Chapter 30: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Late September 1749
Martin groaned slightly as he shifted his body beneath the thin bed sheet that was draped over top him. He took a deep breath completely filling his lungs with cool September air and slowly he peeled his eyelids back. The room was still dark, not uncommon these days with the harvest underway. They had all been rising before the sun and working till well after it set. A daunting yet necessary task. He reached across the bed in search of the soft curvy body that snuggled against him every night. Though instead of finding and adult sized person, in her place was a chubby legged toddler sprawled spread eagle. Martin grinned and carefully rolled onto his side. He curled up around his son for a moment, placing several light kisses atop his head. Elijah cooed softly at his father's touch. Martin sighed, then delicately removed the bedsheet from his thighs and twisted his body around to see the soft glow of candlelight stream up from the floor. Pru was sitting cross legged against the wall with her elbow digging into her thigh and her chin balanced in her right palm while a book laid nestled in her lap. Her eyes flickered upward and even in the dark he could see the bright blue twinkle back at him. "Morning," he softly grumbled, still finding his voice.
"Shhhh," she whispered. "The boys."
Martin stifled a laugh. Pru had very little time to indulge in anything beyond being a mother and clearly with both boys asleep she was taking some much needed time to herself. Carefully, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching his naked body as he did so. Then quietly shuffled over to her, taking a seat beside her on the floor. "You're up early," he muttered after giving her a kiss. "What are you reading?"
"A book of sonnets Sampson gave me after supper. You would enjoy them."
"Hmmm. Is anyone else up?" He asked, raking his right hand through his shaggy hair while rubbing the left over sleep from his eyes with his left.
"Not that I've heard." Pru sat up straighter and placed a palm on his cheek. A sudden seriousness clouding her bright eyes. "I know this is because of me. Why won't you just tell me? You're wearing yourself out. All of you are. Just tell me so I can fix whatever has pushed you all to this insanity."
Martin smiled softly and touched his forehead to hers. He would never tell her the foul things that had been said about her and their sons that led to them all working to their breaking point during this harvest. Usually when a harvest was this plentiful they would acquire an extra hand or two but after what happened in town, Sampson was not letting anyone on his farm that was not family. And they were all in agreement that that was for the best, No matter how hard they needed to work. Pru had poked and poked at the subject but none of them would relent. Knowing if they had somehow it would spur her into the fields with them, both boys strapped to her body in some kind of misguided defiance and he simply would not have that. The boys would stay safe in the cabin and she would go about mothering them all. "Farms are hard work, you know that and we don't shy away from hard work. Besides, we're almost finished. Just a few more days and we should be done and then we can finally sleep till at least the sun rises," he said with a snicker as he rested his head back against the wall.
Pru narrowed her eyes at him and placed the book on the floor next to the candle. "Humph," she snorted and crawled into his lap, straddling him with her thighs. "If you won't tell me, won't let me help...well the least I can do is send you off into the fields and sunshine in the best possible mood," she asserted with a tiny head nod and settled herself in his lap. Then very slowly began pulling up the bottom of her shift up until it laid scrunched along her hips. Her eyes never leaving his as she did so.
Martin immediately slid his hands along her smooth thighs. His fingers lightly tracing her skin until they were nestled around her soft bottom and he was able to squeeze tiny handfuls of her in his palms. His body was still hard from waking up and now would remain that way as Pru slowly glided herself along his length. Arousal shot through his core, momentarily blinding him. He had been so tired lately that in the weeks that had passed they had only made love twice. A far cry from their usual habits. Martin bit down on his lip, stifling the growl that had bubbled up from deep within him. She was soft, wet and warm, and feeling her move along him like that was almost more than he could stand. "I need to be inside you…," he quietly begged. Then dug his fingertips into her sides and thrusted himself deep within her. Pru loudly moaned despite herself. In the time since they began making love together on the farm, they had perfected the art of silence. Always doing the best they could to keep their noises under control. Though right now, hungry as they both were, neither were disciplined enough to stop themselves from the pleasurable sounds that filtered out from their lungs. Martin buried his face in Pru's neck as she swayed her hips atop him. "You feel so good," he rasped into her ear. "Too good…,"
Pru's eyes rolled back in her head as she shifted her body backwards. She gripped onto his left thigh with her palm, arched her hips upwards and quickened her pace. The new angle and speed barreled her almost immediately into orgasm. She flung her head back and dug her nails into Martin's shoulder. "Martin…," she breathed. "…Marrrtiiiiiin!"
