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starrikaTitle: Flutter
Fandom: Last of the Mohicans
Claim: None
Status: In Progress
Rating: PG-13 (may progress to R in later chapters)
Summary: A retelling of the movie from Alice's perspective
Warnings: Mild war violence.
By nightfall, there were no caves for their party to take shelter in. Although there would be no rain this evening, Alice still feared the damp chill of the open air. They had hidden themselves under a copse of trees and thick underbrush, with Alice unable to see much other than murky shadows and moving forms. The only calm she found was the soothing lull of crickets and the incessant hum of cicadas that muffled some of the unknown sounds of the night.
She and Cora were having a whispered conversation about their father with Duncan, though Alice felt that both Cora and Duncan were concealing the whole of the situation from her. Both reassured her that they were no longer in any danger, and that the fort was not much farther.
Alice was unsure. While she still remained firm in her belief that Papa would not have sent for them if it was unsafe, she doubted that either Cora or Duncan were truly certain in their safety. And, she was quite certain that they had no concept of the closeness of the fort, for she had heard them earlier conversing, with Duncan admitting he did not know the distance. She appreciated their reassurance, but it was an empty one, and did nothing to quell her fears and worries.
She was not quick to anger, and she found their concealment more a frustration than a point of contention, but her silence eventually drove Cora to Nathaniel’s side. They were speaking lowly, and Alice could barely make out the sounds of conversation, much less the words they spoke.
Duncan, too, left her side after a few moments of silence, though Alice was not displeased. She was too preoccupied with the rustling sounds of animals in the brush and her annoyance with their obfuscation to protest. It was not that she did not want the reassurance, for she truly did, but she felt that by concealing the truth from her, all she received was lies.
It was her body that was frail, and not her mind. For all her trembling and feeling overwhelmed, Alice preferred to know, rather than wander blindly. She was well aware she lacked Cora’s strength and courage, but she wanted to at least try.
Her breathing was still rapid – despite her loosened corset, Alice was having trouble stilling her breath, even at rest. She found herself looking around in the dark, trying to find all of their party in the darkness of the forest.
Duncan was a few yards away, closer to Cora and Nathaniel than Cora probably preferred, though Alice chose not to think on Cora’s feelings for the man. It was simply another point of puzzlement and frustration.
It took longer to find Chingachgook, for he blended with the trees silently, towards the back of the party, keeping watch over them all. He was so very different from Papa – so quiet, so steady. He had none of Papa’s temper, nor was he so quick to judge and decide. Everything he did was deliberate, and this consideration was more a reassurance to Alice than Cora and Duncan’s empty words. She had no idea what the older man was thinking, but she found a sense of safety in his presence. He felt solid.
She had still not ascertained Uncas’ location when the noises of the night became louder, and quite distinctly human. She could see Nathaniel and Cora move into position with their guns cocked, Cora looking more like a soldier than a woman. It was an unsettling thought.
Duncan had risen quickly to take a few steps before throwing himself in the underbrush again, a clear shot towards the sounds of movement below the hill. Alice did not know much about military maneuvers, but she was aware that their raised height was an advantage.
Despite this, she felt alone and exposed. Suppose someone made it past Cora and Nathaniel. What then? She had no rifle or pistol, not that she knew how to fire one. What would become of her? Her imagination conjured images of the homestead they had seen hours ago, and she rose slightly to see what they would face with ragged breaths.
A warm hand closed itself over her mouth, muffling her breathing and subsequent shriek, pulling her down below the nearest brush. Before she could try to thrash her way out of the unknown grip, a ghost of air brushed by her ear, and she heard Uncas’ quiet whisper.
“It is only me, Miss Munroe,” he said, not removing his hand. He rose slightly, his darker clothes and coloring blending better with the shadows around them, his free hand with rifle ready.
Alice relaxed slightly in his grip, her head resting on his thigh as he concealed her presence. It was only as the rest of their party relaxed that she realized the impropriety of the situation and stiffened once more. For her to be so close to a man – it was unthinkable.
Uncas hand slid from her mouth to her elbow, helping her raise her from the ground gently. “We are safe now,” he whispered, his voice so quiet, Alice was sure it did not carry at all.
She sighed, letting out the breath she did not know she had been holding, all thoughts of propriety gone. For at this moment, she truly didn’t care. She did not want the empty reassurance of Cora and Duncan. She wanted something solid on which to rely.
Alice lay her head once more on Uncas’ thigh, marveling at the warmth of his body. “Keep me safe, Uncas,” she murmured, closing her eyes and willing her body and mind to relax on the hard ground.
