Nathaniel approached with the other prisoners in chains, all surrounded by an armed guard. Leading the group was a sergeant Uncas recognized from the night before, one who particularly seemed to enjoy Ashton's company. His mirth had bubbled over at the thought of so many dead "savages".
Uncas relaxed. He held some reluctance towards possibly harming random soldiers, particularly after fighting beside them, but for this man he held no such compunction.
He and his father joined the group, standing on either side of Nathaniel.
As they made their way past the enemy, his hackles rose. Though he understood that the French would not attack, he felt as though this slow march could easily turn into a gauntlet. A few insults were hurled their way from the French and their allies in a variety of languages. Some of the English responded with their own, but the Mohicans remained silent.
Tensions dropped immediately once they made it through the line. A few scattered Huron and Ottawa watched their progress with masked expressions. Uncas had expected many more waiting to loot the fort... perhaps they had left upon news of the surrender.
Unlikely.
An agreement between the French and English meant little to the other nations here. The Indians still considered themselves at war and only held back from attacking while they considered it in their best interest to please their European allies. Still, they could have gone to raid the frontier. Bad for the settlers, better for those walking to Fort Edward.
Regardless of what may happen, he would be prepared, and take comfort in the knowledge that Alice and Cora were safe among the officers.
Once they made their way into the valley, Uncas noticed the absence of French officers around them. He looked ahead and saw none with the English at the front of the column either.
The French could mean to secure the fort before sending on their escort. Still, it struck Uncas as odd. The honors of war seemed to be held in high esteem by white men... but maybe these rules were flouted with ease, such as those promises brokered with colonial militia.
Uncas met his father's gaze, and knew at once they were in agreement. The valley would be a good choice for an ambush. They would have to look for an opportunity to free Nathaniel sooner than expected.
Chingachgook flicked his gaze to the right of the sergeant standing in front of Nathaniel. Uncas casually made his way to the man's side as his father followed suit on the left. Sure enough, a set of keys dangled on the sergeant's belt. Nathaniel would know which was needed for his manacles. All Uncas had to do was wait for his father to dispatch the soldier when the time came.
They hadn't gone far before Alice's hair began falling out of place, to no surprise of her own. That morning, it had been inexpertly pinned by a laundress playing lady's maid with decidedly more enthusiasm than experience. It had been charming at the time, but now Alice only hoped her hair would stay off her neck for the hours that lay before them on this road. Already the sun beat down, baking away what little energy she managed to recoup overnight and leaving her only with perfect misery.
Cora twisted and turned in the saddle so much it was a wonder she didn't fall out of it. Part of Alice's heart ached at the constant reminder of the now distant Mohicans; another wished desperately for Cora to find Nathaniel, because when she did, Uncas would surely be nearby.
One small relief was that the French no longer lurked about. Only trees surrounded them in this valley, giving shelter to the calls of birds and insects. If not for the sound of marching behind her, Alice could almost imagine herself on a pleasure ride with her sister.
A horse trotted up to walk beside them, though Alice paid it little heed.
"Girls."
Alice reluctantly glanced over at their father and saw that he held a small but ornately decorated blue wooden box.
"You did not have to leave your things behind."
When the protracted silence made it clear that Cora would not accept the box, Alice slowly reached out and took it, not bothering to hide her frown. Curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside to find the earrings and ribbons they had worn to the fort, the same items Cora had disdained that very morning as they had readied themselves for the day ahead. Alice had followed suit mostly to please her sister, and would have been pleased to have them returned had the gesture not felt as though Papa were simply trying to win their favor back.
She glanced up to see his hopeful smile, but could not manage even a simple thank you. Instead, she nodded shortly and avoided further eye contact. Heartbreak could not be mended with trinkets.
They rode in silence for several minutes until it happened: a lone war cry, followed by screams.
Alice turned, frowning in confusion as she clutched at both Cora and the box. She thought she saw someone disappear into the trees. Were they being attacked? How was that possible, when they were granted freedom along with all the honors of war?
Perhaps it didn't necessarily mean anything—just one lone Indian harassing the column, trying to instill fear. It was certainly working. Dread boiled up in her stomach and clawed its way up her spine. She looked to Papa for answers, but he seemed just as lost.
Uncas decided it was possible (however unlikely) that this was just one man, eager to prove himself. The next warrior dispelled that thought. Uncas watched in disbelief as Munro turned his horse around and galloped down the line, leaving his daughters behind to command his troops.
