Savage Paradise by Cassie Edwards

Author:Cassie Edwards [Edwards, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2008-01-21T05:00:00+00:00

Sitting Tall stumbled as he walked. He lifted the jug to his lips and thirstily emptied it. And when he couldn’t get another drop to wet his throat, he threw the jug angrily aside and fell to the ground, his eyes searching around him.

“Neala…?” he said in a drawl. “Where are you, Neala?”

He began to crawl along the ground, feeling around for her. “Gah-ween-nee-nee-sis-eh-tos-say-non?” he said, his head reeling. “Where are you? Neala, I need you. My eyes do not see so well. The firewater. It is now gone, Neala. We can be together again.”

He settled on his haunches and lowered his face into his hands. “Neala, I need you,” he cried. “Where are you?”

The piercing cry of someone in pain met his ears, yet he could not distinguish whether it was an animal or a human’s cry.

Pushing himself up from the ground, he again began to walk aimlessly about. He squinted his eyes to the piercing rays of the sun beating down upon him. His legs were heavy, his stomach felt as though someone had pierced it with a knife.

“My heart cries for you, Neala!” he shouted, flailing his hands into the air. “Come to me, my woman. Come to me!”

But when he still couldn’t find her, Sitting Tall crumpled into a heap beside the river and let tears flow from his cheeks in silver rivulets.

“She is gone,” he cried. “In her anger with me over again drinking firewater, she has left me. She’ll never love me again. Never. Sitting Tall has lost Neala. Sitting Tall wants…to…die…”

He bowed his head and began a low chant, praying to the Great Spirit, Wenebojo, for forgiveness. He prayed to be given strength to be the man he must be, to one day become chief. He needed strength and guidance for all things in life. The firewater had robbed him of everything, it seemed….

Suddenly his eyes grew wild. He stood, staggering, looking desperately about him. He was suddenly recalling Jed Fenris’s being there. Jed Fenris had been too eager to give him the two jugs of whiskey. And Jed Fenris had witnessed Sitting Tall and Neala’s lovemaking.

“No!” he shouted, throwing his head back in his sudden grief and understanding. “Neala, no! Were you forced…?”

His legs too weak to carry him in search of her, Sitting Tall crumpled back to the ground, and wept.

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