Chapter 27: The End is Near
"Someone told me
Write clear and true about what hurts
I write my story with more than words
For the voice that can't be heard
Carve my heart into this dirt
Someone told me
There's paradise upon this earth
A page still waiting for us to turn
For the fire inside that burns
And the ashes that emerge
Someone told me that love
Love has no limits, no limits
Love, love has no limits, no limits
Someone told me that love
Love has no limits, no limits
Love, love has no limits, no limits
Someone told me
Write clear and true about what hurts
I write my story with more than words"
-Love Has No Limits -by Fleurie
(For Nathaniel, Uncas and Pru)
October 1748
Nathaniel and Uncas ran hysterically laughing out of the cabin. The brothers leapt off the porch and hit the ground in a full sprint so they might escape the wrath of Pru. Who, surprising everyone, was hot on their heels, brandishing a broom in her hand and a furious expression on her face. The ear piercing sound of Elijah's seven month old lungs ringing in the air around them.
Uncas glanced over his shoulder, spying the broom in Pru's hand and gasped, "She intends to beat us!"
"Keep running!" Nathaniel bellowed.
"I'll get you two!" Pru screamed from behind them as she shifted her grasp on the broom in preparation to hurl it at her brother's backs. One more slight adjustment in her palms and swoosh. The broom goes flying through the air, connecting with Nathaniel's back.
"Ow!" He yelped, though never lost his footing. "Why is she always hitting me!"
Uncas chuckled harder and glanced over his shoulder, "Shit! She's still chasing us!"
Nathaniel turned his head around, watching as Martin ran up behind her and gripped her around the waist. Instantly staying her in place. "Phew! Martin has her!"
"Should we keep running?"
"Yes! She's possessed right now and much faster than I gave her credit for!"
"It's your fault! I'm not the one who woke the baby!"
"Then why are you running with me?"
"I laughed, therefore I am guilty by association."
"Ahhhh….good thinking to run then!"
Uncas threw out his arm, knocking it against Nathaniel's abdomen and forcing him to stop. He keeled over, his lungs gasping for air and said between deep breaths, "I think that's far enough. Martin had her anyway. We can stop."
Both Nathaniel and Uncas collapsed to the ground, huffing and puffing as they situated themselves atop the autumn tinted leaves that lined the forest floor. Nathaniel hunched forward with his elbows atop his knees. While Uncas shimmied his back against a nearly barren looking tree. He dipped his palm into a small mound of colorful leaves, plucking from its center a reddish brown maple leaf and began twirling the stem between his fingers. He sighed and said, "It's almost time."
Nathaniel turned his head towards him. He knew what Uncas was referring to. The same thought had sat silent within him, ruminating it's way through his mind. Though now that it was in the air between them, it could no longer be avoided. "Yes it is."
Uncas peered over at his brother. "Are you ready?"
Nathaniel furrowed his brows in thought. Was he ready? Ready to leave the farm, his best friend, second father, nephew and his beloved sister. He found himself shaking his head back and forth. "No. I'm not ready to leave people I love and care for. But it is what we must do," he said resigned to the fact.
"I overheard Sampson ask father to stay. Said he would help build us a cabin here. That his land was our land."
Nathaniel snickered, "Overheard or eavesdropped?"
Uncas sheepishly shrugged his shoulders, "I might have been eavesdropping. But it's the fact that he offered."
"And Nooch? What did he say?"
Uncas tossed the leaf back down towards the ground with its fallen brothers and sister and said, "No."
Nathaniel huffed out a laugh at Uncas's annoyed response. He understood, he too wanted to stay. It was hard at first to picture himself as a farmer. Though the more he swelled on the idea, the more he came to realize that already was a farmer of sorts. Every year for years they had come here and helped with the harvest and planting. So much so that by this point they could all do blind and asleep and it would still be done to perfection. But their father's refusal to stay could only mean that he was not quite finished teaching them something. Perhaps he did not want to lose their culture or perhaps there were still some necessary skills left to be taught. While he had no clear answer, Nathaniel knew that there must be one and so said, "He has his reasons."
Uncas leaned further into the tree and peered up at the sky, watching as the sun and grey clouds fought over the pale blue canvas. He prayed that the clouds would win and that a massive thunderstorm would rain down upon them blissfully delaying the inevitable. Though deep in his heart he knew rain or shine tomorrow morning they were leaving. And this time away, hiding from Pru's wrath in the forest, was ridiculously nonsensical as he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his sister before they left. Uncas shifted his body forward and said, "Think she's done being angry at us?"
