Chapter Ten: Seregon

As we traveled toward the western regions of the woods, the leafy shield of the great canopy gave us kind relief from the hot blazing sun. But by afternoon of the first day, even in the cooler shades, the trails were moist with an air that felt heavy on my skin and in my chest as I breathed. The forest smelled dank and musty. I was reminded of the lowest caverns of the stronghold. There the only moisture swells from the earthen floors, giving rise to the odor of dirt and decay.

The horses suffered. Sweat ran down their flanks, streaking their coats as dust and sweat mixed into a dark, silvery mud. Quickly, this journey had begun to feel as if it would never end for both horses and Elves, but we pressed resolutely on toward the northwest forest.

We traveled until nearly sundown before we made camp on the first night. Such a large number of warriors are always a challenge to see fed and rested, but Aldamir had left nothing to chance. Immediately upon stopping, those assigned to cook were at their duty, and those appointed to guard took up their positions without delay. Horses were taken to a nearby stream to water and groom. Elves not called to a specific duty went upstream to wash in the cool waters and to refill water skins.

As soon as I was well satisfied that everything was going as planned, I went to where Aldamir had taken out a map and smoothed it over a rock face. His brow was furrowed as he poured over it, checking and double-checking our bearings. Tree sat a cup of tea on the rock and motioned Aldamir to it.

“Thank you,” Aldamir muttered as he trailed his finger over our route while studying the mapped terrain so intently that it seemed to me as if he thought he could discern any trouble that might await us by sighting its location on the map.

Tree looked to me as he widened his eyes in a silent plea for me to do something about our overly-efficient commander. Tree was right; Aldamir had pushed himself as hard as anyone else in the unusual heat and was in just as much need of rest as the rest of us. But my cousin’s jaw was set, and his eyes were attentive to his duty as he saw it. He was keeping his mind off other unpleasant realities too; this, I knew. 

As we rode out on that morning, I saw Elenna standing with her father and his sister. Calith was at her side. Aldamir did not miss this, I am certain. Calith stared with what I thought was a challenging glare as Aldamir passed. I did not know who this Elf was, but there was an air of arrogance and smug satisfaction about him that I found grating.

“Come,” I said to my cousin, “let us go down to the creek and wash away the day’s sweat and grime.”

Aldamir exhaled slowly and straightened to his full height. For a long moment, he simply gazed out into the woods. From his distant stare, I thought he looked like an Elf who had stopped one thought only to realize that he would have to quickly find another or be lost in the barrenness of an aimless mind. Finally, he nodded. “We can get in a quick swim before the meal is ready.”

Tree fell in behind us as we walked the short distance to the creek. Tabor and Lathien took their positions at the rear. As we dodged low branches and skirted thick undergrowth, I heard Tree attempt to provoke our guards in his usual cheerful manner by asking if they did not trust him with our safety. A tight, “No”, was the reply that came from Tabor. A welcome chuckle filled my chest; we can always depend on Tree to keep life in perspective. However, Aldamir was likewise exhibiting his current view of life; he walked stoically toward his destination with no apparent awareness of the conversation, or that we were following.

At the stream’s edge, I was pleased to find this part of the forest murmured with song and contentment. Spiders did not worry the trees here or disrupt the birds’ joyous tunes. Choking webs and darkness had not touched this place--well, unless you considered the darkness of my commander’s mood.

Taking a few steps toward the stream, I was soothed by the clear water that ran slowly to the southeast over large boulders with brown and tan watermarks. A wide strip of sandy bottom as smooth and white as fresh cream invited me to remove my boots. Few rocks littered this level stretch that led to a clear, gently churning pool. One large gray boulder spouted majestically from the pool’s center. Water stains formed a golden crown, encircling the gray head of a stately, seasoned rock-king seated upon his sun and water-glistened throne. In my mind, I named it the Gray King’s Pool.  What a delightful place for elflings to play…or even, tired warriors.

Tabor and Lathien took up watch in a nearby tree as Aldamir, Tree and I stripped and waded into the waist-deep pool. The water was refreshing and soothing after a long day of travel in oppressive heat. For my own selfish reasons, I was eager to bow to this rock-king. I did so, quietly saluting him with my pleasure. Taking my bar of the grainy soap carried by all warriors, I vigorously scrubbed my arms and chest.

