Alice woke with a start. Having dreamed that the necklace trinket she'd only just re-acquired was taken from her again, Alice's eyes shot open and her hands had closed around her own throat.

The dread was relieved when she found that it was indeed around her neck and that their daring escapade the night before was real.

She breathed out deeply, shutting her eyes again to revel in the relief only to have a shadow fall upon her.

Alice opened her eyes reluctantly to find Marie standing over with a peculiar expression on her face,

"Nice necklace, where'd you get it?"

Alice sat up, confused by such an early confrontation. Marie didn't look angry either...it seemed like an innocent enquiry if not for the folded arms and rigid stance.

Marie's body was portraying disapproval, her face seemed to be a mixture of awe and, if Alice squinted, puzzlement.

She rubbed her eyes,

"I...stole it back?"

"Yeah but how?" Marie plopped down, her legs crossed beneath her endless layers of dress.

Alice recoiled slightly, unsure of Marie's intentions. She glanced around.

The others were slowly gathering their things, it was early still, the sun beyond dawn but still lazily hoisting itself up into the sky. A wave of exhaustion came to her then and she would have given her soul for a bed.

Instead she recounted her adventure with Uncas to Marie who sat quite still through the whole of it.

In conclusion, all she did was hold out her hand and wait for Alice to give the trinket back to her.

Alice tentatively did so, careful not to touch her skin as she dropped the chained clock into Marie's palm.

Marie proceeded to put it back around her neck before looking Alice over plaintively,

"People say I'm the crazy one." she mused aloud before getting up with a huff, "Chick, you're insane."

She never mentioned the ordeal again. It would seem that Marie was absurdly perplexed by Alice's rash plan of action. Unable to get her head around it, she moved to stand by Nathaniel who was looking at Alice with an impressed smirk. She gazed off into the unknown with her arms crossed and back to Alice, responding curtly to Nathaniel when he said something to her.

Uncas was gone.

Alice stood up with the help of Duncan,

"Don't do that again, Miss," He told her sternly, "Please."

Alice looked at him incredulously.

"It's dangerous. You don't know these woods, Alice! You should have left it to these men," gesturing to Chingachgook and Nathaniel, "to get it back."

Alice, in a moment of staunch defiance of being babied, retorted a little too irritably for her taste,

"And they did...with me in tow."

Duncan frowned but could not protest the truth. Instead he took her shoulders gently,

"It is of the utmost importance – to me at the very least – to get you women to your father safely. How can I do that if you, of all people, go gallivanting into the darkness to fetch back useless jewellery and do God knows what with the likes of the Red Men!"

Alice's jaw dropped.

"I say this with only in the best intentions in mind, Alice," He said kindly.

Alice glanced over at Marie who was frowning back at her, clearly trying to decipher what was being said.

"Alice?" Duncan drew back her attention, "Do you understand?"

Alice's mouth opened and closed several times without success over what to say in return.

From behind them an enormous sigh came and Chingachgook marched over to them. His features hard as stone,

"It was foolish what you did child. Brave but stupid. Next time, don't just take my son. Tell me."

This, Alice could not rebuke. She bowed her head, acknowledging a worried father, painfully remembering the aftermath of the last worry he'd ever had when she first encountered him.

"As for you," Chingachgook turned an even harder look to Duncan. His hands dropped from Alice's shoulders as he adjusted to look Chingachgook in the eye.

He was shorter than the old Indian, much to Alice's appreciation, but not by a lot.

"The girl can look after herself and if she chooses to acquaint herself with our people, then so be it. That is of no real concern of yours. Keep your overbearing, white man, superiority to yourself."

Duncan looked wounded,

"She is my concern-"

"No," Chingachgook shot back easily, his voice never rising an inch giving him the air of the upper hand, "The sister is your concern. She's the one you want, no? So leave this one. I wish Miss Cora luck."

"How dare you, Sir!" Duncan was trembling with fury, Alice could see. She took a step back carefully.

Chingachgook didn't look back at him, marching away with purpose, his hackles raised just as high, if not higher, than Duncan's. After all, Duncan had insulted not only him but the entire nation.

