Figures. She pockets the repentant beast and heads home.

Her cultists are so excited to see her! Meron wants to thank her for her attempts at decorating. Amdusias is yawning and struggling to stay awake while worshipping at the Shrine. Valefar is standing by the cookpot, gazing enrapturedly into the day's pot of stew.

She tries her best to be gracious to Meron, and advises Amdusias to go take a nap, and tells Valefar that she'd be thrilled to teach them to cook.

"Who, me?! But—but—"

"Just saying! No rush. Think about it."

"...y-yes, my lady..."

She wishes she could sleep. She so very very badly wishes she could sleep.

Instead she grumpily weeds the garden, and clears the Shrine's accumulated Devotion, and belatedly remembers that she should really unpocket the latest monsterfolk, and is probably more brusque with him than she should be.

The latest monsterfolk introduces himself as Eligos and is so, so grateful to become something other than a pustulent bat. He turns out as a green pigfolk.

Oh good. It's always heartening when she gets to fix the monsterfolk and they're happy about that.

Unfortunately, it's not heartening enough to solve her basic problem, which is that she's stressed and upset and badly needs a nap and can't have one because she doesn't sleep anymore. She tries doing excessive amounts of gardening, but it doesn't help nearly enough. Blessing all her followers actively makes it worse, and building her crown's Devotion-infusion station and stuffing it full of gold just leaves her even wearier. She wants to go out and kill things again but killing things is a pretty sketchy way to settle her feelings.

In this foul mood, she stomps out to the gates, more to glare at them than to try going through any.

An unexpected visitor is here!

.............................................

"Yesss, I can smell tasty critters near..."

.......................................................................................

"I stays here, there's enough for you and enough for me."

"Don't let your Followers wander away..."

"...you never know who might be nearby and hungry!"

Something snaps.

"You'd better PRAY none of my Followers go missing," she snarls, advancing with sword drawn, "because if I find someone gone, and you don't personally give them back to me when I come calling, I won't care if it's your fault or not, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and RIP YOUR SMUG FACE OFF."

"...ah..."

The fanged smile disappears. The spiderfolk leans back slightly, as though pressed by the tangible force of the Lamb's wrath.

"...tasty morsel for sale?" they offer weakly, gesturing to the portable wooden frame on which they have webbed their latest captive. "Only 50 gold. Very good price."

If only she hadn't just used all her gold for her crown's latest project.

"Get out," she says tiredly.

The spiderfolk hefts their captive onto their back, frame and all, and scuttles away between the trees. They leave behind a smudged purple calling card.

One glance at it, and the Red Crown deciphers a location.

The Lamb sighs and rubs her face with her hands and trudges back to the compound to call everyone together for an announcement.

"I just met a nasty spiderfolk outside who likes eating people. I think I scared him off, but you probably shouldn't venture out alone, just in case."

Reactions range from a terrified Hutrear to an unperturbed Eligos to a barely-awake Amdusias, but everyone choruses, "Yes, Leader!"

Unfortunately that just makes her feel even more tired. She wonders if that stranger Valefar found in the woods got away, or if the spiderfolk captured them. She wonders if she's going to end up buying them next chance she gets. She wonders if it's already too late.

She decides to quit wondering and find a more productive use for her time. Where's Valefar?