As I worked the braids from my hair, I glanced at Aldamir to see him draw himself up on the rock and began lathering himself from head to toe. He appeared completely consumed by the task, attacking the chore as if he were mounting an assault on a band of orcs. When he had finished scrubbing, he slid from the rock-king’s head and ducked under the water. Tree, barely shifting his position and with lightning fast reflexes, reached out his long arm and snatched Aldamir by the hair to haul him back to the surface.

“What are you doing?” sputtered my cousin.

“I feared you could not touch the bottom, my lord,” Tree said as he bowed with exaggerated fanfare.

Aldamir shoved Tree’s shoulder to push him away. “You are annoying me, captain,” he said, but the faint smile on his face said otherwise.

“Not nearly as annoyed as the king would be if I allowed you to drown,” Tree laughed.

Aldamir caught him around the middle with his full force. Arms and legs churned in the water for a few moments before both emerged laughing and coughing.

I stuck a leg out of the water and scrubbed earnestly. “The two of you are no better than elflings,” I said as superiorly as possible. “Really, I do not know how we will wage this campaign when you cannot conduct yourselves appropriately.”

I had only the barest of seconds to close my mouth and stop breathing before I was shoved to the bottom of the pool, struggling to find my way back to the surface. “I lost my soap!” I complained as soon as I could find a breath.

Aldamir’s bar hit me square in the chest. I caught it in my hand before it became another victim of the pool. “Please. Use mine,” Aldamir said with a laconic smile.

My foot caught on my escaped bar. Cautiously, I slipped under the water to retrieve it from the depths and quickly came back to the surface before anyone attempted to drown me while I was under.

Aldamir had gone back to the rock and stretched out in the warmth of its sun-heated surface. Following Tree, I slogged back to the shore where I ran a soft flannel over my arms and legs and redressed. Settling against another large boulder on the sandy bank, I began to comb the snarls from my hair. Tree joined me with the ease of an old friend.

He rummaged through his pack until he produced a comb. Throwing a quick glance at Aldamir, he said softly, “How is he?”

Gathering the hair on the crown of my head, I began to braid. “He says he is fine, but I do not know.”

“He has not spoken to you about Elenna?” Tree asked.

I shook my head. “There has not been much time to talk beyond what was required for this campaign.” The necessities of the campaign were not the only reason that kept Aldamir from talking to me about Elenna, I was certain. But it was reason enough.

“The more I have thought about this,” he said as he worked the braid at the back of his head, “the more I think it is possible that Calith planned it.”

 “Planned what?”

“Meeting Aldamir as he did,” he said. “I have known Calith since he was a child. I would not call him unkind or cruel, but I would say that he is manipulative.” He tilted his head to look at me with meaning. “Especially where Elenna is concerned.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling a thick knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

“He has always been in love with her; for as long as he has known the difference between ellon and elleth, he has had his sights upon her.” Tree shook his head.  “This betrothal makes no sense to me,” he said. “Calith has never been a suitable partner for her. Her parents accept him as a friend, but they would not approve of him as a husband for their daughter. I cannot believe that they consented.”

“Why?” I asked. Tree has been a part of this forest for longer than the Sinda have been living among the folk here. He knows the people well, and I did not doubt that he knew the general feelings of the villagers about many subjects. Still, I was surprised that he knew so much about Elenna and Calith.

“He is too flighty,” Tree told me with a sour look on his face. “Calith does not hold with anything for long. He began training as a healer, and then decided he wanted to be a warrior. When he found out that he would have to relocate to the main settlement, he backed out. He has begun and left nearly every craft an Elf can embrace. The last I heard, he was working with the foresters, but I am told that they do not wish for him to stay. I have always thought that he thinks so highly of himself that he does not feel that he should be required to anything that he does not wish, especially anything that he considers beneath him.” Tree’s eyes narrowed.

“Then you are telling me that he is arrogant?” I said.

