They left the room as quietly as they could and paused in the corridor in a prolonged moment of restrained embarrassment. The problematic brief kiss of only seconds ago, unskilfully avoided by Erin, as if it had never happened.

"But Cora said us being there wouldn't help?" Erin pushed the statement forward, unsure.

"This is no longer about my brother, she will understand."

He made to move and begin their journey, but Erin stopped him with a hand upon his arm. "Wait, I don't know what I will say to make Munro believe me."

Uncas then hesitated too. This had indeed been a vast oversight.

"At best he'll think I'm a mad woman... at worst..."

"A spy," Uncas filled in quickly, a little too quickly for Erin's liking.

Their eyes met and drifted apart as neither had any ideas that would fix this situation.

"Could you have overheard talk?"

Erin shook her head. "No, it's too suspect. Even if I said I heard it from a Redcoat with a heavy French accent, it's just too... spy-ish."

Uncas frowned, not really understanding her words, but seemingly gaining some of the meaning from her tone.

"Well..." Erin decided to clarify the situation. "It would cause too many questions and perhaps panic if they think they have an enemy amongst their ranks." She saw his shoulders slump ever so slightly and felt her own confidence slowly trickling away.

She put her hands on her hips, allowing her gaze to wander the corridor. Uncas' eyes suddenly brightened and he clutched her wrist. "What do you know of this Colonel Munro?"

"Know?"

"Yes, something no one should know about him now, you said you read this in books, about history? He is an English Colonel, an important man, he must be in these books."

Erin caught on to his line of thinking and her brow furrowed in deep thought as she tugged at her bottom lip. "Maybe... I'm unsure."

"Think," Uncas instructed. "If you can, we may be able to convince him you are a seer."

Erin scoffed at the idea. "Munro doesn't seem like the type of man to believe in superstitions."

"Which is why we need something strong to back up your claims."

Erin's mind worked furiously. "Oh," she said, remembering something, "his sister!"

"Sister?"

"Yes, well, half-sister. His father had an affair while he was in the army, with a woman from the West Indian Islands. I believe it was quite the scandal within the family, so much so that they hushed it up and sent the girl off to France to live in secret."

"So, right now, only his family knows this information?"

"Yes, or so the history books say. It would have impacted Munro and his brother's army careers and standing in high society I suppose. I think it was only in the 1960s that documents and letters were uncovered about the truth, in some dusty old manor in Scotland."

Uncas' eyes widened, the date clearly startling him.

"Sorry," she said softly, "I know that's like, way too far in the future right now to even understand."

"Over 200 years," Uncas murmured. "Is that where you are from?" His dark eyes were back on her face, searching.

Erin shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "Further... by a bit."

"Hm," was all the response he could muster, his eyes becoming distant.

"Look!" Erin said, startling him out of his brooding, his gaze coming back to her. "Wouldn't it just be easier to say I'm a spy? That I defected, or changed sides, or I was pressed into service? It can't be that bad, right? I'd be in trouble but, it's not like..."

Uncas was shaking his head stilling the words she was about to speak. He rubbed his chin a moment. "May hang you," he said flatly.

"Oh." Erin said defeated again. "I fear telling him I know about his secreted away sister may result in the same outcome." Erin sighed, frustrated that they were getting nowhere.

Silence continued for several minutes until Uncas looked at her again, eyes as calm as the sea on a windless day, the stressful currents moving beneath the surface where none could see. "Then tell him nothing." Uncas let go of her wrist with a whisper of lingering fingertips in reassurance.

"Okay?" Erin said, unconvinced.

"If you don't admit anything, he can't prove anything, only suspect it. We only have to last until tomorrow morning."

"That's true."

"I don't see how he won't suspect you," he continued confidently. "But if tomorrow happens as you say... he won't have time to decide to hang anyone."

"Yes!" Erin's face lit up. "That's true, so just deny anything and say nothing, be stubborn, right?"