Duncan was about to go out on a tangent when Marie arrived by his side, gentle and tender, she layed a hand on his forearm,

"Shshsh," she whispered, "You made a mistake."

Alice gaped at her. She'd never seen her friend speak so softly and here she was testing the damn waters with the likes of Duncan bloody Hayward.

He looked at her and visibly eased. His shoulders dropped and he took a deep breath,

"Yes..I...yes," He answered, shame appearing on his features.

"Don't worry," Marie smiled, "You've been good to Alice but she's grown now. Just...look out for me, like Chingachgook said. At the rate I'm going, I'll need more protecting than her anyway."

Alice was amazed.

Duncan cast her a sheepish glance, rewarding Marie's efforts with a small smile,

"Yes, you're right. I apologise."

He turned to Chingachgook and called to him,

"I'm sorry for my carelessness, Sir. It was most uncouth and you were undeserving of it."

Chingachgook gave an awkward nod but no more. Nathaniel's smile had drooped slightly. Alice suspected it wasn't because of the exchange between his father and Duncan.

"Right," Marie concluded.

Before she could say anymore, Uncas returned looking hot and sweaty, blood smeared across his right cheek,

"They've picked up our tracks. They know it's us who got the necklace back." He cast a worried glance towards Alice.

Alice, still lost for words, looked back at Chingachgook, having found a pillar in him that she had failed to see before. A tower of fierce leadership that enveloped everybody and that reigned supreme long after the masses had fallen.

"How many?" father asked son.

"I managed to kill two of 'em. Magua wasn't one of them. Won't be long till they're on our tails."

He was looking at Alice with urgency but what was to be done was lost to Alice. She past on the urgency to Chingachgook who was considering his son quizzically,

"We split up," He said finally, "Take young Miss Munro, Uncas. Hawkeye, take Miss Cora."

He turned to Duncan who, amidst the mounting worry, had the decency to look shy,

"You're with me," Chingachgook said sternly as if to a child, "Go our separate ways and meet at the lake of the Fort. We'll cross together. Nobody," He glanced around, looking at each and every one of them, "crosses that lake until we're altogether."

Silence fell upon them. Considering the weight of gauging the danger for those they couldn't see.

Alice glanced at Uncas who caught her eye and took her hand with an iron hold, then nodded affirmatively at his father.

A whoop came from not far off and startled them all into motion. Chingachgook made as if to shoo them away,

"Go!"

He simply turned on his heel, shoving Duncan forward, leaving them.

Commotion; Hawkeye called,

"Uncas, which way?"

Uncas, moving already with Alice stumbling after him, pointed in his chosen direction.

Alice, taking a last, hesitant glance at Marie just she had done the same but she was gone before Alice could spare a scared smile, Hawkeye following her instead of the other way around. Sure footed with a smooth escape, Nathaniel and Marie disappeared into the wild.

Alice wished, once again, she could show Uncas she could run without his guidance but she daren't let go.

Much to her dismay, they were soon hiking up a hill. She tired quickly but wasn't about to show her exhaustion. Uncas, on the other hand, seemed to fly up the slanted land without so much as a sweat.

In an abrupt moment of confusion, Alice did stop but only because Uncas did and he was merely deciding which way to go. He and Alice, as a result, collided.

"Ow!" Alice cried as Uncas stepped on her foot, disabling her retreat and causing her to fall, "The fff...what are we doing?"

But Uncas had his finger to his lips, clutching her hands, tugging her arms, urging her to hoist herself up,

"Come, come, come – be quick, they're coming!"

"Where are they?" Alice asked, finally obeying as she was tugged to her feet.

"Down there," Uncas pointed, "Now run!"

Alice gasped as Uncas dragged her on without giving her a chance to see their pursuers. They were on their way down again and Alice went from having too many feet to no feet at all, all but rolling down the hill. From a far, gunshots rang out which gave Uncas a brief but hesitant pause.

Alice's heart was pounding.

Before long, Uncas stopped dead and took Alice wholly in his arms as she stumbled into him,

"We should hide," He breathed, "Can't run forever."