“Yes, but in a sad sort of manner,” he said. “He is charming to a fault, but his politeness often feels false and manipulative. No,” Tree said thoughtfully, “I cannot imagine Elenna’s parents would allow this. Her mother especially has no use for him.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Her mother is a healer, and she is like most healers I know. She has a gift for knowing people. My impression is that she feels him to be immature and selfish. I have heard her say that he thinks only of himself.” He picked up a twig and twirled it in his fingers. “As far as I know, Elenna has no interest in the healing arts, but I know that she is gifted in understanding people too. How she cannot see through Calith is a mystery to me, but I realize that even sighted people can be misled by those for whom they care.”  Tree shifted against the rock. “Calith is a fool, Seregon. And I do not make such judgments lightly. What I cannot understand is why she would take him when she is truly a beautiful maiden with a kind heart. Available males from all over the realm would be more than happy to vie for her hand.  There is no reason for her to settle for him. If anything, she has been too kind to him already.”

 “What I would like to know,” I said angrily, “is why Elenna did not tell Aldamir about Calith? If she found that she had made a mistake in agreeing to bond with the Elf, then why did she not simply tell Aldamir that she had a problem and would rectify it?”

“I do not know,” Tree shrugged. “I would not have expected this from Sordien either. Sordien is a very kind Elf; he is careful of others’ feelings. It is unimaginable to me that he would have allowed this.”

“Possibly, then,” I said, “Sordien remained silent hoping that Elenna would fall in love with Aldamir and break off this betrothal to Calith.”

“Possibly,” he said and then grined again. “Which of the two would you chose if Elenna were your beloved daughter?”

“I am not unbiased,” I smiled back.

“Nor am I,” he said. “But as an observer, I would not think the choice would be difficult.” He stood and cast his gaze out to where Aldamir slid from the rock and after one more quick dip under the water had started for the bank. “Our lord and commander comes, but I think that Calith bears watching.”

I nodded, perfectly aware of the disgruntled look on my face.

 Tree bowed to me. “By your leave, my lord, I will see you back at the campsite,” he said.

“You may go,” I said, as I watched Aldamir advance. “And thank you, Tree. You have given me some explanation even if it is still fraught with puzzles.” He had indeed given me much to think about.

With a quick smile, he faded into the forest as easily as the mist scatters in the wind.

That evening when everyone had settle for the night, Aldamir spread out his bedroll and lay down next to me. He had been unusually silent, but he was still generous with his smiles when talking amicably with the warriors.  The camp grew quiet as the warriors settled to find some rest before resuming our journey in the morning. I was nearly asleep when I felt the quiet stirring of Aldamir rising. I focused my tired eyes to see his back as he strode silently into the forest. Tabor slipped from his blanket and followed; I propped myself up on an elbow.

“He will be fine,” Lathien said softly from a few feet to my left where he had thrown out his blanket to sleep.

Saying nothing, I lay back down. Indeed, I believed that he would be fine too—eventually, but in the intervening time, he was faced with balancing duty and heart.  I had no concern for his ability to lead the troops, but I did know the toll Elenna’s deception had taken on him.  I could see it in his single-minded, over-attention to detail and in the manner of his sad smile. Aldamir looked tired and mentally removed from himself; the commander and the Elf were living two separate existences.

Even if Calith had a right to claim the maiden who had promised to wed him, the manner in which he told Aldamir infuriated me. Elenna bore responsibility too. She could have told him in private and not allowed Calith to ambush Aldamir on the steps to the stronghold. What game were these two playing? Too angry to immediately sleep, I closed my eyes and reviewed what Tree had said earlier. Answers were to be had, and I thought to look for some clue that would shed light on what had happened.

Well before dawn, I awoke to find that Aldamir had not returned to his bedroll. I glanced around the camp, but did not see him or Tabor. Lathien focused his eyes when I sat up; he watched me in silence.

“I am going to walk down to the stream,” I told him. “You do not need to get up yet.”

“Very well,” he said, but after I had taken a few steps, I felt his presence at my back. Lathien is an ornery creature. Ignoring him, I followed the same path we had taken the evening before. The sound of gently flowing water greeted me as I stepped from the trees near the bank.

