Spidersilk and Bandages
Chapter 4
Posted January 30, 2026
The human concept of cities continues to fascinate. The institutions she speaks of maintain immense social goods, but at what cost? Helena mentioned that the workers of such institutions rarely have time for artistic pursuits. The extent to which our societies differ has yet to be fully comprehended.
At the same time, my window is closing. Helena’s recovery has come along well, and I fear that as soon as she is able, she will depart homeward. I’m unsure how to proceed when that day arrives. There is so much remaining to be asked, and I do not know which path I should take.
-Notes of Ursula, First Panacea, on the ninth day of the forty-fourth, week, in the twenty-third year of this Age.
~~~
Helena stood up to her full height for the first time in nearly a week. It felt good; the burn from all her stretches was paying off. She still had to be careful around the still-healing wound, but after taking a few strides round the little camp, she was confident in her range of motion. She swayed from foot to foot, enjoying being up and mobile. A handful of now finished snare traps were looped loosely around her neck.
Ursula finished squirreling the last of her notes away in various pockets, and finally turned to look up at her companion.
She was shocked, though she knew she shouldn’t have been. She had been around the human for some time now, but Helena’s sheer size had never been as apparent as it was now. Seeing her fully unfurled like this, she was truly larger than life. Her head was so impossibly distant that it seemed to scrape the canopy.
Well, that wouldn’t do at all.
Not letting herself think any further than that, Ursula latched on to the cuff of the giant’s pants and started climbing, fast.
Helena didn’t even notice until she was nearly at hip level. When she finally did, she yelped and jerked suddenly, nearly throwing her off completely.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Ursula didn’t respond until she had climbed up the knight’s back and was perched on her shoulder. Her heart was beating from the stress of the climb, and shock at what she had just done. Despite it all, she kept her voice even. “I thought it might be hard to keep up with you on the ground. I hope I won’t be too heavy.”
Helena made a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a huff, but didn’t protest. “s’pose it’s fine, as long as you’re okay holding on.”
“I assure you, I’m quite secure.” Ursula looked over at the ropes nearby. “Now, where are we placing these traps?”
Helena repositioned the ropes on her shoulders. Ursula leaned into the motion, swaying. “Actually, I was hoping I could ask you that. I figure you know this place better than I do. Do you know any watering holes nearby? Places that might have animals passing through?”
Ursula hesitated for a moment, considering. “I’m afraid I don’t know much more than you, but I’d suggest we start by going away from the clearing you came from.”
“Okay. Any reason why?”
“Well, I’m not entirely sure of this, but… Don’t you find it strange that no animals have bothered you while you were recovering?”
Helena blinked. “I hadn’t considered that before, but it is odd.”
“Right? So, this is only a hunch, but I think there’s something… off in that clearing. Something that’s kept the wildlife away from the whole area.”
Helena shrugged, again causing Ursula to reposition. “That could be, but it could also be just dumb luck. Have you seen anything else strange?”
Ursula paused. She hadn’t wanted to mention this part. “Well, I also noticed when I visited the clearing that your… companions hadn’t been decomposing.”
Helena froze in place. “They what?"
Ursula flinched with the motion. “I thought it was strange a few days ago, but I wasn’t sure until yesterday. There’s not even a trace of bloating.”
Helena didn’t react. In fact, she was standing so still that Ursula could let go of the collar she had been holding onto. The shoulder beneath her was firm and unmoving.
After a moment, she reached up and tugged on the human’s ear. Helena remained perfectly still. “Helena? What are you thinking?”
“Right now I’m thinking that I really want to check on them.” There was a beat. “I’m wondering if I’m ready to see that.” Another beat. “I think I am.”
Ursula let go of Helena’s ear, bending back down to her collar. “If you’re sure about that, I suppose we could go see.”
Helena took a deep breath in, filling her lungs and sighing deeply.
The trip to the clearing was unnervingly short this time. Helena’s steps cleared roadblocks that Ursula had had to either climb over or walk around. Before she could even get used to the motions, they were at the edge of the clearing.
Helena froze between two trees, looking out at the aftermath.
The humans’ bodies were just how Ursula had last left them, strewn about the clearing. The blood on the grass was still a bright red, and what skin remained was pristine, free of discoloration or decay.
“They’ve been like this since the first day?” Helena’s face didn’t change expression, but Ursula felt a slight tremor run through the shoulder she stood on.
Ursula nodded. Then, after realizing Helena couldn’t see her, she spoke up. “They have.”
With another deep breath, Helena took a step and entered the clearing. The air changed around the two, a slight prickle running up the back of Ursula’s neck. A branch creaked far above them. Helena didn’t seem to notice.
She continued to the body of her nearest companion, lying in a twisted position near the edge of the clearing. Ursula couldn’t be sure, but they looked old. Steely gray hair framed a face lined with wrinkles. The eyes were still open.
Whoever it was, the cause of death was obvious. Their clothing had been ripped to shreds, and every inch of their torso was covered with thin deep gashes, all radiating from a massive puncture over their heart.
“I’d like to bend down. Will that be a problem?” Helena’s eyes were trained on the corpse.
Ursula bent down and buried her hands into the fabric of Helena’s shirt. “I’m secure on here.”