He laughed lowly, eyes dancing with a small glimmer of humour. "Yes, you are very good at that."

Erin gave him a side eye of mock reprimand, but she laughed too. "Yes, I am."

They marched forward together, comrades in the same battle now. Thin strands of a plan were all they had time for, as they worked against an ever ticking clock that was counting down this whole fort's doom.

Once morning came, the French would advance, close enough to blow the very walls apart, and there would be no more time for pleas to listen. They had to reach Munro before that damn parley!

Uncas' strides were long compared to Erin's and she scurried a little to keep in step with him. "If it comes to it, you must say you knew nothing. Only that I told you I could save your brother and I pressed you into service."

Uncas gave a low noise in his throat and Erin wasn't sure he agreed at all.

"That way you don't get implicated if he thinks I'm a spy... or completely crazy."

Uncas said nothing in return.

"Hey, are you listening? One of you locked up is enough. You need to be ready to defend others, should it come down to that." Erin paused in her walk, hesitating at the weight of all this crumbling down upon her, so much was at stake.

After Uncas had gained only a few steps more he noticed the loss of her presence and turned back.

"Stay close to Alice and Cora if you can."

Uncas nodded, but his look held some disagreement. "I won't leave my brother. But I will help them any way I can, I won't leave them. I will find them."

She stared at him a moment unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry, expecting him to crack a sassy smile and waggle of eyebrows in a knowing way at his very quotable words but his face remained serious and sincere.

"Yes." She regained herself back into the moment. "All we can do is our best for those we care about." She nodded, as if reaffirming those words. "I have to accept I can't change every outcome." She pulled at her bottom lip a moment before she started forward again, trying to fortify her faith that she could indeed do this, but he caught her hand lightly, pulling her back to where he stood.

"I won't leave you either." His eyes were bright and earnest.

"Thank you." Erin really meant those words realizing having him here beside her gave her a renewed type of bravery, because now she had someone to face this dark last night with.

He shifted his body closer, she could feel her own heightened emotions reflected in his eyes, her heart thrumming in response, and she thought for a moment he might just kiss her again. Erin wavered just for a second on if she would allow it, knowing she should not, and she moved to defuse the situation. This all had to be nipped in the bud, right now.

"I..." She only managed to breathe out one word before the door, feet away from them, opened, revealing a furious and red faced looking Duncan.

She managed to take that moment of interruption and step away, but not before Duncan had caught them in his sights and noticed how close they had been.

"What in the blazes are you two doing here?" All politeness was lost, and all decorum abandoned, in favour of his own bleeding, wounded heart. Erin knew he had just had a very pointed argument with Cora that mentioned Nathaniel far too many times for his liking.

Erin took a step forward, bolstering her nerve with a courage she did not yet feel. "I am here to see the Colonel, Major."

Duncan's eyes flicked from her to Uncas, suspicion in his gaze. She could read him like a book, the disgust pulling his lips down, at what he thought he may have just seen between them. He smoothed back his hair with one hand and tugged at his coat with the other, neatening his clothes and somewhat regaining his demeanour.

"He's far too busy Miss Cooper." Her name was spoken coldly, his brown gaze full of unfriendliness.

"It's important. I wouldn't ask otherwise."

"I'm sure it is of importance to you."

Erin could feel his bristling dislike, perhaps he assumed she was partly to blame for Cora's emerging independence? The way he looked at her now, remote and haughty, did nothing to dissuade the notion.

"It's about Fort Edward and Webb," Erin pushed on.

This froze him for a few seconds and he turned to stare at her in shock. "What did you just say?"

"It's for Colonel Munro's ear, Major. It is vital information to this fort's survival."

He eyed her in disbelief but, after an internal struggle, his shoulders sagged slightly and he relented. "Very well. But if you waste our time I will have you pilloried!" His voice rose as anger took over again and Erin wasn't sure if he was referring to herself or Uncas, but she felt Duncan would very much enjoy seeing anyone he deemed the cause of his pain punished.