The moon was full and gliding off toward its last hours of watch. Stars were still twinkling robustly in the clear sky devoid of any hint of dawn. And there, upon the rock I leaned against earlier, sat Aldamir with his arms locked about his knees and his face turned upward.

He lowered his head and turned toward me. “Why are you not sleeping?” he asked quietly.

“I could ask the same of you, cousin,” I said as I slipped onto the rock’s wide head and settled myself next to him.

He turned his face back to the starry sky. “I could not sleep,” he said.

“The night is calm,” I said, glancing upward too. “But the air still feels thick. I hope for rain, but I can also hope that it will not interfere with our mission.”

“The song of the trees has gone soft and quiet with lack of water,” he said. “They spend their energy stretching deeper into the earth for a drink. I suppose if rain is to come, then I will be glad for it.”

Aldamir and I have always been close, but I do not think I have ever felt a more tangible connection with him than I felt at that moment. I could feel his song blending with the forest around us with such natural ease that he was as wholly a part of this forest as any tree. “What comfort do they give you?” I asked, nodding toward the thick, dark forest surrounding us.

His head lowered slowly, but he did not look at me. “The trees give me strength, and the stars accept me as a child of their own. I could ask for no more.”

“If they grant you peace, then you are indeed blessed,” I whispered.

“And you find none here?” he asked.

“I seek you, cousin, not peace,” I said. “But for you, I do want peace of heart and mind.”

“Even if for only a brief moment, I have found it, then it will have to suffice,” he said. “Tomorrow, I will resume my duties, and I will do the best I can.”

“You have led the troops of this realm well. Your warriors respect you. They will willingly do your bidding without question.”

Dropping his gaze to the river, he sat silent and still for a moment. “I only wish to be worthy of their devotion.”

“You doubt yourself?” I asked.

“I have erred in judgment,” he said. “How can the warriors respect a commander who has made such an utter fool of himself?”

“What error have you made?” I asked.

He sighed heavily and leaned back to prop on his hands. “It is nothing,” he said. “With only the crickets’ love songs to keep me company, I have wandered into self-pity.” I knew what weighed on his mind: Elenna and Legolas. Aldamir was harder on himself than he ever thought to be with one of his subordinates. Duty came first in his life, and the one time that he felt he had lowered his guard, it had resulted in disaster for himself and injury for his brother. But I was not going to get into Legolas with him. Now that Legolas was home and in the care of his parents and the healers, I felt he would be fine.

“I spoke with Tree today,” I said. “He feels that Calith’s intent in coming to the stronghold was to claim Elenna.”

“She is his to claim,” he said softly.

“She belongs to herself,” I said quickly. “Tree is quite knowledgeable about the villagers, and he feels that there is something odd about this betrothal.”

“In what way?” he asked with such neutrality that a casual observer would have thought that he had little interest in the matter.

“He says that Elenna has never shown any romantic interest in Calith,” I told him. “He is puzzled as to why she would accept his proposal.”

Aldamir shook his head. “It does not matter,” he said. “She has agreed to bond with him and that is the end of it.”

“Would you see her coerced into a wedding that she does not want?” I asked.

“And if it is what she wants?” he asked. “Tree is from Sordien’s village, and I believe he has relatives still living there,” he said, “but all he has said is mere gossip. I have heard nothing that makes me think she did not accept Calith’s offer willingly.”

Ah, I thought, then that is why Tree knows so much about this village; his family is there. “I would trust Tree’s judgment,” I said. “He is too wily to be swayed by idle gossip.”

“I cannot change what has happened,” he said.

A heavy breath pushed through my lips. “I think you can,” I said. “I admit that I am angry with Elenna for causing you this harm; she should have told you about Calith. I think she was afraid that if she did, then you would break with her. I also think that she intended to return home and sever the betrothal with Calith, but he somehow got word that she was seeing you and intentionally set out to give you the news of their betrothal to thwart any possibility of you interfering.” I turned toward him. “Do you not see that he arranged to spring this news on you in public so that you would be caught so unaware that you would not be willing to hear her?”

“If she wanted to break with Calith, then she could have done so by now and come to me with an explanation,” he said.

