The Lost Princesses Medieval Romance Collection by Hedlund Jody

Author:Hedlund, Jody [Hedlund, Jody]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Young Adult, Anthology, Fiction
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Published: 2020-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

6

Edmund

None of my communication would get through to the giant arachnid. I’d only learned a little regarding the language of the lesser creatures, having focused mainly on the wild animals that roamed the Highlands.

Its eight black eyes were pinned on me, sensing my attempt to communicate. But still, it crept closer, the hairs on its legs raised, picking up our vibrations and our scent. In the passageway behind the spider came the clanking and hissing of more. The place was infested with the giant creatures.

I’d heard rumors of large, poisonous spiders once having lived in the Iron Hills in the days before the mines were fully developed. Their deadly bites had killed many miners until the spiders had been hunted to extinction.

How had these survived?

I thrust my sword, attempting to discern the best way to attack. Its hard exoskeleton would be difficult to penetrate. I’d likely have to start by slicing off its legs while dodging the dagger-like claws on each tip as well as the pedipalps next to its fangs.

With a last desperate effort at communicating, I issued a short hiss, telling it to withdraw. It hissed back, releasing an odor that told me it had every intention of killing us.

“Crawl through the opening, Maribel,” I said as the creature neared, so close that it was almost overhead. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed another one entering the room, as big as the first. Although I could possibly battle one, I wouldn’t be able to defend Maribel from multiple spiders at once. Not from overhead and certainly not with so many claws and legs.

She moved to obey me but then stopped halfway through the space. “Give me your dagger, and I shall help you fight them.”

“No! Make haste through the hole and leave space for me to dive out after you.”

She did as I asked, no doubt hearing the strain in my voice. As a third spider crawled into the room, this one on the floor, I knew the only way we could escape was to attempt to outrun them.

As if sensing my plan, the spider above me lunged, releasing silk from its spinneret as it descended. I spun and tossed my torch and sword ahead.

“Start running!” I forced my head into the hole and scrambled to pull my body through. But I was too late. A jab into my calf was followed by piercing pain so intense I couldn’t hold back a cry. The spider had punctured my tender flesh with one of its claws. Within seconds, it would riddle me with more cuts from its other legs before finally biting me with its poisonous fangs. There was nothing I could do to stop it except attempt to crawl away and get as much of my body out of its reach as possible.

“I have you!” Maribel shouted, clutching my arms and hauling me. I pushed with her, throwing myself forward. Another spider claw hit my thigh, grazing my flesh like a cat scratch.

With Maribel dragging me, I managed to wriggle both legs through.

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