He didn’t reply, though one his hands moved to stroke her hair. He made no verbal promise, but in his heart, he pledged forever
Fandom: Last of the Mohicans
Claim: None
Status: In Progress
Rating: PG-13 (may progress to R in later chapters)
Summary: A retelling of the movie from Alice's perspective
Warnings: Mild war violence.
By nightfall, there were no caves for their party to take shelter in. Although there would be no rain this evening, Alice still feared the damp chill of the open air. They had hidden themselves under a copse of trees and thick underbrush, with Alice unable to see much other than murky shadows and moving forms. The only calm she found was the soothing lull of crickets and the incessant hum of cicadas that muffled some of the unknown sounds of the night.
She and Cora were having a whispered conversation about their father with Duncan, though Alice felt that both Cora and Duncan were concealing the whole of the situation from her. Both reassured her that they were no longer in any danger, and that the fort was not much farther.
Alice was unsure. While she still remained firm in her belief that Papa would not have sent for them if it was unsafe, she doubted that either Cora or Duncan were truly certain in their safety. And, she was quite certain that they had no concept of the closeness of the fort, for she had heard them earlier conversing, with Duncan admitting he did not know the distance. She appreciated their reassurance, but it was an empty one, and did nothing to quell her fears and worries.
She was not quick to anger, and she found their concealment more a frustration than a point of contention, but her silence eventually drove Cora to Nathaniel’s side. They were speaking lowly, and Alice could barely make out the sounds of conversation, much less the words they spoke.
Duncan, too, left her side after a few moments of silence, though Alice was not displeased. She was too preoccupied with the rustling sounds of animals in the brush and her annoyance with their obfuscation to protest. It was not that she did not want the reassurance, for she truly did, but she felt that by concealing the truth from her, all she received was lies.
It was her body that was frail, and not her mind. For all her trembling and feeling overwhelmed, Alice preferred to know, rather than wander blindly. She was well aware she lacked Cora’s strength and courage, but she wanted to at least try.
Her breathing was still rapid – despite her loosened corset, Alice was having trouble stilling her breath, even at rest. She found herself looking around in the dark, trying to find all of their party in the darkness of the forest.
Duncan was a few yards away, closer to Cora and Nathaniel than Cora probably preferred, though Alice chose not to think on Cora’s feelings for the man. It was simply another point of puzzlement and frustration.
It took longer to find Chingachgook, for he blended with the trees silently, towards the back of the party, keeping watch over them all. He was so very different from Papa – so quiet, so steady. He had none of Papa’s temper, nor was he so quick to judge and decide. Everything he did was deliberate, and this consideration was more a reassurance to Alice than Cora and Duncan’s empty words. She had no idea what the older man was thinking, but she found a sense of safety in his presence. He felt solid.
She had still not ascertained Uncas’ location when the noises of the night became louder, and quite distinctly human. She could see Nathaniel and Cora move into position with their guns cocked, Cora looking more like a soldier than a woman. It was an unsettling thought.
Duncan had risen quickly to take a few steps before throwing himself in the underbrush again, a clear shot towards the sounds of movement below the hill. Alice did not know much about military maneuvers, but she was aware that their raised height was an advantage.
Despite this, she felt alone and exposed. Suppose someone made it past Cora and Nathaniel. What then? She had no rifle or pistol, not that she knew how to fire one. What would become of her? Her imagination conjured images of the homestead they had seen hours ago, and she rose slightly to see what they would face with ragged breaths.
A warm hand closed itself over her mouth, muffling her breathing and subsequent shriek, pulling her down below the nearest brush. Before she could try to thrash her way out of the unknown grip, a ghost of air brushed by her ear, and she heard Uncas’ quiet whisper.
“It is only me, Miss Munroe,” he said, not removing his hand. He rose slightly, his darker clothes and coloring blending better with the shadows around them, his free hand with rifle ready.
Alice relaxed slightly in his grip, her head resting on his thigh as he concealed her presence. It was only as the rest of their party relaxed that she realized the impropriety of the situation and stiffened once more. For her to be so close to a man – it was unthinkable.
Uncas hand slid from her mouth to her elbow, helping her raise her from the ground gently. “We are safe now,” he whispered, his voice so quiet, Alice was sure it did not carry at all.
She sighed, letting out the breath she did not know she had been holding, all thoughts of propriety gone. For at this moment, she truly didn’t care. She did not want the empty reassurance of Cora and Duncan. She wanted something solid on which to rely.
Alice lay her head once more on Uncas’ thigh, marveling at the warmth of his body. “Keep me safe, Uncas,” she murmured, closing her eyes and willing her body and mind to relax on the hard ground.
He didn’t reply, though one his hands moved to stroke her hair. He made no verbal promise, but in his heart, he pledged forever