I exhaled loudly. “Listen to me, Aldamir.” I said, “She fears you will not hear her now. She knows you are angry.” I shifted slightly forward. “I do not think she cares for Calith. I have seen how she looks at you. She loves you. Why she has not rectified this problem with Calith, I cannot guess. I do not know what sort of hold he has over her. But there is something that prevented her from telling you about him.”

“She will have to come to me,” he said as sternly as if he were issuing a final command. “I will not interfere in her promise to him. If Elenna wishes to break this pledge, then she will have to do so because it is what her heart desires, not because I pressured her.”

“I understand why you feel this way,” I said, “and I cannot say I disagree with you. But I think Calith bears watching. I do not trust him. From what Tree has told me of him, he is not above treachery where Elenna is concerned.”

Aldamir sat up and gathered his knees back to his chest to wrap his arms around them. He stared silently at the dark pool until he finally spoke. “Unless Calith gives me reason to think that he has somehow gained her promise by duplicity, then I can do nothing.” He glanced at me and then returned to stare straight ahead. “I will watch him when we return.”

A smile sprang to my mouth. “Then you will need some rest, cousin,” I said. “Or you will not be able to remain alert enough to watch anything other than your dreams.”

“I have rested,” he said.

“I am pleased to hear that,” I said, “because there are spiders awaiting your bow. We would not want to disappoint them.”

“They will not be disappointed,” he said softly.

On the morning of the fourth day, as the sun began her ascent, we were gathered, ready to be positioned for the sweep. As the night passed into a hazy gray that lightened steadily, a bird lifted its voice in its first song of the day.

I felt a familiar pre-battle calmness as I watched Elves arrange themselves into assigned units. Aldamir walked from company to company speaking to the warriors, his gait smooth and his motions fluid with confidence.

A commander sets the tone of any engagement. Among the troops, heightened awareness and anticipation shone on their faces; their backs were straight and their hands were flexing. But Aldamir’s strong and reassuring leadership lent a calmness that tempered the warriors to focus on the duty at hand while maintaining the constant flow of energy needed to take oneself into harm’s way. Aldamir is a natural leader. Elves follow him, not because he is the son of the ruling monarchs, but because he has a keen grasp on the nature of warriors; they freely offer their loyalty because of his devotion to them. I thought as I watched him walk among his troops, grasping a shoulder here, an arm there, that any one of these warriors would lay down his life for him.

When he came to the youngest group of warriors, the ones who would trail behind us to replenish arms as we traveled swiftly through the forest, I could not help the small smile that came to my lips: the newest warriors were simply awed by his presence. This battle was a first for many of them. Young faces fairly glowed with a new found belief in themselves. No one would have ever known the doubts that haunted Aldamir by observing him interacting with his troops. My only hope was his own words would treat him with the same inspiration as he offered his warriors.

Once all were in position, we awaited enough light to begin our careful march through the trees. To the west, I saw that dark clouds were rolling in. Tall, thick and ominous, thunderheads roiled to overtake the first glimpse of the robin’s-egg-blue sky of morning. The storm would be upon us soon. Wind began to pick up, swaying the leaves gently at first, and then clattering them against one another as their paler undersides turned upward. The first low grumble of thunder came alongside the passed whistle that signaled the charge.

As commander of the left flank, my place was east of Aldamir’s position. Tree was captaining to my left on the outermost edge. As we began to move forward as a unit, I glanced back at the small unit of young armed warriors whose main responsibility was armament replacement. No warriors would be caught without weapons. Our design was to fight by bow, using blades as a last resort. We would pick the spiders off from the trees as quickly as possible and continue moving to the south, driving the fleeing spiders toward the Elf-path where Erelas waited.

No more than a quarter of an hour into the sweep, fat heavy drops began to fall. For the most part, the driving rain would be kept from us by the canopy, but the rain itself could serve to our advantage. The spiders would be less active, seeking shelter in the trees and in their nests. As I traveled forward, I reviewed strategy in my head, letting it settle comfortably into instinct. I knew that once a colony was sighted, we would have to move swiftly and in concert to bring them down before they scattered. Bodies would be left where they fell until the sweep was completed. Then we would return, retracing our path to destroy the spider remains, their nests and webs, and to search for any strays.