The feel of her body spasm around him combined with the sweet sound of his name on her lips, sent him spiraling into his own euphoria. He rocked her spent hips around him until he had nothing left to give and pulled her up against his chest. "Shhhhhh…," he chided, tapping his pointer finger on the top of her nose.
Pru giggled and swatted it away like a bothersome fly. "I've missed you," she said, kissing the nape of his neck.
"Like you wouldn't believe," he whispered, stroking her hair. Then chuckled and added, "You sure do want another baby don't you." Pru gasped, quickly sat up and began playfully smacking at his chest. Martin chuckled harder and gripped her wrists in an attempt to stop her. "Do you know what I want?"
"What's that Martin Blackwood?" She purred, fluttering her long eyelashes.
Martin released Pru's wrists and scouted them closer to the nightstand. He tugged open the drawer and fiddled blindly around with his fingers until finally finding the object he sought. He took her left hand in his and said, "I want you to be my wife."
Pru's brows instantly furrowed, "I'm already your wife."
Martin smiled and stroked her cheek, "I want you to be my legal wife. I don't want anyone to question who you are to me or the validity of our sons. I want you and them to always be protected with my legal name. You are my wife. You will always be my wife. But it is time to make it proper. Will you be my wife Pru?"
As her emotions exploded inside her so did her eyes well up with tears. She leaned in and pressed her face against his, cheek to cheek as tears began streaming down her skin. She parted her lips to speak but no words would come out. Instead she gently touched her moist lips to his, kissing him with every ounce of warmth she was feeling. And while they sat wrapped in each other's arms, bodies connected in love, Martin slid his mother's ring onto Pru's finger.
"I hope that's a yes because I already put the ring on your finger," he chuckled.
Pru swallowed a half giggle half gasp. "It's a yes." She lifted her hand to her eyes and admired the ring. "It's beautiful."
"It was my mother's."
Pru shifted her eyes to his, utterly and completely honored that she would wear his mother's wedding ring. "Martin…,"
"She would have loved you. She would have loved the family we've created. And father agreed that she would want you to wear it." Martin swept away Pru's fallen tears with his thumbs and tilted her face up to his. "You make me the proudest and most complete man I could ever be. I love you."
Always awed by Martin's unabashed honesty when it came to his feelings, Pru wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body tightly to his. "I love you Martin Blackwood…always."
Just as their mouths were about to connect, a soft tap thudded against the door.
"Put your pants on Matin, it's time to go. Ya know, since the entire house is wide awake now. Morning Pru," Nathaniel snickered as his feet shuffled away from the bedroom door.
"Morning!" Pru happily replied.
"I might feel bad about that if I wasn't in such a good mood right now," Martin said with a wide smile.
"He'll live. Now go get all hot and sweaty so you can come back here glistening like the sun and we can do this all over again," she said, swatting his butt as they disengaged their bodies and he quickly began tugging on his trousers.
"Promise Mrs. Blackwood?"
"Promise Mr. Blackwood!"
Nathaniel, Uncas and Martin had separated from Sampson and Chingachgook after returning to the fields from lunch. Not twenty minutes had passed and all of them were already shirtless and sweaty. Their bodies gleaming under the cloudless blue sky, each one swaying a sickle high over their heads, again and again as they worked in unison to clear the last bit of the harvest.
"Aegel huh?" Nathaniel poked.
Uncas rolled his eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. "Any chance we could go back to laughing at Martin for his prowess in bed?"
"Ooooooh no! I've had my share for the day!" Martin said half laughing. "But if you insist on it…," He paused to face them, eyebrows raised high in challenge. "I can absolutely exercise my lungs again tonight for you. Or better yet...Pru can!"
"Ugh! No!" Nathaniel scuffed.
"Absolutely not!" Uncas agreed.
"I though not! Well then…Uncas…," Martin said with a wide smile and hard swipe of his sickle. "…continue!"
Uncas pursed his lips.
