Cellestra walked back to Tavion to talk to him about how many slaves the bandits had at their disposal. As she talked to him, I took a good look at his restraints and concluded that, while his hands were mostly free, he would be unable to escape without some form of weaponry. My silk was strong beyond words at this point.

Despite Tavion likely being known by the other slaves, I doubted there was much he could do. It was just impossible to break the control that a slave collar had unless its wearer possessed either immense physical or magical strength. In addition to that, the ‘owner’ would also have to be incredibly stupid. The first command given to slaves, by definition, was to not try to break free.

To be fair, I could probably break those collars with my current strength.

Cellestra walked back to me and spoke to me in the elven language once more. “He says there are about twenty. It might be a few more if more small bands have joined Ingo’s horde, but it’s unlikely. What do you think?”

Twenty slaves? Would I be able to immobilize that many? I was confident that if they were of similar strength to Tavion, they wouldn’t be able to break through my barriers. I wouldn’t have an issue with taking hits. The question was: what would the elves do?

Cellestra would have to be quick and clear with her words. The best-case scenario would be to encounter the elves before the bandits. We could notify them of what was going on and hope that they were willing to help to set the bandits’ slaves free. If not, although not ideal, we could coerce them…

I was quite powerful. It wasn’t my first choice, but if needed, I could force them to help us…

I hoped it wouldn’t come down to that.

Surely they would want to avoid bloodshed, too?

“I think I can handle. Need to try to find elves before bandits. See if they want to help. We foil ambush to help them. They help us freeing slaves,” I spelled.

“A trade, huh? If we can find them first, that would be great for sure.”

I assumed this convoy had important goods or people and that traveling through this place was a necessity for them. These bandits seemed to be well-organized and have large numbers, judging from the preparation and scouting they’d been doing for more than a few days. It seemed that Cellestra and I could play a significant role in the elves’ protection. I hoped that would be enough of a bargaining chip for them to be willing to help us.

I felt fury swell up inside me at the thought of bandits attacking convoys. This would be the second time in a short period of time where I’d encounter it. The first time had literally killed me. Was that… excitement I felt? A chance to cause a different outcome this time?

“I’ll inform Tavion. We help him and the others then make the bandits pay their dues.”

Cellestra paused for a few seconds as she stared at the grass at her feet.

“And maybe,” She spoke softly. “Maybe it’s a chance for you to build some ties with the elves. You know, your old race. Let them see that you’re not a monster. That you’re noble at heart. With some luck, they will remember your actions. It might prove useful in your search…”

She was right. This would be a great opportunity to show who I was. The only thing I didn’t like about this was her expression as she spoke those words. It was as if she was saying goodbye to me. I felt sadness rise up within me. I didn’t want to say goodbye to the elf. I couldn’t…

After this was all over, I’d go back with her to her home and talk about the future. I would finish my last evolution, stay here momentarily while I figured things out, and then probably ask her what her plans were. I was sure there was still a lot for her to learn, and I was eager to teach her all the spells that I knew.

It would also help to have some kind of interpreter with me. By that, I didn’t mean talking. I would be able to talk on my own, but a talking spider… I knew of at least a few people that would run before they even got the chance to hear me talk…

And I was going to get bigger, and probably scarier still…

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What a struggle.

I nodded to Cellestra’s words. I knew she spoke them out of kindness. The elf smiled slightly, but there was a hint of sadness in there. I could see it. She then turned and walked to Tavion to talk with him about what we had just discussed.

I could see him nod at some point during their conversation. I assumed that was a good sign. After that, Cellestra returned.

“While he agrees with our idea,” Cellestra said, “He says it’s too risky to try to reach the elves first. There are patrols all around. The best thing to do, he suggested, is to move to the main camp, following the route that his patrol group was supposed to take, in order to stay hidden as best as possible. From that point, it’s a simple matter of waiting until the elves are in sight and they send in the slaves. It’s quite a bit messier, but it’s the best shot we have at separating the slaves from the scoundrels.”

I sighed mentally. It seemed there was no other way but hoping we would be able to prevent the elves from killing innocents. If I were to succeed with that, I would have to be incredibly quick, and would probably sow a lot of chaos among the elves as well, while Cellestra joined in and informed them.

Messy. I didn’t like it.

Unfortunately, there was no other choice.

I couldn’t believe Cellestra was willing to do all this…

Was she truly talking about me when she talked about building some kind of relationship with these elves? I could imagine this would help her out quite a bit as well. Would these elves know her? So many questions danced around in my head.

“Are you okay with that, Kealyna?” Cellestra asked, as I hadn’t answered.

“Will have to do,” I spelled out.

“Yeah, I hope things work out.”

Things remained quiet for a bit as I believe the both of us contemplated what was to come. It was clear we both had the same idea about all this.

“Anyway,” Cellestra finally said. “Let’s get to sleep. We will have to leave before dawn. I got a campfire going for Tavion and I believe he is able to add wood to it by himself. I assume you’re going to be fine in your new… nest, right?”

Cellestra let out a small chuckle. “I took a look earlier. You’ve done a wonderful job at it. It looks quite comfy, to be honest.”

Her words made me smile in my mind. She was right. It was quite comfortable. I was looking forward to how well I’d sleep.

“Thank you,” I spelled. “Good night, Cellestra,” I spelled out the words as the elf was already crouching to pick up the letters after I finished.

“Good night,” She said with a smile as she stacked the pieces of paper and took them with her. She waved at me as she walked back inside after apparently wishing good night to Tavion as well.

What an odd day this had been. Many unexpected things had happened, but in the end, they might be for the better. I skittered over to my nest as the scenarios that could happen the next day started playing out in my mind. I tried to push them away, but I knew I’d dwell on them no matter what.

I hoped those slaves could have a proper life, not the kind I had to go through. It made me worry. Where could they even go? They would likely not have any belongings either. Not to mention money.

We could maybe help them out by looting the bandits afterward. They were bound to be carrying some riches with them.

I entered my shelter and lay down in the net that I’d created earlier, my legs spread out to the sides and touching the walls. I tried to relax, but worries kept coming. In the end, I accepted that I just couldn’t know yet what would happen. I would have to focus on the battle first. Everything else would follow after we, and the others, were safe. With those thoughts in my mind, I soon drifted off to comfortable and peaceful sleep.