Within minutes as the rain began to fall steadily, we sighted the first nests. Twenty fat, globular bodies were huddled around four nests spread out in two trees. We far outnumbered them. I signaled a group of warriors to the right of the nests and to the left, I sent another five. Those of us remaining would watch for any escaping. Ten warriors could easily take the spiders out in seconds.

Thunder boomed overhead, shaking the trees like a vibrating drumhead. In the cloudy, dim woods, lightning slashed in two quick successive strikes. As I gave the low call of a blue jay and arrows flew into the trees finding their marks, I prayed to Elbereth to spare the warriors and the trees from the jagged, killing bolts of nature. Three more spiders skittered out of the nests and were downed in seconds. The trailing warriors moved in to check the downed bodies and retrieve our arrows as we cut our way through thick web to speed ahead in a hard downpour.

To the west, I occasionally heard shouts or the solid twang of bowstrings being released. I knew Aldamir’s unit was meeting with spiders as well. To my east, Tree’s patrol was making quick headway; I caught only a rapid showing of warriors in earnest pursuit as they raced after a group of fleeing spiders. A quick succession of leaves being shaken as spiders fell came in a satisfying swiftness.

By midday, we had routed six small colonies numbering no more than ten to twenty spiders in each. Few, if any, escaped us. Everything had progressed methodically and with surprising speed.

When I reached for another arrow, I found my quiver empty. I dropped back enough to call to the following warriors. “Arms!” I called. Lathien fell back with me and waited for replenishing his own quiver. A young warrior, only a few years older than Daeron, ran toward us, carrying a bundle of arrows in each hand.

Movement overhead caught my eye. The foliage was thick and dark, with only scant light filtering through the hovering fog. As the young warrior passed under the boughs, a spider dropped from a rope of web. “Move!” I shouted the knife from my belt already in my hand. The spider frantically tried to reverse its course as my blade caught its exposed underbelly. It quivered for a moment, hung still and then fell heavily to the forest floor landing upon its back, its legs bending and twisting like twigs caught in a wind.  Lathien’s plunged his sword into the round orb of its middle and the spider stilled.

Pale and shaken, the young warrior stood rigidly, still holding the bundles of arrows clutched tightly in his fists. Taking one of the bundles from him, I dropped the arrows into my quiver. “Thank you,” I said.

He flushed. “No, thank you, my lord,” he said. “I did not see it.”

“Spiders are sneaky creatures,” I smile, fighting the urge to lecture him as I would have Daeron. “You are doing fine. Just keep your eyes open for any that might escape us.”

He nodded as Lathien took the remaining bundle and dropped then into this quiver. Once Lathien was ready, we leapt into the trees to catch up to the quickly moving patrol.

By dusk, we were all wet, dirty and tired. And hungry; we had not eaten since before daybreak. Only a light rain continued to fall with the last hard downpour having been several hours earlier, though it was still enough to make the idea of being dry untenable.

As we arrived at the designated small stream where we were to rejoin with the other units, I saw Aldamir, dripping wet and mud splashed, as he unbuckled his quiver and sword and placed them against a tree. I made my way to him and smiled. “My lord, I trust you met with success?”

He exhaled and shook his head in exhaustion. “We did, but I am surprised at the reduced numbers. We did not find nearly the spiders that Farendi indicated before we began the sweep.” Leaning against the trees, he crossed his arms and stared out in to the forest for a moment. “Did you take any injuries?”

“No, everyone is accounted for,” I said. “But I was also surprised at the low number of spiders we encountered. Do you suppose so many have fled south?”

“That is my thinking,” he said. “As we drove the spiders before us, they must have warned others that they came upon and these joined in fleeing south.” He rubbed his face briskly. “I am concerned that the greater numbers are heading toward Erelas and his patrol. The members of his patrol are some of the best warriors this realm has to offer. They have to be to do the kind of work they do, but not even they will be a match for so many panicked spiders.”

“What would you have us do?” I asked, trying to ease the tight knot that formed in my stomach.

“I have sent a party of scouts to locate those that may be heading toward the elf-path,” he said. “Once I hear from them, then I will decide what to do.”

“They will have to move rapidly to catch up to the spiders,” I said.

