[Maegaladiel]

Beneath the castle at Minias Tirith lay a web of tunnels and passageways. The secret entrance to the labyrinth had been long forgotten by all of the residents of Gondor...all, that is, except Lhingril. He had stumbled across the catacombs several years ago, and had made them his temporary headquarters. Only he and his cohort, Barahil, knew of its existance. Or so he hoped.

His dark eyes scanned the dimly-lit hall around him. Now where was that blasted door again? Ah, yes. Making sure he was alone, Lhingril approached a stone in the wall engraved with a spider. His personal signature.

Placing his palm over the stone, the cracked outline of a door appeared. As it creaked open, several baby giant spiders scurried deeper into the tunnels in surprise. Lhingril could hear the click-click-click of arachnid legs tapping against stone as ‘his children’ hurried out to find a new hiding spot, and perhaps something to eat. They were his most faithful and loyal subjects, and had strict orders to guard these caverns from intrusion.

Inside the secret hall was dark and cool, and the ceiling and walls were covered in resting
spiders, giant and regular sized. An unfortunate rat hung in a spider web in one corner, dead. Lhingril smiled to himself. Something about spiders and torturing prisoners always seemed to cheer him up. He pushed open a door at the end of the hall. In the near-darkness, a figure was slumped in a chair, bound with spider-rope. Lhingril gave a mock bow.

“Your Majesty,” he said in a singsong voice, “Welcome back to the land of the living. For
now, at any rate. I do hope you slept well.” Lhingril threw back his head and laughed.

[ March 06, 2003: Message edited by: Maegaladiel ]