[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

Telmir let out a bloodcurdling shriek as he watched the spider advance toward him. He struggled in the web, but there was no part of his body that wasn't firmly entangled. Morachion's eyes glimmered in the faint light, and Telmir screamed again. He sobbed in terror and tears ran down his face. "Mother!" he yelled aloud as the spider's fangs sank into his shoulder.

The small limp bundle was easily wrapped and dragged to the side for later, and Morachion retreated to the shadows once more.
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Farien heard the scream and jerked upright. "Eregiath!" she whispered, clutching at his sleeve. Her husband had been sleeping but she shook him urgently awake. "Eregiath, that's Telmir! I know it's Telmir!" her voice rose in hysteria. "What are they doing to my child!" she clung to his hand.

Eregiath struggled to his feet, dragging his hysterical wife with him. "Hush, Farien!" he snapped, in a voice filled with irritation brought on by fatigue and worry. Immediately he regretted it, as Farien's face crumpled into a look of utter despair. Pulling her close he kissed her forehead and spoke soothingly to her. She wept and buried her face in his shoulder. Eregiath felt like crying too. All her defiance, all her strength, brought to this. He hated the orcs, hated Mordor.

Looking over Farien's shoulder as he held her he watched an orc running to the place the screams had come from. "Farien," he whispered, "get a stone... Can you distract that orc long enough for me to get to his weapons?" Farien looked up at him, her tear filled eyes glowing. She nodded.

Disregarding everything else, Farien and Eregiath hurled through the doorway. The one orc was standing beside a massive spiderweb. Farien barely looked at it, but threw herself onto the orc's back, smashing at it with a fist sized stone. The ugly creature shook her off like a fly and she fell back against the stone walls. Regaining her feet she flung herself at it again and clung. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Eregiath fly out of the shadows. He hit the unsuspecting orc from behind, and all three landed in a heap on the stone floor. Farien's breath hissed out of her as the orc fell on top of her. But she heard the ring of steel and realized that Eregiath had its sword.

"Farien move!" he screamed, as he raised the sword above it's head. She didn't think she could, but she shoved the bulk of the orc off her and squirmed out from underneath it, just as Eregiath's stroke fell.

Farien fumbled at the fallen orc's waist, coming up with a dagger. Breathless she turned to Eregiath. "Where's Telmir?" Eregiath's face looked glum. Farien's eyes went wild. "Where is he Eregiath? Telmir!" Her husband lifted one hand and pointed to a small silk wound bundle beside the doorway. Farien drew breath sharply. That wasn't Telmir. Couldn't be.

One stroke of the dead orc's dagger opened the curtain of web, and Farien rushed into the small room.

"MAMMA!" A shriek from the corner of the room. A barely recognizable Serra flew out of the shadows and into Farien's arms. Arrin was close behind, pale and silent. She scooped them both up and held them in her arms. Her eyes scanned the room for Telmir, but he wasn't there.

The children... she thought, wincing at the sight of their terrified faces. That one must be Georelelia's girl, she thought, gazing at the white face of Emilia, who had seen the spider take Telmir. The two little boys were Iavas'... and the baby. Oh the poor baby!

Eregiath spoke from behind her. He was holding Telmir in his arms, still half shrouded in silky threads. His face was a pasty white color "We can't take all of them, Farien." he said sadly. "We need to get Telmir out." She nodded slowly, and the two of them dashed from the room, their children clutched tightly.

The rest of the prisoners sat up fast as Farien and Eregiath darted through toward the main exit. Feet stumbling a bit on the uneven stone floor Farien fought to keep up. She was carrying two children as she ran, and she feared that Eregiath would leave her behind. A lone orc guard stood by the doorway, Eregiath slashed at it with the sword and it fell back in momentary surprise. It was all they needed. Farien and Eregiath dashed out the door and into the woods, the bellowing guard the last sound they heard from the caves.

Some yards away from the orc camp Farien slowed, gasping for air. Eregiath heard her footsteps slow and turned and waited. "We mustn't stay." he said quickly. "They'll find us."

She shook her head wearily, "I can't run anymore." Tears dripped down her dirty face and she sobbed softly. "I just can't."

Tiny fingers moved in her hair as she stood defeated, and a small voice said in her ear, "It's okay now, Serra. Mamma came, it's okay." Farien kissed Arrin's head, coming back to herself a little.

"Yes, Arrin, it's alright now, Mamma came."