Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.
Chapter Seventeen
The four Elflings stared up as the spider loomed over them. It wasn't moving, but stood looking down at them, its pincher-like mandibles clicking softly.
Legolas looked at the spider with horror and disgust, Elladan and Elrohir with nearly the same emotions and dread as well. They had had enough to do with spiders, and desired no more.
Tylendal, however, noticed something the others had not from his vantage point at the right side of the spider.
A black arrow was piercing one of the long legs.
Only one creature used black arrows with those black feathers as well. Orcs. And since spiders do not travel far away from their nests during the winter, the orcs must have driven the spider away, which means they are near.
He turned to say this to the others, but saw them advancing on the spider.
"No!" He cried. He had no clue where the spider came from, and maybe it could lead them back to the nest.
"What? Why not?" Legolas said incredulously. A spider so close to the festival was dangerous. It had to go.
"Look, there, an arrow do you see? Black. Black feathers, black wood, inexpertly made, orc arrow that is. Near they must be since spiders leave not their nests during winter." He explained, moving closer, slowly, to the spider.
It clicked its pinchers again, but stood still as the Elfling approached. He drew his knife, and the spider cringed immediately. It would have been rather funny to see so large a spider cowering from an Elfling no larger than one of the knees on its long legs.
Tylendal held up a hand, telling the others to keep their distance. He spoke softly to it. It was common knowledge that the spiders had some sort of intelligence, since they could speak to one another. Maybe it could understand his intentions.
It might have worked, or the spider might have decided not to fear him, but it calmed and allowed him to view the arrow. He raised his knife, and the spider tensed. With a quick slash, he severed the visible part of the arrow off.
Moving back to the front of the head, he looked it in its many eyes. "Now, to your nest you will lead us. Find the foul yrch, we shall, aye, and remove them."
Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas shook their heads, thinking the cold had gone to their friend's head. Talking to a spider as if it understood? It probably was not killing him because it was too cold. But to their amazement, the spider stood up straighter, turned around and walked away.
It stopped for a moment, before looking back as if expecting them to follow. Looking at each other, they glanced at Tylendal who had started to follow.
"Tylendal, you don't expect us to get rid of a bunch of orcs by ourselves, do you?" Elladan said, disbelief coloring his voice.
"Nay, foolish that would be. Go to see and then, help we fetch. Location we need to know before we lead warriors in." The Elfling said matter-of- factly.
"Oh, if that is all." Elrohir muttered.
They followed the spider as it moved with surprising stealth through the trees. Only Tylendal had his knife, and that was because he was going to do one of the knife throwing competitions. The others were weaponless.
The spider halted suddenly, pointing one long leg towards a tangled mess of trees.
"Figures it'd be dark and spooky looking." Legolas whispered, drawing nervous giggles from the twins.
Tylendal crept ahead, stopping at a large tree and climbing up quickly. Legolas looked at the twins, before shrugging and following.
They stepped onto a thickly foliaged branch that overlooked the clearing between the tangled trees. Though it was winter, Mirkwood's trees never lost all their leaves.
Orcs were sitting in the clearing, laughing and cooking some sort of meat over a fire. Old webs hung about from the trees, and two orcs were stuck in them, though their companions did not try to help.
Elladan shifted for a better look, and accidentally bumped a long dead branch, sending it crashing to the ground.
All the orcs looked up, before standing and howling in glee.
"Look, boys! Some tree squirrels seemed to have found their way into our camp! What say you we invite them to join us?" One shouted, readying his spear to throw.
The four Elflings immediately tried to back out, but the orcs quickly surrounded the tree and readied more of their black arrows. They immediately froze.
"Get down here." The orc snarled. The Elflings immediately backed off, higher up the tree and using the foliage for cover.
With a snarl the orc threw his spear. Elladan and Elrohir ducked, Legolas leaped to a higher branch, and Tylendal had no choice but to drop low.
And an orc leaped up with a shout and grabbed his ankle, yanking him off the branch.
Elladan and Elrohir immediately tried to grab him, while Legolas reached down and caught his hand, before he was pulled down too. Elladan snagged the back of his tunic and together he and his brother hauled the Elven Prince back up. Tylendal was pulled down and held tightly.
The orc who had been speaking leveled his ugly face right up to Tylendal's.
"Well, little one. If yer friends don't want to play, you will have to do." He said, fingering a nasty looking knife.
Tylendal scowled, before lashing out with his knife, which he had grabbed quicker than the orcs' could follow. He caught the orc right across the face, along one eye.
Howling, the orc stumbled back, and others closed in around Tylendal, snarling their rage.
Legolas watched, terrified. He was about to lose his friend, and he could do nothing. Elladan and Elrohir grabbed his arm, pulling him farther into the trees.
"What? What are you doing?" He said incredoulsy.
