The crowd had already gathered by the time we arrived.
For such a huge incident, there's no way anyone would want to miss it.
Whispers crawled through the air like insects, sharp and persistent, filling me with even more unease.
"How can such a cruel creature be allowed into our tribe?"
"How can this happen?"
"They were two strong males."
"Snakes really are vicious."
Those words greeted me and my breath caught painfully in my throat. Even if it wasn't true, even if I wasn't going to believe it, the certainty in their voices created a pyramid of despair on top of my heart.
And then I saw him.
Damar leaned back on his tail, his eyes fixed on the ground, cold and emotionless.
I can't imagine how he must be feeling, after listening to all this talk for so long.
It's my fault. I shouldn't have let you go out despite how much you wanted to help. Blame me, Damar.