Nathaniel smiled wickedly, "Would you be?" Then narrowed his eyes to Uncas's forlorn expression and continued with, "But let's go back. I don't want to waste our last day together hiding from her in the forest." And he popped up onto his feet. "I am ready for my second beating!" He declared with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.
Uncas laughed, climbing to his feet. "You better be, because you know she won't hit me."
"And why is that again?"
Uncas shrugged happily, "Because she likes me better."
"Riiiiiight," Nathaniel said with an exaggerated eye roll as the two began casually making their way back to the cabin.
The sun was nearly setting by the time Nathaniel and Uncas quietly strode through the cabin door. The hearty smell of supper wafting through their nostrils and making their mouths water. The heat from the hearth instantly warms their chilly skin. Nathaniel crossed the room and plopped himself into a squat in front of the massive fireplace, vigorously rubbing his hands together, while Uncas made his way over to the supper table and immediately began helping Chingachgook and Sampson set supper on the table.
"You two took your sweet time returning," Sampson drawled. His eyes twinkled as they zeroed in on Nathaniel. "Frightened of Pru are we?"
"No." Nathaniel nonchalantly responded. While Uncas silently nodded his head up and down.
Sampson raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Uh huh."
"Where is Pru anyway…and Martin?" Nathaniel questioned as he peered down the darkened hallway.
Chingachgook placed a large bowl filled with steaming potatoes on top of the table and raised his head to his oldest son. Nathaniel gulped, knowing the chastising look all too well. "They went for a walk outside. After Elijah woke up, none of us could get him to quiet again. When it looked like Pru might burst into tears, Martin wrapped her in a heavy shawl, blanketed the baby and steered them outside for some fresh air."
Nathaniel gulped a second time. His father's lips were taut against his face and his dark eyes bore into him. If Pru or Martin did not slaughter him for this, his father sure seemed keen to. "Father…?" Nathaniel began as he raised himself up on his feet. "…I didn't mean to wake the baby. I…"
Chingachgook raised his palm and immediately silenced Nathaniel. "It is our last night here and I do not intend to have it shadowed with this. Now go find them and tell them supper is ready."
Nathaniel lowered his head like a petulant little boy and silently shuffled his way out of the and back into the chilly autumn air. The was nearly set when he found the three of them resting up against an oak tree. Martin sat with his back propped up, Pru lay nestled between his thighs with Elijah moving softly up and down with each sleepy breath she took. He dropped into a crouch in front of them and said, "Supp…," Though was quickly silenced when Martin put his fingers to his mouth.
"Shhh," he began in a whispered voice. "A bit softer. Neither of them have been sleeping well. It's a miracle they are both asleep now."
"Supper is ready," Nathaniel adjusted his tone to whisper. "Why aren't they sleeping?"
Martin softly chucked, "Elijah is a baby you stupid ass. And Pru…Pru's hasn't been feeling well. Between her queasy stomach and her constant crying over your impending departure, she's just been a mess."
"Yea, I definitely thought it out of character for her to throw that broom at Uncas!" He said with a smirk that made Martin softly chuckle.
"Her aim was on point. She hit you not Uncas."
"I've even got the bump to prove it." Nathaniel leaned forward and touched Pru's ankle. "I'm going to miss her. It still feels like we only just found each other."
Martin furrowed his brows. He hated seeing them this way. He was constantly plagued with guilt over it. After all, it was essentially because of him that everything was changing. He had fallen in love with Pru and out of that love conceived a child. A child that bound them together and brought her home to him. A home that she would, now, not leave from. Raked with guilt he had asked his father to invite Chingachgook and his brothers to live with them on the farm. His father had simply rested his palm on his shoulder and said that he already had and that his offer had been kindly refused. It was a loss that they all seemed to be feeling. "I'm sorry…"
Nathaniel raised his eyes from Pru to Martin. "What for?" Martin sighed. Though before he could speak, Nathaniel said, "Don't apologize for loving my sister and starting a family with her. She may have been born of my blood, but she was most definitely born for you. You have nothing to feel guilty about."
Martin's soft smile drew wider across his face at Nathaniel's words. Then suddenly he pursed his lips together and waggled his eyebrows. "I was saying…I'm sorry brother but you're going to have to carry Elijah back to the cabin while I carry Pru. Make sure you jostle him too much or he'll wake up wailing." he chuckled and continued with a more serious tone, "But thank you for that."
Nathaniel laughed out loud, stirring Elijah.
"Well now you've done it twice in one day. You're lucky Pru didn't wake up either!"
