"I always knew."
Alice burrowed deeper into Uncas' arms and started to talk. She explained in detail why she made the decision to send Ichante back to Uncas to prevent Bryan's reputation from being further tarnished.
"It broke my heart to send Ichante away but I honestly thought that was the least I could do for Bryan then. It was selfish and thoughtless of me, "Alice confessed morosely.
Uncas kissed her forehead, "No. You made the right decision. Your husband did not deserve such ill treatment for his kindness and generosity. I understand. Do not blame yourself."
"I know I told Cora I decided to keep Ichante only because it was too late to do anything when I found out I was pregnant. I lied so that she would be convinced I did not want him. It never ever crossed my mind to get rid of him when I found out I was with child," Alice added. She looked up at Uncas, her eyes beseeching, "You do believe me, do you?"
Uncas stroked her hair comfortingly, "I admit I thought at first you never wanted him at all and his existence was a nuisance to your life. But when I saw the way you looked at Ichante when you met him at Cora's boarding house, I knew I was wrong. I knew you loved him all along."
Alice whispered with sombre gratitude, "Thank you for being so understanding."
Uncas replied gravely, "Thank you for having our child."
"Our child."
Alice smiled and closed her eyes, surrounded by Uncas' warmth.
Alice and Uncas maintained their newly renewed relationship for the next two weeks in secret. Though they had made clear their feelings for each other, there was no discussion yet about the future. They figured they would enjoy their reconciliation at present and save the serious conversation for a later date. They managed to steal some moments together in the evenings when the children were in bed but they did not sleep with each other again.
Instead, they passed time quietly cuddling and chatting in front of the hearth over tea, coffee and whisky – they shared what happened in the past eight years that they spent apart. Alice talked fondly about her one year with Ichante and about Bryan. Uncas listened intently and asked questions. In return, he divulged Ichante's growing years on the frontier. Many nights Alice would doze off and Uncas would carry her back to the room and tuck her in next to Mikayla. He would then watch over them for an hour or so while they slept peacefully.
One afternoon, Alice brought Mikayla and Ichante to the stream for a swim. The weather was glorious and everyone was in an upbeat mood. Uncas was at Nathaniel's cabin discussing their next trading trip. Thanks to Uncas, Mikayla could swim quite well on her own though Ichante was never too far away to keep a watchful eye on his sister. Alice sat by the banks, humming happily as she unpacked lunch from a basket. Setting food and utensils neatly on a blanket, she smiled as laughter of the children filled the air as they splashed each other.
Suddenly, it was deathly silent and Alice raised her head and inquired in a teasing tone, "Have both of you worn yourselves out?" All amusement fled and blood drained from her complexion when she encountered the sight in front of her. Two Indian men stood on the opposite bank and had her children by the cuff of their necks, their legs dangling in the air – they obviously had been yanked out of the water while playing. Mikayla's eyes were huge with terror and her teeth chattered while Ichante was still, his eyes brimming with helpless rage.
Alice fumbled for the bread knife behind her and slipped it into the pocket of her skirt. The stream was shallow so she advanced slowly toward the opposite bank, her eyes trained on her children. She vaguely recalled Cora warning her to be careful of such men who scoured the frontier robbing colonials and kidnapping children to be sold elsewhere. Alice had not taken Cora seriously since the cabin's surroundings were so serene and Uncas was always around. But he was not today and she should have packed some kind of weapon at least. Alice regretted her carelessness and short-sightedness.
The men leered as she came closer and Alice swallowed, "Let them go. Please." They appear to understand her but instead of releasing the children, they taunted her by squeezing their necks a little tighter. Mikayla gasped and choked but Ichante never made a sound. He simply glowered at the attackers.
Alice rushed to the men, tripping over her skirts in her haste. "Stop it! Let them go! Take me!" she sputtered, grabbing the arm of the man who held Mikayla. The man lowered Mikayla to her feet though his fingers remained wrapped around her neck. With his free hand, he swept Alice's hair off her shoulder, his fingers lingered on the exposed skin of her collarbone. Alice felt revulsion charge through her but she girded herself mentally. This was nothing if she could save her children. The other man laughed and Ichante seethed.
Alice sensed Ichante was going to do something and issued in a low tone, "Get your father, Ichante. Do not do anything foolish." Ichante whipped his head around to stare at his mother, his eyes narrowed to slits. Alice gulped and took a step closer to the man with Mikayla, "Please let them go. You can have me."
"No." Ichante spat out and the man holding him slapped the boy's face. "Ichante!" Alice cried out and was punished by a painful tug of her hair by the man next to her. Mikayla was crying in earnest now, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Alice felt the man's sweaty palm slid up from her collarbone to her cheek and she bit the inside of her lip hard to stop herself from shaking him off.
