Chapter 2. I feel this might be a slow-progress kinda story but in a good way. I tried to edit Chapter 1 again to make things a little easier to follow. Potentially still in the editing room - this chapter and the last. So be prepared.

Alice felt like she need to run again. Reverse everything. She froze, her eyes darting between the three men and Marie. Marie looked just as taken aback.

"I don't mean to worry you, child," the older man said reassuringly, "I suppose we'll be on our way."

They began to walk away, the white man threw her a cheeky smile before he followed his older. The younger man lingered a moment, looking Alice over before moving on too.

Marie looked relieved when she caught Alice's eye but Alice had done this for a reason. She had come to find out what had happened to the Son to help the broken man.

"We're lost," she blurted out suddenly in an effort to stop them.

Marie froze, eyes widening.

The three men stopped and turned but it was the white man who spoke, somewhat amused,

"You're in Albany." He winked.

Alice shrugged,

"Yes. But...I don't want to be in Albany. My companion and I," she gestured to Marie who stopped her wild inspection to stare back at the men now staring at her, "We want to get to...uh..."

She looked to Marie for help. The other woman caught sight of a newspaper title and stepped forward,

"Fort William Henry."

The white man frowned, the others looked puzzled,

"You want to go to the Fort? That place is war country," the white man said knowingly, leaning on his musket, "The English are occupying it but not for long. The French are on their way,"

"What do you mean?" Marie took another step forward, her presence growing.

The white man turned to her fully,

"There's a war on, haven't you girls heard? Or perhaps you've missed the army marching by your windows," He gestured to another troop as they marched by neatly, each step in accordance with the drum that lead the way, "Word has it the crown'll be askin' for scouts and soldiers. Means only one thing,"

"And what's that?" Marie asked, the expression on her face was unreadable.

The white man smirked, casting a bereaved look back at his compatriots,

"The Frontiersmen and the Indians alike are going to be asked to pick a side."

The older man stepped in, his voice soft but demanded attention. It was the voice of wisdom, it didn't need volume,

"Pick a side and fight against each other. The white man promise them land, trade and safety. He gives them war. The crumbling of the Americas has begun."

Marie slunk back, not cowering, but more aware as Alice had so righteously asked her to be.

The crumbling of the Americas...now there's a statement, Alice thought sadly. Her eyes dropped, then shifted to a newspaper laying abandoned on the ground.

She drifted to it and picked it up tentatively. All eyes were on her. When she flipped it over to read the article beneath, the first sentence sealed everything.

Fate was real and time had a warped sense of humour.

Alice threw the paper to Marie who only just managed to catch it. She read the first line aloud,

"'Colonel Munro holds the Fort...'date, 1757," she traced the stencilled picture of the seasoned soldier uncertainly, her face conveying the worry, "That man sure looks an awful lot like your father."

Alice was hyperventilating. Her chest was growing tighter and tighter. Yes he did and he shared the same name and the year had changed. They had found themselves a further 8 years back down the line. Questions were coming from nowhere in quick succession quite suddenly. Most importantly, this Uncas had never seen her before as far as she was concerned and yet he recognised her. Sure that meant that past and future were connected in some God-forsaken fashion. What impact would that have on her and Marie being there?

"I need to get there," she said, turning back to the Frontiersman, "With or without your help. How do I do it?"

The white man frowned at her,

"Hop on a wagon and hope for the best. You won't be gettin' any help from us," He answered snidely, "Send your father my regards."

He turned away and walked past his companions without looking back. The two remaining men lingered. Gauging their thoughts before they too abandoned the girls. The younger man's eyes locked on Alice's briefly before he, too, finally turned away.

Marie stood staring after them while Alice immediately set about finding a means to get to the Fort. She knew that somewhere in the Sands of time, her sanity was getting buried. But no matter, she had to get to that fort. It was her father…somehow. Marie would disagree.

She spied a small band of soldiers getting ready to leave. There was an Indian scout ahead of them all; a fierce looking man with a shaven head save for a tuft of hair on the crown of his head that filtered down into an impressive wave down his back. Another sense of familiarity hit Alice and she hesitated. A soldier, in charge of the troupe was standing nearby.

