[Tinuviel of Denton]

The mist was finally clearing, for which Reynion was profoundly grateful. He did not like being made afraid, and the mist had done just that. It angered him. He only hoped that everyone else was all right. Especially a certain elvenmaid, with golden hair…he shied away from that thought quickly. Things were quite complicated enough, thank you.

As the mist lifted, Reyn blinked hazily to allow his eyes to adjust to the comparative brightness of the daylight. Something crashed through the forest to his right, and a thin, wispy sort of voice whispered, “Thisss one doesssn’t look ssso juicy asss he could be. He hassn’t been eating right.”

He froze. The voice did not belong to an elf, nor a dwarf, nor yet a man. He turned slowly, loosening his belt-knife as he did so. It was a spider, though a great deal smaller than the ones that had attacked the elves before, perhaps younger. Which would mean that it was less experienced and would possibly be easier to kill. Though, that did not mean he would take ease for granted. “I’ve been eating quite well, hanon le. Perhaps you haven’t been doing so well yourself.” He chuckled a little, to cover up his nervousness. One did not simply take on one of Ungoliant’s spawn alone. He rather doubted that he’d survive.

“It’sss noisy, too. Well, we’ll let it hang in the treesss for a bitsy, then we’ll eat it all up,” the spider rejoined, angry that this food-creature was daring to insult it. It came closer, hissing and clicking its mandibles. Reynion tensed. He slid one of his knives out of its sheath and threw it into the spider’s eye. Enraged, the spider charged, heedless of its half-blindness. Reyn threw his second knife at its other eye, and dodged around a tree. He wished that Taurewen was with him; they’d serve this one as they had the other. As it was, he’d have to continue this game until the spider was worn out before he could kill it. He dodged around another tree and threw a third dagger. Only one left. It was then that the now thoroughly blinded and enraged spider staggered. It regained its feet and hissed. He threw his last knife, aiming for the vulnerable joint between the neck and the head. He did not miss. The spider’s body convulsed a few times, then lay still.

Reynion walked cautiously up to the body and tried to find his knives in the green/black ichor oozing from the body of the monster without getting the spider’s blood all over him. He had only recovered one of them when he heard the screams. He whirled and ran in the direction from which they came.

****

“Dear Eru…” he murmured as he picked his way through old webs and bones. There was a stink here, like old tombs. Or dea—he stopped. There were more spiders, many more. Several the size of the one he’d just killed were scurrying about the trees, spinning webs and hissing and chuckling to each other. There were two, nearly twice the size of the others and these were obviously the leaders, perhaps even the parents of the brood of hissing, malformed beasts in the trees above. There was a web behind them that held something that was moving, just barely enough to vibrate the web. One of the enormous spiders moved to the side, just a little.

Reynion’s heart stopped. Taurëwen… She was hanging in the middle of the web, with Eruwen suspended beside her. Gilbereth was lying on the ground, apparently d.ead, though perhaps he was only stunned. Reyn didn’t realize that he’d moved until the huge spider looked in his direction and hissed, “There’sss another of them, dearsss. More for sssupper.”

He had barely time to register the delighted clackings of the smaller spiders before they were upon him. Oops… he thought distractedly as he tried to fend off the creatures. Fire lanced through his left knee as one of the bigger monsters joined in. He slashed wildly with his sword and managed to break through the ring of spiders to the north. He looked back at Taurewen, then ran, ignoring the pain in his leg. He had to get away, find the others, bring them back. Somehow. He had to save her—them.

[ August 17, 2003: Message edited by: Tinuviel of Denton ]