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Wen requests her, so she goes, toes plapping against the ground as she hurries to answer.
Princess is familiar with where Wen has called her. There are remnants of her old webs on the ground, and so she relaxes. She will not be needed to fight right now.
Too bad. Fighting always means a meal.
She follows Wen's scent along the ground, finding her quickly. Her spinnerets lay a fresh trail of silk, reiterating that this is her camp as much as the rest of the party's. Wen has chosen a dark corner of the camp, making Princess feel secure, but she can faintly see the vague, flickering shapes of the fires.
Princess raises her pedipalps, finding Wen's outstretched hand waiting for her. She gently touches along Wen's body, seeing what has changed from the last time she'd been called. Wen is warm, as she always is, and does not taste of blood this time. Her laugh resonates up Princess's palps and along her legs.
She can feel Wen speaking and recognizes the vibrations that match her name. She flexes her fangs curiously, taking a step closer. Princess had also tasted the traces of the others that Wen travels with on the ground, but she can feel the breath of only one standing close by. They seem to be speaking as well, because Wen answers them again.
Then, suddenly, the air is electric—making every hair on her body tingle, sending Princess skittering backwards a few steps—and there is another spider in front of her.
Terrified, Princess raises her palps and her front legs, making herself as big and imposing as she can. She flexes her chelicerae, hissing sinisterly, hoping to scare the intruder away from her and Wen.
The other spider takes a few confident steps forward and Princess brings down her front legs, slapping the ground and making Wen stumble back a few steps. Around them, the others in camp begin yelling, vibrating the hairs on her legs, making her hiss again.
A yell from Wen makes everything stop. Princess flinches, the sound sharp against her, but that is the last thing she senses. The camp has gone silent, and for a few precious moments, things stay still.
Wen says her name again, quieter this time, and Princess slowly puts her legs back down on the ground.
With the threat past, Princess flexes her fangs and rubs her front two sets of legs together, soothing her overstimulated hairs.
She picks up the vibrations of Wen's voice and the other spider approaches again. Princess freezes as the steps come closer, though she is sure Wen would not let her come to harm.
She raises her front legs again, though not nearly as high, stretching them out curiously. The other spider halts, but does not reciprocate the motion. How odd.
In an effort to gain more information, Princess circles around the strange being. Though it had moved about, she can't taste any web this supposed spider has laid, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Is this even another spider at all? It acts nothing like one!
It steps closer to Princess again, hissing and clicking like it's trying to replicate Wen's speech. Princess stays stock still, unsure what to do with this creature, nor what it wants with her.
But there is one last thing that Princess can check. This creature could not possibly be a mate, but she decides to try this approach anyway. She drums her palps and her front legs on the ground in a rhythm that is innate to her and waits.
Nothing. There is no responding drum, not even a shaking of the body. She tries again, patting the web that they both sit on in case the other hadn't felt it. But the other spider—though could she really consider it another spider?—sits there, as if confused by her display.
Thoroughly convinced this creature is no threat now, Princess places her palps on it, trying to figure out what it is. The other spider flinches at her touch, but lets her feel around, anyway.
It feels like a spider, tastes like a spider, but does not act like a spider. It is strange. Before she can decide if the false spider might make a promising meal, the electricity in the air dissipates and the creature is gone. Princess can no longer sense a spider, but can feel the second voice from earlier.
She freezes again, her fangs stretching in question. Behind her, Wen laughs. Princess turns to her, finding her hand outstretched yet again. She feels her name reverberate through their connection and knows she is free to go.
Princess disappears amongst the trees, back to her hide to wait for meal to walk her way.