He looked agitated and lost, looking for something or someone with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

Alice took a step forward but was suddenly halted by Marie's soft and strangely menacing enquiry,

"Alice?"

She turned to Marie, heeding the uncertain call. She was still staring after the men,

"The reason you came back here for has disappeared."

Alice was silent, already feeling the heat of Marie's fury,

"Instead you intend to take us to a war zone. What exactly is it that you're planning on doing?"

"I need to know," was all Alice could think of to say, "I've been getting these strange feelings. I've been here before, I know these people, I just- I just need to know."

Marie was gazing at her sceptically,

"You haven't been here before, Alice. Someone else has, another you. You said you know them, obviously they know you in some shape or form too. What will you do when you finally meet this 'other' you?"

Alice hadn't thought of that but they were there now. There was nothing else for them to do. Alice shrugged.

"Right," Marie's shoulders slumped.

Alice, sensing the end of their current conflict, began to inch away towards the troupe she had intended to get too. Hinting at Marie to follow but she was looking reluctant and defeated.

Alice was about to say something but then her name was being called out.

"Alice! Cora!"

Alice spun round in surprise while Marie merely shifted her gaze reluctantly. They watched as the soldier from the garrison marched towards them determinedly. He, too, was a fine specimen in his uniform. Tall and muscular and an air of confident pride that emanated from his being.

He stopped in front of them. He blinked, blanching back the tiniest amount before shaking himself free. The girls glanced at each other.

"I apologise, I had a brief moment of curiously vivid déjà vu," He smiled warmly, placing two thick, strong hands on either girl's shoulder, "I have been looking for you everywhere. It's been a nightmare but we're ready to go and we should leave now before this heat gets any worse!"

He turned on his heel and hurried back to the horses.

Alice turned to Marie, preparing to tell her, her fears. This man had been tainted by their future selves too. But Marie he looked unsettled and put Alice off from expanding on this notion. Instead she enquired about the name he used for Marie.

"Cora?" Alice asked, confused, "Your name isn't Cora...why would he-"

"My middle name is," Marie answered abruptly, her hands on her hips, suddenly looking uncomfortable, "I hate it."

"You never told me that..." Alice turned back to the man now waiting for them by a pair of horses.

"No," Marie glanced at Alice, "Did you see the look on his face?"

Alice nodded,

"I also saw the look on yours," Alice began to walk away, "You feel like you've been here before too."

Marie's footsteps hurried up to her,

"I standby what I said. We've never been here and when we meet the people who have and-or are," Marie made sure to give Alice a hard look, "We'll be in the shit and it'll be on your head."

"You were so excited when we got here, why can't you keep that excitement? I'm panicked enough!"

"You double-timed us, that's why. Have you not noticed how people we aren't supposed to have met yet are recognising us? We're in trouble. All I'm interested in now, is making sure we don't meet ourselves. I can't begin to imagine what will happen then," Marie's voice turned cold, "I have no idea what's going on. You're supposed to be the sensible one."

Alice didn't bother to look back, she didn't want to think about the outcome. Not when the mistake had been done and couldn't be changed. She was solely focused on the next step of this peculiar adventure.

The soldier was kind enough to help Alice onto her horse before tapping her on the leg like a child. Does he know I'm 22 years old...? She wondered, gently shaking off the patronising warmth his hand left after having done so,

"I'll go and help your sister and then we'll be on our way." He smiled warmly while Alice returned the perturbed look Marie was already giving her,

"Kind of our soldier, Sister," Marie chided, "I wonder, does he know about the war at the Fort?"

"Yes, your Major Duncan Hayward certainly does, Cora Munro," He winked at her, "But you needn't worry. The war isn't actually on the doorstep of the Fort. Your father's holding it without the hassle, thank God. Do you honestly think I'd take you there if there was?"

He tutted her before mounting his own steed,

"Ready, ladies?"

Alice couldn't have felt more befuddled if she tried. Marie appeared to be the same. Shrugging as Alice answered more eloquently,

"Whenever you are."

