A/N - Thank you to Lya200, Lizzy721 and padfootl0ve for the favourites and follows.
No. 9 – "Run!"
Lancelot rolled his shoulders, his pauldron was digging into his neck uncomfortably. They'd been patrolling all day after a group of bandits had been spotted in the woods. Fortunately they hadn't seen hide nor hair of them so far.
"I'm hungry."
Lancelot smirked, of course Gwaine was getting bored.
"You're always hungry," Elyan commented, shoving Gwaine with his shoulder.
"Percival stole my luncheon," Gwaine grumbled.
"I think you'll find I won your luncheon, little man." Percival moved closer and shoved Gwaine too. Unlike Elyan's shove, which had barely moved Gwaine, Percival's made him stumble to the side and nearly fall over.
"Oi!" He punched Percival on the arm. Percival just laughed.
"I told you not to wager with your food, Gwaine," Leon said calmly, his eyes still trained on the trees around them.
Lancelot pulled his small pack from his belt, he still had a chunk of bread leftover. He tossed it to Gwaine. Gwaine caught it with a grin and tore a mouthful off with his teeth.
"Thanks, Lancelot," he said with his mouth full.
"We should be heading back soon," Leon called, trying to peer up through the trees to see the sun.
They were deeper into the forest than patrols usually took them, the trees were taller, the branches thicker, the ground beneath darker.
"Arthur will be pleased to hear there's no sign of the bandits anyway," Elyan said.
Leon hummed, but didn't answer, the frown still on his face. Lancelot knew why, there was a strange feeling this deep into the forest. The prickly feeling that they were being watched, the uncomfortable presence of someone just out of sight.
Lancelot drew his sword, catching Leon's eye. Leon also had his blade held ready. He hand signalled Lancelot to look one direction while he started the other way.
The other three knights had noticed the silent exchange and were now pulling their own weapons out, Gwaine stuffing the last of the bread in his mouth and brushing his hands on his breeches. They stood back to back and watched Leon and Lancelot scout to the sides.
Lancelot fought the urge to keep looking over his shoulder as he moved through the trees. It was too quiet, he hadn't noticed before but now he was focussed on it he realised there was no birdsong. No scurry and rustle of small rodents in the undergrowth.
He trod with silent steps, keeping his sword in front of him. His eye caught a glint of metal half hidden under scuffed mud. He crept forward. The ground was free of any plants here, the dark earth bare but for trailing roots. Spider webs clung to the low hanging branches. The hair on the back of Lancelot's neck began to prickle.
Strewn on the ground were several weapons; daggers, an axe, a broken crossbow. A torn brown cloak was dangling from a branch. He bent to examine the axe. There was something covering the blade, it had the consistency of blood but was black as coal and had an acrid stench to it. Beside the dropped axe was a small puddle of what definitely was blood.
Straightening quickly, he let out a piercing whistle, backing away from the scene. Moments later the other four knights had joined him. Gwaine picked up a dagger, running his gloved finger over the black blood, recoiling when he caught the smell.
"What happened?" Elyan whispered.
Lancelot shrugged.
"No bodies?" Percival said, peering behind trees. "Blood and weapons but no bodies?"
"Someone must have taken them."
"But why not take the weapons? This is a decent dagger." Gwaine balanced the dagger across his finger, it had good weight. "And what's this black stuff?"
"It's cursed." Elyan was eyeing the dagger Gwaine held with suspicion. "Put it down, Gwaine."
"But –"
"Do it," Leon snapped. "I think Elyan's right. We need to get back to Camelot and report this to Arthur."
Gwaine let the dagger drop to the floor with a thud, the noise startlingly loud in the quiet forest. Lancelot's gaze darted around again, he was sure he'd seen movement from the corner of his eye.
Percival was watching the trees, an uneasy expression on his face, his blade tip raised ready.
There was a sickening scuttling noise, they all whipped around to find its source and Elyan let out a cry of alarm. A giant spider, almost the size of a horse was scurrying towards them through the trees. Gwaine swore, scrabbling to unsheathe his sword. Lancelot, Leon and Percival closed the gap, until all five of them were standing shoulder to shoulder facing the advancing monster.
It was horrific, the way it moved, the growling chittering noise it made. Lancelot could feel Elyan's arm shaking beside him.
