Uncas should have known it would be coming.

His wounds have begun to itch in the way wounds do when new skin is working to grow into them. He can now be counted on for guard duty, and his arm can finally be trusted on his tomahawk.

And, if he can judge by the slight smirk that his white brother keeps putting on whenever Alice drifts close to him as they walk, he is also far away enough from death that as to be made fun of again.

It starts very small – every time Nathaniel catches his eye when Alice is anywhere near the young Mahican, his brother's mouth will turn up ever so slightly. Since Alice seems to have decided that she much enjoys being his shadow, this is often.

(Uncas can't resent her for it, even as he doesn't quite understand what it means.)

Then Alice begins to sit nearest to him when they eat, and Nathaniel's mouth turns up more. Then she starts to talk to him, drawing him into conversation. When Uncas begins to answer her curious questions with one or two more details than the enquiries demands he do, Nathaniel's eyes start becoming cunning as a hawk's.

Uncas knows there is a joke afoot, of course. He's only surprised that his brother is letting it soak for this long.

They are at a river, drinking and briefly washing their hands and faces before moving on, when it finally happens.

"Na-tah-can." Uncas looks up at the use of 'younger brother'. Nathaniel has come to crouch beside him and gives him a look that should be serious. "We'll have to change our plans for the winter, looks like."

Nathaniel is speaking Mahican in a low voice, so that at first it seems like he's about to say something important. Then his mouth turns up a little at the corners, so slightly he thinks only he and their father would be able to notice, and Uncas knows his white brother isn't thinking about routes to Ohio or avoiding the British.

"For one, we'll have to start teaching the little golden rabbit some Delaware."

Uncas swats a mighty sheet of water at Nathaniel as the latter, laughing, lunges out of range.