I use two Mohican words in this part of the story. One is "achwahndowagan" which means "love". The other is a Mohican phrase "Nia krachwahnen" which means "I thee love".
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Alice wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when Uncas gently shook her. Startled, she sat up only to have him place a hand lightly over her mouth. Pointing to the lower chamber, he whispered that she should rejoin the others.
"Go. I will follow," he murmured to the frightened girl.
Doing as Uncas instructed, Alice slipped away, moving quickly and quietly down the corridor to rejoin Cora and the others. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest as she fixed her eyes on the rocky stairs watching for him to reappear. She didn't have long to wait.
Uncas reappeared at the top of the rocky stairs and descended quickly into the lower chamber. He spoke quietly to his father, who then turned to his elder son. Nathaniel rose from his seat next to Cora and approached his father and brother.
Speaking loudly in his native tongue, Chingachgook informed his son of the situation. As Hawkeye responded, Uncas listened intently as the two men discussed what was to be done. Turning briefly, he realized that Alice was standing silently behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around her willowy frame. She stared back at him with eyes the size of dinner plates. Her fear was almost palpable. He wished he could have taken her into his arms and soothed her fears away.
Although she didn't speak their language, it was all too clear to Cora what was being said.
"Yes! Go ahead!" she shouted.
Heyward angrily leapt to his feet. "What the bloody hell plan is this?" he asked.
"I want you to go," Cora continued.
Nathaniel turned toward her, "If we go, there's a chance there won't be a fight. There's no powder! If we don't go in that, there's no chance! None. Do you understand?"
Stepping forward, Heyward spat, "Coward!"
Ignoring Duncan, Cora continued to speak. "You've done all you can do. Save yourself!" Pulling him aside, she said, "If the worst happens, and only one of us survives, something of the other does too."
Startled by Cora's words, Nathaniel gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "No. You stay alive. If they don't kill you, they'll take you North up to Huron land. You submit! Do you hear? You're strong. You survive. You stay alive no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you."
Uncas watched the exchange between his brother and Cora, feeling an ache in his heart, knowing he spoke the truth. He knew only-too-well what was being asked of the women and hoped it wasn't a mistake. Alice suddenly appeared next to him, her face drained of color. Shivers racked her body as she tried to understand what was happening. Uncas gently took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. The warmth of his touch flowed into her and offered some measure of comfort. She looked up into his brown eyes and smiled weakly.
"I will come for you, achwahndowagan," he whispered. "Nia krachwahnen."
The sound of voices, echoing in the distance, drew Uncas' attention. He could see the faint glow of their torches reflected on the rocky wall. Realizing time was short; he shouldered his rifle and moved away from Alice, but paused to look at her one last time. In the dim light of the cavern, he could see the shimmer of fresh tears on her cheeks.
For one brief moment, their eyes locked. Trying to be brave, she took a shuttering breath before placing a hand over her heart and mouthing the words--'I love you.'
Giving her a quick smile, he joined his father as the two of them sprinted forward, leaping into the curtain of falling water. After Uncas and Chingachgook disappeared, Alice looked away, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.
Nathaniel was the last to leave. He and Cora gazed at one another, each with their own private thoughts, almost unwilling to break the spell. Finally, forcing his eyes from her face, Hawkeye smiled sadly before running past her and diving into the roaring wall of water.
With a heavy heart, Cora turned away from the waterfall, praying that she would see Nathaniel again. The glow of approaching torches drew her eyes to the upper part of the cavern. She watched as Alice moved to stand beside her, her eyes were wide with terror. Trying desperately to hide her own anxiety, she wrapped one arm around Alice's slender shoulders.
As the light spread across the wall, the remaining men made ready for the coming fight. Duncan knew there was a good possibility that he and the men would be killed. As to the fate of the women, he just wasn't sure. Perhaps the damnable scout could be right as to what the savages would do. It was just hard for him to accept that Poe could be right about anything, but if that was to be the way of things, he prayed that Hawkeye was correct. He watched Cora and Alice standing together, their backs to the falling water. He only hoped that if this was the end for him, that his death was an honorable one, protecting a woman that he loved.
Flickering firelight spread across the rocky wall illuminating the cavern. Several Huron warriors appeared at the top of the rocky stairs and it didn't take them long to move quickly toward them. Unable to defend himself, the wounded soldier was the first to die, struck down by one of the warriors. Pulling his saber, Heyward, and the other soldier placed themselves between the women and approaching savages. Raising his sword, Duncan slashed at the nearest Huron, but missed his mark. Before he could strike again, another warrior blind-sided him with a club, knocking him onto the ground. The last soldier bravely sought to defend the sisters, but he too was quickly dispatched.
Cora bravely faced the Huron warriors as they surrounded them, and though frightened, she refused to cower in their presence. Alice wrapped her arms tightly around her sister's waist. It was almost painful, but Cora continued to stare straight ahead.
The warriors suddenly parted to allow another man to step from their midst. Extensive body paint covered his face and chest while one of his shoulders was draped with a heavy blanket. He kicked at the unconscious Duncan almost as an after thought as he stepped over him. His menacing presence frightened even the unflappable Cora and Alice fought to contain the small whimpers that rose up from her throat. Both women were frozen in place as the Huron leader approached.
When he stopped in front of them, Cora realized she knew him. He was their former Indian scout, Magua, the man who had led the attack on the George Road. His stare chilled her to the bone, but she refused to lower her eyes. Reaching out, he took a lock of her hair into his hand, turning and twisting it as if searching for something. Dropping his hand, he spoke to the warriors around him. Two came forward and separated the sisters. Placing a rope around Cora's neck and another around Alice's wrists, the savages pulled them toward the stairs. Two others grabbed the unconscious Duncan from the cave floor, dragging him from the cave. The now bound sisters followed behind, each one praying the man they loved had survived and would soon find them.
