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"Killing him yourself?" He turned away with exasperation and a bit of arrogance. "Then why didn't you?" He asked staring.
"Because," she hiccupped. "My life is hard enough without having to go to jail."
"Aw… now I begin to understand. But do you honestly believe they would believe me? I am the innocent one. All I wanted was to get out of the storm. Had you not raised your voice, and sounded so desperate, I would never have killed him." Then after eyeing her carefully he went on. "Or perhaps I should have let him do what he wanted."
She glanced at him, all of him, in his leather breechcloth and long leggings. He wore no shirt, and only a group of feathers dangled from his hair, he wore an attractive necklace around his neck that fascinated her.
The sun had come out and was already heating up the earth, a light sweat peppered her skin. Shining Moon took her all in too.
She grit her teeth, "You're all I have to tell the truth. I'm a teacher, well respected in my community, but after this… I will have no future. My father will see to that. My life is doomed."
He thought about it a moment. "I suppose, you are right, at least about that. It would be a scandal to be caught in the woods, with your torn dress and me, an Indian. It would be a scandal for your father to find you in the barn with a dead man. But you think nothing of the fact that I killed a man for your sake, do you? I protected you in case you don't realize it, Lady."
Chapter Two
He had left her speechless, and that was a good thing. He sighed heavily and then shook his head, "Come on." Without thought, Shining Moon pulled her along the countryside, running into the new dawn. He didn't stop to wonder if he was doing the right thing. He needed to get far away from her farm. She at least had sensible boots for this kind of travel, his mind wandered, but she seemed fairly clumsy in them.
Her father didn't follow, she kept looking over her shoulder to see if he would. She was obviously petrified of the man. Why would a white woman be afraid of her father? Would he not take the side of his own daughter?
Much later as they slowed down, she stared when they stopped for a drink of water at a creek. She was out of breath and her cheeks were red.
"You really killed him." She cried. "Oh my God, I can't believe it, you killed him because of me!"
Had she been asleep all this time. She just now understood what happened in the barn?
Had she been in a trance, a stupor? He studied her from a distance now. She was a beautiful little thing, wrapped in a knot of hysteria that would explode any moment, he feared.
"I did what I had to do. That's all." He told her. "And we must run for our lives. Sometimes heavy decisions are made in the blink of an eye. And right now, we don't have time to discuss it."
"But Earl was attacking me. The cloths prove it. And despite what you may think of me, my father would not believe it. He would not believe the truth. Especially since he would not have seen you there. So, I would be left to blame for Earl's death. That is why I follow you. You are the only one that knows the truth aside from me. And if they arrest me, and give me a trial, I must tell the truth and you must tell it also."
He stopped and turned to look at her, "If he'd caught me in there, who do you think he would blame for your dress?"
"You!" her eyes widened. "Oh my God. I didn't mean for this to happen. But I couldn't just let Earl paw me like a whore! I am sorry, I have caused this. You're right, but I'm sorry, I cannot go back." It suddenly dawned on her why it happened in the first place. Shining Moon seemed amazed it took her so long. But after staring her up and down a moment he realized, she was in some sort of shock. She wasn't making total sense yet.
Women were definitely hard to understand.
He needed patience with this woman. She was a real walking disaster. Still, somewhere in the back of his mind he found her interesting and very appealing, although he wouldn't be telling her that. His eyes shone and a slight smile curved his mouth. "Lady, we've been over the issue too many times and nothing is accomplished. It is of no consequence as one crime is as bad as another. Had your father walked in, he would have assumed, I was attacking you and Earl was defending you. There would be no arrest or trial. He would've hanged me sure. And the law wouldn't touch such a thing, because I am an Indian, I would be at fault."
Her eyes flitted about the countryside, not seeing. But she turned to look him in the eye again. It was as if her mind was working way too quickly.
"You're right. Yes, they'd make Earl look like the hero." She glanced up into his face, "Your right! Oh my God, this isn't right! How can the innocent be guilty and the guilty be innocent?"
"What the eyes see is not always right."
She looked up into his face. "I-I suppose that's true too." She looked at him. "But… what are we going to do about it?"
We!
"We'll run until we are safe. Then you may go your way."
He took her hand pulling her behind him. She tried to keep up with him, but it was hard. She wasn't used to running over rough terrain. And the boots she had on was adding to her discomfort. He held her hand so she wouldn't lag behind.
"Wh
at is your name?" she asked out of the blue as they ran.
"Shining Moon."