"Do not break ranks! I want these ranks to hold!"
As if discipline could prevent this from turning into a bloodbath. There was no use in delaying the inevitable—and now Alice and Cora were left more vulnerable than before.
Uncas turned to see Nathaniel's furious scowl, and knew they were of the same mind. The girls were easy targets, up on that horse at the front of the column. If Magua were here (and no doubt he was), he would know exactly where to go to enact his revenge.
A deadly calm settled over Uncas as he considered their next actions. Alice's immediate protection was still in the hands of the other officers, who would be more valuable to ransom than kill. He would have to trust that she was well guarded, because if he left his brother's side now, Nathaniel would only be cut down in his chains.
Uncas scanned the trees but found only unnatural shadows and silence. Not long now.
Papa turned his horse around and began calling out orders. Alice felt the hurt of this like abandonment, and had to remind herself that his duty was not to protect only her and Cora, but all those from the fort. Everyone else fell into silence, waiting for what was to come.
What could their enemy possibly want? Anything worth looting was back at the fort; all Alice had on her person was the small box of trinkets. If she dropped it, would they leave her and Cora alone?
Alice turned this way and that, keeping ahold of her rising panic, looking for any sign that would explain away what was happening. When nothing seemed amiss in the column, she looked to the trees, but only found silence there too. Not even a bird.
Instantly, her mind went back to their journey here, when small finches called out in the branches high above, and Uncas had comforted her.
"Wouldn't be singing if others were around."
If the forest itself held no sound, it could only mean there were a great deal of people somewhere nearby.
But, surely—not again. Not when they had finally made it out; not when their Mohicans were beyond their sight and forever out of reach. Alice recalled that the officers were here to protect her and Cora: French and English both. But, as she looked around, she remembered she had seen no Frenchmen... not since they entered this valley.
Wrong. Everything was wrong.
Another eerie cry sounded from the trees—and more rose up to meet it. At first Alice couldn't tell where they were coming from, until she realized they surrounded her. The mare pranced nervously beneath them, and Alice thought with trepidation of the one that had thrown her on the George Road.
Cora reached back to hold a hand against Alice's hip, as if she could protect her. Alice knew it was futile. They couldn't keep doing this forever. Each time they managed to survive thus far, it had been against the odds.
"No—not again." The desperate moan echoed Alice's own thoughts—but to her surprise, it came from Lt. Ashton. His eyes were wide and unseeing in terror, his face white. "They won't take me again."
As the first shots rang out, Beams silenced Ashton with words meant to bolster the others with confidence. Alice's ears became overwhelmed with gunfire and screams before an incessant rush drowned out everything.
Cora nudged the horse towards a tree. She said something to Alice as she dismounted, and with what wits she had left, Alice understood enough to follow.
They crouched down together as they had on the George Road with one man between them and danger. Vaguely, she became aware of an officer galloping off on the very mare they had just been riding. Beams shouted after him before his own mount fell. He managed to leap off before it pinned him to the ground.
This was nothing like a war party attacking a company of soldiers. This time, it was a battle between armies, and three Mohicans would not be able to save them. She only hoped they managed to escape while they had the chance.
In the heavy silence, Uncas kept in check his desire to race straight down the column to Alice and cocked his musket instead. Two clicks confirmed that his father did the same to both his own rifle and Killdeer.
A war cry went up, and the resultant answer howled from the trees on either side of them. There were many—too many. More than just the Huron here to trap them like animals. As his heart pounded in his chest, Uncas knew it would be a massacre, but more importantly, knew he had to remain focused. An all-too-familiar rush coursed through him, preparing him for war, and he stood tall.
Chingachgook waited until the soldiers were distracted with the first shots before knocking the sergeant down with the butts of the two rifles in his hands. It wasn't a permanent injury, so long as the man got back up again. If he stayed down, he would only lose his scalp.
Uncas knelt even as the man fell, making quick work of freeing the keys and tossing them to Nathaniel. Next were his brother's powder horn and bag of shot. He then turned to keep watch as Nathaniel freed himself and the world around them disintegrated into chaos.
Uncas didn't bother giving Nathaniel his pack; Uncas was faster than his family when he wanted to be, but they had to stick together to cut their way through this battle. He could handle the extra weight.
