Yeah, hi everyone! I am really, really, really sorry for taking so long to update. Had huge drama going on. First, rehearsals for our school play began and I am a part of it. Second, I switched subjects at my school, so now I need to catch up on last year's work, and last term's in about eight weeks before exams start again. And third, my sister was hogging the laptop again…
Oh well, I am back and will try and update again as fast as possible.
Review Response:
PurpleFairy11: Thanks, I certainly try :)
Lady Arien of Rohan: Quite appropriate XD
alliesmiley2: Here ya are! More of the story :D
Thilbo4Ever: Yeah, in actual fact, the friend on which I have based Quinn's character has a real fear of spiders, so I've incorporated that into her character too. For the hilarity of it XP
jannelleliu: Thanks, I will try!
Amy: I think I just did XD
Edit: One of my friends pointed out I wrote 'Bombut' instead of 'Bombur'. Fixed it now XP
Chapter 21 – Spiders and Elves
Bilbo felt himself being dragged along by his feet. As he opened his eyes, he quickly realized he was covered in something very unnatural. Then it all came rushing back.
The climb to find the sun, his mind clearing of the Mirkwood air, the trees shaking, his feet getting caught on something and falling, Ember's scream and Thorin's holler, and…
Oh dear…
He came to a stop as the Spider seemed to inspect him. Taking deep breathes to steel himself, he quickly made a grab for his sword, which thankfully was still attached to his belt. As the Spider's pedipalp moved over his face, he quickly stabbed it in the gut. The Spider roared and chittered in pain, before he shoved it aside. It crashed into a branch on its descent, before landing hard on the ground.
Bilbo quickly sat up and tore at the webs that covered him. He looked around and saw, to his horror, even more Spiders roaming the trees, with bundles hanging upside down. He realized with terror the bundles were the rest of the Company. Although, there seemed to be two missing. He could distinguish from the other bundles that Thorin and Ember were not there. Then his eyes fell on an oddly shaped bundle. To his amusement, he noticed the Spiders had wrapped them into a very compromising position. He smiled for a split second before he remembered his dilemma.
How was he going to save them?
As he stood thinking, he heard more branches snapping. His eyes widened as a sudden thought came to him. Digging around in his pocket, he pulled out his magic ring, and placed it on his finger.
The world faded immediately, colors all blurring together, except for the gold of the ring. Just as he got used to the feeling, voices hit his ears.
"Kill them! Kill them. Eat them now while their blood is running." Oh dear, sweet Yavanna…He could understand the Spiders now.
"Their hide is tough, but there's good juice inside." Another said.
"The three females should be left until last. Their blood is always the sweetest." Another interrupted.
"Stick it again! Stick it again. Finish it off." A Spider had made his way to the fattest bundle, quite obviously Bombur. All of a sudden, the bundle began to wriggle. He managed to kick an approaching Spider in the face. It shrieked.
"The meat's alive and kicking!" It cried.
"Kill him! Kill him now! Let us feast!" Another goaded. Bilbo quietly stood up and began to move towards them. The Spiders began chanting.
"Feast. Feast. Feast. Feast." They all made their way to the separate bundles, clicking their pincers in excitement.
"Eat them alive!" Bilbo realized now was as good a time as ever. He grabbed the stick that lay on the branch he stood on, and threw it to his left. The stick clattered as it fell to the ground. His distraction worked. The Spiders back off the bundles, all eight eyes searching for the source.
"What is it? What is it?" They all cried, moving quickly over the branches towards the sound. All except one. Bombur was still awake and struggling. The Spider seemed too happy about that.
"Fat and juicy." It nipped the web binding Bombur's legs to the branch and he fell. "Just a little taste."
Bilbo swung his little letter opener at the Spider's rump. It hissed and spun around, roaring at his invisible attacker. Bilbo swung at it again, catching his leg. He block the sharp fangs when they got too close to his face.
"Curse it! Where is it!? Where is it!?" It cried out. Bilbo's cheeky Tookish nature made an appearance as he pulled off the ring.
"Here." He said, before stabbing the attercop right between the eyes. The Spider spoke still.
"Ah! It stings! It stings!" Bilbo pulled his sword out and watched as the spider made his descent. He pulled his sword back to eye level and studied it for a moment.
