The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 25

She’d killed them. Every last one.

Realizing her danger too late, escape hadn’t been an option. The only other exit was on the far side of the cavern of spider eggs. Eggs that were hatching.

She’d made a break for it anyways and in moments was covered in slimy egg sacs that were discarded by the active newborns.

The floor was soon flooded with writhing spiders and strange liquids. The stench was enough to make Runa’s lunch threaten to return up the way it had gone down. She had tried to make it out, she really had, but it didn’t take long for the spiders instincts to kick in.

They swarmed her and she hadn’t had a choice at that point.

Whipping out her double swords, she had stabbed and slashed, discarding the small demons by the handfuls. She had fought and fought. She didn’t know how long. Maybe it had been ten minutes? Maybe it had been hours?

In the darkness of the cavern, she couldn’t tell. By the time she had reached the hole on the far side she was exhausted and covered in spider guts and the egg’s fluids that flooded the floor. Despite their newborn state, the spiders had inflicted several nasty wounds on her legs, torso and arms.

Looking back, she’d seen her work’s results. Piles of small bodies lay in heaps over the eggs they’d just come out of, the occasional survivor twitching or dragging itself across the oozing floor. What a welcome into life, Runa thought bitterly.

Then, she had weakly dragged herself out of that pit of despair. It hadn’t take long for her to realize her comrades were gone and she had quickly found their tracks.

She had eyed the footsteps, blinking through dizziness to try and make out the footsteps in the dirt. Finally, she’d realized what had happened,

“Elves…” Tracking them back to the palace, she’d managed to catch up and slip in behind the last of the guards escorting her friends.

When one of the guards had gone ahead to notify the king, she’d followed, slipping in and hiding herself among the rafters of the throne room, careful not to leave a trail of the disgusting liquids that still covered her.

She watched the elven king pace by himself.

“Dwarves…” his voice was so clearly laced with disgust she hadn’t been able to suppress a chuckle. Hearing her amusement, he whipped around and she froze, not even breathing as he scanned the room.

Then the danger passed as he heard footsteps. When she next peeked out, she saw Thorin and Aelith standing, chained up, before the elven king.

“Who is this?” Runa heard the elven king ask.

“The name’s Aelith, King Thranduil of Greenwood.”

Thranduil… the name was well known. The great elven king of Greenwood.

“Aelith…” Runa focused in on the conversation as King Thranduil went on. “Why does your name sound familiar? And how do you know me?”

“I am representing the Sisterhood. Perhaps our reputation precedes us as yours precedes you?”

“Really? Indeed it does…” Runa grinned. Yes… over time the Sisterhood had developed quite the reputation. She frowned as she heard the elven king’s next words,

“But how do I know you are who you say?”

“We could test the truth of my words…” Runa repressed a snicker at her friend’s not so subtle hinting.

“I like your spirit, but any man may be a good swordsman… How many females were of their company?”

“Five sir. A wizard, an elleth, and two humans and a hobbit with a chicken.”