The morning dawns and Alice admits some shock that the roof is still standing. Slipping from the bed she heads to the makeshift kitchen putting herself to use. It is later in the day that she retires to her quarters to freshen up and rest. Alice is shocked by the sate in which she finds Cora. Cora her sister for whom she has never seen shaken, is tense and vibrating. When Alice attempts to find out what is wrong she is initially brushed off. Gripping Cora's arm Alice exclaims "Chan e leanabh a th 'annam!" Cora looks for the first time, really looks at her sister, since they had met back together in London for the voyage over.
Whatever Cora finds in her face must reassure her, for now it is Cora breaking down in Alice's arms. Alice listens as her sister confides what Nathaniel has done, their father's charge of sedition, how he will hang, and how Duncan's jealousy may have influenced the situation. Alice stands strong allowing Cora to cry herself out, then helps Cora to bed, before going to speak to her father.
Colonel Munro is tired, when Alice is admitted entrance. "So he will hang, and I imagine you will hunt down the militia men have them rounded and shot, when it is finished her," she says. Edmund pinches his nose and breaths out. "Girl, not you too. Your sister's already put me through the ringer, but sedition is sedition. He must be treated like any other criminal. Girl British interests can not be out weighed by sentiment in this fort."
Alice looks at her Father, "So it is the Scottish, Irish, Indians and the colonials that must bleed for the crown with never a full blood Englishmen being held accountable for his cowardice. I was there father, I saw the cabin. The children, their mother, their things still in their places, no signs of thievery. And for Duncan's want of Cora he would lie and have you break both of your daughters' hearts. Do you know out there your still called the "Scotsman". I assure you father it is not a title of respect. And yet you will spend your blood and your families in hopes to be treated little better than a dog."
"Dammit Girl," her father practically screams. "Your so young, too young, you've no knowledge of how the world works. I do this so that you and your sister, might have better lives. To not face the stigma of being born Scottish." "Father you know not of what Cora and I have experienced and it seems you are the one to have the problem with being born a Scot. Tha mi moiteil a bhith Albannach," she says turning on heel and leaving the room.
Tears of frustration are building, and for once Alice is tired of crying. She instinctively knows despite how harsh she was with her father, that were he to find out what happened to her it would break him. And he seems teetering on the edge already. She is not paying attention until she bounces off a hard chest, and hands that she knows grip her arms and steady her. She lifts her eyes to meet Uncas, and shame washes over her. Shame for who her family is, for the first she is ashamed of who she is. She sees the question lurking in his eyes and breaks away from his hold. Dropping her eyes she softly tells him, "He will hang, and all though he hasn't yet given the order I imagine Fa..Fa..Father will have the militia men hunted down and shot." And turning from him she flees. Alice has lost him, the one thing that has made all this bearable and he is lost to her.
Part of Uncas wants to run after Alice, he saw the veil of shame cover her eyes before she couldn't even look at him while answering. His quiet, strong, kwènishkwënayas is running from him due to her Father, and even though his Nuxa told him never to hate the white man, in this instance he has to fight not to. Uncas instead lets her retreat, and turns instead to find his father. They must make plans. It is later after his father has retired that there is increase in mortar shell. This is the night the French break through the lines and begin to increase mortar on the fort.
Uncas waits in the shadows for the chance to slip to Alice's room, he knows Cora is with his brother and his aholkwësit is alone. When the guards change shift, he takes the opportunity to enter her room, his eyes tracking her under the table, sitting with knees to her chest, tremoring. Uncas does not try to coax her, he simply pulls her out and settles them on the floor next her bed arranging her comfortably in his lap. After what seems like kishux Alice meets his eyes, and he reads the question in them. "Because you are aholkwësit, Neyo na kishux këshkinkwink," Alice shivers but this time its as his language rolls over her, sparking the place inside of her she feels when she speaks Gaelic. "Will you translate what you said?" He smiles at her, "One day, aholkwësit."
Alice stills and stiffens in his arms. His smile is blinding and beautiful and welcoming and she doesn't understand how he can stand to be near her. Feeling the shift in her emotions, Uncas pulls her close, "You are not your father." Hearing this Alice feels the tears build, but before they can fall down her cheeks his hands are there wiping them away. A mortar hits and Alice instinctively curls into him. They fall into a silent companionship, content to bask in each others presence, for as long as possible. Dozing between volleys of mortar. Eventually as the shelling starts decreasing and the sun starts rising she breaks the silence softly sing:
Tir Nan Og
Gàir nan tonn gur trom an nuallan
Seirm am chluais do ghlòir
Dàn nam beann gach allt is fuaran
Siaradh nuas le'd cheol
'S tù gach làtha gun tàmh mo bhuaireadh
D'iargain bhuan gam leòn
'S tù gach oidhche chaoich mo bhruadar
Gu Thìr Nan Òg
Bàs neo bròn cha bheo nad loinn fhir
Uir air foill 's air gò
Sair sior òl do dheo 's do chaoimhneis
Aoibhneas snàmh 's na neoil
Reultan airde latha sa dh'oidhche
Boillsgeadh seamh troimh cheò
Teudan tlàtha fàs ad choilltean
Gu Thìr Nan Òg
Cùl nan tonn tha long mo bhruadair
Fuaradh mar bu nòs
Rùn an Dàin a ghnàth ga gluasad
Ciuin le luaths an eoin
Iubraich Bhàin na fàg mi'm thruaghan
Taobh nan cuantan mòr
Doimhne craidh is gràdh gam dhuanadh
Gu Tìr Nan Òg
Translation:
Heavy is the crying and murmuring of the waves
Ringing your praises in my ear
The poetry of the mountains is in every spring and burn
Bearing your music down
Every day is, without respite, provoking me
And your eternal loss wounds me
You are my nightly dream forever
The Land of Youth
Neither death nor sorrow can abide within you
Where all treachery and deceit are buried, overcome
Where the excellent ones partake of your sweet breath and benevolence
Joy swims in your firmament
And high stars, day and night
Shine peacefully through a mist
While the gentle sound of strings rise from your woods
Gaelic and Lenape Vocabulary
Nichanlbh leis na sìthichean (away with the faeries)
Aon chois, an uairsin am fear eile (one foot, then the other)
Aholkwësit (beloved person-lenepe)
Hìtkwike kwëchkwëna (among the trees; burial)
Kwènishkwënayas (panther, mountain lion, cougar, puma)
Chan e leanabh a th 'annam (I am not a child)
Tha mi moiteil a bhith Albannach (I am proud to be Scottish)
Nuxa (Father)/ Nuxati (dear Father)
Kishux (sun; moon; month)
Neyo na kishux këshkinkwink (I see the moon in your eyes)
Òsòmi (certainly; oh yes)
Naxans (my older brother)
Naxisëmës -or- xàta (my younger brother/sibling/cousin)
Wètënëmao (accept it from him)
Tha mi a 'gealltainn leannain (I promise beloved)
Fàg slighe, mas urrainn dhut (Leave a trail, if you can)
Chan e, chan urrainn dhut a bhith agad (No, you can't have him)
Nichan (my child, daughter)
