Innocence and the Outlaw

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chase sat by the waters edge and stared into the clear depths. He heard birds in the distance and bees were buzzing around him as they went about their daily jobs of gathering pollen to take back to their hives.

The sun warmed the bronze skin of his back as he sat there motionless just as he had everyday since leaving Leah. Nothing mattered now. Food and water were unimportant. As was moving. He just sat here and stared at the water and thought of her. Thought of the pain he had heard in her voice when she had told him the choice she had to make. It had killed her to make the choice but Chase had understood. He still understood.

A part of her loved Benjamin and while Chase knew it wasn't the kind of love that he and Leah shared, it was still love. Chase knew of Leah's loyalties and her caretaking spirit. He had known she would not be able to see Benjamin in that wheelchair, have the entire thing blamed on her and laid on her shoulders and be able to leave. He had known that she would stay.

Chase had died inside. Chase had never in his life needed anyone or anything. He was not the type to become attached. That had all changed when he had met Leah. She was the other half of his soul and without her life lost its meaning.

So he had come here to where he would feel closest to her and he was slowly dying. Already he had lost some weight and he could feel a weakness in his body that he had never felt before. He cared not. Death would be an almost welcome occurrence. It would mean he would not have to live another day without her.

That was why he remained still and did not draw a weapon when he heard a rider approaching from behind. A horse snorted and he heard the riders boots hit the ground as he jumped from the saddle. Chase did not turn to see who was coming behind him. He simply stared into the water and waited.

The sunlight was blocked behind him and he waited for either death or spoken words.

"Chief, I have to say that you look like shit warmed over and served for breakfast. Who the hell took a piss in your wigwam?" Chase didn't respond to Yancy's question other than to grunt and then continue to stare into the water.

"What happened to the squaw?" Yancy asked as he glanced around.

"She went back to her family." Chase replied, wincing at the pain in his parched throat and the scratchy quality to his voice.

"Shit." Yancy stated with shock as he sat down next to Chase in the grass. "I didn't figure she'd leave you."

"She did not want to. Her family was against her being with a savage and as it turns out you did not shoot or beat her fiance quit well enough to kill him, only well enough to paralyze him and cause Leah to feel as if she were responsible to take care of him for the rest of his life."

"Guess we should have shot him twice." Chase nodded and tossed a stone into the water, watching the ripples that disturbed the once calm and tranquil surface.

The two men sat in silence for several long moments and Yancy pulled out his flask. He held it out to Chase who shook his head.

"I forgot, you injuns can't handle white mans fire water can ya, chief?" Chase rolled his eyes, grunted and pushed himself to his feet.

Instantly he fell back onto the ground, unable to support himself as his head swam.

"Damn, chief! How long's it been since you had something to eat or drink?" Yancy demanded angrily. Chase shrugged and once again pushed himself up, though this time he moved more slowly and gave his weakened legs time to adjust to once again supporting his weight.