A/N
Back to drop another chapter.
Thank you again if you leave a review. They are always appreciated.
I'm finding this whole re-reading, re-writing and publishing therapeutic :)))
Not to get too personal I hope, but coming back to this story has been the only thing keeping me distracted from a chorionic pain condition, which I'm on a lonnnnggg waiting list to even start to get treated for. 4 months and counting... yay.
So sick leave and being at home a lot more than usual near drove me out of my tree! I'm grateful that it's given me time to focus on this story when I need something to take me somewhere else for a while. Into the land of Last of the Mohicans we go again... or my (sometimes silly) version of it.
I hope you enjoy and as always, have a wonderful weekend
/
They continued on their way in a heavy silence. Chingachgook was leading them further into the forest, and as time slipped by the shock of recent events began to ebb away, the never ending trudge taking all other thoughts. This was not the time for talk or pleasantries, and no one seemed inclined to try.
What Erin wouldn't have given for a long stiff drink just about that moment. Even a smoke would have been something, and she hadn't had a cigarette since she was a teenager. She felt tired and spent and her nerves were frayed, as the full weight of everything that had happened, and just where she was, settled over her like a smothering blanket.
Her stays were so uncomfortable and tight that she had to be careful she didn't over exert herself, lest she end up looking like some scene from a historical romance movie, all heaving bosom and heavy breathing; and since they were on a day long hike through uneven terrain, this was an almost impossible task.
The three warriors leading them became more relaxed as time passed, talking to each other with a casualness that Erin could only guess meant they had covered enough distance to be somewhat safe. The whole party seemed to feel the change, the atmosphere was less gloomy.
Finally, around what may or may not have been late afternoon, they stopped for a break in the endless trek. Cora came to Erin with Alice in tow and friendly introductions were finally made. It was, at first, a stilted conversation, for what could really be said in such situations of flight and danger?
"Where are you from?" Cora asked, with a kind concern, after all the basics of introduction had been made.
"Oh, everywhere," Erin answered, with a flippant shrug, trying to be as vague as she could be.
"Everywhere?"
Erin didn't really feel like she could even use the truth as reference, because wherever she said in this land, these people would know a different world, and if Erin slipped up, her whole plan would be ruined. She had to be careful, but also, she didn't want to be rude, this was the Cora Munro! Daring, courageous and inspiring. In Erin's childhood she had wanted to be just like Cora, free-spirited and defiant, fighting for her own desires and ideals in a place and time that had held little value in what a woman wanted.
"Your accent is not something I am familiar with..."
"Yes, my family traveled a lot. My father was a trader," Erin said, giving in to the want to talk to this woman, to know her. "With a boat," Erin added hastily. These people did not seem like the seafaring type. "So I picked up many ways of speaking."
"Languages?"
"Oh no... we just traveled a lot."
"How exciting," Alice said, coming closer to join in the conversation. "Did you see much of the world?"
Erin's mind flashed back to the lonely form of herself in a darkened room watching other people's vast and adventurous trips, played out in photos on social media, while she was kept hidden away, too entrenched in a bad relationship to want more from life. "Oh, yes. We traveled far and wide, Africa to South Asia. Very warm," Erin said, pulling out the only word that strung together all those photos in her mind, the weather always seemed good.
"I would love to hear of your adventures," Cora said, her eyes sparkling. "Traveling with your family must have been thrilling."
"Yes, as my father always said, anything worth doing is worth doing with family."
"Did you travel recently?" Alice asked.
"Yes, I was just off the boat before all this... ambush thing, so this is all very new to me. I haven't been to this part of the Americas before." Erin felt like she was nailing her own back story.
"But is he not a British solider?" Duncan butted in, and Erin felt like a electric bolt had been sent through her teeth. "You said your father was at Fort William Henry, Miss Cooper. How could you both have been at sea so recently?"
"Yes, well, we weren't of course." Her mind grasped for the explanation. "He joined the army many years ago... he started getting mighty seasick all of a sudden... so he decided to make his way on land. I stayed at sea... with my grandfather, which is why... I'm only just... about... to see him for... the first time in years!" She near shouted the words triumphantly, and pushed down the urge to cry 'AH-HA!' in Duncan's face.