Satisfied, the knight bent down and repositioned her friend, moving the twisted hips and splayed arms until they were lying flat on their back, staring at the canopy and the sunlight far above. The clearing seemed dimmer than it had a moment ago. Gently, Helena reached out and closed their eyes.
There was a long moment of quiet. The only things Ursula could hear were Helena’s breathing and the creaking of the branches.
Without speaking, Helena stood, and began walking over to the next body. They were only a few feet from the first, but Ursula took the moment to appreciate the motion of walking. It provided a reprieve from the oppressively still air.
The next person was young, looking several years Helena’s junior. They were already in a good position, though their wounds were as severe as their neighbor. Helena simply bent down and closed their eyes, taking the same moment of quiet she had for the first.
Except it wasn’t quiet anymore.
The branches creaking above them were a constant presence now, blending together into a drone. With a chill, Ursula realized that the darkness wasn’t an illusion either. The branches above them were growing denser, reaching out and coming together in the center of the clearing, blocking off the pillar of sunlight that had been let through.
Helena noticed at the same time, jerking her head up and glancing at the canopy of snaking, snapping branches.
For a moment, Ursula could swear she saw the shape of a person in the middle of the mass. It was subtle, barely there, as though the twisting branches were forming a basic impression of arms and legs.
That was all she saw before Helena’s massive hand came up, wrapped around her, and plucked her off her spot on the human’s shoulder.
Everything after that was chaos.
Ursula’s thoughts were slow to form, the world moving too quickly.
She was jerked up, down, around, and was soon clutched against Helena’s chest, her face buried in the rough fabric.
Helena’s grip was firm but not painful. In her position, Ursula couldn’t see much, but she could feel the wind rushing by them, and she could hear the motions of the colossal beings around her.
Faintly, she heard Helena panting with exertion, somewhere above her.
Under that, she half heard and half felt the knight’s heart, hammering in her chest. Each beat was tore through every inch of her body.
Then, much louder, she heard the roar of the bramble beast, like a thousand dry branches creaking and snapping at once.
The cacophony was endless. For a time, Ursula lost track of where she was, or what was happening. All she knew was that Helena was still running. She rose and fell slightly with each step, taking them further from the clearing that held the beast.
The roar did not repeat itself.
After an interminable amount of time, Helena’s rhythmic running slowed, then weakened, then plodded to a stop. Ursula was pulled away from her nested position, the sudden cool air a shock on her face. Soon, she was in front of the human’s face, the hands around her twisting to cup under and behind her. The forest around them was still, but her head was spinning.
Helena looked over her, eyes concerned. Her face was dripping sweat, and she was still panting. “Are you okay?”
Ursula tried to stand up, but the dizziness reared its head and she fell, Helena’s hands jerked to stay under her, only causing more nausea.
Ursula closed her eyes and splayed her arms wide across the humans’ hands. Giant skin had a strange texture. “Can you put me down please?”
Helena grunted with surprise. “Right. Sorry.”
The massive hands lowered steadily to the ground, giving Ursula one final burst of disorientation. As soon as the movement stopped, Ursula rolled off her platform without opening her eyes. She landed on solid ground.
Several long moments later, the world around her had calmed down some. Groaning, Ursula sat up and opened her eyes. She rubbed her temples with two hands while clutching her stomach with the others.
Ursula looked up at Helena. The knight’s eyes were locked on her, and she was on one knee, not moving. “I’m okay, please. What happened?”
As soon as she spoke, the tension in Helena’s frame diminished visibly. “The monster that killed my friends appeared again. I had to run, but I had to make sure you were with me, so I grabbed you.” There was a pause as she leaned down and collapsed on her side, still breathing heavily. “Sorry about that.”
“No, you’re fine. It means a lot that you went to such lengths to protect me!” Now that the ground was back under her, Ursula stood up. Helena’s head was back on the ground, turned to look at her.
The knight laughed, a rhythmic, deep, and rich sound. “Are you serious? Of course I would!”
Ursula’s back right arm twitched. “What do you mean by that?”
Helena’s expression returned to one of concern.” Ursula, you saved my life. I’m not sure what that means for you, but it certainly carries a lot of weight for me. That was honestly the least of what I should do to return the favor.”
Several threads came together in Ursula’s head. She started leisurely walking around the knight’s head, considering. The two of them stayed like that for a time, again on the floor of the forest.
Eventually, Ursula walked over to Helena’s face. The human had recovered some, the panting stopped and the sweat drying. “Well if you’re looking to return a favor, I might have an idea…”
~~~
Why this bramble beast reacted the way it did, and what its purpose is, are currently unknown. It could be that it was left by the elves, and was meant to guard the clearing, but that is pure speculation. It does, however, carry the implication that human presence might trigger novel reactions in elven ruins.
In other news, I’ve convinced the human, Helena of Blackwell, to join me in coming to the current Althing. I intend to submit these notes to the Prime Synedrion, in addition to a formal introduction. It is my hope that the Synedrion will consider the unique opportunity this introduction provides, and act to establish relations between Humans and Weavers. While she claims to hold little sway in Human civilization, Helena has offered to lead an envoy back to her city, which is an offer that may not appear again.
-Notes of Ursula, First Panacea, on the first day of the forty-fifth week, in the twenty-third year of this Age.
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