Maybe showing my excitement and desire to go home so quickly might not have been a good idea. My children did need to rest, and some of them were pretty injured. We had gotten about halfway back to the... well it couldn't be counted as a main road in most of my previous lives, but my Dark Age peasant self saw it as being one. It just wasn't paved or wider than other walkways or lit or anything. My future self was too oblivious to understand it. Then again, my full life was the only one that was sapient according to the woman from the office window.

"Okay everyone. I have to apologize to you." A few of my children looked at me.

"Parent?" Aneis asked me.

"You're all tired, many of you are hurt. There should be some animals that come to the water soon to drink, so just kill and eat them. Don't eat the spider legs we brought, those are for at home. While you all wait and rest here, I'm going to deal with the jumi commander so they know that the threat I promised to deal with is over. When I get back, then we'll go home."

"I want to come too." Aneis wanted to come too, for whatever reason, but a couple others looked interested as well.

"Okay, but only you, Aneis. Everyone else has to stay here to tend the wounded, recover, or hunt. I don't want to waste time, so let's go."

...

Another day away from home went by, and we hadn't reached the keep yet, but no one was around on the roads either, so at least we weren't bothered. There were a couple small animals that tried to go into underground holes that my daughter was able to catch with her webs, but I couldn't tell if they were similar to a rabbit or rat. Some kind of vermin-type animal, though I couldn't tell what its diet was. The small streams here and there dealt with our water needs again.

If I had a map, I'd be able to make a bee-line straight from point A to point B, but since I didn't, I had to follow roads I was familiar with. Sadly, that took even more time. Eventually we saw the keep in front of us, and a tax collector bringing in a cartload of whatever they'd collected. It would be stupid to bother with this guy now, not due to threat, but due to lack of point.

We followed them in, after their single-cart caravan. The jumi gave us rather uncomfortable, and somewhat aggressive postures, but the guards near the gate assured them that we were 'tame'. It was offensive, but it wasn't like I didn't insult and state condescending words against my own genuine friends when in the presence of small-minded, violent people in my previous life. You have to say what the enemy wants to hear, not what will spare your friends feelings. They'll forgive you for what you say when you explain it later, hopefully.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I didn't remember what the jumi that took over the keep looked like, only that there was an office that the previous one used before I killed him, but I didn't think just going in was a good idea either. Balancing meek and overbearing behaviors was important when dealing with other people, if you plan on being in the least danger possible with the least amount of violence possible. I went up to one of the guards at the inner gate.

"We are here to report the other drider are dead. We killed them all. Please tell your commander."

"He doesn't know who you are."

"Yes, he does. I promised to destroy the attacking drider so young men did not have to be conscripted anymore."

"I don't know that word. He doesn't know you, monster."

Aneis tried to work her own charm. Seductively, though I don't know where she learned it, she did the 'cute girl cute pout' thing and eye flutter, asking the guard to bring the commander out. She was very talented! Her pale skin, feminine physique, pitch black hair with white highlights, and what looked like goth makeup but was actually natural was beyond what a human could truly be.

Instead the stupid jumi guard, at least the one we were talking to, was focused not on her humanoid body and face, but her spiderian legs and abdomen. He looked not aroused, but aghast, called her disgusting, and looked like he was about to vomit.

Before I could get aggressive, movement caught both of our attention. The other guard, who was standing at the other side of the gate, went inside. He was so quiet and motionless, professional really, that I didn't even notice him. Shortly after, the commander came out.

I don't know if it was really the same guy, but he looked somewhat neutral to see us. Maybe that was positive? Maybe he was actually glad, but couldn't show that! Anyway, he was wearing decent armor now, a rather attractive set of leather armor. There weren't any special additions or anything on it, but it was tanned well, and in the middle of his chest, the gem I'd seen in the others was showing. It was a very marbled-looking malachite.

"You return so soon?" The newly-appointed commander asked. By knowing me, it must have been the same guy that I talked to the last time, telling him to take over.

"We do. There were many outside the cave, but we killed them all."

"Cave? I didn't know they had one."

"They did, but we invaded that too, and burned everything to nothing. They shouldn't trouble you anymore."

"Good. Now I can have the peasants return to working the fields."

"While we are talking, what was the name of the town that was destroyed outside the drider forest? How long ago did that happen?"

"I don't know how long ago it happened. The town was called Woodedge."

An extremely stupidly obvious name, to be sure. At least I knew more than I did... I guess.

"What was it they produced?"

"Why are you asking? You are very soon to be overstepping your bounds."

I was taken aback. "I just wanted to know so I could maybe find a way to help."

"They produced lumber."

That made sense. The jumi that lived near me produced darklings, whatever those were. I'm glad I got to learn that's what they did, but what darklings actually were, not what they were called or how they were used, was more important to me. Maybe I'd find out once winter came. If Earth helped me know anything about this world, then such a season should probably come soon.

"We will be off. Please come to us if there is another attack. My forest is far to the south, near the ocean."

Aneis and I left, and about a day and a half later, arrived at the cart.