She saw a ripple of uncertain looks cross between Cora and Duncan at her outburst. Great, Erin thought, now they had the perception she was slightly cracked too.
As they continued their walk at a more leisurely pace, Cora and Alice came to walk beside Erin and she found herself making up rather outlandish but somehow convincing stories about her travels. How else would she have been able to discuss ancient famous landmarks and landscapes in minute detail from countries neither of the Munro's had ever seen, but had read about in books, if Erin hadn't seen them with her own eyes in person?
The truth of it was Erin had seen it all on her computer screen.
Alice listened with deep interest, eyes wide in wonderment, every now and again she would ask a question about what the food was like or what fashion was worn, and Erin tried her best to wing the truth with the little knowledge she had, but the answers always seemed to delight Alice. Erin drew the life of a middle class merchant's daughter, sailing upon the seas, with broad and hasty strokes, trying to stay in lands these people had only seen on maps, cultures and cities they may have vaguely read about.
They were all becoming fast friends in all this gossip, until Duncan came to offer Alice some food, and with a reluctant sigh she agreed and they walked off a little together as he talked in hushed and disapproving tones. Duncan seemed overly concerned for Alice's wellbeing and disposition, and also about just what kind of stories she was being told.
Erin and Cora continued in their conversations, Duncan's looks of displeasure towards them ignored. It seemed he knew Cora could not so easily be told what to do without some confrontation. Erin could see Cora's face flush with each new tale, the thinly veiled need for this woman to break away from her era's constraints so apparent, that Erin felt her heart ache a little at how shut away and stunted she must have felt for all these years.
She glanced up at the form of Nathaniel, a warmness spreading through her at the knowledge that he and Cora would soon live the most free and beautifully thrilling existence in all of history - at least to Erin this was true.
"What are you smiling at?" Cora asked, a curious gleam to her eyes.
"These men," Erin said, nodding to where Uncas and Nathaniel now led the way, "they live as they please, they have true freedom in this wild land. It is a great gift."
She saw Cora's chest rise in a deep sigh. "It's like you have read my thoughts."
"It must be exhilarating to live that way." Erin gave her a side eyed glance.
"Yes, it must."
"And with such a handsome companion too." She smirked as she saw Cora's expression turn to shock at the words.
"I would not presume to even..." Cora began.
"And I would not deny it," Erin said, with a chuckle, and Cora's face warmed at her boldness. "What a life that would be." She nodded again to Nathaniel, and Cora flushed for a brief moment.
"He seems like a great man."
"He does." Erin again nodded. "What an adventure it would be to find out if you are right?" She gave her a thin lipped, wide eyed look, tilting her head in slight teasing, and Cora laughed, taking it all in good fun.
"Although," Cora's voice lowered, "I do not understand him, or this land."
Erin gave her a long look. "I think you can understand him, if you ask the right questions."
Cora's cheeks hinted with that same rosy glow and she glanced away.
/
They traveled until dusk was beginning to creep over the skyline. Chingachgook held up a hand, telling them all silently that he deemed this place was safe enough for them to stop. They had not picked up any signs of the war party for many hours. A small fire was made, out of sight of searching eyes, in a rocky incline, and a rabbit that had been caught the day before roasted gently over hastily made flames.
Erin felt sweaty and hot and like she'd never wanted a shower more in all her life. She could just about see, from the small rise of a hill she stood on, that there was some kind of body of water to their right, the sweet sounds of a small bubbling beckoning her. A spring if she had to guess.
Without allowing herself a moment to think she scooped up the party's discarded water skins. "I'll go get some water." She started for the welcoming spring.
"Miss Cooper, I shall come and serve as your protection."
Erin felt her nerves spike and did not turn around to address Duncan, her shoulders hunching in hostility.
"No need Major, if there was any danger I'm sure we would not be stopping at all. I'm quite safe."
"Miss, I must ins..."
"No, no, Major. I assure you, I am quite capable of looking after my own person." She blustered out the words, unsure how to just straight out tell him she needed some time alone.
"But I must insist..."
"My feminine person, Major."
She heard him make a small choking noise. "I see, I, yes, of course..."