"Sting. That's a good name. Sting." Bilbo quickly slashed his way through the webs, cutting down the bundles as he went, the fell to the forest floor gently, the webs below them catching them as they went. As soon as each one hit the floor, they began to wriggle and groan.
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Thorin groaned as he came to rest, a strange warm weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to welcome the unkindly sight of webs surrounding his vision. The weight on his chest stirred and he managed to look down. His eyes widened.
"Ember, are you hurt?" He asked urgently, gently caressing her face. Ember blinked as she regained consciousness.
"I…don't think so." She muttered, before she looked around her. When she saw the webs, her breath quickened and she started to struggle. "Thorin…Thorin!" Her cry sounded terrified, and Thorin realized her distress came from the webs surrounding them. He quickly began waving his arms about tearing the webs away.
"Get this off of us!" He called out, and immediately three sets of hands came to their aid. As soon as they were free, Thorin took Ember into his arms. She hugged him back as her breath raced. "It's alright. Everything is alright." Ember took deep breathes as she buried her face in Thorin's neck. His hand ran through her hair, while the other rubbed her back.
A whimper sounded from the back, and Ember lifted her head and looked over Thorin's shoulder at Quinn, who seemed to be shaking in her boots. She was watching the trees. Ori was trying to get her attention.
"Quinn, what is it?" She was silent for a few seconds more…
Then she began screaming bloody murder and ran off into the trees, waving her arms around. The Dwarves, shocked by her strange performance, looked to her friends first, then at whatever Quinn had been staring at. As soon as they did, they wished they didn't.
"Run. Run!" Thorin shouted as he pulled Ember to her feet, grabbing her hand and pulling her along while he held Orcist in the other. They did not get far however when the Spiders surrounded them. He quickly pushed Ember behind him. "Stay behind me." He said as he slashed at an approaching Spider. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bombur on his back keeping the Spider's pincers at bay with only his hands. The Company quickly ran to him and grabbed the Spider's legs out from under him, pulling until the legs detached.
Ember gasped as a Spider knocked Thorin over, and Orcist fell from his grasp. Terrified out of her wits, she grabbed the Elvish blade and drove it into Spider's side. It hissed and fell to the side, releasing Thorin in the process. He stood up and grabbed his sword back, taking her hand and squeezing it gratefully before focusing on the battle again. After taking care of the Spiders they ran on.
"We're clear!" Thorin shouted just as another Spider sank down to the ground in front of them. Just then, Ember saw the blonde hair approaching.
"Thorin!" She cried in warning. He looked up.
With great agility and speed, the blonde haired elf jumped and caught the silk string the Spider was currently using to sink to towards the ground. He spun around the string twice before letting go and landing on the Spider's back. With the force of the fall the Spider detached from his string and fell to the ground, allowing the elf to use him as a sled down a small hill. As it slowed to a stop, the elf used the momentum to jump of and slide further on his back, grabbing his dagger and slicing the Spider in front of them right down the middle. As he came to rest he quickly switched to a kneeled position, arrow already poised at Thorin's forehead. At that moment dozens of Elves appeared, all aiming arrows at the Company.
For the first few seconds, Amelia and Ember could only stare at the Elvish Prince of Mirkwood.
"Do not think I won't kill you, Dwarf. It would be my pleasure." Legolas said as he pulled the bow even tighter. More elves closed in on them, when a very high pitched scream, that caused the elves to wince and the dwarves to cover their ears rang out through the woods. Another scream followed after that, as well as a cry for help. Fili recognized it instantly.
"Kili!"
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Kili had broken away from the Company when he had spotted Quinn running around like a wild thing, swatting Spiders in their faces when they got too close. He quickly tried to help her, but then she suddenly fell to the floor and curled up into a ball muttering to herself that the Spiders weren't real. This made it impossible to run, so he stayed and fought. Of course, he had not counted on losing his sword…
He fell on his back as the Spider knocked him over. As the Spider began to drag him by his feet, he tried to find purchase in the leaf-covered ground.