There were mostly Hurons, but he recognized some Abenaki, Osage, Fox... perhaps all of the tribes allied with the French were here. A Huron ran straight for them; he fired. Watched the warrior tumble to the earth as Nathaniel ran by.
Finally—it was time to find Alice.
Alice dropped the small box, the lid falling open to reveal its contents. She stared at the commingled earrings tangled throughout the pink ribbon. Without thinking, she grabbed the wad of baubles and stuffed it into her pocket.
As soon as the soldiers began falling around them, they ran. Alice didn't know where she was going, only that it was away. But where was that, when death surrounded them from all sides?
She stumbled to a halt at the sight of a young militiaman being hacked to death with a tomahawk. She knew his face. They had sat together at a campfire mere days ago, though they never spoke directly.
Alice backed away in horror. A gunshot sounded beside her, but she didn't so much as flinch. Terror crept into her blood, and froze her where she stood. Cora attempted to grab her hands and pull her away, but Alice only stumbled into her. Her sister yelled onto her ear.
"Run! We must run!"
A tug on her wrist, and they were moving again, finding any opening they could in the gun smoke between the slaughter. Alice tried not to trip over the dead and wounded at her feet, tried not to smell the blood and bile permeating the air.
Where was Papa? He should be here—was he not looking for them? For a moment, she thought she heard him call their names. She turned wildly, but saw only carnage.
The Mohicans sprinted down the line as even more warriors poured out from the trees. Uncas ignored the screams from men, women, and children alike. He could do nothing for them if he were to reach Alice.
While Nathaniel was locked in combat, Uncas used his tomahawk to cut down another warrior with brutal efficiency. This was a dance he knew well, had performed many times with his family, only on a level he had never contemplated before.
Not that he had time to do so now. He returned to Nathaniel's side as his brother fired upon one who attempted to charge their father down.
Yes, it was absolute chaos.
Uncas reloaded as his eyes strained for a hint of Alice beyond the madness, and caught a flash of yellow. This time he ran, and Nathaniel followed.
Alice stared at the back of another man from the militia. Each time she looked around, there was someone new defending her—she did not stop to ponder what that meant of the ones who came before. Several more now surrounded her and her sister in a circle of protection.
Two were shot down as an Indian leapt at the third. Before she knew it, Alice was running with Cora again.
Not far. Cora seemed to have no more idea of where to go than she did. Alice whirled, looking back to the tree they had hidden behind. Surely if Papa had seen them there last, that's where he would be.
But to her horror, Alice found a Huron war captain whose face had been carved into her nightmares. This time, he was bare chested, solid black paint covering him from his mouth to his chest. He stood before a dead horse at the center of a group of warriors, an honor guard protecting him from the fight as he held something to his mouth—something that gushed blood down his chin and body.
Nathaniel made a sudden lunge to the left and ran a course that would not lead them to the girls. Had he lost his mind? A spooked horse charged by, knocking his brother over—but Uncas suddenly faced a Huron younger than he. He spared no thought before shooting the warrior in the chest.
He whirled to see his father standing protectively over Nathaniel, having crushed the back of another Huron warrior and now burying the blade of his club into an Osage chest.
As Nathaniel climbed to his feet, Uncas shouted over the battle.
"Kpëcheònkël hèch?!" Are you mad?
"Neyo!" I saw him!
Uncas ignored this. There was no time to chase down single warriors, even if they were capable of leading armies. Instead, he turned again to find the girls.
As Alice stared, she lost herself. She could barely breathe, let alone make sense of the grizzly scene before her. All she knew was that she longed for her Papa. He was here, somewhere... he had to be.
Her mind barely registered the grip on her numb jaw as it turned her to face an Indian covered in yellow paint. Here it was: the end. And she could do nothing but gape.
Cora screamed and battered the man with her pistol to no effect. He released Alice, causing her to fall to the ground hard, legs tangled in her skirts. At the same time the warrior backhanded Cora, sending her to the ground as well.
What had they been thinking as they sought to run from this? Only death followed wherever Alice went, and now her sister would pay for trying to keep it from her.
Uncas finally managed a good view of Alice. She stood as if caught in a spell, heedless of the chaos surrounding her. She was no doe to hide from a predator in plain sight; freezing here meant death.
Panicked, Uncas ran for her, using the butt of his rifle to dispatch another enemy. He stumbled over him and looked up to find Alice still in place—this time, her jaw gripped by an Abenaki about to end her life.
