[Nevtalathiel]

*****DALE-GIRION*****

Girion unsheathed his sword and listened intently, his eyes flitting across the trees in the hope of discovering the danger. The whole group was by now silent, watching and waiting with baited breath.

Slowly, a sound reached Girion's ears, a clicking, scratching, scraping sound of many stiff limbs moving carefully and with purpose. In the dim twilight ahead of him beneath the trees, he could see something moving. Long, dark legs moved stiffly but with apparent ease and speed towards the assembled elves, dwarves and men.

A shiver ran down Girion's spine and his legs felt suddenly numb. Through the trees an enormous spider crept, slinking with fluid motions and undoubted purpose. Its hairy legs feeling ahead of it, always pointing towards the group, it crawled closer.