"Yeah…well maybe she'll be in a better mood when she wakes up," he said, scooping Elijah off Pru's chest. He looked into his nephew's forest shaded eyes. Between the little pout tainting his lips and the moisture glistening in the corner of his eyes panic began to course through and he softly pled, "Oh please don't." And he began lightly bouncing him up and down against his chest. "Shhh…if you wake up your mama there will be hell to pay."
Martin snickered as he raised Pru up in his arms. "Indeed there will be. But your hell, not his." And he planted a little kiss on Elijah's forehead. "Now let's get back before Uncas devours all the good food. I swear that kid eats more than Pru pregnant."
"And his belly gets just as big!" Nathaniel laughed as they made their way, side by side, back towards the cabin.
The next morning, the entire cabin woke before dawn largely due to the incessant crying of baby Elijah. The sun was not quite up yet when Pru shuffled outside on the step with Elijah tucked in the crook of her arm. She sat herself down in Sampson's rocking chair and after peering over her shoulder to make sure all the houses' male occupants were still inside, carefully pulled open the bow at the stop of her shift and wiggled her left breast free. Elijah immediately latched onto her, nourishing himself as she rolled her feet, heel to toe, atop the porch making the rocking chair sway in a gentle soothing rhythm and quietly reflected on the previous night.
She had awoken, snuggled up in Martin's lap to the screeching sound of Elijah's seventh month old lungs and a broad smile dancing across Martin's lips. Her eyes had immediately gone wide as to why the father of her child would simply be sitting there smiling when their son was screaming. Though quickly learned her answer when Martin tilted his head backwards a bit, signaling her to look behind him. Then promptly burst out laughing. Behind her, Nathaniel was aggressively pacing back and forth across the cabin trying his best to calm Elijah, who had both of his tiny fists tangled up in loose dark, yanking his head left and right. While Chingachgook, Sampson and Uncas ogled him from across the supper table with tears of laughter glistening in their eyes. The amused expression plastered on their faces made Oru laugh even harder as clearly they had all refused to take Elijah off his hands when they returned to the cabin. Punishment, no doubt, for his foolishly loud antics earlier in the afternoon. Though, as funny as it was, Pru had quickly hopped to her feet and rescued Elijah from his uncle's ignorance. But not before giving Nathaniel a mighty scowl and a well deserved slap on the back of his head.
Pru giggled to herself thinking about it and stared down at her son's sweet face as she nursed him. She saw none of herself in Elijah's perfect features. He was all Blackwood. Unmistakably Martin's son and Sampson's grandson. And she was happy about it. Especially since they were not formally wed and it was only a matter of time before they went into town, Elijah in tow. She knew the names she would be called in whispered conversation as they stride through town. While she knew it would not bother her in any way, she was relieved that there could be no denying that Elijah was Martin's son, a true Blackwood by birth. And because of it, no one would question his legitimacy. There was an overwhelming relief in that thought and she leaned down, gently kissing the top of bushy brown head.
"Ooooh…"
The familiar voice broke Pru from her thoughts and she twisted her head around spying Uncas just behind her and quickly threw her shawl across Elijah as he suckled. She had noticed that her feeding the baby in front of him had almost always sent him quietly scurrying from the room and as this was their last morning together for a while, desperately wanted him to stay. "Come…sit," she said, tapping the railing in front of her.
Uncas shuffled over to the porch rail, scooting his bottom on top of it and sighed.
Pru slapped her hand across his thigh and said, "Tell me, brother. Tell me what is troubling you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Uncas said with furrowed brows.
Pru sighed heavily with resignation. Of course it was obvious. They were leaving today. Off to the Delaware camp and her former winter home. She had cried every night in the days leading up to this. Her soft sorrowful wails muffled only by the pillow she forcibly covered her face with. At least until Martin came to bed and she would bury her face in his strong chest while he comfortingly stroked her back. Pru sighed, gripped onto his limp hand and, "Yes…it is."
"Well…say something…anything to make this easier. Please, Pru…," Uncas nearly whinnied.
Pru blew out a frustrated puff of air as she raked her brain to think of something light hearted to say, something good natured but could find nothing and said, "We need to try and convince father to stay on at the farm."
"No," Nathaniel's voice whispered from behind her. He crossed the few steps to his siblings and dropped into a crouch beside the rocking chair, taking Elijah's little foot between his fingers. "We can't pressure him. Father is…too focused on this course. If we fight this like little children, he will feel disrespected and even more determined. It will backfire," he finished, turning his head up to look at his siblings. Both of them, wore solemn expressions as they nodded their heads in agreement. "So we wait."