"We aren't!" Alice protested, "How far's the lake? And what about Marie-Cora whoever – whatever- and -and-"

"It's further away than you can run, Alice!" He countered, looking around frantically. More gunshots clattering through the air. The sound of approaching danger coming in the sounds of their surroundings. Disrupted, uncertain – a flutter of leaves and snapping of twigs both near and far.

"I can run!" She defended.

"You can," He looked at her, sparing her courage a soft gaze, "Just not fast."

Alice, unfortunately, saw the truth in that.

"You should have taken my sister," she said gloomily despite their danger but Uncas found it in him to stand still a moment.

"I prefer you," He smiled.

She clutched his elbows, looking up at him, trusting him with all of her being,

"Alright," she nodded, "I'm slow. Where do we hide?"

He grinned and for half a stunned instant Alice thought he meant to kiss her.

He didn't.

He pulled her into the trunk of a tree, tucked her in first for it was a mighty big tree on an incline at the foot of their hill. Easily missed but she trusted him with his sharp, sharp eyes.

He climbed in beside her, giving her a solid stare before turning his attention, perhaps – if Alice truly pretended - to watch the world go by.

Alice had to imagine it so. Death was about to stalk past them. With a bit of luck, it would miss them.

Uncas. She shut her eyes. He was strong, quiet, unassuming and gentle. He was borderline Goddamn perfect. He had the patience of a saint too, what with Alice's inadequacy when faced with the wild and the threats that accompanied it.

These men, they weren't coming for the necklace, she had to remind herself every time she thought to give it up. They wanted her and Marie dead. Or...Alice and Cora, wherever they were. That, and then she'd be reminded that she couldn't very well give up the bloody thing anyway.

Then Magua and his braves were on them. Only three of them.

Alice frowned, then remembered the gunshots. They had obviously fanned out across the forest in anticipation of trickery. She felt Uncas stiffen almost to a point without breathing whereas she was doing everything she could not to startle and spontaneously combust.

She didn't understand what they were saying but she understood enough to realise that one man had been instructed to check everything, everywhere and here came he; scowling and stoic. Fierce in his advances to where Uncas and Alice hid without realising that they were actually there.

Uncas cast her a look of warning. He was going to do something that would seem like madness. If Alice knew what she might have prepared herself better.

The brave twisted long fingers over the shrubbery that hid them away, paused, then yanked it back.

Uncas launched forward, shouldering the man to the ground. In her surprise (and panic), Alice fell out of their hovel following Uncas' improvised attack.

In a matter of moments, the young Chief bested the Huron and moved on to his next opponent.

Alice froze, watching in terror as Uncas stood between her and a perilous end. It was so clear that they didn't give one shit about Uncas. It didn't even matter if they killed him or not – just as long as a knife made it to her throat too. It was frightening beyond anything Alice had ever known.

Sometimes Uncas was shoved aside and Alice held her breath in anticipation as their assailant surged forward, tomahawk held aloft and glinting in the dim light. But that would only last a moment, for Uncas would yank him back. It would seem that Uncas just couldn't best them all, not three men. The best he could do was simply stand in between them and her.

The realisation hit her quite hard even amidst the chaos. He could die!

He could die for me!

"Bugger... what do I do?" she muttered frantically before deciding that removing herself from harms way was the best course.

"Uncas, we're running!" she called abruptly, launching to her feet and simply taking off.

Daring a glance back, she saw Uncas throw one man to the ground, cut open another and only just managing to shove the last away before following Alice, almost losing his footing as he raced after her.

He got to her soon enough, reaching for her hand, blood seeping from a cut above his eye and on his wrist.

In the knowledge that he fought them in an effort to keep her safe, she tightened her hold on him, feeling his clasp reciprocate her urgency, her need to protect.

Soon they had outrun them and silence save for the chirping of the wildlife swept over them. He was still clutching her hand but she could feel the sweat mingled with the blood making their hands sticky and, Alice regretted to note, gross.

"What now?" she asked after a time as he turned his head this way and that, listening. When he finally looked at her, Alice forgot her question and instantly layed a hand to his brow,

"My God, that's deep. Are you alright?"

