Thranduil vaulted from Tallagor in a swift and lithe movement, landing surely on his feet. He unsheathed his glinting and very deadly sword in a blurred motion, the blade ringing as it sliced through the air.

"Remain on Tallagor. Whatever you do, do not dismount him for any reason," his firm but rushed command reflecting the fear shadowing his sharp and pale features. His cerulean eyes swirled like the oncoming storm brewing within him, and Charlotte was in awe at how quickly he transfored into warrior mode.

He didn't give her any chance to form a protest as he immediately whirled around to join in the fight, his cape billowing like a dark shadow at the sharp movement. "Guard her with your life, Tallagor!" he snapped brusquely from over his shoulder.

And then he was gone, disappearing into the chaos in a whirlwind of flourished movement, delivering each strike and blow with deadly skill and precision.

Charlotte clutched at Tallagor's reins with an iron-tight grip, her knuckles turning white with the effort and her heart beating frantically in her chest as her panic threatened to consume her. All around her screeches and gravelly hisses of pain sounded as spiders were slayed, permeating the air and causing a clamorous din that filled her senses to capacity.

The elves battled valiantly, their actions fluid and liquid; their pace almost a flurried blur to the naked eye. She and Tallagor were now on the outskirts of the skirmish, and she craned her neck to get a better view, her thoughts on Thranduil the whole time. Every now and then she would catch a glimpse of silver hair in the torrential sea of black and brown, letting her know that nothing bad had happened to him. Yet.

Tallagor pawed nervously at the ground as more spiders rained down from the trees, their huge bloated bodies grotesque and beyond comparison.

How is it even possible for spiders to be that large? They're creepy enough as it is in their normal size. This...this is just plain terrifying!

Ragged gasps escaped her lips and her head whipped around as varying degrees of shouts echoed around her. She felt utterly helpless as she waited on the sidelines, unable to help in any way. A bone-chilling fear had seeped into her very core, and she was seized with a moment of panic that something grave would befall Thranduil.

Please let him be alright, she repeated over and over again in her mind like a mantra.

Her eyes scanned the flurry of ceaseless action playing out before her, and she almost sagged with relief when she saw him leap onto the back of one of the gigantic spiders and drive his sword down into its head, twisting it for good measure with a fierce snarl curling his lips.

Thranduil glanced up briefly and, assured that she was still safe and unharmed, dove right back into the fray with untampered zeal.

Tallagor backed up, trying to distance himself, and her, as much as possible from the intense battle being waged before them. Charlotte could feel the tension radiating from him, roiling off in palpable waves, and she patted his flank in reassurance.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she detected an inky shadow of movement. Like a scene out of a horror film, she slowly turned her head to the side to face the monsters, her scream frozen on her lips as her throat constricted in fear.

Two engorged spiders were advancing towards her and Tallagor, their hairy, spindly legs scuttling and clicking, making their movements unnaturally jerky.

By the Valar. This is worse than any horror film!

"Tallagor!" she shouted with renewed urgency, nudging his ribs with her foot and jerking his rein to the side to bring his attention to the advancing danger.

The moose grunted and then stilled when he noticed what was coming right at them. A hint of fine trembling rippled through his physique, indicating his trepidation.

She glanced wildly around, searching for any aid, but all the elves were knee-deep in their own battle and did not see the danger that human and moose were in.

"RUN!" she shouted, unable to think of anything else.

Tallagor didn't have to be told twice. He turned tail and crashed through the woods on thundering hooves, Charlotte clutching tightly at the reins with everything she had, unconsciously leaning forward so that she was almost lying flat against his back.

She chanced a glance over her shoulder, her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach when she saw that the two spiders were trailing behind them, their gangly legs carrying them faster than she could have ever imagined. Then one leapt onto a low hanging branch of a nearby tree and scuttled up the wide, gnarled trunk. Charlotte craned her neck, following its progression, and felt physically sick when she saw the canopy above rustling as the creature followed their course from the high ground it had chosen.

"Faster, Tallagor!" she shrieked, turning her sights straight ahead.

Their only chance now was to outrun them.

Tallagor put on a burst of speed, crashing through the foliage. Charlotte barely noticed the low-hanging branches whipping across her cheeks; so intent was she on their escape.

Suddenly, up ahead, the spider dropped down right in front of them, blocking their path. It slowly straightened up on all of its eight, grotesque limbs.

Tallagor skidded to a halt, his breathing hard and ragged. Charlotte quickly glanced over her shoulder and saw that the path behind them was now barred by the other spider, who was advancing on them and eyeing them with hungry greed writ in its cluster of beady black eyes.

Eyes that belong to demons, or other soulless creatures of the dark.

Charlotte, knowing that they had no other choice now but to fight, slowly reached for the dagger in her boot and pulled it out carefully with slow and measured movements, never taking her eyes off the spider in front of her. She just prayed that the other one behind them wouldn't attack just yet.

She leaned forward slightly.

"I'll take care of the one behind us. You charge the one in front. Okay?"

Tallagor gave a soft snort, indicating that he understood.

Charlotte slowly straightened, tramping down her rising fear. Inhaling deeply, she adjusted her grip on the hilt of her dagger and tried to remember everything Feren had taught her. She mentally counted to three and then turned, letting the dagger fly just as she had during her countless lessons with the Captain of the Guard.