Erin didn't reply but stared at his resentful face. This wasn't the real Duncan Heywood she was seeing. Even with all of Duncan's faults, all his expectations of Cora, he had never been cruel before, never so discourteous in his manner.

She knew under all his tradition and honour lay a kind man with a good heart. This man before her was a wounded animal, his heart torn and ragged.

Without waiting for more to be said Duncan knocked on the wooden door and 'Enter!' was shouted in a strong Scottish burr. Duncan moved aside to allow Erin access to the door and as her hand found the handle she saw him quickly block Uncas' path, his body now firmly between them both, startling her into hesitance, her eyes widening as she felt Duncan's violent intentions, as if he were a stag lowering his antlers.

"If you think you can plead for your brother's life, you will find the Colonel deaf to your whining." His eyes were like daggers, hating Uncas just for being Nathaniel's brother, the man who was the reason for his break from Cora. "Sir." He spat out the last word as if it was an amusing jest, and he moved out of the way, roughly nudging Uncas' shoulder in the process.

Erin glanced back and saw Uncas' expression had not changed, he was calm and collected, he understood when words were petty. He looked at Erin, seeing her slight distress and the whisper of a smile formed upon his lips. He spoke in his own tongue, "The wind blows and only howls are heard." Erin had to discreetly cover her mouth to hide her nervous laughter.

She opened the door and they entered Colonel Munro's war room. Maps covered every wall, a large one of the local area was unrolled on a huge table, held in place by brass objects. Dotted across its surface were wooden shapes that Erin could only assume represented the colliding armies.

There, in the dwindling firelight, that had not had a decent log put on it for hours, stood a very frazzled looking Munro. Cora was sat in a nearby chair, every fibre of her barbed with annoyance, her expression thunderous. They'd been arguing over Nathaniel, Erin knew this much to be true from the novel.

Cora's eyes softened a little at seeing Erin and Uncas, but sharpened suddenly as the thought that they had disobeyed her wishes formed.

"Erin, why have you..."

Erin didn't let her finish. "Cora. I must speak to your father. It is important."

"I have tried, he will not listen."

"It is not to do with..." Erin was given no chance to finish as Colonel Munro's voice burst into the conversation.

"I will have no more pleading for Mr Poe!" His eyes flashed to Cora. "Even if you saved my daughters." He gave a respectful nod to Uncas, but his eyes were pointedly cold.

"I wanted to speak with you, Sir." Erin's voice sounded so small to her ears in that room.

Munro finally noticed her, she had seemed so insignificant to him that he had not even taken heed she was there at all.

"Not about Mr Poe, but..."

He pointed an accusing finger at her, interrupting her again with his own words. "Is this not the lass that bled all over my office and then fainted?"

"It is father." Cora had gotten to her feet, her eyes searching, trying to discover the reason they were all here.

Colonel Munro studied Erin with shrewd eyes, full of battle weariness and a healthy dose of dismissal.

"Well lass?" He was demanding, but not unfriendly, as if talking to someone he knew was beneath him in rank or gender. Erin tartly assumed both played a part. "What is it you would have me hear? I have more important things to do than listen to tattle."

Erin felt unnerved and riled by his tone, and for a moment her hands only loosely balled in and out of fists. She swallowed, knowing he was quickly losing all patience with her.

"Sir." She looked towards Cora for strength and felt relief that an encouraging, if confused, smile was waiting for her.

"This is not about Mr Poe. I come bearing grave news." She turned back to the Colonel, her eyes and body as steady and authoritative as she could make them in that moment.

"Grave news you say?" His brushy grey eyebrow quirked.

"Yes, Sir."

He flashed a puzzled look Duncan's way. "Go on lass, you have my attention."

"It's the French, Sir. They have the message intended for you from Colonel Webb at Fort Edward, it was intercepted on the road, Sir." She was very aware she was using the term 'sir' far too much.

