Page 8 of Guilty as Sin

He stopped as she was slowing down, stared at her. "You are not used to running?"

"No, walking yes, but not running. And not in boots that are at least two sizes too big." She tried to catch her breath. He nodded impatiently at her.

He gave her a moment to catch her breath, then looked at her. "If you have caught your breath, we must run some more, we are not far enough away yet."

She nodded. "You want another drink?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you."

Sometime later she asked as they ran.

"Don't you live with a tribe?"

Moon turned his head away. "Once long ago, no more."

"Why?"

"It is hard to explain." He stopped though, "Listen, we need to run for a while to get as far away as we can. You must be quiet and run with me, understand? Talking only takes your breath away."

She nodded.

She stared at him, not liking the fact that she found him handsome. His body was lean, he was a few inches taller than her and, his broad chest narrowed at his waist. His body was solid, but hard and muscular.

Later when they paused to rest. She watched him move about restlessly.

"We certainly have enough time for you to tell me now." She smiled as he stopped and turned to look at her.

His glance went up and down her for a moment, appreciating the ample skin at her chest and breasts. She was endowed with ample breasts and it was hard to take his eyes from her, it seemed pronounced since she was little everywhere else. Under the ugly dress she wore was a beautiful lace thing that made her softer, lovelier.

He handed her some jerky and she chewed on it.

"My tribe was Arapaho." He told her taking some jerky for himself and resting on a fallen log. She sat on it beside him now. "After the death of the yellow haired one, my tribe went to the reservation, there were many wars before this though, I sought another life. A peaceful life, but Indian."

"You didn't go to the reservation?"

"No! When I saw what we did to the Yellow Haired one, I no longer wanted to war. I had no compassion for him, but for the way we outnumbered his men. And I felt for the men under him. Men who had no choice but to fight. And they all died. We outnumbered him greatly, it was not a victory, it was a massacre. There had been many massacres back then. On both sides. I was young, just coming into my manhood. Some of my people joined the Sioux and Cheyenne in that battle. After that other white men came and made war. I sought peace, but not at the reservation. So, my father told me to go my own way. To live my life free."

"He sent you away?"

"I like to think he gave me his blessings to find another life."

She stared at him now. "And this yellow haired man, you are talking about is General Custer?"

"Yes. You know of him?"

"I have heard of him. Somethings he did were very bold things, other times he was cruel, quite intentionally."

"It is not him I felt sorry for, although to lose in battle with such great odds is a pity for such a man. I worried about all of his men who had to fight. It is like when a chief declares war, and the warriors debate how wise a chief he is. That is how I felt about Custer."

"I can understand that."

He stared at her. "I heard this Earl say you were a schoolteacher?"

"Was is right. Yes, I believe he referred to me as an old-maid schoolteacher." She sighed.

"It is not right for him to say such things to you, when he wanted you. When a man wants a woman, he can talk to her plainly, but never disrespectfully, as she is what he wants."

The tenderness of his words shocked her. She hadn't expected them. He spoke softly like a poet.

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