He seemed to lean into her touch,

"Yes, Miss. Are you?"

"Yes...I...Yes," still trying to clean the cut with the sleeve of her dress, she became worried at how it wouldn't stop, "I'm sorry I ran. I couldn't think of what else to do and you were...struggling."

"Thank you for doing so, you did the right thing," he answered softly, much to her surprise only to furrow his brow, increasing the blood flow from out his cut, "You're not doing much except getting blood on your dress, Miss."

She blinked at him, when did he decide to return to formalities?

"Better that than all over your lovely face." And there went her formalities. She froze.

"I didn't mean that. I did mean that but I didn't mean-"

Uncas just looked at her. Her face grew flush and heated under his scrutiny.

"Thank you," He answered lightly, ending the awkward chirping Alice had embarked on.

Gauging his response, she replied tentatively,

"You're welcome."

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They marched on for hours, Alice's legs grew sore and each breath grew strained but Uncas wouldn't stop and though he looked back at her in concern, Alice waved him off with a small smile. Too scared to talk lest he see her ailment.

Every now and again Uncas would stop but not for rest. The forest would have irked him and he'd double back, pulling Alice along with him.

Finally, unable to hold her silence and feeling confident enough to speak, Alice dared to ask,

"Where do you think they are?"

"I don't know but we'll head to the Fort. We'll meet them there as planned."

He was focused, his brow furrowed deeply but not uncertain and the cut, to her relief, seemed to have clotted. Alice had no choice but to trust his judgement but felt it quite easy anyhow. He'd saved her life anyhow, no?

The day began to fade with a lazy light that died quickly. Ahead, the clearing fanned out into an eerie darkness, the ground seeming to drop out from beneath the roots of the trees, save for a spurt of light preceded by dull explosions. As they drew closer to the forests edge, the light grew along the skyline until Alice realised it was no mere trick of the night. Across the blackness, the land ahead was on fire.

The sounds came clear and war carried across the gloom to them. Alice stopped dead, her heartbeat escalating.

'Holy shit! The Fort!'

Uncas, still ahead, hurried back to her from the edge, grasping her hand,

"Found them. They're waiting – come!"

Alice didn't move. Her eyes were glued to the chaos ahead. Her sight was suddenly obstructed by Uncas placing himself right in front of her. She jumped at the change, shaking in his hold as he let go of her hand and grasped her arms instead.

"Alice, we can't stay here. We must go."

"We can't stay there, either!" she breathed frantically, "It's alight! Is that the Fort?"

"It's a lose-lose, I know. But don't worry, Alice," He took her hand in his again, tightly, a firm grip with a gaze of steel, "I'll keep you safe."

Alice felt herself calm at his words, her breathing began to steady.

"Alright..." She said quietly, "Alright."

He nodded reassuringly at her, beginning a slow walk towards the clearing.

Once clear and Alice felt less paralysed, he moved faster. Turning from her with her hand still in his,

"Come, come!"

Below, Nathaniel and Chingachgook were readying a canoe.

"Can't get luckier than this," Nathaniel was saying as they heaved the canoe into the gaping blackness Alice came to realise was a lake.

"Can't we go around? This seems a little...dangerous," Marie answered uncertainly but Nathaniel shook his head,

"Looking up the hill, Miss. What do you see? Look real hard."

Marie caught sight of Alice on her way round to looking up the hill at Nathaniel's word. She offered a brief smile but no more.

Alice did the same, following Nathaniel's gaze. Above them, much to Alice's terror, were the men she and Uncas (and indeed the rest of them) were running from. Skulking down the forest edge towards them.

"I don't see anything," Marie countered but everyone else did and watched them approach quietly until at last she faltered, "Oh fff-fiddlesticks…"

"Right," Chingachgook declared abruptly, "In. Now."

Alice felt confused as to what to do until Uncas gently urged her into the canoe. Climbing in, she heard Marie, having gotten in before her, mutter in exasperation,

"Fucking hell."

Alice hadn't noticed Hayward for a while for he was standing silently off to the side of the group.