As his worst fear clawed through his chest, Uncas understood he wouldn't be fast enough. He prayed she would move, run, anything to save time, but the man only brought back his arm for a killing blow. Cora preempted him with her own blow to his head—a mere distraction—yet Alice's life was saved.
Nathaniel screamed for Cora, now at the warrior's mercy—but Uncas could not deny the unmitigated relief that crashed through him, knowing that it was not yet too late for Alice. Though it wasn't his place, he felt as though he owed Cora a great debt for saving her sister.
As his brother tore ahead, Uncas caught sight of another Abenaki warrior coming straight at him with a knife. He threw the packs to the ground and used his musket as a club to block a swipe to his gut. He then stepped back, dodging a swift followup as he swung the musket in an arc. The warrior was too far to strike him with his blade, yet too close to evade the hit that landed hard against his neck. As the Abenaki fell, Uncas threw the packs over his shoulder and hurried after Nathaniel, loading his musket as he ran.
She watched the back of the Indian as he loomed over Cora, gripping her by the hair.
Alice could not move. She would stare from the ground, doing nothing while her sister was slaughtered, just as Papa failed to come for them. She only wished it would be over soon.
In the blur of movement that followed, it took Alice a moment to understand that it was Nathaniel who had appeared, who had bludgeoned the warrior's head with his tomahawk until his skull was shattered and his brain a pulp left pouring out onto the grass.
Miraculously, Cora was still alive, Nathaniel having arrived just in time. Alice sat on the ground, shaken but apparently unhurt as she stared at what little Nathaniel was leaving of the warrior's skull. Uncas turned to his father as he ran, who responded with a nod and an order.
"Nawmi!" Go ahead.
Already, another man was charging toward them as Nathaniel obliviously turned his back to go to Cora. Uncas ran forward and shot him, then began leading a path through the chaos towards the shore.
Finding no other immediate threat, he turned back to find Cora and Nathaniel embracing. A dark feeling came over Uncas as he told himself they were wasting time. But a moment later it didn't matter, because his father had Alice on her feet and running after him.
Someone took her arm. Not Papa, but Uncas's father, Chingachgook. A surge of emotion hit her in an instant, too overwhelming to confine to simple relief, because someone had come for her too. And if two Mohicans were here, it meant Uncas—yes, there he was, charging into the fray before them, alive and fighting.
A sliver of hope managed to find its way in, allowing her to pick up her skirts and run once more. This time she knew where to go. She dashed after Uncas, Chingachgook still holding her arm as to be sure she would not be left behind.
They emerged onto the shore of the lake. Chingachgook ordered her to run along it, and she obeyed, glancing back to be sure Uncas followed. More Indians waited for them, guarding their canoes. Canoes! Escape might be possible after all. She put on a burst of speed after her sister, stepping around the body that tumbled down in front of them and into the lake.
Chingachgook helped Cora in as Alice stumbled into the shallows. Her sister reached for her, but Alice pulled away, drawn forward to the Mohican who helped an injured soldier stagger to the canoe.
After he placed his rifle inside, Uncas looked up to find Alice beside him. She said nothing, her eyes wide as though begging him for something. She had seen such terrible things since leaving Albany, each day worse than the last. He wished he could hold up that which crushed her spirit the same way he was able to bear that soldier's weight, but all he could do for now was get her away from here, somewhere safe.
With a grip on the canoe, he helped her climb in before doing the same, pulling out the paddle as Nathaniel caught up to them.
It wasn't until they started paddling that Uncas realized his mistake; he should be in the center, evenly distributing the power of their strokes. Another lapse in judgment. It would slow them down now to correct it, slow them down later not to. He called out to his brother to let him know what he was doing before turning around completely.
"Hold this." He thrust his paddle into Alice's hands. She barely gripped it before he reached around her waist and lifted her up and onto his vacated seat. As he regained his paddle, he noticed her blank affect as she stared beyond him.
Uncas glanced back as he paddled. Magua stood on the shore, covered in more blood than war paint, and pointing directly at them. His figure was quickly obscured by gun smoke as they passed through a cloud of it.
Uncas called out a warning to his family. "Nahòke!" He follows. By his tone of voice, they would understand who.
Beyond Alice's frozen form, Nathaniel paddled harder. Uncas glanced up at her.
