The murmurs spread fast and I could feel the eyes that were ready to rip apart.
They felt I was presumptuous, that I had finally lost my mind and forgotten my place
They felt I needed to be punished.
At first, they were low and confused, people whispering under their breaths but then their eyes darted towards the fallen Veyra in front of .
The tone shifted imdiately, voices sharpening, and their whispers grew teeth to gnaw at .
"She really did it..."
"She attacked them..."
"So vicious..."
Yeah, there couldn’t have been a more cliché reaction from them. But I’m surprised.
That they actually stood down just from my words.
Well, whatever. They’ll still attack when they want to anyway.
Veyra’s cry suddenly cut through all of it.
"Father!"
Her voice was broken, filled with terror, like she had been attacked by a vicious beast and was barely holding on to her life.
She dragged herself forward, tears streaming down her swollen face. She clutched at the dirt as if she could barely hold herself upright.
"Please... look at ," she sobbed. "Look at what she’s done to us. This ti, she doesn’t even try to hide it."
Her words ca out halting, trembling, as if she were forcing herself to speak through pain and choking in between.
"It hurts so much,"
And then I looked at my father.
His reaction was that of a father who had just seen his child battered. He was pained, but at the sa ti, confused.
He couldn’t get what was going on, and even when he had seen it, he was reluctant to jump to a conclusion like everyone else.
Why did she do it?
That was the question that spread over his face as he looked at Veyra and then up at .
He looked at for a few seconds, as if interrogating with his eyes, but that alone made Veyra feel she would lose her edge so she grabbed his arm, drawing his attention back to her.
This was her chance, and she definitely wouldn’t miss it.
"Father," she sniffed. "We only tried to reason with her," she continued, shaking her head weakly. "We only wanted answers. But she—she snapped. She attacked us like a wild animal."
I didn’t even react anymore. I don’t expect any less from a bitch like her.
As I said, I was tired. And if I could hit her in front of the tribe then I would do so.
Around us, the tribe began to react.
"She’s always been like this. Violent and vicious"
"I told you she was dangerous."
"Wicked-hearted... truly wicked-hearted."
"Monster."
That word slipped out of soone’s mouth, quiet but poisonous and soone else followed, confidently saying it.
"She’s a monster."
Though I still did not react, my chest ached, but I didn’t move toward them. Instead, I stepped back—away from the center, away from the accusing fingers—and went to where Damar and Fenric stood.
They had already released Ashren and Zevak who hurried to Veyra’s side to solidify her claims.
I just watched as they scurried away and kept walking until I caught up to them.
"What does she think shes doing now?"
"I can’t believe she’s so shaless bringing a snake here?"
"Did she think this was her backyard? The snake is so dangerous. Quick, announce to everyone to hide their cubs."
They were speaking like Damar would suddenly slip away and try to attack the cubs. I don’t know their experience with snake beastn so far, but this is just nasty, and it makes uncomfortable.
"But... Why is the beast warrior from the Chrysthorn tribe standing next to the snake and not doing anything?"
With that, their curious and heavy gaze fell on Chief Kasa, as if he knew the answer.
They had subjected him to questioning with their gaze before they even understood the situation fully but Kasa did not react.
I stood before Damar and Fenric, and we began to act like there were only the three of us in the area, dismissing the mob that wanted to rip us apart.
"Are you okay?" Fenric asked but before I could answer, Damar took my hands.
"Dumb cub, how can she be okay?" He said and looked at my hands.
They were red and a little bit swollen.
"Ah, it’s fine. I barely feel it." I said, attempting to take them back but he held my hands firmly, saying to ,
"It’s not fine."
I looked at the hurt in his eyes.
He was probably upset that he couldn’t do anything because his involvent would only make things worse.
"Yeah, Arinya. We let you continue since it seems like it’s what you wanted to do for so long, but you ended up hurting yourself in the process." Fenric said.
"Dumb cub, this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t let Arinya in. None of this..." Damar glared at Fenric and Fenric had no words to refute.
"It’s okay. This would’ve happened sooner or later. I can only be glad that it happened when Damar was around at the ti it happened so I wasn’t alone." I said, smiling at them. "So, please don’t fight. It’ll only..." A tear slid down my cheek before I realized it. "It’ll only make feel hurt."
This made them panic.
"Are you hurting anywhere?"
"Do you feel pains?"
"I’m sorry, was I too harsh?" That was Damar, looking even more frantic than his cold deanor was allowed to show.
I stretched my body up, tiptoing as I reached my arms out and wrapped them around their necks, hugging them at once.
"Thank you," I said. "It’s only because I have both of you that I can stand on my feet right now and... I can face what’s to co. So, just trust and follow my lead, okay?"
"If you promise not to hurt yourself anymore than I will," Damar said.
"That goes for too. I can’t stand still while you inflict pain on yourself any longer."
"Mm," I smiled. "I promise."
The little show we were putting up seed to make a few sour, and they began to grumble.
"What do they think they’re doing?"
"They’re acting like they’re the only ones in the world. How shaful?"
"They don’t even respect the chiefs."
"Arinya has crossed the line far too many tis. I believe she needs to be expelled from the tribe."
I looked past my shoulders. It’s not the first ti they spoke about expelling from the tribe, even though I was the chief’s daughter, but my father never went that far with the punishnts.
This ti, though, if nothing changes, I guess that’s going to be the result of it all.
That is... If I didn’t have my ace card ready to go.
I grinned.
I hate this tribe, I really do, but I don’t want to be expelled. I would rather walk away with my two legs, my head held high, and my pride resting on my shoulder than be dragged out like a disgrace.
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