The man, Duncan, nodded,

"Lead on, Scout," He called and ahead of them, as the scout did as was bid, their little band set off towards the wilderness.

Alice felt uncomfortable upon her horse. She or the saddle was slipping this way and that and she was anticipating a fall.

"Sisters," Marie commented, coming up beside her, "I would never have thought,"

"Yeah," Alice managed in between slides, "Seems 'Father' had more than one marriage to various women of colour,"

"Two, considering there are only two of us," Marie corrected, looking irritated, "So Duncan Hayward. Lucky we didn't have to ask someone who he was. Ringing any bells?"

Alice heard the sarcasm in her voice like a creeper up a house wall,

"Stop being so condescending towards my feelings, will you? We've established that you have them too,"

"Yes but I haven't sent us deeper into the past in pursuit of a dead man who, might I add, is gone!" she countered viciously under her breath. Alice had no argument. Marie was right no matter how frustrated it made Alice.

"No," Alice finally replied, "I have no ringing bells for Hayward." Which was not entirely true.

Marie could have driven a final stake through the heart, had the last word but Alice, time and again, praised the fact that Marie, despite her fire, was merciful.

They trundled on in an odd silence. Alice kept her eyes on the scout ahead while Marie looked around curiously, gazing deeply into the body of the woods.

She shifted and rubbed her eyes, hmm'd to herself then stilled.

The scout walked on without looking back tirelessly, a man on a mission. He neither tripped nor stumbled, nor did he look down. Alice concluded that he knew this path better than most people knew their way home.

He was a benevolent man, teaming with an unspoken contempt for his companions. Marie's constant shifts, twists and turns, alongside the deadly quiet of the wilderness made Alice feel uneasy. Something was amiss.

"Can we stop a while?" she called out to the Major, drawing Marie's eyes to her.

"Certainly," the major consented eagerly, "You there, Scout!"

"So you've got a bad feeling too, huh?" Marie said quietly, "I swear there's something in the woods."

Alice squinted into the darkness but couldn't see anything. It was even more disconcerting.

"I don't know what it is...the scout's a bit..."

"I'm not a fan either," Marie agreed, "Looks well pissed off."

They listened to Hayward and the Scout's tense interaction before the scout simply walked ahead of Hayward, leaving him in bewilderment. But the Scout, once having reached a bend in the path, turned back and started towards them.

Alice instinctively slowed her horse, Marie did the same but remained just ahead of Alice.

"What's he doing?" Alice whispered to Marie but Marie didn't answer. Their Scout had picked up momentum and had removed something from the clasp of his hip. He headed straight for the first soldier he saw. He swung his tomahawk violently, cutting deep into the tender muscle in the crook of his neck. Chaos erupted as the man screamed in agony before dying. The forestry around them came alive. Men came tearing out from the undergrowth so quickly that the soldiers didn't know where to look as Hayward tried to take charge of the situation.

Alice screamed shrilly at the sudden attack and instantly wished she didn't. The Scout caught sight of them and raised a stolen musket to take aim. The blood in Alice's veins ran cold, dread dropped like a cannonball from the pit of her stomach.

"Holy M-" Marie cried as she practically threw herself from her horse, narrowly avoiding getting shot. Her horse spooked and bolted, thundering over everything and everyone in its way. The scout simply stepped aside and prepared to take aim again.

Alice's horse took fright soon after, unsure of what to do or where to go, perilously attached to an untrained rider. Alice clung to the saddle with a fierce determination not to fall off as Marie tried desperately to take hold of the reigns.

"Alice!" she yelled, "Alice, get off the horse!"

But Alice couldn't think, couldn't move and couldn't breathe. Dead men were suddenly everywhere, the whooping cries of the war party were in the air. Duncan Hayward had come off of his horse and had resorted to a cutlass. It was a skinny sword with no leverage unless stuck in the right place.

All the while Alice was staring into the eyes of the man she didn't know and who wanted to kill her. There was no mirth, no smirk, no hint of joy – just loathing as clear as day.

