Darkness was beginning to fall when Damien stumbled into the Stone village like hunted animal, legs shaking beneath him, sweat rolling down his brow, his chest heaving in ragged bursts. His knees gave away, and he collapsed on the dusty earth with a heavy thud.
The villagers were around a bonfire, around a high open tent, preparing to have simple vegetable soup and oat cakes for dinner.
Damien's sudden return startled them. He appeared to be in bad shape and this made their hearts beat faster. As they could not see the others he had gone with on the hunt, worry gnawed at them and they rushed forward.
"Dami." His wife screamed.
Some village women pulled her back as the chief, and his men surrounded Damien.
"He must be scared after seeing an animal in the forest." One man said.
Some laughed and many sneered.
"Quiet!" The chief ordered, his instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"Water!" Damien gasped, voice hoarse, his throat rasping as though fire had scorched it.