He, like the other men, waded into the depths, catching Alice's eye as he did so. He was stoic with a rigid face but she could see his uncertainty. He didn't know! Alice realised. The attack on the Fort was a surprise to them all, it seemed.

"Marie?" she whispered.

""Yeah?"

"Nobody knew about the Fort. Not even Duncan."

Marie was silent. Alice felt her shift slightly to look back,

"No, he said as much."

"What do we do now, then?" Alice whispered frantically.

"Stick to the plan. If there's no 'father' to meet then all the better for it."

Alice's heart constricted. But Chingachgook...but...Uncas.

"You sure?"

Marie didn't answer immediately. She exhaled with a long sigh filled with longing,

"No, not at all."

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Alice was listening to the drums, the thrums, the rage of the clashes when a firm hand planted itself on her back,

"Let's go, Miss."

Uncas was helping her out of the canoe while Duncan assisted Marie. Chingachgook was already on the go, glancing back at his sons and finding Alice instead.

She faltered briefly under his gaze. However, he gave her a reassuring look that was similar to that of Uncas and she eased in its comfort. Alice felt her hand be grasped again.

She realised then that they were all lined up like children waiting for instructions from Chingachgook who wasn't aware he had to give any so all that fell out of his mouth as he turned to go was a quick,

"Run!"

Run they did. Uncas and Alice, Marie and Nathaniel and Duncan bringing up the rear. As they made it over the hillock and into the thick of it, the night exploded.

They were running blind. Alice ran with the entirety of her existence in the hands of the young Mohican now leading her on. Behind her, Marie was breathing hard but she was a faster runner and soon the little group was no longer running single file.

Duncan started calling out to the men atop the blockade, something about British reinforcements, Major, Munro this, that and whatever. Much to their relief, the gate began to open in a slow and uncertain manner. The wood creaking as it endured the effort. They ploughed through it without much thought.

On his way through, Uncas got caught on a piece of the wood that stuck out of the door. It splintered deep. He let out a bark of pain and let go of Alice's hand.

Chingachgook spun round in an obvious fear, eyes wide and musket ready only to find his son trying to free himself from the gate.

"Child!" the old Indian yelled angrily, "Watch your feet, get loose and close the gate!"

Uncas threw him an agitated scowl, a beaded sweat on his brow that mingled with dried blood that was already there, as he tried wriggle his shirt free of the catch. As a result, the bloody remanence began to seep down his face.

Alice glanced back at her companions, at Marie before moving forward. Slapping Uncas' hands away,

"For God's sake!" she muttered while soldiers fluttered about them. She took hold of his shirt and began manoeuvring it accordingly until at last it did come free and Uncas stepped away from the madness. The gate was instantly heaved shut and the majority of the horror was locked out.

He was clutching his side, Alice noticed. Between his fingers, his blood began to seep out and spoil the green of his shirt. The earthiness staining into a muddy brown.

"Children!" Chingachgook called again, not angrily but not calm. His agitation was understandable but Alice still felt ashamedly put out by his sternness. She took Uncas' hand in confidence and pulled him on with her to follow the others into the heart of the Fort.

Inside, the absence of chaos was stunning. There was no screaming. No loud explosions. Nothing that had them tense around every corner.

Hayward had asserted himself, having asked another soldier where Colonel Munro was, leading them through the halls as directed by the informant to the girls' 'father'.

Marie slowed, shying away from Hayward and Nathaniel to drop back to Alice,

"Here we go. Remember the plan."

Alice jerked her head towards her friend, her grip on Uncas' hand tightening instinctively,

"But that's-"

"Let go of his hand!" she commanded sternly without giving Alice a chance. Within reason, though, as Hayward came to a door, glanced back and proceeded to open it without hesitation and no lack of exasperation.

Inside, a stout man, with a hard face who had been pouring over maps and plans, looked up and froze. His eyes slowly widened as he straightened.

Marie cast Alice a warning glance, gripping her other hand.

Munro took a few tentative steps towards them before rushing forward, embracing them in a fierce hold.

Alice was stupefied – he looked so like her father back home.