Fic: Flutter
Mar. 23rd, 2010 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starrikaTitle: Flutter
Pairing: Alice/Uncas
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A retelling of the movie from Alice's perspective.
Previous Chapters here @ ff.net.
At the sight of her father, Alice's resolve broke. The detached feeling that had gripped her body as they were pursued and fired upon left her quickly.
"Papa! Papa!" she nearly shouted, hysterical and hoarse, as she threw her arms around her father with a sob. Even if the French were firing on the fort, her father was here. He was a brilliant tactician – everyone said so. They would be safe now. They had to be safe now.
"Why are you here?" His bark of anger left her stunned, and Alice's grip on her father's neck faltered. He wrapped his coat around her tenderly, and gently nudged her towards his quarters, but Alice coul tell he was angered by their presence. "Why did you allow them to come…and where are my reinforcements?" he demanded of Duncan.
Alice felt a chill steal down her spine. Unsure if it was from their travel and her sodden skirts, or from the tone of her father's voice, she could still tell that something was very wrong.
When they reached his quarters, her father was gentler, perhaps because of the shocked look on her face. She was weary to the bone, and she knew she looked frightful. Perhaps she had scared Papa as much as he has scared her.
He moved to embrace Cora, but did not loosen his grip on Alice. "Told you to stay away from this hell hole! Why did you disobey me?"
Alice started, but Cora spoke first. "When? How?"
"My letter-"
"There was none!"
"What?"
"There was no letter," Cora stated firmly, a touch of bitterness to her voice. Alice could not stop shaking, and she clenched her jaw together to keep her teeth from chattering.
"I sent three men to Webb," he roared, and Alice felt like crying.
Duncan broke in. "One called Magua arrived."
"He delivered no such message," Cora confirmed.
"Does Webb not know we are besieged," Papa asked, after a moment. It was at that moment Alice realized they would have been better served facing the war party that pursued them. Beseiged. It was a terrible word. Although her father sheltered her from much of military life, a siege is something she knew well. Beseiged may well be deceased. In these matters, they were one in the same.
Again, it was Duncan with the terrible news. "Sir. Webb has no idea. And he certainly does not know to send reinforcements!"
Papa's voice was flat. Alice saw he was flushed with rage, but she doesn't loosen her grip. "What happened to you?"
Tiredly, Duncan related their horrific trip and Alice closed her eyes, involuntary images of gleaming red scalps in her mind. "Ambush ... on the George Road. This Magua led us into it... eighteen killed. It's these men who saved us. They guided us here ..."
"Thank you. How can I reward you?" Alice thought there could be no reward for their kindness and bravery.
It was Nathaniel who spoke first and she was shocked by how little he asks. "Help ourselves to a few horns from your powder stores."
"What else?" Papa asked.
"Some food," Uncas offered. Alice glanced up from her place at Papa's side to meet his eyes. They were clear, if darkened with pain and Alice remembered the bayonet with a shudder. Uncas's eyes softened, and he nodded his head in their direction. Alice couldn’t be sure if he was nodding to Papa or herself.
"I'm indebted to you," their father told the men. "And get your side sewn up, young man."
Mr. Phelps, the surgeon, arrived and Alice suppressed a shudder. Her jaw was still clenched to keep her teeth from chattering, but some of her shakes had lessened. Immediately, Cora went to help Mr. Phelps with Uncas' wound, giving orders for supplies needed. Alice could tell that Cora's trying to usher her out of the room and away from Papa, but she balked. She had no desire to see more blood than she already has.
Papa whispered for her to go, though, and Alice knew she must. Like an awkward newborn calf, her legs were unsteady under her, and it was only Cora's grip keeping her upright. She sagged under the weight of her wet skirts and her father's jacket, limp. The shakes were back.
Cora guided her to a cot in the infirmary while she prepared to tend to Uncas. Alice stumbled, then slid to the floor as soon as her grip was lifted. Everything went dark, and Alice knew no more. She welcomed it.
