[maikafanawen]

Ihwesta gathered her things together and had Arië help secure her quiver to her back after discarding it for their hunting game.

“Do you think he might have been Taken?” whispered the Younger anxiously. Ihwesta paused, it hadn’t crossed her mind and now she began to worry. “I mean, with the branch Reynion brought back—” Ihwesta laughed, cutting her off.

“That was orc work that was, and I’m sure Ceros knows it!” Crossing her pack’s strap over her left shoulder she pulled up the edges of the boots she had traded for her usual flat shoes and waited for Ceros to give the go-ahead. She retied her hair tightly into a long brunette ponytail adorned with feathers, and beads.

“Ceros, I think we should stay in groups, no-one should be on their own” said Taurëwen as she kept her gaze on the forest. Ihwesta agreed silently fleeting a glance at the she-elf. Her words were fine but Ihwesta felt liking taking orders from Ceros or no one for the time being. She had only met these elves before their trek and it wasn’t like her to give them the benefit of the doubt.

At that time Ihwesta looked towards Gilbereth who was looking at the woods dubiously changing his spot of attention haphazardly. He didn’t look like there was anything to fear at the moment until a shadow moved just under his gaze. Surprised he shook his head. When the shadow came and went a second time he moved forward and was, at that time, intercepted by Reynion who assumed he was going off on his own.

“Did you not hear her, child? She is more woodswise than you are and you would do well to listen to your elders,” he admonished quietly. Gilbereth, thinking his words a jest, tried a second time to move past him. Ihwesta set down her bow, narrowing her eyes as she saw the scene unfold.

“Look, child,” he continued seriously. “Those elves are smart enough to stay together. If you go out there alone, you will be out of all our hair, and I very much doubt that any of us would miss you. I don’t care what you have to prove by coming out here, getting yourself killed won’t do it.” That was enough and Ihwesta moved forward, shaking off Arië who tried to stop here.

“I’ll fancy that,” she said coldly. Reynion turned catching the irritated glint in her dark blue eyes. “He saw a shadow, I saw it at as well. It is unlike the elves of Mirkwood to be so unfeeling with their own.” Reynion, eyes peering at her uncertainly began to speak. Ihwesta interrupted. “You’ll do well,” she began firmly. “To keep your ‘woodwise’ opinions to yourself.”

“He’s a fop,” Reynion said in undertones so that Gilbereth might not hear. “If you think there’s hope in him, you teach him.” Ihwesta’s firm countenance faltered but her voice carried on.

“I will,” she said evenly. Then catching Gilbereth’s eye and beckoning him to join Arië and herself, stalked away from the seething Reynion.

Ihwesta, still put off by Reynion’s rude behavior towards Gilbereth be he fop or no, stood rigid as she peered into the woods.

“Alright Ihwesta, Arië,” said Ceros. “Ye two shall go ahead twenty or so yards. We’ll follow.” With that the two trackers, Ihwesta filtering her mood, moved off into the forest to hunt for the now four hour missing Airelómë.

‘Which way?’ mouthed Arië. Ihwesta crouched down so that her chin touched the soil.

‘This way,’ she answered, taking up her bow and shooting through the trees again. She shot too fast and came face to face with an orc. Unsheathing her long-knife she slashed through his throat before he could even register what had happened. Pulling his body then into a thicket so that his friends might not come upon him, she moved back to where Arië stood silent, surprised at the sudden encounter.

‘I knew it!’ Ihwesta cursed faintly, looking back the way their companions were soon to follow. At that moment a great crashing sound erupted in the forest and a monster, the size of a table appeared in the clearing just behind them, separating the trackers from the group. The two she-elves’ eyes widened in shock and they dove into the clearing trying to get around the creature they had now identified as a mutant spider.

“Ceros!” whispered Ihwesta frantically as she came upon them. “The Spawn of Ungoliant! Of Shelob! The legends are true indeed!” The elf’s expression slackened. The she-elf understood his feelings and knew that she’d laugh if someone had told her such a thing. “Look! I do not jest!” Grabbing him by the wrist she towed him near enough where he could get a decent view of the spider who had a small orc in it’s jowls. Ceros didn’t freeze but instead jolted into action giving distinct orders to the group who fanned out, surrounding the monster.

Ihwesta and Arië ran ahead, scouting for orcs and, as dreadful as it seemed to them, other spiders. What if they travel in multitudes? thought Ihwesta recklessly. What are our odds? Reaching back into her memory of education in the palace she remembered at least how the legendary heroes killed them. At that moment a distressed shout came from behind and the two turned to see Airelómë running towards them.

“Spiders!” he screamed. Baffled by the elf’s hysteria, both Arië and Ihwesta tried to restrain him. “Let me go!” he yelled threateningly. When they refused, Airelómë hit Ihwesta hard across the face. Shocked, she loosed her grip and the elf tore from Arië’s arms.

“He’s gone mad!” said Arië in terrified awe. “Come on Ihw—ooh—are you alright?” she said, seeing the welt across her face. The she-elf nodded firmly. “Well come on! We’ve got to do something!” Following Arië after their crazed companion, Ihwesta kept searching for more spiders as they pursued. “There!” shouted Arië. Airelómë had just disappeared from view behind a large aspen. As soon as he was out of sight a strangled scream came from where he stood and the two saw blood spray from behind the trunk. The trackers leapt into the tree and saw the hideous sight below them. A spider, bigger than the one in the clearing had pounced upon their elf friend and was now making a meal out of him, oblivious to those in the tree above.

Arië was first to realize his ignorance and lowered herself bravely so that she was just above him. Notching two arrows she shot him evenly in each of his largest eyes, the fluid pouring into his many others. Ihwesta, in her fury, took that chance to leap upon the ground, rolling under it so that her knives might plunge up into its belly releasing the putrid ingredients within. She moved just before they spilt out of the dying animal, and quickly wiped the poison from her blades before re-sheathing them.

“They do travel in packs,” said Arië somberly, leaping down from her place.

“We have to hurry!” said Ihwesta.

“But Aireló—” began the Younger. Ihwesta paused then turned, shaking her head slowly.

“We can’t touch him Arië. It’s safest. I’m sorry.” Ihwesta felt a pang of guilt. It were as though she was heartless to let a companion rot under the carcass of the enemy. But the poison in the once legend beasts was nefarious. Ihwesta wouldn’t risk it. Consenting reluctantly, Arië followed, tears forming in her eyes.

The two met up with Ceros and the rest.

“What happened?!” demanded their leader, his face taking in the bleeding welt across Ihwesta’s face and the dirt and blood upon both their clothes.

“Airelómë’s dead,” she said hoarsely. “Spider’s work.” She would leave out the part about his craziness for when Ceros and she were alone. It was the wrong time to share such information with the rest of her group. The fellowship, minus one of their friends hung their heads, tears dropping from the eyes of the females.

“Where is he?” asked Ceros. “Where is his body?”

“Underneath the spider’s that hath killed him. The poison runs through his useless blood Ceros. It would be unwise to touch him. We cannot bury him.” Then the tears came. Ihwesta wept for her harshness, the death of Airelómë, not being able to give him a proper burial, and even for losing her temper with Reynion. Suppose he had been killed! She wept on as Ceros comforted her, taking on the role of her brother.

The woods around them had been cleared of orcs, frightened by the spider’s appearance. The company was alone to mourn the first death among them. And the last swore Ihwesta. So help me Eru!