"Steady…" Leon held a hand up and they all readied themselves for the attack.
But then more appeared, dozens of them, swarming the root strewn floor and scuttling down tree trunks. Leon balked, let his hand drop and shouted "Run!"
As one they turned and ran. Lancelot could still hear the awful scuttling of the giant legs and the clicking of pincers as the beasts chased them. He leapt over a gnarled root protruding from the ground, his feet hammering into the floor.
"Gwaine!" Elyan screamed.
Lancelot turned, Gwaine had been pulled to the floor by one of the monsters. Elyan slashed at it with his sword, cutting one leg. Black acrid smelling blood oozed down the creature's hairy leg, dripping on Gwaine as he kicked at it from underneath.
The thing darted away as Elyan took another swing at it. But four more were racing over the ground behind him, he hadn't noticed.
"Run!" Lancelot yelled. He plunged forward, his sword flashing as he attacked the nearest spider as it bore down on Elyan and Gwaine. It let out a screech and turned to him. He thrust his sword into its head, surprised at the force he needed to cut through the flesh. The beast dropped, the other three climbing unceremoniously over it to get to him.
"Here!" Leon shouted, pulling the attention of one of them off Lancelot. He dispatched it quickly with a slice to its front legs and a stab to its body.
They were overrun as more and more emerged from the trees, circling them, pincers clicking. Their swords flashed and sang, human yells mixing with the inhuman shrieks of the monsters.
Percival had a pile of dead spiders at his feet, his claymore carving them easily. Gwaine and Elyan were back to back, fending the monsters off fiercely.
Lancelot spun, his sword striking again and again, but the creatures just kept coming. He was covered in the foul smelling black blood and sweat was trickling into his eyes. Still he battled on, spider after spider falling to his sword. Until pain exploded in his neck. One creature had grabbed him from behind, pulling him to the floor as it attacked his neck and sword arm.
He let out a cry, kicking at any part of it he could reach, his sword arm hanging loosely at his side. Suddenly Percival was there, killing the beast on top of Lancelot. It fell on him, heavier than it looked. Percival kicked it away.
"Here, get up." He hooked an arm under Lancelot's back, lifting him onto his feet. Lancelot stumbled, almost falling. Gwaine was at his side, pulling his arm over his shoulder to take Lancelot's weight.
"Just go. Run!" Lancelot shouted at them.
"We won't leave you," Percival gritted out, hacking at another spider as it dove down at them from the trees.
There was another scream and Elyan was on the floor, two spiders attacking his legs. Percival charged at them, knocking them both back with one swing of his claymore. Leon set upon them, shielding Elyan as Percival helped him to stand. Elyan almost crumpled again as he put weight on his legs.
"Help Elyan, I'm fine," Lancelot told Gwaine, pushing him as hard as he could in the chest. Gwaine gave him a worried look but ducked out from under his arm and ran to Elyan's side, stabbing a spider as it jumped at him.
Lancelot switched his sword to his uninjured arm, readjusting his grip. He cut back a spider from the side, stumbling forwards after the others. They continued running, as fast as Elyan could manage, the rest of them keeping pace as Gwaine almost carried him. Leon was at Lancelot's side, half an eye on him, checking his injury whilst he ran.
The trees began to thin out, ferns and brambles covering the floor again. The light of the setting sun burst through the sparse branches, bathing them in warmth and shining gold. With a nasty screeching the spiders dropped back, slinking away into the deeper darker trees.
They kept struggling forwards until they reached a clearing where the sun streamed uninterrupted down on them. Elyan was almost unconscious against Gwaine's side. Lancelot was fighting nausea as pain swept down his chest from his neck and shoulder. His pauldron had been ripped off and blood was seeping through his chainmail. Leon grabbed his arm as he swayed.
"Have they gone?" Gwaine was the first to speak, his voice unusually quiet.
"I believe so," Leon said, scanning the tree line, his sword poking at any shadow.
Once they were certain they weren't being followed by any more monster spiders, Percival sheathed his claymore on his back and hoisted Elyan into his arms. Elyan just groaned, his head lolling on Percival's shoulder.
"Let's get back to Camelot as quickly as we can." Leon squeezed Lancelot's arm. "Can you walk?"
Lancelot nodded. He could manage. He would crawl on his belly if it meant getting out of the forest.