"To get help! If we stay, they might catch one of us! We need to get help!" Elrohir shouted. Legolas shook his head stubbornly.
"Fine! I'll stay here and try and help, you two go and fetch the King and father!" Elladan shouted, pushing both towards the field.
They took off, reluctantly, but they did go.
A sudden shrieking filled the air as Elladan approached. The spider had arrived.
But to help the enemy or them?
The answer was clear when to their surprise the spider burst in among the orcs, hissing and spitting.
Long legs flailed and thrashed, knocking orcs across the clearing. Mandibles clicking, the spider reared over the stunned orcs. Tylendal scrambled out of the way as the spider thudded to the ground.
Elladan shouted, and leaped to the ground, but a hand grabbed him and held him back from attacking the orcs. He glanced over his shoulder to see his brother.
"Help is on the way, just stay away from the fighting. Father said to." The youngest son of Elrond said. Elladan glanced back to where Tylendal was running to catch up to them, and sighed. He left with Tylendal into the trees to await the oncoming help.
~*~*~*
Thranduil and Elrond paled when they heard the news, before shouting out for warriors and heading off after Legolas. The young Prince had said he had left Elladan to watch out for Tylendal, and Elrohir at the edge of the clearing.
They gathered their warriors, and headed off.
Reaching the edge of the clearing, they saw Elladan and Elrohir stumbling out. Behind them came Tylendal, and behind him, a large spider.
With a roar, they charged the spider.
~*~*~*
Alida Fruit: Lol, thanks for your reviews. I also updated Darkness Falls too. Glad you like it.
Dae: lol, more "funness" for you.
Itarilde-elenastar: You are SO enthusiastic with your reviews, I feel so honored! I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy my stories.
Coolio02: Thank you very much. Yep, Elladan got Tylendal that time.
Silverknight7: thanks for your review!
Feanen: Glad you liked it, and hope you continue to do so.
Deana: I liked it, and it was a spur of the moment thought. Thanks for your review!
Wynjara: Well, Elladan can do revenge as well. Thought it might be an interesting scene for him to get picked on once!
Wow, lots of reviews. I'm not complaining! Keep it up; I love hearing what you think!
Lol, this story was originally going to be ten chapters long. Whoops! Overstepped my expectations! Lol, I don't know exactly when this story will be finished or how long it will be, as I'm making it up as I go. But I hope you guys' stay with it!
Chapter Seventeen
The four Elflings stared up as the spider loomed over them. It wasn't moving, but stood looking down at them, its pincher-like mandibles clicking softly.
Legolas looked at the spider with horror and disgust, Elladan and Elrohir with nearly the same emotions and dread as well. They had had enough to do with spiders, and desired no more.
Tylendal, however, noticed something the others had not from his vantage point at the right side of the spider.
A black arrow was piercing one of the long legs.
Only one creature used black arrows with those black feathers as well. Orcs. And since spiders do not travel far away from their nests during the winter, the orcs must have driven the spider away, which means they are near.
He turned to say this to the others, but saw them advancing on the spider.
"No!" He cried. He had no clue where the spider came from, and maybe it could lead them back to the nest.
"What? Why not?" Legolas said incredulously. A spider so close to the festival was dangerous. It had to go.
"Look, there, an arrow do you see? Black. Black feathers, black wood, inexpertly made, orc arrow that is. Near they must be since spiders leave not their nests during winter." He explained, moving closer, slowly, to the spider.
It clicked its pinchers again, but stood still as the Elfling approached. He drew his knife, and the spider cringed immediately. It would have been rather funny to see so large a spider cowering from an Elfling no larger than one of the knees on its long legs.
Tylendal held up a hand, telling the others to keep their distance. He spoke softly to it. It was common knowledge that the spiders had some sort of intelligence, since they could speak to one another. Maybe it could understand his intentions.
It might have worked, or the spider might have decided not to fear him, but it calmed and allowed him to view the arrow. He raised his knife, and the spider tensed. With a quick slash, he severed the visible part of the arrow off.
Moving back to the front of the head, he looked it in its many eyes. "Now, to your nest you will lead us. Find the foul yrch, we shall, aye, and remove them."
Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas shook their heads, thinking the cold had gone to their friend's head. Talking to a spider as if it understood? It probably was not killing him because it was too cold. But to their amazement, the spider stood up straighter, turned around and walked away.
It stopped for a moment, before looking back as if expecting them to follow. Looking at each other, they glanced at Tylendal who had started to follow.
"Tylendal, you don't expect us to get rid of a bunch of orcs by ourselves, do you?" Elladan said, disbelief coloring his voice.
"Nay, foolish that would be. Go to see and then, help we fetch. Location we need to know before we lead warriors in." The Elfling said matter-of- factly.