“Indeed,” he said. “We may all have to move quickly to intervene.”

He paused for a moment and I could see that his mind was at work, planning for all possible actions we might be required to take. “The scouts have been gone for several hours,” he said. “My hope is that they will find answers to where the majority of the spiders have gone soon and return before daybreak.”

Nothing could be done until we gained word on the spiders’ movement. Waiting is always the hardest part of my job. I prefer to be set in a determined action and moving on this directive. Aldamir looked equally as uneasy as I felt. “What did you find in the northernmost village?” I asked. My unit passed to the east of the first village, but I knew that Aldamir had positioned himself to go through the villages.

“The villagers have heeded our warning and have barricaded themselves in a few centrally located structures.  I sent a group to search all the other buildings for any spiders that might have sought refuge. They found only one spider hiding in the eaves of the stable. I left two warriors to keep watch overnight. If no further spiders are sighted, then they will signal the villagers that they can come out once light has returned,” he said.

The smell of stew boiling wafted on the wind. My stomach rumbled. “In the meantime, I will see that all watches are set,” I smiled. “And I wish to be certain that our cooks for the evening are preparing enough to feed hungry warriors.” I placed my hand over my heart in formal salute. “By your leave, my lord.”

“Go”, he smiled, “and tell the cooks that I am indeed very hungry.” Though he managed a slight smile, I knew his thought were still on the swarm of spiders heading south toward Erelas’s position.

A few hours before dawn, I heard Aldamir call my name as he shook my shoulder. “Seregon! Wake. The scouts have returned,” he said.

Sleep immediately left me as I jumped from my wet blanket. I followed him to where the scouts stood waiting.

“Commander,” Nathron said, saluting Aldamir, “we have found a large massing of spiders due north of the elf-path, approximately four leagues away from Lord Erelas and his patrol’s position.”

“How many?” Aldamir asked.

“Several hundred at least,” Nathron reported. “But I suspect that the number will swell as we advance. We saw others fleeing in that direction.”

“Why do they not cross into the southern woods?” I asked. “For what do they wait?”

Nathron dipped his head to me. “My belief is that the spiders are aware of the location of Lord Erelas’s patrol, and are depending on sheer numbers to overwhelm the warriors.”

“The spiders have a strategy?” I mused. Certainly, the spiders were not without intellect, but I had not given them enough credit if what Nathron was saying was accurate. True, this strategy was quite basic, but I was still slightly shocked that the spiders would amass under some sort of leadership. 

Aldamir had remained silent with his thoughts, but he appeared, I thought, by his look of concentration, to be putting the final touches on what he had planned. Finally, he turned to me. “Rouse the warriors. Choose five from each unit and send them immediately to Erelas’s aid. Have Nathron captain this group; he will know the exact locations of the spiders so that the warriors may pass safely and alert Erelas of what is transpiring. These twenty warriors will be under Erelas’s command when they reach him. I will also send Erelas a message that Nathron will carry.”

I saluted. “As you command,” I said.

“And Seregon,” he called as he began to take out parchment and ink. “We must move swiftly onward through the remaining forest until we wedge the spiders between us. What we can take out of their rear flank will lessen the number advancing on only thirty- two warriors.”

At dawn, thick voluminous clouds hung overhead, obscuring the sky and allowing only a faint gray light to push back the night. Fog lingered like a wet blanket to cover deep into the forest. As I checked my unit to be certain that we were prepared to move, I looked anxiously toward the sky, hoping that the warmth of the rising sun would soon burn away the milky haze that lay over tree and Elf alike. I did not wish for the spiders to hide from us.

We drove south all morning, slaying spiders methodically. The spiders were indeed fleeing south ahead of us. We had only managed to find the ones that sought to remain rooted in their nests or were too slow to catch up to their fellows. We continued traveling with great speed and by mid-afternoon, as we passed to the east of Calendon’s village, we were nearing the amassed spiders.

Grateful for the extended light of a summer’s day, we came upon the first band of spiders while there was still enough light to battle them. But night would fall soon, and the swiftness of our assault was imperative. I whistled the charge. Arrows flew like rain into the scrambling black beasts. They fell quickly.

