A/N: I have to start getting into the swing of updating again. Read on!
Chapter 38-Spider Strike
The three made no move to untangle themselves, though Rosellyn was beginning to feel several bruises coming on. All three were still, staring up. Demelin, it had to have been Demelin, his voice had been right by her ear, tore his eyes away and took a good look at Rosellyn. Bain followed his gaze.
"What are you looking at?" he demanded hoarsely.
"Lookit, Bain, it's a she-Elf! A she-Elf got Luin!" Rose tried to sit up, indignant.
"Watch who you're calling she-Elf!" she said, slightly insulted.
"Quiet, you," snarled Bain.
"Quiet yourself!" she retorted. The spider was forgotten temporarily.
"I'd be a bit more polite, were I you," remonstrated Bain. "You are our captive, after all." Rose was taken aback at that.
"Captive?" she spluttered, "when did you take me captive?" she demanded.
"Well, can you get up?" asked Demelin, all the voice of reason. To her dismay, she found that she couldn't.
"No," she said shortly.
"Then I'd say you're our captive," said Demelin comfortably. Rose kicked him. He winced. "That was uncalled for."
"Was it?" she asked sweetly, "I am your captive, after all." ~This is cute, but, um SPIDER!~ She snapped to reality. The spider had gotten over its amusement at the argument and was starting to advance.
"Spider!" she yelled, alerting the two Men. They both sprang up, Bain keeping a foot planted firmly in Rosellyn's midriff.
"Demelin! Hold the captive while I fight!" Demelin looked hesitant.
"This is stupid!" shouted Rosellyn, "I can fight, too! Let me get my bow—"
"And have you turn it on us?" Bain snarled, trying a few experimental swipes with his sword, "Not likely, miss. I didn't fall off the horse yesterday!"
"If I promise not to use it on you, will you let me? You need every fighter you can get against these things!"
"Might be she's telling it true, sir," said Demelin gingerly, as though trying not to ignite his commander's temper. "She's born and bred in Mirkwood, maybe she knows how to fight these things. And...Elves are said to be trustworthy..." Rose took this opportunity to look as innocent as possible. Bain sighed and took his foot away.
"Don't make me regret this, wench." She leapt to her feet and readied her bow.
"I don't suppose you've got bows?" she asked, sighting her arrow, "Swords don't feel like more than a sting to them." A burst of inspiration came to her. "I've heard it said that Men carry poison with them, to kill themselves if taken prisoner. Is that true?"
"Rubbish," scoffed Bain, who remained with his sword unsheathed, though Demelin was trying to clumsily string his bow. Rosellyn sighed and shot, wincing at the spider's jerk of pain.
"Just a thought. Do you coat your weapons?"
"Some do. Happens I don't, nor Demelin here." Demelin took quick aim and fired. His shot nailed the eye Rosellyn had been aiming at originally.
"You've got good night-vision," she said, impressed in spite of herself. Demelin shrugged.
"May or mayn't be a blessing; I'm always a night-sentry." She saw an opening there.
"What were you guarding, the Warlord?"
"Oh, no, he's more to the--ow!" Bain had caught her plan and stomped Demelin's foot, shutting him up.
"Not so quick, missy, you won't get a thing out of us." He glared at Demelin. Rosellyn sighed, notched an arrow, and shot, getting another eye.
"Come on, can you blame me for trying? Why aren't you getting your bow out?"
"Sword's served me better, and I've a hand for it, if tis any business of yours. Now, I hope you understand that once this beastie is slain, you're coming with us."
"When was that part of the plan?" she asked, missing the eye completely and lodging in a furry leg. The darned thing needed to stop thrashing. "I just agreed not to kill you. Nothing was said of coming with you." Demelin took out another eye.
"Well, he's saying it now, miss. You've been a help, and I'll tell the Warlord that, but you're coming with us all the same. Sorry." He truly did seem sorry, though Bain had no such finer feelings. Instead, his patience ran out.
"Enough with this hen-pecking! I'm settling this for good!" Before Rose could do anything, he charged, sword high, and began hacking at one of the legs, like he was trying to cut down a tree.
"No!" she screamed, "Come back, you have to come back!" Why was she saving him? Shouldn't she hope that the spider finished him off, and Demelin too? "Bain, that's never going to work! Come back, before you're killed!" If Bain heard, he gave no sign. Suddenly, with a quickness that belied its former moves, the spider leapt backwards, giving it a clear shot at the Man officer. Web shot out, catching Bain securely. Rose grabbed Demelin, keeping him back. "You can't do anything!" she yelled, "He's gone, he'll suffocate, or the spider's going to--" The spider advanced and bent low over Bain, who was fighting his bonds fiercely. "Look away!" she moaned, and he did. She did as well, having no stomach for watching spiders feed.
A/N: Ick...who would? There, I've put in the Mirkwood spiders. I feel so accomplished now...heh.
