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Chapter Nine: Track To Huron Land

Alice, helped by Chingachgook, followed Nathaniel and her sister silently into the murky cavern which stood behind a long shimmering curtain of tumbling water, her gaze alarmed as she noticed they were headed near a dead end.

"Where do we go from here?" She heard Duncan ask from behind, having obviously realized their predicament also.

"We don't."

"I don't understand!"

"This is as far as we go, Major... If we're lucky, they'll think we breached our canoes and headed across land. If we're very lucky, they'll figure we went over the falls."

"Then what?"

"Then we take the south rein down the mountain and it's twelve miles cross country to Fort Edward."

"And if we're unlucky?"

Alice looked sharply up at Nathaniel, seeing a hint of a smirk crease his lips as he replied, "Then you'll just have to forego the pleasure of hanging me."

It never ceased to amaze her how he could make light of situations such as these.

After everyone reached the irregular chamber, which was a formation likely once part of the falls, the check for supplies began. Alice watched in silence, knowing instantly by their grim faces that their powder stock was at a low minimum.

Chingachgook, looking gravely at his two sons, exchanged a few words in their native language. Alice saw Uncas nod, his hand reaching to pull out the tomahawk that was tucked within his belt as he readied to leave toward the right fissure.

Cora, after the decisions had been made, looked quietly at Nathaniel. "Are we safe?"

"Maybe," Alice heard him answer. She glanced next to him at Uncas, knowing from the look he was giving her that he was checking to see if she had been harmed. He gazed at her intently for a moment as the others spoke and then gestured toward the chamber's opening. Both slipped out silently, their absences going unnoticed by the others within the large cavern.

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Everything that had just happened within the last horrible few hours seemed to hit her simultaneously, the shock crippling not only her false sense of security but also her hope of escape. They weren't safe here, nor anywhere else... she wasn't even sure if the walls of Fort Edward would be enough to keep them protected.

The Huron leader, Magua, had more than proven his persistence and need to see both Cora and herself dead. They would be given no mercy, for all he seemed to be out for is blood... their family's in particular.

She dreaded to ask, but Alice felt she needed the truth. Stopping behind Uncas, she grabbed his wrist, silently telling him to halt.

He turned abruptly, looking at her in silence. "My father?" Alice asked, her voice soft, laced with quiet and unmistakable fear. He didn't have to answer her, she already knew just by looking into his eyes...

Uncas shook his head sadly, his gaze never straying from hers. She had known, even before asking, that he was dead. Her father's chance of survival had been very low and she herself had not caught sight of him when chaos had taken over their camp.

Her father had not been a very loving one, yet Alice could still feel the loss of him. His indifference towards her and her sister could not be blamed; he had loved their mother deeply. With her death, he lost a piece of himself. Alice had never known her mother, for she died giving birth to her.

Their father opened what little room he had left in his heart to his children. Perhaps it wasn't considered much to some, but to Alice it had been enough.

Tears glistened from her blue eyes, another sign of the emotional battle taking place within her. Everything seemed to be taking for the worst... Her and Cora's lives were being turned upside down and knowing this only sparked more dread into her soul, for she no longer knew or could no longer guess what would become of all of this. Her or even Cora could be next in line to die.

A trail of tears began to fall from her thick lashes, pouring heavily down the soft slopes of her cheeks.

Uncas gazed at her in silence, his hand moving against her cheek as he found himself drifting closer. He hadn't liked her father. Colonel Munro had been the typical version of a perfect British officer... and Uncas had met plenty of those. They had no regard for the settlers living here, for the people that left England to get away from British rule and way of life. They only cared for their war and gaining the land that didn't belong to them.

It was rather startling to realize that Alice and Cora possessed the humanity that Colonel Munro seemed to lack. Uncas hadn't cared for the man, but he did care for his daughter.

Gently, as not to startle her, Uncas pulled her into his arms. She cried for long moments at a time, her hands clutching at him as she broke down in pitiful sobs.

