into his flesh all the way to the base of the handle. Looking at it like this, there was no way of knowing how far in it was until she removed it.

"Pru..."

"I know Nathaniel," she responded. Her tone clipped and edged with worry. Her hands were trembling, a violent mixture of fear and uncertainty twinning with the adrenaline that saturated her blood stream. Pru pinched her eyes shut, desperate to find some balance in her body. While she knew it was paramount that she remove the blade before they continued, she didn't know if she was capable in her current state and shakily she gripped the handle in her palm.

Feeling her anxiety wafting over him, Nathaniel lightly laid his hand atop hers. Gently rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "You can do this sister... you can." Their bright blue eyes clashing against the environments dreary grey and white.

Pru parted her lips to speak, though instead nodded her head and carefully released the blade from his leg. Then to her great relief saw that it was only about five or so inches long. Her sigh of relief evaporated when she heard a slight moan escape Nathaniel's lips and she quickly said, "I need to clean and...somehow patch it."

"Later. Wrap it for now and when we are able to stop, you can take care of it then." And he tore a strip from his shirt, wincing again as he stretched his shoulder to pass it to her.

"Your shoulder?"

This time Nathaniel parted his lips to speak, though was quickly silenced when Pru cut him off saying, "I know...later." She wrapped the wound several times, knotting the fabric tightly against his leg. Then leapt to her feet and began collecting his leather satchel and the contents she had skewed across the snow. Nathaniel grabbed Killdeer and using the long rifle as a type of crutch, painfully brought himself up into a standing position. After securing all of the satchel's contents and collecting the Huron's weapons, Pru hoisted his unhurt arm around her shoulder and the two began ambling deeper and deeper into the forest.


Five days later...

Minutes had passed into hours and hours into days. Considering the situation, Nathaniel thought it best to travel north. It was a longer route to get to the farm but the least likely to be tracked and given his current state of vulnerability, he could not see them making it any other way. They slowly shuffled along through the snow. Their pace went from reasonably steady to nearly nonexistent as they now struggled against, not only his injuries but freezing temperatures and an accompanying harsh whipping wind. They had had only one coat between them and despite Nathaniel's rejections, Pru insisted that they take turns wearing it. Which only moments ago he had forced back on her body. He glanced over at the side of her face, contrasting colors spread unevenly all along it. Her skin was a ghostly satiny white with red blotches sporadically creeping across it. Her lips were a purplish blue color with small cracks spitting the skin around her mouth. He could see her eyes lazily fluttering between open and closed. Nathaniel slowed their pace even more as he watched small shallow puffs of hot air expel from her lungs. Then suddenly overtaken by a sense of foreboding whispered, "We will make it Pru. We're almost there. We're almost at the farm. We're almost to a roaring fire and hot meal." His dangling hand over top her shoulder clenched tighter to her buckskin coat. His fingers fiercely tangling in the swaying tassels that donned the coat's seams, while he searched for any sign of activity in her frozen features. He could feel the arm she had wrapped around his waist begin to slip ever so slightly. "Damnit Pru!" He screeched. His hoarse voice cracking painfully as he screamed at her, suddenly furious that she was in this state of near collapse. That she was willing to give up this close to home. Home. A vehement wind suddenly forced Nathaniel to pinch his eyes shut. No. This was not happening. This could not be happening. They had done everything possible to stay alive. They had faced injury, starvation, dehydration and the near constant threat of attack to come to this point, within a half mile of the farm and she was about to surrender herself. No! He thought, No! He flung his eyes open and thinking to drive some hope, any hope into her mind said, "We're almost to Mar..." Though before he was able to finish his sentence, Pru collapsed face first into the snow. Nathaniel falling helplessly on top of her.


Author's Note: Well these past three chapter's predominately took place over the course of thirty minutes. That's a lot pf crazy for our characters in such a short amount of time, especially Nathaniel. Oh how my heart breaks for him. Tanda died. As many of you guessed she would. Nathaniel does, after all, end up with his beloved Cora later on. So many of you knew Tanda's days were numbered. She died and without ever telling him about their child. But as you read, in the end she was happy to know that he would only mourn her death and that of their child as well. Though Pru does know about the baby. Will she tell Nathaniel? Tanda seems to think that her earlier promise, a couple of chapter back, to let Tanda tell him first will stand. Only I know the answer to that!

The title of the last chapter: The Seer of Life and Death is actually what Tanda's name meant. Life because of the Nathaniel's baby inside her and death because that was always what her fate was going to be. There is meaning behind all of their names, Yengeese and Indian alike!

Now onto to Uncas...where is he? We know he lives...but what has happened that he did not make it to their pre chosen meeting spot. When I thought of that meeting spot, I kept going back to elementary school when they tell you to have a meeting place that's safe and away from your home should it ever catch fire. While Nathaniel would fight...Pru would be a vulnerable target as would a younger Uncas. Made sense to me that Chingachgook would have had a thought like this should something just like this ever happen.

One more thing about Uncas. MohawkWoman said in her review that she thought it was endearing that while searching for her family Pru called out Uncas's name first. I thought I wrote Nathaniel doing the same thing, but when I went back and checked ... well I must have kept that little snippet in my head. But what I said to her was...that Pru and Nathaniel are very similar creatures in personality. Uncas is different and as such is a kind of balance to each of their souls. He is someone that neither one of them could ever live without. And that's why Pru (and Nathaniel) called his name first when searching for their family.

...And what has happened to Chaska? Chingachgook is headed back into the fray in search of Uncas. And Pru has just collapsed, with Nathaniel falling on top of her, into the snow not half a mile from the comfort and safety of the farm. How much more can Nathaniel withstand? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Try as I might, I could not load the song on the site the way I wanted to! And for me that song was perfect!

A huge thank you to BrynnaRaven... for her knowledge of how to load a rifle! Yes a rifle...not to be confused with a musket ;) And a thank you to all my dear friends who are constantly talking me off my deadline ledge ;)

Thanks to everyone who viewed/reviewed ELY72, Evermore22, AsterLaurel, BrynnaRaven, BlueSaffire, Hazel222, MohawkWoman, your support is amazing and truly does help keep me moving along!

Thanks for reading ;)