She felt the firm grip of her friend clench that tuft of her dress just as the villain pulled the trigger. Alice was pulled from her saddle, the finest wisp of hair going rogue as the ball of bullet sailed past her. She hit the ground hard while her horse, finally free, panicked and ran off too.

Winded and stunned into a stupor, Marie's attempts at trying to pull Alice off of the ground were futile,

"Get up!" she was demanding, "Alice, get up, get up, get up! Quickly!"

But Alice was too terrified, too breathless. She twisted her head and through the massacre, the terrifying sight of the scout clawing his way towards them with a knife held aloft jolted Alice into action.

Suddenly she was on her feet with her heart in her mouth,

"RUN!" Marie yelled in her ear as she grasped Alice's wrist and bolted into the undergrowth, leaving the struggle behind them and going awry into the unknown.

Marie's breathless panting was what kept Alice going. They were alive. The past was a horrible wake-up call, proving its existence by trying to kill them.

Everything was as alive as alive could be. They ran until they realised that the sounds they were running from were only their own feet.

Marie slowed but let her skirts down too soon and took a tumble. She didn't bother getting up as she panted into the humidity. Her skin glowed with the perspiration derived from their efforts. She had a cut on her cheek. The skin on her hands was raw from where she jumped from her horse and tried to take hold of Alice's.

Alice looked down at her own hands and found them to be dirty but not much else. She was winded and that was the extent of her damage.

She felt somewhat stupid. In the heat of the moment Alice proved useless. Marie proved otherwise. She also seemed to be a fine addition to the wilderness with her bushy hair coming loose and dark skin. Even with her cuts and grazes, she emanated a certain grace. Alice felt fickle for it but she suddenly felt jealous. Jealous and terrified.

She sat down next to Marie and resisted asking her what their next move was until she realised she couldn't think straight.

"What now?" Alice asked finally, giving into the want to follow rather than lead, finding comfort in handing over the responsibility to someone else.

Marie lay still, staring up at the canopy,

"I..." but it turned out she couldn't think either.

They were stuck.

A few moments later, a rustle caught their attention. Alice only froze in fear once more while Marie proved her worth again by leaping to her feet in preparation. But the man who stepped from the bushes was dishevelled and unthreatening, breathless and unmistakably British; Hayward had survived.

He rushed forward upon recognising them, enveloping Alice and Marie in a bear hug,

"Thank God!" He whispered hoarsely, "I ran after you for no other reason than to make sure you were safe."

Marie just stared at him, amazed that he'd even survived with all his cutting about with a twig of a sword.

Safe? Alice thought, fuckin hell.

Marie squirmed loose of the embrace, pale and borderline hysterical,

"What the…why?" she almost screamed, unable to form any kind of comprehensible sentence.

Alice gently released herself from Hayward's grasp, still aware of how unfamiliar he actually was despite the moment indicating otherwise. She had no recollection of a past with this man though clearly they were far from strangers.

"Who was that, Duncan? Why did that happen?"

Hayward was still catching his breath, looking empty with no one to hold onto,

"I assure you I have no idea," He stressed this more onto Marie than Alice. As a result, Alice sensed an attachment which Marie was of yet, unaware of.

Marie sat back down, glancing up at Alice, holding her head, trying to get bearings. Alice felt lost and uncertain.

She felt stupid; her heroic pursuit of time had landed them in more trouble than she had anticipated. But then again, she didn't know what she was anticipating. But somebody wanted to kill them and that was enough to set the record straight.

Just then, there came another rustling from the woods, the sound of soft footsteps with nobody attached to them. The trio huddled into each other while Hayward brandished his weapon once more,

"Come out," He called challengingly though Alice could see how his hands shook subtly, "Show your faces, let's finish this madness like men."

"With that?" came a familiar voice; gruff and knowing, "I could have shot you a 100 yards away."

From the shadows of the undergrowth stepped the white man from Albany, his companions seemed to float out from either side, as silent as the grave.

"Amazed you're still alive," He grinned at Hayward who continued to hold his sword high. Alice peered out from behind his shoulder, looking in wonder at the site that was before her. The Son. He stood tall, his musket head plugged into the ground, his hands resting atop of it as he lazed back to watch the interaction unfold. It didn't take long for him to find Alice either as she tried to make herself scarce. He intimidated her. He held her gaze until Hayward spoke, at which point his gaze drifted from her to him,

"Who are you?"