"Turn around." At her lack of response, he gritted his teeth. "Alice."
Her eyes flicked to his, and he held them through each stroke of the paddle.
"Turn around, now."
She finally obeyed.
As they emerged from the suffocating smoke, Uncas spared another glance at Cora's cry of "No!," fearing the Hurons somehow managed to catch up to them that quickly. Instead, he found Duncan, of all people, in a canoe alongside theirs. The fool held a pistol pointed at his brother as if he had no greater enemy here. Uncas ignored his theatrics, figuring he would come to his senses before wasting his bullet on the man helping Cora escape a massacre.
Musket balls whirred past them. Uncas didn't know how many canoes followed; all that mattered was theirs outpaced the fastest. They had a chance, if only because the Hurons were too busy shooting and reloading their rifles to paddle.
After long minutes at a grueling pace, it became clear they were out of musket range. They managed to cross the lake without being overtaken, but the river would try them next. Experience would be needed over strength.
Nathaniel called out to Duncan to head for it, and Uncas glanced over at the other canoe. With the whitewater ahead, his instinct was to stay with Alice, who would certainly be as terrified of this journey as she had been during the massacre and crossing the lake. Yet, he knew two Yangeese soldiers would likely be unable to navigate it on their own, and despite Duncan's fury towards Nathaniel, he was important to Alice. Once, long ago, had saved her life.
Knowing Alice was in his family's capable hands, Uncas pressed a hand to her shoulder, then dove into the water.
Alice turned in horror, her first thought that Uncas had been hit. She gripped the edges of the rocking canoe in terror before looking back again, taking one long moment to realize that he simply climbed into the other vessel.
She was all too aware of the now empty space at her back. The sound of rushing water approached, and she knew the river ahead was not a quiet one.
Looking back, it was soon clear she would not find signs of pursuit in that winding river. She instead confirmed that Uncas remained behind them, expertly guiding the others safely through. Of course he would help them, selfless creature that he was.
She watched until the river became too unruly to remain turned around. Wild rapids threatened to send her flying into the unforgiving water. Somehow, she continued to hang on, though her body was quickly drenched.
It seemed to go on forever, each hazard more dangerous than the last. All thoughts of pursuit fled her mind as she hoped only to make it out of this river alive, not tossed into its treacherous depths where the air would get knocked from her lungs and water force its way in.
A final drop sent her careening headfirst into Nathaniel's back. He didn't seem to notice, however, and kept paddling toward the nothingness ahead. Distantly, she was aware of a roaring sound. As they stopped, she followed Nathaniel's lead and made to stand—then froze. She couldn't see over the edge of the falls in front of her. Beyond them, everything seemed impossibly far below.
Nathaniel, it seemed, had no patience for her foolishness. He bundled her into his arms and deposited her on solid rock before returning to the canoe. Alice climbed to her feet and continued to stare over the edge, watching as one empty canoe was sent over. She stumbled back, nearly tripping on something—Uncas's pack. She looked up to see him and Duncan send the other canoe over.
They had made it through the massacre, across the lake, and as far as the treacherous river could take them. All seemed impossible feats. She was lucky to have made it this far. And yet, she knew there was more to come.
Uncas ran up to her, retrieved his pack, then took his drenched musket from an apologetic looking Cora. Her sister then wrapped her arm around Alice's waist, guiding her after the others, though Alice didn't need it. She knew that wherever Uncas went, she would follow.
Notes:
- After my millionth rewatch of this movie in writing this fic, I realized while editing this chapter that Alice carries a mysterious keepsake box from the time she's in the valley on the horse (perhaps even as she leaves the fort) to the time she crouches with Cora on the ground behind the tree. I figured that's where their missing earrings & ribbons went, but I would love to hear other theories! (A lock of Uncas's hair, perhaps?) ;)
- Thank you to BlueSaffire, who beta read this chapter for me. You're the best!
- Thank you to BrynnaRaven, for generously taking the time to step out of the 18th century to inform me of all things gunpowder and more.
- Thank you to all my readers and reviewers so far, I'm so happy that this fic has been well received and hope to keep churning out more chapters for months (years?) to come! I do have the next chapter half-written so hopefully I'll publish sooner than a month. Stay healthy! Keep up the social distancing, read more fanfic!
Song for this chapter:
Breathe by Tommee Profitt & Fleurie