There wasn't a reason to go home yet. We had to figure out how to carry all these dead animals- mostly just by flinging them on top of our spiderian abdomens or over our shoulders, or carrying them in our arms. Since we had different body types and amounts of strength, we would just go with whatever each individual could do.

But we really did need to figure out some healing...

I decided to build a small fire. I got help finding sticks easily enough, and both Djraine and Dulcet seemed happy to use some broken branches to stab the wolf corpses. I figured I might as well turn this into a campfire barbeque. Shouldn't every parent take their kids camping, if they're physically able to go on such a trek? I'm sure the answer was yes. After teaching whoever was interested how to make a spit (which I only knew by playing survival games and watching cartoons), we could skin something and have a little meal. Three of the wolves were dealt with like this.

I made sure the bones and skins were kept- the skins could be turned into leather rather easily, and any organic material at all would be needed to throw into the cave to support our food stores. No waste! No self-respecting hunter would dream of anything else. Since that's what we had to be at this time, those are the rules we'd adhere to. I made sure to teach everyone this important fact.

As the full of night approached, the only lights were from my lantern and the newly designated cooking fire. I was worried about those scaries attacking, but luckily nothing approached that night. We were really lucky! Either that or the scalewolves ate them all. Either way, it wasn't a complaint to me. There were stars above as usual, but no moon. The lights in front of us outshone the sky, so I didn't count starlight amongst our defenses.

I had to think of good stories to tell. What good is a campfire or a barbeque, let alone both, without stories to share? So, I decided to tell my loving, innocent children the story of the escaped lunatic with a hook-hand. Of course, the part about the car and radio had to be removed since this world had absolutely no recognition of any technology even remotely like it, so it was probably just a confusing nonsensical thing to say at all.

But I had better ones! When I was in my first life, the mythical monster that frightened me more than any other was the Wendigo. This was a good time and place to tell it! We were in a forest, at night, far from home, injured. What else attracts that monster? Exactly this. Terrifying children was an important thing to do. The Japanese created the Kappa; the Mexicans invented La Llorona. Both monsters taught toddlers to stay away from large bodies of water when unattended, as well as proper manners. The Wendigo was such a creature too, I think. It had nothing to do with water, but it did at least teach children not to wander off at night where animals could be lurking.

I thought of telling how scared I was when I lived in an apartment building and would imagine a Wendigo outside my living room window, hovering in the air, hungry and angry, staring at me from behind. But since my children were all spiders and could climb walls, I doubted this would make the story more frightening, so I didn't bother.

I did want everyone to be able to sleep, though. We didn't need much, but we did still need it. Plus, while asleep, one healed faster. I had Aneis, Sun, and Lyre use their web to seal up the wounds on everyone's legs while I told the stories. We'd deal with the flesh wounds in the morning once I could find some leaves or something. So, I thought of a story on a lighter note.

It wasn't a happy story, but it was one that had lasted for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years on Earth. I even remembered hearing it when I was in the future as a woman. The story I told next was the one of Daedalus and Icarus. I felt sadness pretty strongly from Dulcet, Lyre, and especially Djraine, which I guess should have been no surprise. I comforted them with hugs, and let them know there was another story I knew that would make them feel better. Such sweet girls!

I wanted to tell the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but I didn't actually know the whole thing. There was an episode of a space drama that was similar to it, and that I knew. The show referenced the original story while re-enacting it, so I could just tell that. However, I made sure that Dathon survived. I didn't put in any of the technology or anything, though.

How the story went was that the two men were on their own, both doing their own thing, until they saw a danger to people. They each went after the threat, fighting each other to claim glory and reward. But then they became friends instead once they figured out a way to share. They defeated the monster by harassing and confusing it, and then once slain, the people cheered and gave them food and drink and other things that helped them in their travels. The two left together, on to other adventures.

I wanted to make sure my spiderlings would all understand the importance of sharing, diplomacy, resourcefulness, and combat strategies. I don't know if it worked, but I could tell many more stories. Since most of my listeners were rather attentive this time, I thought I'd use them as main characters for other stories I could tell- but I'd pull from mythology, religion, cartoons, movies, and video game writing. Why not? There wasn't anyone to call me out on it.

But those stories would have to wait. Now, it was time for bed.