Chapter 38-Spider Strike
The three made no move to untangle themselves, though Rosellyn was beginning to feel several bruises coming on. All three were still, staring up. Demelin, it had to have been Demelin, his voice had been right by her ear, tore his eyes away and took a good look at Rosellyn. Bain followed his gaze.
"What are you looking at?" he demanded hoarsely.
"Lookit, Bain, it's a she-Elf! A she-Elf got Luin!" Rose tried to sit up, indignant.
"Watch who you're calling she-Elf!" she said, slightly insulted.
"Quiet, you," snarled Bain.
"Quiet yourself!" she retorted. The spider was forgotten temporarily.
"I'd be a bit more polite, were I you," remonstrated Bain. "You are our captive, after all." Rose was taken aback at that.
"Captive?" she spluttered, "when did you take me captive?" she demanded.
"Well, can you get up?" asked Demelin, all the voice of reason. To her dismay, she found that she couldn't.
"No," she said shortly.
"Then I'd say you're our captive," said Demelin comfortably. Rose kicked him. He winced. "That was uncalled for."
"Was it?" she asked sweetly, "I am your captive, after all." ~This is cute, but, um SPIDER!~ She snapped to reality. The spider had gotten over its amusement at the argument and was starting to advance.
"Spider!" she yelled, alerting the two Men. They both sprang up, Bain keeping a foot planted firmly in Rosellyn's midriff.
"Demelin! Hold the captive while I fight!" Demelin looked hesitant.
"This is stupid!" shouted Rosellyn, "I can fight, too! Let me get my bow—"
"And have you turn it on us?" Bain snarled, trying a few experimental swipes with his sword, "Not likely, miss. I didn't fall off the horse yesterday!"
"If I promise not to use it on you, will you let me? You need every fighter you can get against these things!"
"Might be she's telling it true, sir," said Demelin gingerly, as though trying not to ignite his commander's temper. "She's born and bred in Mirkwood, maybe she knows how to fight these things. And...Elves are said to be trustworthy..." Rose took this opportunity to look as innocent as possible. Bain sighed and took his foot away.
"Don't make me regret this, wench." She leapt to her feet and readied her bow.
"I don't suppose you've got bows?" she asked, sighting her arrow, "Swords don't feel like more than a sting to them." A burst of inspiration came to her. "I've heard it said that Men carry poison with them, to kill themselves if taken prisoner. Is that true?"
"Rubbish," scoffed Bain, who remained with his sword unsheathed, though Demelin was trying to clumsily string his bow. Rosellyn sighed and shot, wincing at the spider's jerk of pain.
"Just a thought. Do you coat your weapons?"
"Some do. Happens I don't, nor Demelin here." Demelin took quick aim and fired. His shot nailed the eye Rosellyn had been aiming at originally.
"You've got good night-vision," she said, impressed in spite of herself. Demelin shrugged.
"May or mayn't be a blessing; I'm always a night-sentry." She saw an opening there.
"What were you guarding, the Warlord?"
"Oh, no, he's more to the--ow!" Bain had caught her plan and stomped Demelin's foot, shutting him up.
"Not so quick, missy, you won't get a thing out of us." He glared at Demelin. Rosellyn sighed, notched an arrow, and shot, getting another eye.
"Come on, can you blame me for trying? Why aren't you getting your bow out?"
"Sword's served me better, and I've a hand for it, if tis any business of yours. Now, I hope you understand that once this beastie is slain, you're coming with us."
"When was that part of the plan?" she asked, missing the eye completely and lodging in a furry leg. The darned thing needed to stop thrashing. "I just agreed not to kill you. Nothing was said of coming with you." Demelin took out another eye.
"Well, he's saying it now, miss. You've been a help, and I'll tell the Warlord that, but you're coming with us all the same. Sorry." He truly did seem sorry, though Bain had no such finer feelings. Instead, his patience ran out.
"Enough with this hen-pecking! I'm settling this for good!" Before Rose could do anything, he charged, sword high, and began hacking at one of the legs, like he was trying to cut down a tree.
"No!" she screamed, "Come back, you have to come back!" Why was she saving him? Shouldn't she hope that the spider finished him off, and Demelin too? "Bain, that's never going to work! Come back, before you're killed!" If Bain heard, he gave no sign. Suddenly, with a quickness that belied its former moves, the spider leapt backwards, giving it a clear shot at the Man officer. Web shot out, catching Bain securely. Rose grabbed Demelin, keeping him back. "You can't do anything!" she yelled, "He's gone, he'll suffocate, or the spider's going to--" The spider advanced and bent low over Bain, who was fighting his bonds fiercely. "Look away!" she moaned, and he did. She did as well, having no stomach for watching spiders feed.
A/N: Ick...who would? There, I've put in the Mirkwood spiders. I feel so accomplished now...heh.