A shrill, piercing shriek shattered the air as the dagger found its mark in one of the spider's many eyes. But, alas, it was not a killing blow and had only served to injure the monster and incapacitate it for the moment.

Tallagor reared and charged the spider in front of them. Unfortunately, Charlotte was not prepared and found herself being flung through the air, landing hard on the ground.

Get up! Her mind instantly cried out, instinct kicking in.

Charlotte scrambled to her feet, clumsily pulling out the remaining dagger from her boot. It was the only weapon that she had left, and she would not risk throwing it and losing her only means of protection. No, she had no choice but to fight at close range now.

She watched in awe as Tallagor charged the spider, sending it flying. The spider crashed in a tangled heap and lay there momentarily stunned, legs in the air. Then its legs twitched and the spider suddenly flipped over, rising to its feet once more. Tallagor snorted belligerently and pawed at the ground, readying to make another charge.

The spider, not being as stupid as it looked, didn't dare hang around and scuttled hastily away into the woods, its fearful hissing trailing behind it. Tallagor bellowed and ran after it, leaving Charlotte all alone.

No, not alone...she suddenly realized.

Charlotte spun around. The other spider was spinning around in dizzying circles, its one front leg frantically trying to claw at its...face? as it tried to dislodge the dagger.

She knew she should use this opportunity to run away and try and find Thranduil. But she didn't know which direction that was. She was hopelessly lost and didn't have a clue how to even make it back to the palace.

Hide! This was her only option now.

Charlotte's fighting skills were shit, this she knew for a fact, and there was no way in hell she would be able to take on a spider that defied all laws of logic when it came to size.

Seeing that the spider was still distracted, Charlotte ran and hid behind a tree, leaning her head back against the rough bark as she tried to control her breathing. A fine trembling was now coursing through her body, and her hand that clutched the dagger was shaking quite badly.

Maybe I should climb the tree...Shit, spiders can climb trees. No, I need to be able to make a run for it if it finds me.

Her ears strained painfully as she listened to the spider hissing angrily in the distance. Then there was a dull clatter, the unmistakable sound of her dagger falling to the ground. The spider was free of the weapon that had inflicted it pain, and now it was spitting mad. At her. Her heart dropped into her stomach, knowing that it would now seek her out with a vengeance.

Charlotte scanned the area around her but noted no nooks or crannies in which she could hide. Not even a bushy bush in which she could dive under.

Please, please go in the other direction...

Her whole body tensed when she heard the unmistakable approach of the arachnid, who had obviously sensed her hiding spot. It neared the tree and she held her breath, straining her ears. Then it cautiously skirted around the tree, and Charlotte hedged around the opposite side, trying to be as silent as possible.

The spider paused, surprised at not having found its prey. Charlotte remained utterly still, her heart hammering traitorously in her chest – a sound she was sure the spider could hear; it all but drowned out her own hearing.

There was a long drawn out hiss of annoyance and then there was the sound of movement – thankfully away from her. Charlotte braced herself against the rough trunk of the tree, unmoving as she listened for any other sounds that would indicate the arachnid's return.

Nothing.

She let out a ragged breath, sagging with relief.

Suddenly the spider dropped down in front of her, the front of its bloated body rearing up and preparing to strike. Charlotte automatically shrieked in fright.

Its belly! Its belly! Her mind screamed, acutely remembering in detail the scene from the movie where Legolas had slid under the spider, slitting it's underbelly.

She ducked just as its forelegs came down and rolled underneath the spider, thrusting her dagger up hard into its abdomen, twisting the blade as she had seen Thranduil do.

She screwed up her face as she concentrated on driving in the blade deep, almost gagging as blood and gore gushed out over her hands, splashing in a warm spray onto her face.

A high-wailing screech pierced through the air and the spider shuddered.

Good, I killed it! Oh shit, it's going to fall on top of me! she suddenly realized.

Charlotte tried to yank her blade free, but it was firmly stuck.

Oh, screw it! Just get out from under it before it squashes you into a pulp!

She reacted too late, though, and the body of the monstrous spider collapsed onto her just as she tried to scramble out from under it. All air was knocked from her lungs and Charlotte groaned as the dead weight pinned her lower body to the ground.

She tried to rise up on all fours in an attempt to dislodge it, but it was no use. The spider was ridiculously heavy. Charlotte then tried to claw her way out from beneath it, but that, too, proved futile. She was well and truly stuck.

What do I do now? Only one thing left to do...

"Thranduil!" she shouted. Nothing. No sign of the Elvenking coming to her rescue. She growled in frustration and tried again to free herself. Again, it proved futile. "Goddammit, Thranduil. Help me!" she shouted again, louder this time.

She glimpsed a flash of familiar silver-white from the corner of her eye and almost wept with relief, and soon she felt the dead weight of the spider being rolled off of her.

Charlotte lay there for a moment, gathering her strength. "Has anyone told you, Thranduil, that you really need to work on your timing?"

There was a poignant pause.

"I'll be sure to tell my Ada that when next I see him."

Charlotte startled and hastily rolled onto her back, her eyes locking onto none other than Legolas.