Pairing: Alice/Uncas
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A retelling of the movie from Alice's perspective.
Previous Chapters here @ ff.net.
At the sight of her father, Alice's resolve broke. The detached feeling that had gripped her body as they were pursued and fired upon left her quickly.
"Papa! Papa!" she nearly shouted, hysterical and hoarse, as she threw her arms around her father with a sob. Even if the French were firing on the fort, her father was here. He was a brilliant tactician – everyone said so. They would be safe now. They had to be safe now.
"Why are you here?" His bark of anger left her stunned, and Alice's grip on her father's neck faltered. He wrapped his coat around her tenderly, and gently nudged her towards his quarters, but Alice coul tell he was angered by their presence. "Why did you allow them to come…and where are my reinforcements?" he demanded of Duncan.
Alice felt a chill steal down her spine. Unsure if it was from their travel and her sodden skirts, or from the tone of her father's voice, she could still tell that something was very wrong.
When they reached his quarters, her father was gentler, perhaps because of the shocked look on her face. She was weary to the bone, and she knew she looked frightful. Perhaps she had scared Papa as much as he has scared her.
He moved to embrace Cora, but did not loosen his grip on Alice. "Told you to stay away from this hell hole! Why did you disobey me?"
Alice started, but Cora spoke first. "When? How?"
"My letter-"
"There was none!"
"What?"
"There was no letter," Cora stated firmly, a touch of bitterness to her voice. Alice could not stop shaking, and she clenched her jaw together to keep her teeth from chattering.
"I sent three men to Webb," he roared, and Alice felt like crying.
Duncan broke in. "One called Magua arrived."
"He delivered no such message," Cora confirmed.
"Does Webb not know we are besieged," Papa asked, after a moment. It was at that moment Alice realized they would have been better served facing the war party that pursued them. Beseiged. It was a terrible word. Although her father sheltered her from much of military life, a siege is something she knew well. Beseiged may well be deceased. In these matters, they were one in the same.
Again, it was Duncan with the terrible news. "Sir. Webb has no idea. And he certainly does not know to send reinforcements!"
Papa's voice was flat. Alice saw he was flushed with rage, but she doesn't loosen her grip. "What happened to you?"
Tiredly, Duncan related their horrific trip and Alice closed her eyes, involuntary images of gleaming red scalps in her mind. "Ambush ... on the George Road. This Magua led us into it... eighteen killed. It's these men who saved us. They guided us here ..."
"Thank you. How can I reward you?" Alice thought there could be no reward for their kindness and bravery.
It was Nathaniel who spoke first and she was shocked by how little he asks. "Help ourselves to a few horns from your powder stores."
"What else?" Papa asked.
"Some food," Uncas offered. Alice glanced up from her place at Papa's side to meet his eyes. They were clear, if darkened with pain and Alice remembered the bayonet with a shudder. Uncas's eyes softened, and he nodded his head in their direction. Alice couldn’t be sure if he was nodding to Papa or herself.
"I'm indebted to you," their father told the men. "And get your side sewn up, young man."
Mr. Phelps, the surgeon, arrived and Alice suppressed a shudder. Her jaw was still clenched to keep her teeth from chattering, but some of her shakes had lessened. Immediately, Cora went to help Mr. Phelps with Uncas' wound, giving orders for supplies needed. Alice could tell that Cora's trying to usher her out of the room and away from Papa, but she balked. She had no desire to see more blood than she already has.
Papa whispered for her to go, though, and Alice knew she must. Like an awkward newborn calf, her legs were unsteady under her, and it was only Cora's grip keeping her upright. She sagged under the weight of her wet skirts and her father's jacket, limp. The shakes were back.
Cora guided her to a cot in the infirmary while she prepared to tend to Uncas. Alice stumbled, then slid to the floor as soon as her grip was lifted. Everything went dark, and Alice knew no more. She welcomed it.