[maikafanawen]

Gonungol reared up and Ihwesta was granted a complete view of his colossal size. He was easily three times the size of the second largest ungol. Each of his spindly legs measured Ihwesta's height and his hollow fangs appeared to be dripping venom from their bulbs. His backside was bent under him so that his silk glands had a clear shot ahead of him. Gonungol's appearance, the she-elf admitted to herself, was magnificent. Had they been a more innocuous species, she'd have loved to stay and draw them. Her father would have been fascinated.

She was drawn away from her thoughts by his cackling voice.

"Oh yes, my precious morsel, we shall see how your frail blade will do against my own!" Ihwesta snarled, and gripped her sword tightly before her as he continued. "I will cut off your limbs and reattach them again with my silk. Then once you're wrapped up nicely I'll begin to pump your life away, bit—" he moved closer "—by—" and closer "—bit!" The silk shot out at Ihwesta as fast as a lightning crack forked its way across the sky. She dogged it first then sliced at it second, sending the severed threads flying off into the trees.

The chase began, and Gonungol followed with his silk lashing out at the she-elf from all angles.

"You will get tired quickly edhel!" Ihwesta leapt onto the branches of an oak as the silk wound its way after her. "Come down treasured!" She flipped down just as one of the silvery strands groped at the air where she had just been.

She kicked up leaves and dust as she dogged Gonungol's claws as they struck down upon her. Unable to watch both the silk glands and his legs, she tripped over a velvety segment and the bristling hairs launched their barbs into her left leg. She yelled in anguish, dragging her self behind a nearby beech followed by the spider's laughing.

"Alright then treasured? Are we done playing now?" Ihwesta pressed her eyes closed, tears of pain streaming down her cheeks. Her leg pulsated as the barbs sunk deeper, digging away at her flesh. "Come out, come out!" Gonungol guffawed again not bothering to move as he enjoyed his dinner's pain. "I am hungry!" he shouted threateningly. The she-elf shuddered and then gripped her sword again. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to a standing position. Gonungol sensed her movement. "Oh good," he chortled, "I was getting impatient."

Ihwesta moved from behind the tree, a rigid figure wracked with pain. She laboriously cut away at the first silk net the spider threw at her and dogged the first, hitting the ground with an excruciating thud. Gonungol roared with laughter as Ihwesta let a sob escape her lips. One of his legs the sunk its claws into her right leg and pulled her forward as she screamed. He stopped when she was right under him, the fangs inches from her face. All it would take was a small jolt of movement from the spider to end her life.

"I told you that you could not win edhel. You should have listened to me. It would have saved you much pain!" As he reared up to provide his treasured the fatal strike, Ihwesta pulled her sword from beneath her and thrust it into his underbelly, rolling from under him just in time. The blood and venom oozed forth from the wound, and Gonungol began to twitch. His legs collapsed from beneath him and he hit the ground, shoving the blade deeper into his body. He roared in agony, squirming as Ihwesta's sword cut through his insides. "Nasty elves!" he shrilled. "A curse on you all! Enemies of the great brood of Ungoliath!" And then he gasped his last and went still.

"Go back to the darkness Gonungol…where thou hast spawned." At the death of their chief, the rest of the spiders retreated into the darkness of the forest, leaving the able-bodied elves to tend their wounded in peace.

So ended the first battle of the elves verses their spider foe.

Ihwesta resisted collapse to make her way over to where the others sat crouched around Gilbereth who was unconscious from blood-loss. Reynion and the temporarily puerile Taurëwen had done what they could to stop the blood flow and wrapped the stump in makeshift bandages. She was then gathered up into the arms of Ceros who supported her.

"We cannot stay here so unprotected," Ceros said, lifting Ihwesta so he carried her like a child, curled up in her painful frailty. "Let us move into the darker trees where there is a clearing. Here we can tend to them while Reynion, and Ainemetion will keep up guard. With a little instruction from Taurëwen, Arië and I will do what we can."

So the Younger led Eruwen and Taurëwen before her, guiding them towards the clearing Ceros mentioned as the other four followed, Gilbereth supported by Reynion and Ainemetion. They had not yet reached the clearing when Ihwesta's consciousness fled her mind.