"Oh, if that is all." Elrohir muttered.
They followed the spider as it moved with surprising stealth through the trees. Only Tylendal had his knife, and that was because he was going to do one of the knife throwing competitions. The others were weaponless.
The spider halted suddenly, pointing one long leg towards a tangled mess of trees.
"Figures it'd be dark and spooky looking." Legolas whispered, drawing nervous giggles from the twins.
Tylendal crept ahead, stopping at a large tree and climbing up quickly. Legolas looked at the twins, before shrugging and following.
They stepped onto a thickly foliaged branch that overlooked the clearing between the tangled trees. Though it was winter, Mirkwood's trees never lost all their leaves.
Orcs were sitting in the clearing, laughing and cooking some sort of meat over a fire. Old webs hung about from the trees, and two orcs were stuck in them, though their companions did not try to help.
Elladan shifted for a better look, and accidentally bumped a long dead branch, sending it crashing to the ground.
All the orcs looked up, before standing and howling in glee.
"Look, boys! Some tree squirrels seemed to have found their way into our camp! What say you we invite them to join us?" One shouted, readying his spear to throw.
The four Elflings immediately tried to back out, but the orcs quickly surrounded the tree and readied more of their black arrows. They immediately froze.
"Get down here." The orc snarled. The Elflings immediately backed off, higher up the tree and using the foliage for cover.
With a snarl the orc threw his spear. Elladan and Elrohir ducked, Legolas leaped to a higher branch, and Tylendal had no choice but to drop low.
And an orc leaped up with a shout and grabbed his ankle, yanking him off the branch.
Elladan and Elrohir immediately tried to grab him, while Legolas reached down and caught his hand, before he was pulled down too. Elladan snagged the back of his tunic and together he and his brother hauled the Elven Prince back up. Tylendal was pulled down and held tightly.
The orc who had been speaking leveled his ugly face right up to Tylendal's.
"Well, little one. If yer friends don't want to play, you will have to do." He said, fingering a nasty looking knife.
Tylendal scowled, before lashing out with his knife, which he had grabbed quicker than the orcs' could follow. He caught the orc right across the face, along one eye.
Howling, the orc stumbled back, and others closed in around Tylendal, snarling their rage.
Legolas watched, terrified. He was about to lose his friend, and he could do nothing. Elladan and Elrohir grabbed his arm, pulling him farther into the trees.
"What? What are you doing?" He said incredoulsy.
"To get help! If we stay, they might catch one of us! We need to get help!" Elrohir shouted. Legolas shook his head stubbornly.
"Fine! I'll stay here and try and help, you two go and fetch the King and father!" Elladan shouted, pushing both towards the field.
They took off, reluctantly, but they did go.
A sudden shrieking filled the air as Elladan approached. The spider had arrived.
But to help the enemy or them?
The answer was clear when to their surprise the spider burst in among the orcs, hissing and spitting.
Long legs flailed and thrashed, knocking orcs across the clearing. Mandibles clicking, the spider reared over the stunned orcs. Tylendal scrambled out of the way as the spider thudded to the ground.
Elladan shouted, and leaped to the ground, but a hand grabbed him and held him back from attacking the orcs. He glanced over his shoulder to see his brother.
"Help is on the way, just stay away from the fighting. Father said to." The youngest son of Elrond said. Elladan glanced back to where Tylendal was running to catch up to them, and sighed. He left with Tylendal into the trees to await the oncoming help.
~*~*~*
Thranduil and Elrond paled when they heard the news, before shouting out for warriors and heading off after Legolas. The young Prince had said he had left Elladan to watch out for Tylendal, and Elrohir at the edge of the clearing.
They gathered their warriors, and headed off.
Reaching the edge of the clearing, they saw Elladan and Elrohir stumbling out. Behind them came Tylendal, and behind him, a large spider.
With a roar, they charged the spider.
~*~*~*
Alida Fruit: Lol, thanks for your reviews. I also updated Darkness Falls too. Glad you like it.
Dae: lol, more "funness" for you.
Itarilde-elenastar: You are SO enthusiastic with your reviews, I feel so honored! I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy my stories.
Coolio02: Thank you very much. Yep, Elladan got Tylendal that time.
Silverknight7: thanks for your review!
Feanen: Glad you liked it, and hope you continue to do so.
Deana: I liked it, and it was a spur of the moment thought. Thanks for your review!
Wynjara: Well, Elladan can do revenge as well. Thought it might be an interesting scene for him to get picked on once!
Wow, lots of reviews. I'm not complaining! Keep it up; I love hearing what you think!
Lol, this story was originally going to be ten chapters long. Whoops! Overstepped my expectations! Lol, I don't know exactly when this story will be finished or how long it will be, as I'm making it up as I go. But I hope you guys' stay with it!