"I know you've been sneaking out," Nathaniel casually stated as he dropped his sickle down on a particularly high corn stalk.
Uncas paused. His body went completely rigid as he silently cursed himself. He had been sneaking out almost every night for weeks. After his first kiss with Aegel, he craved her all the time. Craved her lips, her touch, the sound of her voice. It was all too intoxicating too bear and so he had been spurred into action. Aegel had told him that she and her mother were staying in a small camp not five miles from the farm. The proximity was far too close for him to not take advantage. And he did. Though all this time he thought he was being careful. He thought he was avoiding every creaky floorboard. He thought he was being as silent as a cat. Clearly, it was all in vain. It was naive of him to think that he could outsmart his older brother. A brother that had slept beside him every night of his life, knew his breathing and even the softest sound of his feet. Uncas sighed to himself in resignation.
"Father knows to…," Nathaniel drawled. "…though…he also knows that you are running off to see a young, healthy and rather beautiful Delaware girl and as such, decided to leave you in your pursuit of her."
"Father knows?" Uncas's face suddenly drained of all its caramel color and turned a pasty white.
"Mmmhmm," Nathaniel said with a smug smile.
"Father knows!" Uncas repeated in disbelief, more for himself then for his brothers.
Nathaniel paused and turned to face his little brother. "Did you really think you were being sneaky? Honestly I can't believe the rest of the house didn't know."
"Pru knew," Martin chimed in.
"What!" Uncas balked.
"She was up feeding Ash one night when you were escaping. Not me though, I sleep like the dead. Of course Pru told me in the morning and I casually told my father. You know…so he wouldn't worry if he heard any suspicious noises in the cabin during the night," Martin said with a snicker.
"You all know?"
"We all know," Nathaniel concurred with a chuckle.
Uncas dropped his sickle and buried his face in his palms. This had to be the most embarrassing moment of his entire life thus far. The knowledge that his whole family knew of his midnight shenanigans was painfully awkward. Though worse was the fact that after years of practicing silence in the forest when danger could be imminent, he somehow could not manage to make it quietly out of the cabin. He shook his head in frustration, pinching tightly at the bridge of his nose as he did so. Then with a deep sigh said, "You know what…I don't even care. Have your fun. She was worth it."
"Oh little brother I have no doubt she was! Seeing the way your eyes twinkled each morning after you've snuck out….so sweet. Endearing even. What is it exactly you two have been up to?" Nathaniel mused, slapping Uncas on the back.
Uncas coughed in response to his brother's forceful hand. The idea that he actually thought Uncas would divulge anything from his time with Aegel was plain silly. Their time was entirely theirs. Every touch. Every kiss. Every embrace. They were all their own. His and hers. The cat may be out of the bag as far as him running off to see her every other night, but no way was he revealing his intimate moments with Aegel to his brothers. Those were his and his alone. "I've been teaching her English," he said with a smirk.
"Yea…I bet you have!" Nathaniel replied and he and Martin chuckled in unison.
Another hour passed and more of the field was tended. The sun ever steady as it beat down upon them and shirtless and sweaty the boys continued their assault on the crops. A comfortable silence surrounded them as their individual thoughts swarmed their heads. Until the distant sound of hooves thundered in their ear, snapping each of them into a state of attention.
"Aegel!" Uncas hollered when he saw her burst through the trees on horseback with her mother gripping tightly to Aegel's buckskin dress.
"Uncas!"
The fear in her voice sent his feet barreling towards her. Carefully he gripped onto the horse's mane, steadying him in his spot. "Are you alright?" He questioned, concern edged in his voice.
"What happened?" Nathaniel demanded from beside them, his narrowed eyes already scanning their surroundings.
Aegel's face was flushed and streaked with tears. "We were attacked. Our camp. They are all dead. Uncas…they are all dead. We barely made it away alive," her words choked with fear and sadness.
"Who attacked you?" Martin asked, reaching for his rifle.
"A war party. Five…maybe six men. I'm not certain."
"And you led them here!" Nathaniel bellowed.