Abruptly deciding Alice was worth a trade with Ichante, the other man flung the boy aside. Fortunately, Ichante landed on a thick growth of fern and he nimbly scrambled to his feet . He snagged his mother's gaze who wordlessly begged him to run away first – and call his father. Ichante hated to leave Alice and Mikayla behind but his mother was right. He streaked away at lightning speed.
His father was too far, Ichante realised with dread. His uncle's cabin was a good ten minutes away by foot, just a little less if one ran. Making up his mind, Ichante changed direction and headed for his cabin. As he gathered his knife, tomahawk and one of his father's muskets, he let out a long, screeching whistle. As he plunged into the clearing back towards the stream, he whistled again desperately.
Uncas and Nathaniel were studying trade routes on a map when a piercing noise echoed around them and disrupted their conversation. Both men leapt to their feet instantly, recognising the distress call that had been passed through generations of the Mohican people. Cora's children were visiting neighbours which meant the call for help had to be from Ichante. Uncas swore as he grabbed his gun and tore out of the cabin, Nathaniel close behind. Ichante had never issued the distress call before.
Alice. Alice was in danger.
From the corner of her eye, Alice watched as the other man loosened his grip on her daughter and shoved her aside. Mikayla crawled on her knees, instinctively seeking for safety. The attention of both men was now on Alice but she knew they would be keeping an eye on Mikayla. Her fingers dug into the flesh of her palms until she could feel blood seeping through her skin.
Trembling, she reached into her pocket for the bread knife, her fingers curled around the hilt. They jerked her face up and one of them nuzzled the side of her neck, his hot, salty breath rimming her ear. Alice wrenched her face away and the other man slapped her so hard she saw stars and her ears rang. Blood pooled at the corner of her lips. Someone dragged her bodice down until her slip could be seen.
Alice brandished her bread knife and jammed it as deep as she could into the man's side. He howled in pain and ripped her gown down the middle as she tried to wrestle away from him. His accomplice stalked in the direction of Mikayla and Alice threw herself on top of him, knocking him down on the ground. The man who she had stabbed had regained his composure and approached her menacingly, his knife drawn.
Alice felt herself being flipped over by the man under her and she was trapped beneath his heaving body in seconds. She screamed and fought like a mad woman but the man did not budge. He covered her mouth with one filthy hand as the other man hovered over them, his knife glinting.
"Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Mikayla. Her Mikayla had spoken. Tears rained down Alice's face. Her baby could speak.
"Mamaaaaaaaaaaa!" The little girl hollered again from her spot near some bushes. To Alice's horror, the girl started crawling towards her. Alice shook her head wildly.
Alice stared dully at the cloudless, brilliant sky as the man swung his knife down…
She heard a whizzing sound and blinked in disbelief as a tomahawk struck the man dead centre in his chest. He dropped down flat on his face, twitched a few times and breathed his last. The man above her roared in fury and jumped to his feet, swinging his tomahawk. Alice heard a muffled boom and the man's shoulder exploded in a puff of red. She swung her head towards the sound and gaped when she saw Ichante aiming a musket at her assailant. Her son's eyes were as cold as ice, his jaw was set in steely determination. The man, clutching his destroyed shoulder, floundered towards the boy, fumbling for the knife at his belt. Ichante coolly took aim at the man's heart and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The man toppled backwards and a surrealistic silence fell over the forest.
Alice pulled herself up into a sitting position, her gown in shreds at her waist. Mikayla, wailing, was still trying to make her way to her mother on all fours. Alice was too spent of strength to meet her daughter halfway, and she ached all over. Ichante raced towards his mother, his heart pounding. Crouching anxiously in front of her, he quickly pulled off his shirt and draped it over her shoulders. Alice cupped his cheek reverently, unaware her fingernails were bleeding. "Thank you. You saved my life and your sister's. My brave, beautiful boy."
Ichante stared at Alice for a long minute. Slowly, he slid his arms around Alice. "Mama," he choked out, tears clouding his vision. Alice felt her heart seize and shatter at once as she recalled the last time her son called her "Mama". It felt a lifetime ago. She hugged him back fiercely, too overwrought to speak but she knew he knew how she felt. Because he was his father's son.
Uncas and Nathaniel burst through the trees, arriving at the stream. They had heard the musket shots and feared the worst. They sagged against each other in relief when they spotted two very dead men on the ground, one with a tomahawk wedged through him. They both knew who had done the deed.
