The Wind Fell Silent

15. Lost

Third Person

Arenna began to grow uneasy as the company ventured once again into the dark of the forest. She had begun to slowly recover within the boundaries of the wood elves. All morning, Arenna and Kili had even made light conversation. Kili had been beyond pleased that Arenna had been improving and didn't seem to care if the entire company knew just how glad he was (even going so far as to plant a bold kiss on Renn's very red cheek much to his brother's insufferable amusement). But as midday grew the dwarves, in their frantic attempt to find the path again, had ventured back into the contemptuous part of the forest. They were lost. Irreversibly so.

All around them, the webs that they had grown accustomed to increased tenfold and the trees again grew bent and gnarled. Arenna was overtaken with an outpouring of angst when she felt it once more. The forest. Wrapping its tendrils of darkness around her small form. Not-so-gradually her head began to pound, and her thoughts yet again became strained and bleary.

The dwarves knew that she was beginning to fail, and Thorin desperately tried to direct them back to the wholesome part of the forest. To no avail.

"Renn, maybe I should carry you for a bit" Kili suggested lightly when Arenna stumbled and nearly fell. She gripped the trunk of the nearest tree to steady herself. The bark was rigid and scratchy under her hand, but she couldn't pull away. It was like a magnet, sucking her in, pulling her strength.

"No. I'm alright" she said, but was surprised when the other dwarves furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. She had said it in her native tongue. The company became more concerned.

"A-Arenna," the hobbit stuttered anxiously for he had grown very close to the sprite, "maybe you should listen to Kili."

However Bilbo's words fell upon deaf ears.

The sprite felt a presence all around. A dark presence. Her body knew what they were before she did. Her blood boiled in her veins, and suddenly she didn't feel feeble, she felt powerful. At first, Arenna didn't understand why she felt so violent. So angry. So forceful. But when, she heard their part in the Hum, she knew. The screeching, inharmonious, hollow sound nearly brought her to her knees. It was an indescribable sound, horrifying and overwhelming.

"They are here... in the forest" she said, more to herself than anyone else. This time her words were in the common tongue, but the company didn't know what to make of them. They were confused further to see that Arenna was shaking. Not with weakness or fatigue, you must understand, but rage.

They did not understand. They did not know that the spawn of Ungoliant were in the forest. They did not know that the beasts were the enemies of the Kemenlios, their negatives. There was a reason that the wonderful trees of Valinor were no more than a memory. That their likeness could now only be seen on the backs of sprites and ages of unbounded hate that was hammered into Arenna's genetic code exploded. It was in her blood. In her bones. Her body had taken control and had harnessed a great power within Renn, one that she could not yet access on her own. This sudden surge of energy would cost her, dearly, but she had no control over it. She succumbed to her instinct.

"What is the matter child" Thorin finally asked, both bewildered and unsettled at the expression on Arenna's face. Her gaze rose slowly to meet his and she winced as the insignaterra on her back began to burn.

"They are coming" she answered in a hoarse voice, a crazed look in her big green eyes.

"Who?" he asked.

"The spiders." Was her chilling reply.

As if summoned by her words, the air was suddenly filled with the sound of cracking undergrowth, and grotesque, hairy monsters slowly advanced. Renn could feel their many eyes trained upon her. They felt it too. They were as programmed to hunt her as she was to hunt them. The company hastily drew their weapons, and were surprised to find that Arenna was the first to attack; jumping on the nearest beast with a terrifying scream, skillfully driving her sword into the skull of the spider before flipping off to land easily on her feet. She wasted no time in advancing on another. And so the bitter battle commenced.

The dwarves and the sprite fought long and hard, but they were eventually overcome, and slowly were picked off until one remained. Bilbo Baggins was terrified, but was saved by the magic ring he carried. The little hobbit's heart stirred with courage as he took off in silent pursuit of the brutes that had carried of his friends and he drew his little 'letter-opener of a sword', determined to get them back.

Arenna's Point of View

I was vaguely aware of the sensation that I was falling slowly. Something was constricting my limbs tightly, and I found that I couldn't move. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt like iron. Despite my disoriented thoughts, I was consumed with terror at my paralysis, and tried to rack my foggy brain for a recollection of what happened. We had been searching for the path when... The memory hit me like an arrow. I remembered fighting like mad. Slashing. Cutting. Stabbing. Never in my long years had I felt so much pleasure in death. I remembered members of the company slowly being picked off and dragged to the forest, much to my horror. I remembered the sharp stab of pain in my lower back that caused all my new found energy to dissipate from my body. Thorin, Oin and Kili were the only ones still fighting. Where were they? My question was soon answered. All around me I heard the sound of dwarves, they must have freed themselves from what I now guessed were webs. I tried to rouse myself, but was met with sleeping legs and deadened arms. The venom was still running through me. I tried to call for help, but found that I couldn't speak. Sleep gnawed at the edges of my thoughts and I knew it wouldn't be long before I succumbed to a sleep that I would never wake from. My inner monologue of panic was interrupted when I heard his voice. He sounded far away and I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I knew that it was him. I, not long after, felt the webs being cut away from my body and his fingers being placed on my neck, searching for my faint pulse. He spoke again, and I clung to the tone of his voice like it was the only thing that kept from drowning. It was. I could feel Kili then lift me from the ground and into his arms. My head was on his chest and I could feel the vibrations from his voice on my cheek. I could hear his heartbeat. It was slower than mine, comforting. I got lost in the repetitive drum of his heart, it was calming my worries, lulling me to sleep. The last thing I was aware of before I fell into the abyss was the sound of hissing and spitting. The spiders had come again.

Third Person

"Do not think I won't kill you dwarf, it would be my pleasure" the elf said, pointing his arrow to Thorin's head. The elves had come at precisely the right time. The dwarves had been surrounded by spiders, and it did not seem that they would survive a third attack, when a small host of wood elves had come and slain the beasts. However, the group seemed to be less than friendly when it came to the dwarves.

"Search them" the leader of the elves yelled, and so they did. Fili in particular was posing a problem as he had hidden seventy or so daggers over his entire body.

Legolas Greenleaf, the elf in charge, took it upon himself to search Thorin. The sword Thorin had found in the troll hoard immediately caught his eye. Ocrist, forged by the high elves of Gondolin, his kin.

"Where did you get this?" he asked scathingly.

"It was given to me" Thorin answered.

At this the elf turned the blade towards Thorin's neck with skilled poise. "Not only a thief, but a liar as well."

But as Thorin was preparing to say something infinitely offensive and rather crass, Legolas noticed something out of the corner of his eye. One of the dwarves was carrying someone, a girl who seemed to be unconscious. He dropped the sword and ran to her.

"Arenna?" he asked.

Author's Note

Hello! Sorry about the late update, but this chapter (much like the last one) was absolute hell to write.  I had originally written this chapter to extend into the realm of Thranduil, but this cliff hanger seemed better, so sorry for the shorter chapter.   

So Arenna knows Legolas it would seem.  (Clues to this were given when the company entered Rivendell if you remember)

And yes, Tauriel will be present, so lets see how that plays out.

Lot's of Silmarillion stuff when it came to the spiders, so if anyone needs explanation, just message me.

See you soon!!!