"I…I…I didn't know where else to go," she stammered. Though her words fell on deaf ears as both Martin and Nathaniel had already disappeared from her sight. "Uncas…," she breathed. Her voice edged with nervousness. She knew when she escaped the camp that she was being followed and that coming to the farm meant bringing them with her, but she had no choice. There was nowhere else for her and her mother to seek shelter and safety. She had weaved her way around forest, naively hoping that she might have lost them on her way. Though the chill that plagued her spine told her otherwise. And the look in Nathaniel's eyes told her that if something happens to his family because of this, it will most definitely be her hell to pay. Whether Uncas liked it or not.
"Stay hidden in the field," he said, quickly leading the horse into the cover of the corn stalks. "I'll come back for you."
Aegel reached down and touched the back of his hand as he attempted to release the horse's mane. Dread coursing through her once more. In a second he too would be gone and she could not bear for him to leave her without looking one more time into the beautiful warmth of his brown eyes. "Uncas…," she breathed. His eyes fluttered up to meet hers. A dark mixture of pain and fear engulfed within them.
"I have to go."
"Uncas…I…,"
Uncas gulped hard, unsure of her next words. And as much as he wanted to stay and hear them, the panic in his belly grew with each passing second that he remained motionless. "Tell me when I return." He squeezed her hand and in an instant, he too disappeared from her sight.
Aegel pinched her eyes tightly shut and prayed. Please Great Spirit… please don't let this be the last time I look into those beautiful eyes…please.
Pru stepped out onto the porch, stretching her arms way above her head and releasing all of the tension in her lower back. The cabin was clean, both boys were fed and sleeping and supper was already underway when she decided she needed a bit of fresh air. She skipped down the steps two at a time playfully leaping to the ground with two steps to spare. Her resounding giggle reminded her of more carefree days. Days where she was still but a young girl allowed to partake in frivolous moments. Now she was a woman. A mother. And as such her daily demands had changed drastically. Though it was a change she loved. Her life, her family, a true gift to her from above. She still could not help but indulge in these few and far between moments of childish behavior and so spread her arms out way to her sides and began spinning in wild circles around the glade. Her dress billowed around her ankles and her loose hair fanned out so far it seemed it was trying to reach for the trees. She smiled and giggled to herself until dizziness overtook her and she keeled over with her palms on her knees, desperately trying to steady her swaying body. She pinched her spinning eyes tightly shut. Paused a few moments and with a deep calming breath, fluttered them open to a clear, still world.
"Thank goodness," she breathed as she uncurled her body.
Pru tilted her head back and took a deep breath. When she suddenly shuddered. Her spine began to tingle and the hair on her arms stood straight up. Unusual since the day was relatively warm and the cloudless sky allowed the sun to spread its rays down upon them without restraint. She righted her head and slowly began to scan the forest around the glade. Nothing. She could see nothing. And yet her body felt a wave of nausea rush through her. She almost bent forward and threw up when the softest shuffle entered her ears from her left. An animal perhaps. No. Her inner voice nearly screamed at her. Her breath became shaky as she finally realized what was happening. Her body felt paralyzed, uncontrollably rooted in place. And then she heard it. The frightening wail of her son from inside the cabin and in an instant, everything else disappeared around her. The trees, the grass, the sun, all vanished. Her heart hammered in her chest and quickly she spun on her heels. Her bare feet thumped in the dirt below as her dress caught in the breeze trailed out behind her like the sail of a ship. She rushed towards the cabin, all of her senses mute except for the horrific mix of baby and war cries as they cruelly blended together within her ears.
"Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting guns, on they run through the endless grey
On they fight, for they're right, yes, but who's to say?
For on a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls
Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see
For who the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls"
-"For Whom The Bells Tolls" by: Metallica
Authors Note: While this my seem like a Pru and Martin chapter...I can assure you that this chapter sets the stage for much turmoil to come within our family in regards to Uncas and Aegel. The world and circumstances are not always fair as our young lovers as they will quickly find out and in more ways than one way.
Part two of this chapter is underway...and since I truly enjoy a bit of action...well hold on to your hats! It is going to be bumpy ride!
Thank you to all of those who viewed/reviewed. Especially, AsterLaurel, BrynnaRaven, MohawkWoman, BlueSaffire, ELY72, Hazel222. Your constant support means everything to me.
Thanks for reading :)