Nathaniel flicked his eyes around the perimeter, "I'll make another round just in case there are more. Go to your family, brother." After clapping his younger brother on the shoulder, Nathaniel darted off to check the surroundings. Uncas scooped up the sobbing Mikayla from the ground and she hiccupped, "Mama. Mama. Want Mama." Uncas smiled. He always knew she would speak when the time was right.
Uncas crossed over to where mother and son were locked in an embrace. He squatted next to them and Mikayla flung her arms around Alice's neck, "Mama!" Alice lifted her head and saw Uncas. She sent a wobbly smile his way. Tugging Mikayla around to the front, Alice freed one arm to hug her daughter, with her other arm still staunchly enveloping her son. Ichante nodded at his father solemnly over Alice's shoulder, "Mama is fine. So is Mika." Uncas' heart clenched with immense joy at Ichante's words. His son had finally acknowledged Alice as his mother. Uncas patted his son's head, "You protected them well. Am proud of you, son." Ichante swelled with pride at his father's compliment. Then he blurted out in belated amazement, "Mika spoke, Father. She spoke." Uncas sat down behind Alice and drew her and the two children into his arms. Alice slumped against him, shuddering. He gently brushed her hair away and kissed her nape tenderly, "We are all right now. We are all right. "
Back at the cabin, Uncas carefully scrutinised the children for injury and thankfully, they suffered bruises only. Uncas applied ointment on them and made hot peppermint tea to calm their nerves. Alice was in her room, changing her clothes. He knocked her room door and pushed it open. She was sitting on the pile of hides, wiping the blood from her fingernails. Uncas knelt in front of her, "Let me do it." She nodded tiredly and he proceeded to treat her wounds. Ichante informed him that Alice had been slapped so he inquired worriedly if she felt dizzy or had a headache. She reassured him, "I am just a bit sore. I shall be as good as new in a few days."
Uncas traced a thin cut on her collarbone, "They ravaged and humliated you." Alice captured his hand, "No. Ichante stopped them in time." Uncas did not reply as he continued to put salve on her. "Shall we leave the children with Cora tonight? You are not in a condition to care for them," he suggested, cocooning her in a warm blanket. He could still feel her shivering from shock. Alice agreed, "Just for tonight." Uncas called the children into the room, "You two will be staying with your cousins tonight. Mama needs to rest. Bid her good night and we'll walk over to the other cabin."
Mikayla ambled over and kissed Alice's cheek, "Night, Mama." Alice kissed her back soundly, enthralled by her daughter's angelic voice, "Goodnight, darling. Be good and I will see you first thing tomorrow morning." Ichante shuffled forward and Alice could not help reaching out to pull her son into her arms, "Thank you for looking after your sister." Ichante gingerly touched Alice's slightly swollen cheek, "Does it hurt bad?" Alice shook her head, moved by his concern, "No, darling. Have a good sleep at Aunt Cora's tonight and do not fret over me." "Let's go." With that, Uncas ushered the children out of the room.
That night at Nathaniel's, Chingachcook observed his eldest grandson covertly. He casually asked Ichante to take a walk with him after supper. As they circled the clearing, Chingachcook stated succinctly, "You killed for the first time today. How do you feel?" Ichante halted in his tracks and peered up at the imposing figure of his grandfather, " I didn't like it. But if I didn't kill them, they would have killed Mama and Mika." Chingachcook grunted in approval but reminded the eight-year-old sagely, "Only take a life if that person is threatening to take the life of people you love, people you should protect. Do not kill for no reason or for pride." "I understand, Grandfather," Ichante answered respectfully. Chingachcook gave Ichante's arm an affectionate squeeze, "Your father and uncle told me your aim was perfect." The boy shrugged indifferently, "Father and Uncle have never missed. They taught me everything I know." Chingachcook chuckled and resumed his evening stroll with his grandson.
Alice lay languidly in Uncas' arms. They were lying in front of the hearth on a deliciously warm, padded quilt. "They both called me 'Mama' today," Alice sighed blissfully, walking her fingers along the tattoos on Uncas' collar and chest. Uncas grinned at the delight and wonder in her voice, "I heard." She nuzzled his throat, "Today could have been the worst day of my life but it ended up being the most precious, " she mused with a touch of irony. Uncas caressed her cheek, "Cold? I can add more wood."
Alice let her fingers drift up and down his hewn jaw and granite cheekbones, "I am never cold when you are with me." He tweaked her nose playfully, "Then you have to keep me close all the time then."
Alice gazed into Uncas' eyes, "May I? May I keep you keep close all the time?"
Uncas' heart thudded at her incredibly sweet request, the incredibly profound meaning behind it.
His heart and soul in his eyes, Uncas affirmed, "Yes."