The Beginning of a Beautiful End

Chapter Three—Lightning Strikes

Elraralia—Yes, indeed, these guys are going to get into quite a bit of trouble. Mischievous grin

Lamoo—I'm seriously glad you liked the description and dialogue. I spent a lot of time on that, I did. And, no, I do not believe I shall let Legolas be eaten by spiders…I love his character too much to let that happen. And thank you very much for your input!

Coolio02—I assure you I'm jumping on these chapters as quickly as a cat on a mouse. Wow, that was a horribly cliché analogy.

Elven Dragon Rider—Quit! Never! I've only done that, like, twice before and it was because everyone hated the stories, (not to mention, I did, too) and I wasn't getting any good reviews. However, that isn't happening right now, is it? Oh, and like I said to Coolio, I'm hurrying'!

Shadow—beams Thank you much!

Brilweth—Hmm, interesting accusation that I must say is wrong. I didn't "steal" anything, unless you call using an Elf Name Generator to translate my and my friends' names into elvish.

Avey—Actually that was a typo on my part blush I meant to put four but accidentally put five. Ya'll are just going to have to forget about the brown-haired girl, because I, in my hastiness, completely forgot all about her.

Thank you again to all of my reviewers, and I hope this next chapter is all to your liking.

Legolas

For a few minutes all I could do was sit there and tremble. My fingers clutched Ireth's arm in a vice grip, and she didn't make me let go. In fact, she looked just as terrified as I. We sat there, freezing and petrified in the falling rain, hoping to Eru that we'd imagined the sound of the idle spider. Finally, I made myself release Ireth's arm, and I reached trembling fingers to Elros' dagger. The dagger felt small and pathetic in my hands as I pulled it out and held it before me. Standing up over Ireth protectively, I scanned the area around us looking for any sign of a spider. My heart was pounding like a drum, and it was all I could do to not whimper in fear as I continued to look for the spider. Now, normally elves have very good eyesight, but even elves are hindered in their sight abilities when it's dark, and rain is poring down everywhere.

I couldn't find anything.

But my own instincts told me it was folly to lower the weapon. Something was out there, and it was biding its time, waiting for me to become lazy and sit back down thinking everything was okay. I stood there for a good ten minutes before my wall of doubt and fear began to crumble, however, it quickly rebuilt itself when a young spider, about my own height, but immensely larger, finally grew impatient and hurdled from the trees in front of us with lethal speed. Ireth screeched and I, nearly dropping my dagger, took several steps back towards Ireth before I came close to stepping on her.

I'd never seen a spider from Greenwood before in real life, though I'd seen pictures of them in the books inside our library. They were huge and as hideous as spiders come, with long hirsute legs and bloated bodies that drag the ground if one was laden with a meal. Massive, bulbous eyes, yellow and red like the flames of Mordor, stared at us much too intelligently, analyzing our predicament with a satisfied look. We were trapped. Two small elflings, one injured no less, out in the middle of the woods with nothing and nobody to defend ourselves with, save for a small dagger that looked like it could barely pierce the spider's thick skin. I felt myself near a panic as I gazed upon the repugnant arachnid that snapped its black fangs at us as though to assure us that he meant to use them to end our days. The dagger felt all the more useless in my hand, and I tried to act brave though I felt as feeble as an old woman.

The spider lunged at me and I quickly scuttled sideways to avoid its gnashing teeth. For a moment I feared it would ignore me and turn on Ireth, but it seemed to think she was an unworthy prize, for she was so small. I was taller and had more weight on me, so it seemed the arachnid wanted me first. The spider lunged again, this time trying to lash out at my legs. Ireth called out to me, but I ignored her. A dark fang brushed my leg, and I promptly brought the dagger down on one of the spider's globular eyes. It emitted a fierce shriek and backed up a few steps, weighing me up again it seemed. This little elfling meant to fight back, it did.

Pacing backwards, the spider began to circle me like a vulture over its feed. I felt sick at the sight of its monstrous body, and had to force myself not to think of how horrid the creature was. I had to kill it, and kill it soon. Around me the rain seemed to start to fall all the more and harder. Its drops were like mini missiles on my skull and they pinged off me painfully. The rain seemed to agitate the spider, but it was more than resolute on its decision to cut me down and eat Ireth and I. Thunder sounded overhead, and I suddenly wondered where Elros was and hoped he was nearing the Great Hall by now. I had no time to dwell on this thought though, because it was this moment that the spider chose to dart forward and attack. One stretched leg struck out at me and I dodged, another try and I dodged, on the third however, the spider managed to catch me on the side and throw me a good four feet. I sprawled on my back, wheezing in pain, trying to regain my breath. Panic clutched me when I realized that the spider would take this as his chance. Getting on my hands and knees I began to crawl away from the tree that I was currently under, and finally pulled myself to my feet. The spider had hurried to my place under the tree only to find I was gone. It was now sitting there, hissing in displeasure. Finally making up something in his mind, the spider climbed up the tree rapidly and positioned himself over the small clearing we were in. It was in horror that I realized its plan. It meant to leap upon me from the tree and end this quickly. No sooner had I thought this thought than a fork of lightning, intense and earsplitting, licked down from the sky above and struck the exact tree upon which the spider was situated. I heard several screams in one second: the sound of the dying spider as it was incinerated in fire and electricity, and Ireth's, who was deadly close to that tree. I fell to the ground as the ferocity of the lightning ate up the tree and split it clean in two. It was a good while before I finally trusted my legs enough to stand up and go to Ireth. I wobbled toward my elleth friend, hoping against hope that she was still all right. I felt my heart nearly stop when I saw her with her eyes closed as though in a mortal sleep. I calmed though when I realized she had just gone into shock; probably fallen unconscious from the fear, pain, and the sudden strike of the lightning.

Plopping down beside her I drew her even further against the tree and waited for my heart to calm itself again. I drifted into a hard sleep. A while later I felt hands shaking me awake. Wearily, I opened my eyes (I was indeed very tired, because elves only sleep with their eyes closed when pushed to their limit), and saw Elros looking down on me in concern. "Are you alright, Legolas? What happened?"

I disregarded his questions and instead searched about for my father. Nobody was with him, no healers, nobody. "Elros, did you not get my father and the healers?"

Elros looked poignant. "I tried to cross the river, Legolas. It was very angry, and indeed, it was overflowing, yet I figured I could still cross. But the tree, Legolas, the one we'd used to cross earlier; it was struck-down, a smoldering stump with two cloven halves lying partly in the river. I could do nothing. All we can do now is hope that they send out someone to search for us soon…and somehow manage to cross the river."

My dismay had grown with each word, and as his last sentence fell upon my ears, I was nigh near crying. Elros sat down beside me and sighed. I looked up and saw that it was still nighttime, but thankfully the rain had stopped. The frigid air seemed to have an extra bite to it now though, and I felt myself shivering uncontrollably in my drenched clothing. Elros looked none the better, but thankfully, Ireth was more unaware of her horrible state since she was still sleeping. And with eyes still closed, I might add. I leaned my head back upon the elm I was leaning against and gave a great sigh. Wait…just wait.

TBC

HAHA! My cliffhanger of the century!