He shifted, now looking uncomfortable with what she was saying.

"Colonel Webb will send no men. No reinforcements will come," she continued.

Munro let out a laugh that sounded more like a sharp bark. "Is that so? And just how do you know this madam? Who has been spreading gossip in my fort?"

The change of word from lass to madam was pointed, Erin could feel his defences rising like a barrier between them, his own cannons waiting to smash her to smithereens.

"Hmm?" he pushed, when she did not answer, and Erin glanced back towards Uncas who stood as if an unmovable rock she could trust to reach for, should she need to in all these rapids. He gave an incline of his head, silently telling her to push onwards.

She took in a gulp of air and returned her eyes to Munro. "I cannot reveal my sources, Sir, for my life would be forfeit." It wasn't strictly true, but if she started ranting about being from the future right now she knew she would be dismissed as quite mad.

Munro clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"What farce is this?" Duncan's smarmy voice cut in as he chuckled, the laugh holding no humour at all.

Cora, seeming to have more sense than either man, spoke what was obvious upon Erin's face. "There is more you know?"

"Yes." Erin knew she couldn't falter now and so she flung herself headlong into battle. "Tomorrow, the French will bombard the wall and they will break through."

"Most in the Fort know how close the French are. We have good men to repel them. You are wasting the Colonel's time with this drivel!" Duncan gestured towards Erin like she was a dirty rag.

"Duncan!" Cora's cutting tone told all too plainly that nothing was forgiven between them yet. "Let her speak."

"Your father and I have better..."

"No, no, Heywood, Cora is right." Munro was fidgeting with the seam of his red coat as if considering his options. "I would hear more if she has more to say."

"Thank you, Sir." Erin gave a strange attempt at something between a bow and a curtsy, and winced at the awkwardness. "The French will bombard the walls and they will fall, you will not be able to fight them, the cannons will threaten to lay all flat, you will have no choice but to parley."

Munro gave a gruff laugh, his eyes studying her. "We have no need to hear any French terms. Our defences will hold and our men have spirit to fight until the last if necessary. You are worrying too much, lass, you shouldn't listen to gossip. Who put this in your head now? What man told you this? Give me his name!"

"No!" Erin slapped a hand down firmly upon the table, wrinkling a corner of the map and causing one of the wooden pieces to topple over. She was desperate for him to comprehend the gravity of this situation. "Your request to Webb will be denied. He has sent no troops, no reinforcements are coming, understand? He chose Albany over you. He will recommend a full surrender. The French will read this out to you with great enjoyment tomorrow morning."

"How do you know this?" He was looking a little less carefree now, eyes slits of suspicion. This was starting to sound less and less like gossip going around the fort, spread by frightened soldiers with loose lips, and careless washer women.

"Listen to me!" Erin's eyes flicked to Cora, pleading with her to listen also. "You will have to surrender, the French will give you good terms and it will be the only choice. You will keep weapons, belongings, food. The only thing the French will ask is that your men do not fight again for the English for eighteen months, and you take no ammunition. They will let you take one cannon though."

"Duncan, how does she know all this?" he asked, as if Erin wasn't in the room at all.

"I don't know, Sir." Duncan looked as perplexed as Munro.

"Who is she, do you know?"

"Colonel Munro!" Erin said, fiercely disrupting them blatantly ignoring her. "The French will betray you!"

Munro turned to look at her, his face no longer holding any friendliness.

/

A/N

Friday again and here I am :D

I didn't think I would make it this week as work has been crazy busy and I have been fried.

I hope it's all pulling together and making sense. I feel I've read these chapters too often to look constructively now, but I'm assured by my lovely beta that it does all work. I hope you are finding it does too and I hope you'll continue along with me down some more fairy paths as I take you all too goodness knows where ;)

I'm certainly glad to be keeping where this is going at least somewhat of a mystery.

Thank you to all those reading and the wonderfully kind reviews :)