More spiders awaited us as we moved onward. The trailing warriors found themselves engaged in a ground assault as the spiders swarmed all around us. Their blades hacked and stabbed with no time to retrieve our spent arrows or to offer the advance warriors any replenishment. When my quiver was empty, I jumped to the forest floor with my sword in hand. At every opportunity, I snatched arrows from corpses and crammed them into my quiver. My warriors were doing the same as they brought their blades to bear on the enemy.

Dusk was passing into true night when I heard Aldamir call out the signal that he had reached the elf-path. The last of the spiders in our area were taken down and we met face to face with members of Erelas’s patrol.  Elves were strung out all along both sides of the path as were the numerous curled bodies of dead spiders.

As I dropped to the path, I saw Erelas striding toward me calling out for reports from his patrol. “Well!” echoed over and over. When he saw me, a great grin sprang to his face. “My lord,” he smiled as he saluted me.

After only a quick warrior’s greeting, I rushed him into an embrace. “Have you seen your brother yet?”

Erelas released me. “No, I have only heard his signal. But I will be glad to see him so that I might tell him how relieved I was to find twenty additional warriors coming to my aid.” He smiled wryly. “I was beginning to get worried.”

“These spiders will not worry anyone again,” I smiled. At that moment, I saw Aldamir approaching. He had already sighted Erelas and was coming toward us, looking relieved to see his brother unharmed.

When Aldamir reached us, Erelas turned, saluted and then allowed his older brother to draw him into a fierce embrace. “I am glad to see you,” Aldamir said softly.

“And I, you,” Erelas said.

Aldamir released his brother and placed his hands on Erelas’s shoulders. “How did your unit fare?”

“No injuries that I am aware of,” Erelas said. “I do not think any escaped us in this section of the path, but the swarm was large and if any did, they were few in number.”

Aldamir shook Erelas slightly and let his hands drop. “Good news, then,” he said. “We now have only to dispose of the carcasses.”

Erelas pushed his chin toward the path behind Aldamir. “Warriors already begin to gather the bodies to burn.” True enough, I saw. The spider remains were being tossed into a large pile, along with deadfall in a clearing near the path. I glanced in the other direction and found a similar scene. Another group dragged a tarp with bodies piled upon it from the woods toward the piles being readied to burn.

Aldamir nodded with satisfaction. “We will rest for the night before we begin to retrace our steps and clean the forest of the downed spiders,” he said. “I would have you, Erelas, return home by a northeastern route to look for any that might have escaped to the east. Take the additional twenty warriors with you so that you can cover more area. “

“As you command,” Erelas said. “If it pleases you, then we will begin our journey at first light.”

Aldamir nodded his agreement.

“I would not be surprised,” I said, “to find that the villagers have already begun the disposal of the remains in the forest. They are not likely to leave them if they can rid the woods of their foul presence.”

“That would indeed be welcome,” Aldamir said.

“Tell me, brother,” Erelas said, “how is Legolas?”

Aldamir cringed slightly. “He was well enough when we left. The poison was particularly virulent, I am told, but it followed the course we would expect. On the morning we took our leave, his fever had abated and the healer said he would fine with time.”

“I am relieved to hear that,” Erelas said. “When last I saw him, he was not doing well. I have been worried.”

Aldamir clasped his shoulder again. “By the time you arrive home, I suspect that he will back to his old self.”

Erelas laughed. “If he survives Naneth’s fussing.”

“He will,” Aldamir smiled. “And he will be the wiser for it. One of the queen’s sons does not take an injury without learning that the most trying portion of healing is avoiding upsetting her.”

Erelas laughed again. “I do not know if Legolas knows that yet. This should be an educational experience for him.”

“Naneth is a good teacher,” Aldamir said as his eyes met the captain of his eastern unit standing in wait at a respectful distance. He tilted his head in invitation, and Tree stepped forward and saluted.

“I have come to report, my lord,” Tree said.

“I am ready,” Aldamir said and settled to hear what his troop captain had to tell him. I listened too, finally feeling the weight of the oppressive enemy lift. This peace might not last long, but I resolved to enjoy this victory for we never knew what enemy might only be moments from finding us.