"Well, we're just men of the Frontier," the white Frontiersman answered easily, "We tracked the war party to your ambush. We were about to join in the fun but then you ran. You ran fast. Needless to say we followed you. The world's beautiful out here but it'll get you killed if you don't know what you're doin'."

With another small smile he turned his attention to Alice,

"You're a lucky one, aren't you? Thought it was your end until your friend there pulled you from your horse," He nodded towards Marie who maintained her silence.

"Lucky," Alice mimicked, letting a feint, exasperated giggle escape her lips, "Yes."

"Why did the Huron want you dead?" The white man asked suddenly serious, "He had a particular interest in you two. Do you know him?"

"We hardly know anyone," Marie chirped, making Alice freeze. Marie cast her an apologetic glance before continuing, "We don't know. We've never seen him before. Not until today."

The white man nodded thoughtfully before sharing a look with the older man off to his right who stood far prouder and of a thicker, sturdier build.

Alice waited for something to happen while the Frontiersmen spoke to each other in a language Alice couldn't comprehend in any shape or form. Once having reached a conclusion, the youngest of them having only added a nod of agreement, the white man finally spoke again,

"You girls still trying to get to Albany?"

"Wait! What- who are you?" Hayward demanded again "and how do you know them?"

"Well we met in Albany, Sir," the white man responded casually, "They were lookin' for a passage up to Fort William Henry. I imagine that's where you're goin'?"

Hayward nodded, set to say something more then he stalled,

"A passage..." He turned to Alice and Marie in confusion, "Why were you looking for a passage to the Fort? We had this journey planned for two days."

The girls were at a loss. Alice felt the tug of panic and in her panic, she answered,

"Forgot. You know our memories," she smiled uncertainly, Marie's eyebrows rose slightly out of the corner of her eye. But the reply only served to confuse the soldier more,

"No," He said shaking his head, "I've always known your memories to be impeccable."

Marie's eyebrows rose even higher. Alice ran out of ideas. Luckily the conversation moved on, with the white man shaking his head in amusement,

"The point is, we'll take you to the Fort. The road you plan on taking will get you killed so..." He shrugged, "Prepare for the wilderness. And while we're at it; I'm Nathaniel, my father, Chingachgook and my brother, Uncas."

Alice stole another glance at the youngest, admiring his cheekbones.

"Duncan Hayward," Marie answered obligingly to which Hayward cut in,

"Major Duncan Hayward."

Marie ignored him,

"That's Alice and I'm Marie,"

"Cora," Alice corrected. Marie jumped slightly,

"Cora, Marie's a middle name," she stammered, reversing her middle names to fit the situation.

"Is it?"

Poor Hayward was being handed an endless array of puzzling food for thought. Marie was incredibly quick, though, brushing it off with ease,

"Yes, did father never tell you?"

Alice fought hard to conceal her amusement, a desperate urge to laugh building in her core. She covered her mouth to fend it off but Marie didn't even look at her.

"We're grateful for your help," she said again before Hayward could answer.

Nathaniel accepted her thanks before moving,

"Alright then," He said, looking sceptical at the girls, "Let's get on our way."

Marie, otherwise known as a reluctant Cora, gave Alice an exasperated look as her shoulders sagged.

He moved off first with Chingachgook in tow who smiled warmly at Alice as he passed. They were followed by Duncan and Marie who gave Alice a speculative, wide eyed glance. Alice hesitated a moment before she realised Uncas was waiting patiently for her to go first.

She started abruptly, muttering an apology for keeping him waiting as she went. Giving one last glance to the road. Instead, she found Uncas as he looked right back.

Right, so Marie's middle name is Cora. I don't know why I did this. I used to think it was because I don't like the name Cora but other than my previous story, a random 'Marie' never existed. So I adapted. Maybe not my best laid plan. What say you?
Again, I say, still in the editing room...probably. So don't forget to review!
Ta!