Chapter 11: Surprise Friends
The three elves stood, frozen, all of their eyes staring into the dark forest at the hundreds of approaching yellow eyes. Aralondwen let out a soft whimper of fear as Legolas pushed Taraancaiel behind him, fitting an arrow to his bow. The gleaming eyes grew bigger and bigger, until at last one of the giant spiders emerged from the thick undergrowth of the forest, causing Aralondwen to scream shrilly in terror.
Taraancaiel shuddered as hundreds of the beasts all scuttled into the forest clearing, their terrible fangs dripping with saliva and purple venom. Legolas gritted his teeth grimly, he didn't have near enough arrows to kill all the spiders, but he would refuse to go down with a fight. "Taraancaiel," he whispered in a low voice, as he took aim at a particularly large spider. "I want you to take Aralondwen and run as fast as you can, follow the path north and you should find somewhere to take shelter. I will hold off the spiders as long as I can to give you time, but I can not promise you much."
Taraancaiel grasped Legolas's shoulder, her green eyes wide in a mixture of fear and determination. "I will not leave you Legolas," she said stubbornly, although her voice quavered. "Without you my sister and I would be as good as dead, anyway. We will not leave you to die alone." Legolas sighed in despair but did not try to argue with Taraancaiel; he knew she was right no matter how much he wanted her to be wrong.
The spiders continued their slow advance on the three elves, their eyes watching Legolas's bow apprehensively. Taraancaiel no longer marveled at the large, glowing eyes of the spiders, but she did watch them curiously. When she and Legolas had been attacked before, the spiders' eyes had been full of malice and hatred. Taraancaiel wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she could see no trace of any evil in those same yellow eyes. Legolas drew his bow and was about to let an arrow fly, but at the last second Taraancaiel stopped him.
"Legolas, no!" she cried, pulling his arm and causing his arrow to sail over all the spiders and land in the forest behind. Legolas turned to look at Taraancaiel, his blue eyes blazing with fury.
"Taraancaiel, what are you thinking!" he snarled. "I have only a very few arrows left! Do you not remember what these spiders can do?" Taraancaiel stared into his eyes, then looked at the spiders who were almost upon them.
"I am sorry, Legolas, but please wait a few more moments," she said in an anxious voice. "I do not know why, but I can sense no evil from these creatures; look into their eyes and you will see." Legolas turned around and watched, and to his amazement, all the spiders halted, save one. It continued to crawl towards the elves until it was only an arm's length away.
The spider halted, and fell into what was an unmistakable bow. Legolas, Taraancaiel, and Aralondwen all watched the beast in bewilderment. "Greetings, elves, I am Morungol," the spider said in it's high-pitched, scratchy voice. "We mean you no harm and come offering our friendship."
Legolas was at a loss for words, he had never seen or heard of a spider acting in this manner. He merely stared for a few moments before he regained his senses. Taraancaiel, however, wasted no time in replying. "Greetings to you as well, Master Morungol," she said politely, as if she were addressing a king. "We gladly accept your friendship and offer our own in return." Legolas could not believe Taraancaiel was talking to the creature with respect, and he could contain his suspicion no longer.
"Enough, what trickery is this, spider?" he spat, not trying to conceal the anger in his voice. "What evil are you and you kin plotting?"
The spider rose to his eight legs, looking at Legolas with all of his yellow orb-like eyes. "We are not plotting anything, Prince Legolas," Morungol replied humbly. A shiver shot down Legolas's spine when the spider said his name. "I will not allow my family to harm you or the Lady Taraancaiel."
"How do you know my name?" he asked slowly. "How do you know of Taraancaiel?"
The spider bared it's fangs in an awkward spider grin. "You do not remember me, do you, Prince Legolas?" it asked, amused. "I could never harm anyone who spared my life. You could have easily killed me the other day, but you let me live on, and for that I am in your debt." Morungol looked at Taraancaiel and bowed its head. "And you, Lady," he continued, "You told him to spare me, even after those others had attacked you. I am forever indebted to you as well, and this is why my family and I have come here: to aid you in any way we can."
Legolas looked over at Taraancaiel, uncertainty still in his blue eyes. His whole life he had believed elves and the giant spiders to be mortal enemies, but now this spider was proposing that they become friends. He didn't know if he could trust them, but on the other hand, they didn't have much choice. Taraancaiel gave him a small, reassuring smile and Legolas returned it slightly. He turned back to Morungol with a sigh.
"Very well," Legolas said. "I accept your friendship and aid, Master Morungol."
Morungol bowed once again, his legs bending awkwardly. "I am glad, Prince Legolas, but there is no time to waste, I am afraid," he said in his raspy voice. "One of my brothers has seen an army of thousands of dwarves marching north through the forest. They will be to your castle in a days time."
"What!" Legolas shouted in shock, "Thousands? My father can not withstand a surprise attack of that size! Surely he must have been mistaken!"
"I am sorry, Prince, but it is true," Morungol replied. "I have seen the army also, and it is a fierce group of warriors."
"Ai!" Aralondwen wailed, finally speaking after being frozen in terror for so long. "Taraancaiel, Father is at the palace! And Encirthion! They will be killed!"
"Legolas, what are we to do?" Taraancaiel asked desperately, going to her sister and pulling her into a comforting embrace. "We can not get to the palace before the dwarves, how will we warn the palace?"
"I do not know…." Legolas said, staring off into the air. His head swam with wild thoughts, dwarves would attack his home and there was nothing he could do.
"This is where we come in," Morungol said, interrupting the elves' panic. "Did I not say we were here to aid you? You shall come with us, we can move through the forest faster and stealthier than dwarves or elves, we will get you to the palace safely. And if you promise that your kin will not kill us, we will help you fight these dwarves; the forest is our home too and we will protect it."
Legolas stared at the spider, lost for words again. He was so torn between his long-time hatred of the spiders and this new gratitude that these creatures would risk their lives to help him and his family, he could do nothing more than just stare. Taraancaiel smiled, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around the hairy body of the enormous spider. Morungol seemed quite taken aback, but then raised a long, hairy leg and gently patted her on the back. Aralondwen forced a grateful smile as well, but it was obvious that she was not as eager as her sister to get too close to the beasts.
Taraancaiel released Morungol and stood up, turning to Legolas and Aralondwen. "Do not just stand there, you two," she said almost sternly. "The lives of our families depend on us, we must make haste!" Legolas and Aralondwen both nodded, taking a step closer to Taraancaiel and the giant spider.
"Climb on my back, Lady Taraancaiel," Morungol said, turning around so she could climb onto his large abdomen. "It'll be much easier and safer if you let us carry you; we will get to the palace much faster." Taraancaiel did not hesitate to climb on the hairy, balloon-shaped body of the huge spider, and she held on tightly to him as he began to scuttle along. Although she had nearly been killed by spiders only days ago, she had taken a great liking to Morungol and he to her. Morungol called two more of his family members to come and bear Legolas and Aralondwen, and Aralondwen grimaced as she reluctantly climbed onto the back of one of them. With the elves secure on the backs of Morungol and his kin, the spiders all began to move, with surprising speed, back toward the forest and up into the trees. Taraancaiel marveled at the grace and speed in which the spiders could move through the trees, and even Legolas couldn't help but find them remarkable. With their new allies, the trio of elves quickly made their way back to Mirkwood Palace, hoping to beat the dwarves there and save their loved ones.
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