Before he could stop her, she marched away, hearing him softly call after her that perhaps Miss Munro should go too, but Erin was already away, and pretending she had not heard.
/
It was like Erin had stepped into a painting, the little grove and spring were so picturesque as to be breathtaking. She gave a small noise of pleasure, pushing off her rubber soled black ballet shoes and damp stockings, and plunging her feet into the coolness the water offered. She let out a long suffering sigh and slowly bunched her skirts up to her hips, sitting down on the grass nearby, giving her limbs a moment of rest as her toes gratefully wiggled against the smooth pebbles.
Humming lightly to herself, she scooped a small puddle of water into her hands and set about scrubbing her face clean, the quickly lowering sun just about enabled her to see she was still streaked with ash in her reflection in the pool. She allowed the droplets to dry against her skin, raising her face up to the tree laden canopy above her, and took a moment for herself. She reached into one of her deep skirt pockets and pulled out the hard form of her phone and her string of old trusty ear buds.
She pressed the button and was more than gladdened to see the screen light up, illuminating the growing dimness around her. She turned on flight mode, determined to save as much battery as she could.
The gauge read 70%.
She spent a few seconds pulling out the tangles from the wire, before she placed the buds into her ears and plugged in the connector. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer to whatever god or goddess had power over making electrical equipment work after going back in time, and shakily pressed the play button.
To her great delight the waves of rhythmic sounds flowed into her ears and she laughed in pure joy. The rich tones of Tori Amos' 'Cornflake Girl' washed over her in a ripple of memories. This was her only link to home now, this object, this song, and these lyrics she knew so well from her teenage years, it was all she had left. She sniffed, wiping at her nose as an urge to cry came over her, what if she never got to go back?
She looked down at her phone, the light brighter upon her face now in the growing gloom, her fingers scrolling through the saved photos; her family, Ada, all her life there in so few images. She smiled fondly, remembering those times and ached to see them all again.
She didn't even know how she would get back to her own time even if she wanted to. She touched her bandaged hand gently. She supposed she could go back to where it all began, to that strange metal thing that had tried to embed itself into her skin. She shivered, her stomach wavering. She didn't want to, she was afraid of it.
Besides, right now she had history to change, she had people to save, people that meant as much to her as close friends. For all the inspiration and life lessons she'd learned from their story, she owed them that much. She was being silly, she should be seeing all this as a great adventure!
With a certain nod she inwardly demanded she stop feeling sorry for herself, and put the phone back into her pocket with a pat. She filled the skins up, dancing to the song as she did, letting the music guide her feet as she clumsily twirled and spun, releasing all her nervous energy and giggling a little at what Ada would have said at this scene; she was sure the phrase 'dad dancing' would have been brought up. This moment of freedom was all she needed to continue her quest.
/
She returned just as the moon had set itself like a precious stone in the sky. Coming back into camp, Erin found the full fragrance of roasting meat made her mouth water. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was.
As she entered the reach of the firelight she heard a small noise behind her and turned, just in time to see Uncas returning too, laying his bag upon the ground and going to sit by the fire as Nathaniel kept an eye upon their evening meal.
Erin found a place near Cora and Alice and the women chatted for a few moments until the food was ready, bread and meat was passed around and eaten. Afterwards they all gathered closer to the fire and the men had a conversation about the next day's plans before Duncan came to Cora and Alice and had an in depth talk with them also. Discussions of the ladies' wellbeing and health were gone over, ad nauseum, and did not include Erin, so she watched the fire, her knees to her chest as her eyes fluttered in tiredness. It had been an exceptionally long day.
"Father, something is wrong with her." The voice was soft but urgent, and brought her just enough out of her stupor to listen.
"What is it you say, Bounding Elk?"
"The woman from the Camerons, she is... strange."
The feeling was like ice water down her back, and her eyes snapped to the three men sat across the fire. It was Uncas who was speaking, his eyes flicked to her but seemed to dismiss her presence easily.
Erin glanced about, fully affronted by how he was speaking so rudely about her, but Duncan and the others made no reaction, as though no words had been said at all.
"Strange? How is she strange? She looks like any other girl to me."
"In the woods, I saw her with a bright light, her face was aglow with it."
No, no, no!