His arms still around her, Uncas stroked his hand against her hair in a comforting manner. It took awhile, but eventually she seemed a bit more calmer and after her tears subsided, Alice realized that she was sitting on the rocky floor of the falls, still cradled in the circle of Uncas' arms.

"Do you think they'll find us?" Alice asked quietly, her eyes gazing blankly at the shimmering water of the falls.

They were all at a loss of what to do. All they could do at this very moment was wait... and hope. If they were found, it was more than likely that they would be killed, possibly even taken as prisoners.

"I don't know," Uncas answered quietly, his arms tightening around her unconsciously.

Alice didn't dare to rule out the possibility of capture. She didn't view Magua as ignorant nor lacking in common sense. To pull off what he did in Albany he had to be quite cunning, even for a Huron bent on vengeance.

"Will we be killed?"

"Alice-"

"Just tell me."

Uncas knew it wasn't a subject she really wanted to breech, neither did he, but she wanted the answers were it to happen. She wasn't ruling out possibilites.

"Maybe, maybe not... the Huron leader trailing us might take his revenge by killing you. If he chooses not to, he will take you up to Huron land."

"And you?"

"... there isn't a chance I'll live," he answered gravely.

Alice shifted in his arms, her eyes gazing sadly onto his face, taking notice of his somber expression instantly.

Either way, they were doomed if found.

"Uncas..."

His eyes moved from the waterfall to hers, instantly making an effort to distance himself from the threat now approaching them. They shouldn't bid their time dwelling on what might very well come. No good would come of it.

Uncas could feel her terror, it was obvious in both her eyes and in the fact that her body was rigid, filled with tension, in his arms.

No, dreading was defintely not good. Not good for either of them.

Her body seemed to shudder of it's own accord and Uncas lifted his hand from her shoulder, moving gently to graze the skin of her cheek. Even unconsciously he sought to memorize every feature, every curve; as if it would be his last time to do so.

Alice's eyes slowly slid shut, reveling in the touch as their skin seemed to burn upon contact. Moments passed and his actions stopped, his lips finally descending upon hers.

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Her head lifted from his chest, hearing the soft crackle of torch lights and the muffled echo of low voices. "Uncas."

Her eyes lifted to his, knowing instantly that he too had heard them. Though they were approaching rapidly, they weren't close. "They're coming," Alice whispered quietly, her eyes gazing tearfully into his.

She sat up in silence as Uncas helped her off the stone covered floor, his face grim. "I need to find my father and brother."

Alice nodded in agreement. Perhaps there was a chance if either had a plan.

Uncas gazed at her quietly, his hand momentarily touching her cheek before turning to walk into the center fissure. Alice trailed silently behind him, containing her fear. They would be found soon.

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Everyone else also seemed to have realized what was happening as Alice saw that Chingachgook was speaking to Nathaniel in Mohican. The expression of anger and frustration said everything.

Nathaniel nodded and Uncas, who seemed to have caught on, turned toward Alice.

Alice's eyes immediately flew to Cora and Duncan's voice raged through the falls. "Coward back at the fort! Coward here!"

Chingachgook, having told them of his plan, left to gather their weapons.

She then realized what was happening. They were leaving. It was the only chance they had.

Her gaze then went to Uncas. He too, like his brother, seemed torn. "You must go," Alice told him gently. She wanted him to live.

"We'll find you," he promised. Out of the corner of his eye, Uncas saw his father approach from the left fissure, their rifles slung over his shoulder. It was time.

Uncas unsheathed the dagger from his belt, quickly cutting a lock of her hair before folding it into his shirt. He gazed at her one last time, engraving her image in his memory, before following his father into the heavy curtain of tumbling water.

Moments later, Alice watched as Hawkeye did the same.

She approached her shaken sister, drawn into her embrace as the heavy footsteps of Huron warriors echoed from the entrance of the cavern.