A red-haired elf came running through the trees, jumping on one of the approaching Spiders, then jumping off and shooting the next one with an arrow to slow it down before doing a tuck-and-roll, grabbing her daggers on the way and stabbing the Spider right between the eyes. She turned and sliced the one coming up behind her, using her momentum to spin and stab the Spider in the chest. Spinning and quickly switching her daggers for her bow and arrow again, she shot and killed the Spider trying to drag Kili away. As it fell, Kili turned and spotted the elf, as well as the Spider coming up behind her. As the spider roared, she grabbed one of her daggers again, slicing the Spider. Kili stood and turned, noticing another Spider, coming up fast.
"Throw me a dagger! Quick!" The ef held the Spider's pincers at bay with her bow as she spoke.
"If you think I'm giving you a weapon, Dwarf, you're mistaken." With that said, she sliced the underbelly of the creature in front of her, and then threw that same dagger right between the eyes of the one that was just about to bite Kili's head off. Kili turned and stared at her in amazement.
A small whimper drew their attention. Kili turn and saw Quinn in a shivering heap, tears streaming down her face. The elf frowned, noticing her for the first time. Kili immediately kneeled by her side and tried to calm her, but she seemed to be having none of it, she kept swatting his hands away until another set joined them. Kili watched as the elf took the struggling Quinn into her arms, cradling her against her chest and started to hum. Quinn struggled less and less until finally, loud sniffs were the only thing to indicate her past experience. Slowly, the elf helped her back onto her feet, then indicated that Kili should follow.
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"Search them." Legolas ordered, as several elves closed in on them. They began to mutter to each other in Sindarin, with Ember, Amelia and a much calmer Quinn only catching snippets of the conversation. Amelia watched with growing astonishment as the elf checking Fili just kept on pulling blade upon blade from just about everywhere on his body.
'Great, he had to be a human-porcupine.' She thought just as Gloin's rather upset voice
"B'ey! Give it back! That's private!" Legolas opened the silver locket he had just taken off of Gloin and looked at the two pictures inside.
"Who is this? Your brother?" He asked, rather rudely. Gloin was affronted.
"That is my wife!" He stated plainly, as Legolas studied the next picture.
"And what is this horrid creature? A Goblin-mutant?" The girls bit their cheeks in an effort not to laugh. That was the one thing they wondered about. Did Legolas ever confess to Gimli that he had in fact insulted him in front of his father?
"That's my wee lad, Gimli." As Legolas raised an eyebrow, Tauriel came striding towards him.
"Gyrth in yngyl bain?" (Are the spiders dead?) He asked as she approached.
"Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyrnnan yrn. Egain nar." (Yes, but more will come. They are growing bolder) She replied. Just then, one of the elves called Legolas presenting him with Orcist.
"Echannen i vegil hen vin Gondolin. Magannen nan Gelydh." (This is an ancient Elvish blade. Forged by my kin.) He said as he inspected the sword. He stared at Thorin.
"Where did you get this?" He asked.
"It was given to me." Thorin said, speaking truth. Legolas suddenly pointed the sword at Thorin's throat.
"Not just a thief, but a liar as well." He said.
"Ere' ten' ro naa y' Naugrim, lle yela ho y' Cam'wethrin." (Only because he is a dwarf, you call him a thief.) All of the elves turned swiftly to Ember, who stood with her head held high as Legolas approached her.
"Why do women like you…" Legolas said, gesturing to the other girls. "Travel with these dwarves?" Ember stood defiantly and sneered at him.
"Amin uma il- elea mankoi tanya naa ante, Legolas Greenleaf." (I do not see why that is needed, Legolas Greenleaf.) Legolas recoiled as she spoke his name harshly. How she even knew it was beyond him. One of his men stepped forward.
"Dina n'ala lye taren!" (Be silent before our Prince!) Ember looked him up and down before sneering.
"Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathagir." (I can say what I wish, and y'all won't understand me.) Amelia and Quinn both giggled at her insult, while the dwarves looked confused, and the elves shocked. Legolas shook himself out of his stupor.
"Enwenno hain!" He shouted, and the elves began to push the dwarves along. As Bofur passed Thorin, he quickly whispered to him.
"Thorin, where's Bilbo?" Thorin looked around, hoping beyond hope that Bilbo was out there and following them. He caught Ember's eye as he turned back and she winked at him. He understood.
Bilbo was coming for them.