Erin's voice screamed in her head. Of course they hadn't allowed her, a lone woman, to just waltz off into the woods alone, they'd sent someone to make sure she was safe, Uncas to be exact, and she hadn't even known he was there all that time. She felt her face become hot with just what he had seen in that little glade.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She saw Chingachgook exchange a look with Nathaniel. "A candle?"
Uncas shook his head. "Too bright."
"Then what was it?" Nathaniel put in.
"I don't know. But she was dancing as the moon rose, as if someone played music, but all was silent. I feel this is a bad omen. There is something wrong with her. I feel uneasy."
Nathaniel laughed. "Are you saying she is a witch, brother? Out to eat your soul? To curse you?" Nathaniel's tone was thoroughly amused, taking much fun in teasing his younger sibling.
Chingachgook laughed now too. "She is strange, I will agree, but I think it is her mind Uncas, that makes her act strangely. Not some evil spirit."
"A candle," Nathaniel said, with another laugh and a firm nudge upon his brother's back, "that is all."
"What would you have me do, cast her into the wilderness over something you think you saw, but cannot name what it was?" Chingachgook asked, becoming serious as his son remained dour. "The night can play tricks, you know this."
Uncas looked vexed at their dismissal, but she could see the words were affecting him, he was beginning to doubt his own eyes.
Again, Erin glanced back to Cora's group but no one was taking any interest.
"Perhaps she has bats in the belfry as you say Father." Uncas' words flipped in her mind, changing form, and she knew that wasn't what he had said, it was just the closest thing her mind thought of. It was a slang phrase that her faculties didn't understand, because these three men weren't speaking English, yet she could understand them. The shock crawled through her scalp, but she didn't have time to dwell on this revelation, the conversation and the trouble she may now be in, demanded she pay attention. "You may be right, she may be mad, she may be a witch, I do not know." He laughed, fully part of the jest now.
Erin felt stung, what had she ever done to him! She'd never given him anything but a kind smile. She was trying to freaking save this ungrateful...
Chingachgook laughed again, disrupting her angry thoughts. "When did you start believing such old tales again?" The older man's gaze fell on her for a moment and Erin quickly looked down, intensely interested in her fingers. "All I see is a girl."
"Yes, just a girl Uncas, you'd know this if you ever met any." Nathaniel patted his brother's back with a comedic sympathy. It must have been an often repeated shared joke between the brothers as Uncas ungraciously elbowed Nathaniel in the ribs while laughing.
Chingachgook watched them with a tolerant fatherly eye. "You are wise in knowledge my son, wise in logic. Hunting, tracking, combat, you and your brother excel in all this. But your imagination." He waved a hand, palm down, and Nathaniel suppressed another laugh by turning away. "It can still run away with you if you allow it."
"Only have to remember that big toad you told everyone was cursed at Reverend Wheelock's, or the Wood Rat you convinced me only you could talk to when we were children." He was laughing, and so was Uncas, shaking his head at the memories.
Chingachgook grimaced, stating by this expression he remembered all those occurrences very well.
"Well, perhaps..." Uncas was giving in.
"I think you need sleep. I'll keep watch tonight." Nathaniel pushed Uncas playfully, not allowing him to finish what he had been about to say, and this caused the young man to smile, taking the taunting on board with good nature and finding comfort to his own concerns in their humor.
As the two men got up to set about their night watch, Erin's eyes drifted up into the flames and past them to where Uncas sat.
'What an ungrateful snake!' Her mind flared the words and her mouth set in further irritation.
He still had a good humored smile upon his lips and chuffed through his nose in amusement of his brothers taunting. His hand reached out, focused upon the little left over food he had to enjoy, but then he looked up and their eyes connected across the fire light. He started, his eyes widening in shock and Erin quickly looked away, realizing she had still been wearing the same sour look she'd had when he called her a witch.
She tried to make out she had just been looking about her, her face slack with a thespian amount of wonderment at her surroundings. When her gaze nervously came back to him, he was watching her, body perfectly and unnervingly still, face smooth and unreadable, only his slitted eyes gave away any emotion and they were dark and set upon her with a gleam of mistrust. She tried a warm smile, but found it was not returned, so she settled with awkwardness back on to her blanket and tried to sleep.