"For how long?" Pru questioned.
"Until something happens that keeps us permanently on the farm," he said with a resigned shoulder shrug.
"One day?" Uncas chimed in.
"One day," Nathaniel and Pru said in a hushed unison that made Uncas giggle.
"What?" They said together again.
"I…," he began, wanting to say that that was exactly the kind of thing he was going to miss with the three of them not being together. Their way of always saying the same thing at the same time. If their physical appearance did not confirm that they were siblings, their joint way of speaking certainly did. Though quickly bit his tongue, not wanting to drag them further down the sadness hole and instead said with as light a smile as possible, "We will be back in the spring. Not too long."
Pru plastered a forced smile on her face and said, "Not too long at all."
"Exactly…," Nathaniel added. His wry smile strained with his own bout of discontent. "Not too long at all."
Uncas cradled Elijah in his arms as he, Nathaniel, Pru and Martin all wrapped their arms around each other in the same group embrace they had been traditionally doing for years every time they parted. Only this time, Elijah was centered between them. All four of their heads were touching with four sets of eyes peering this way and that.
"It won't be long until you return," Martin said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"Of course not. Back in the blink of an eye," Nathaniel stated, a bit too overly confident.
"Absolutely. You both love the Delaware village when it's covered in snow," Pru added with a somewhat encouraging head nod.
"We…I…," Uncas stammered as he tried desperately to follow suit and say something positive. Despite all of his efforts found the ache in his heart too severe. And as he squeezed tightly to baby Elijah in his arms softly murmured, "…I love you all and will miss you terribly." He finished shifting his eyes between Pru, Martin and Elijah.
Pru squeezed tighter to the fisted ball of his and Nathaniel's shirt in her palms. "So much…," she whispered as she fought back another onslaught of tears. She had burst out weeping when her father had wrapped his arms around and whispered into her ear how proud of her he was and how much he loved her and his newly born grandson. It was altogether the second worst feeling she had ever felt. Only overshadowed by her separation from Martin. She sucked in a steadying breath and reached up on her tiptoes, kissing first Uncas on his cheek and then Nathaniel. Then rested her head on Uncas's shoulder and said, "Don't let him lead you astray from your sweetness. He can be rowdy, unrestrained and extremely tempting to follow. Just remember who you are…," and she pressed her pointer finger into his side, finishing with "…in here." Then shifted slightly to stare up into Nathaniel's bright blue eyes. "And you…remember that that same rowdy, unrestrained nature is what we love so much about you. So don't let Uncas turn you all gooey."
Nathaniel barked out a rough laugh and pulled her into his side. "I won't…and don't worry about us making good time to get to the camp…without you to slow us down we should be there in no time at all." That little quip earned him a well deserved jab in the ribs as the four of them all burst out laughing.
Chingachgook stood watching beside Sampson, arms folded across his chest as he patiently waited for his children to finish their farewell. When he cleared his throat, suddenly compelled to speak and said, "I know I do not need to say this…"
Sampson swiveled his head to face his old friend and said, "Say it anyway friend."
"Please…please protect her."
Sampson reached out, placing his palm on Chingachgook's shoulder and softly said, "With my life."
Chingachgook smiled and nodded. He expected nothing less of his closest friend. His brother. And as he stood there waiting, watching as his children said their final goodbyes whispered a prayer to the Great Spirit that this separation be kind on all of their hearts.
Author's Note: This is just a little peanut of a chapter meant to mark the transition of them separating from each other. I chose to focus more on the siblings and Martin, since you all know how Chingachgook is feeling about about it. While he has accepted the idea of Pru not being with them, he is most definitely still pained by it. Hence his unnecessary plea to Sampson to keep his baby girl safe. But back to our foursome, all four of them are suffering the idea of it in different ways. Martin feels guilty. Nathaniel and Pru are trying to hide their feelings and remain as positive as possible. Both using humor as a defense mechanism. And then Uncas, who is very emotional about it. Even more so now that he has to leave Elijah too. It really pains him not to be a constant figure in his nephew's life :(
There will be several time jumps coming...all to progress Uncas's story a bit better!
And...a little shout out to BrynnaRaven for the song! I knew I could count on you!
Thank you to everyone who viewed/reviewed, your support is amazing. And a special thank you to, Evermore22, ELY72, Hazel222, AsterLaurel, BlueSaffire, BrynnaRaven, MohawkWoman. You are all amazingly supportive!
Thanks for reading ;)
