Cold Mountain

Inman is on Cold Mountain. He has tracked Ruby and Ada from Black Cove, reaching the spot where Stobrod was shot. Inspecting the site, he tries to deduce what has happened. He does not know why the women have stayed on the mountain rather than return home. Building a fire in the sheltered spot where Stobrod was found, he rests for a while. After his long journey, having “played out the scene in his mind” (381) many times, this is not how he expected his return to unfold.

The narrative returns to the day before Inman reached Black Cove. He bathes and washes his clothes, hoping to make himself presentable to Ada. When he reaches Black Cove, the house is empty save for the Georgian boy. Telling an embellished version of events, in which he appears as the hero, the boy tells Inman where Ruby and Ada have gone. Inman sets off in pursuit. After a difficult night under the ledge, Inman continues to track the women. The falling snow makes this difficult, making Inman worried.

Meanwhile, Stobrod suffers from a high fever. Ruby and Ada help him as best they can. Ada goes to fetch water and comes across wild turkeys. Ruby suggests that she shoot one, giving them something to eat. Though she has “never fired a gun” (387), Ada kills two birds with one shot. Nearby, Inman hears the shot. He heads toward the sound and is shocked to see Ada with a gun. Ada turns to him, not recognizing Inman. Even as he speaks to her, she does not recognize him.

As he is about to turn away, he makes one final appeal. As he turns, Ada recognizes him. She tells Inman to come with her, leading him to the village. She speaks in a “calming tone” (392), describing everything around her. Inman follows in silence. He is hungry and exhausted.

Inman and Stobrod both rest and recover in the Cherokee village. Ada and Ruby prepare another cabin and ready the turkeys to be cooked. Ruby occasionally checks on the men. At night, Ruby speaks her mind to Ada. She tells Ada that Inman is not needed for the farm to be successful. Ada does not need Inman, she says, as there is “not a damn thing [they] can’t do for [themselves]” (396). Ada tells Ruby that she wants Inman nonetheless.

Inman wakes. Nearby, Stobrod is already awake. Seeing that the other man needs water, Inman goes to the creek. He smells the cooking turkey and sees the signs of the fire. Returning with the water, he helps Stobrod. Despite the severity of Stobrod’s wounds, Inman notes the man’s “horrifying appetite to live” (398). Next, he goes to the women. Ada welcomes Inman into the cabin, offering him food. Ruby leaves to see to her father, suggesting to the pair that she will “be gone awhile” (401).

The first attempts at conversation between Ada and Inman are awkward. He takes the cooking utensils to clean in the creek. As he washes the pans, he thinks about returning to Ada and kissing her. He cannot shake the lingering awkwardness between them, however. When Ada turns away, Inman hugs her. The embrace diffuses the tension. Inman tells Ada that he wants to marry her, but he is worried that he is now “ruined beyond repair” (406). Ada assures Inman that she has learned how people can be mended, including Inman. Just as they are about to kiss, Ruby enters. Inman makes an excuse, going to tend to Stobrod. As Ruby and Ada prepare to sleep in their cabin, they agree to take Stobrod back to the farm to heal, if he survives the journey.

The next day, Inman takes Ada hunting. They discuss the years that they have been apart and look to the future. Ada comes across a plant that Ruby wants to use to heal her father, so she gathers it along with more firewood. The couple returns to the cabin without any game, but with some supplies. By the time they return, Stobrod is recovered enough to sit up. When he falls back asleep, Ada suggests that Inman also needs to rest. He sleeps in the other cabin and, as they tend to Stobrod, Ada and Ruby discuss their plans for the farm. They envision a great and bountiful future.

That night, Ada finds Inman. They have sex and then spend the night in conversation, “ceaselessly” (417) talking about the past and the future. They will marry, they agree, then spend the rest of their happy lives together.

By the third day in the Cherokee village, Ada and Inman are agreed on their future. Inman will surrender himself to the Federal soldiers in the coming days, spending the rest of the war in their custody, then return to Ada when the war is over. Meanwhile, Ada and Ruby will take Stobrod back to the farm.

Two days later, most of the snow has melted and Stobrod has recovered enough to make the journey. Inman, however, decides to change the plan. He will travel with Stobrod, he says, while the women travel separately. After returning to the farm, he will spend a night in the wood and then head north. With Stobrod on the horse, Inman sets off some time after the women.

The men travel together, passing Pangle’s grave. A noise attracts their attention, and they turn to find Teague and the Home Guard. Inman moves fast. He spooks the horse, which bolts with Stobrod on its back. Inman also shoots one of the Home Guard and a dog. The horses panic and, under the cover of the chaos, Inman runs directly at the soldiers. He fires his gun and, when the dust settles, he kills Teague.

Eventually, only the young soldier is left. The young soldier refuses to surrender. He and Inman edge around each other, warily vying for position. The boy is on a horse while Inman is on foot. The horse bucks, throwing the boy. Inman has a clear shot. He does not take it. Instead, he tells the boy to drop his weapon. Instead, the boy fires his gun. He hits Inman.

Nearby, Ada hears the gunshots. She runs toward the sound, passing Stobrod and the horse, and finds Inman. The boy is gone. Inman, still alive, lays his head in Ada’s lap as she sits beside him. From afar, they look like any “pair of lovers” (432).

Ten years have passed since Inman’s death. At the farm in Black Cove, the Georgian boy is still present. His name is Reid and he never left. Instead, he married Ruby. They have three sons together. Ada has a daughter, conceived on the one night she spent with Inman. The daughter is “a tall slender girl of nine” (434). Stobrod lives with them as well, doing the occasional chore and playing music for their entertainment. In late October, a final picnic is held. Music is played, food is eaten. Ada reads aloud to the group.