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acornsandoaktrees · 8 months

Text

Into Tall Grass (And Webs)

Squirrels Arc

word count: 1.1K

summary: The princes and Tauriel go where they should not.

glossary:

iônnig = my son

adar = father

trigger warnings: spiders, brief claustrophobic themes

Laerion hoisted Legolas up, grunting under little boots on his face until Tauriel had hold of him.

Finding purchase in knitted branches, Laerion climbed up after them until he too perched on a wide bough crowning the hedge.

Dutiful, Tauriel held Legolas' arm so he wouldn't fall as he peered over the edge, eyes wide with vertigo.

Voices approached the screen of wild plants currently hiding the elflings from sight. Their caretaker's intonation was clear and bell-like amongst them.

Laerion dropped to the bed of vegetation on the other side; grass brushed his waist. Fresh dirt showering from her boots, Tauriel kicked up moss clinging to the branches in her clumsied hurry to descend; trusting his elder brother to catch him, Legolas bravely leapt. Feathers in his arms, Laerion bent his knees to set him down.

Legolas' shoulders matched the height of the grass here, tiny ellon almost swallowed by the forest. Laerion had to search for his hand a moment in the dewy depths so as not to lose him entirely. Tauriel ran ahead, batting away obstructing vines.

Cast by the high hidden sun above the canopy, shadows cooled reasonably the spring warmth. Dew still slicked laden branches, drawing dark streaks on the elflings' tunics as they walked. Though the sky was blue and cloudless above their heads, eternal twilight reigned this side of the hedge, everything caught in a fragile quiet just before birdsong wakes. Flowers quivered expectantly; odd things rustled in bushes.

Laerion escorted his charges deeper within the bounds of the forest, ignoring the wariness swirling in his stomach, warning him to be afraid of the unknown.

Every so often, Legolas and Tauriel strayed from him to examine strange plants. Tauriel chatted to the younger about animal tracks visible in the soft earth. Legolas listened intently to her, though sometimes far-off calls or rustling leaves distracted him.

Caving to their questions, Laerion knelt in the grass to see a grounded bee.

Torn wings working furiously, it struggled in a frenzied buzz of noise. Translucent string clung to its body, matting pinstriped fur and stealing the sweet brazen pollen on its legs.

Laerion's heart dropped into his stomach. He tracked the web up into interwoven arcs wound taught over shrubbery; the strange cloying smell hanging in the air explained itself.

"This is far enough."

Tauriel raised her voice to protest. When Laerion rounded on her harshly, she shrunk back, sullen. Eyes watery, Legolas tugged on Laerion's sleeve.

"This isn't home," he whimpered, "I want to go home."

Quietly agreeing with him, Laerion picked him up. "Come, Tauriel."

The fiery-haired elleth sulked, but waded through the wilted grass alongside them nevertheless. Indignant, she kicked a pebble out of her path. It disappeared into wild ferns and rolled away, catching in webs.

>---|-

They descended in a horrible chittering fracas.

>---|-

"Legolas!" Laerion screeched, kicking desperately in blindness. "Tauriel!"

It took him only a moment to realise his limbs were bound, his body entirely cocooned. Spiders hissed and trees cried in his ears. Huge shadows passed over his veiled vision time and time again.

Everywhere; they must've been everywhere. Laerion screamed for the little elfings again, and this time Legolas whimpered in response.

Wriggling in vain attempts to free himself, Laerion clawed blindly at the webbing encasing his body. So tight it hurt to breathe. Strident shrieks in his periphery, huge legs prodded him back and forth.

As long as they focused on him: as long as they left Legolas and Tauriel alone. A sob escaped him. Those sweet children were going to die and he could do nothing.

Catching on his fingertips, thick string stretched then tore. An opening -- a pale crack of grey light. If he could just reach the knife sheathed at his belt...

Muted sunlight burst across his eyes. Starved of the freshness of the forest, Laerion gasped in stale air. He caught a branch as he began to fall, hauling himself up.

Dislodging lingering webs, Laerion threw up his knife just in time to bury it between the many black eyes of the spider charging at him. Its momentum drove it forward still, pincers relaxing, Laerion's heels scraping on brittle bark.

Others crowded him, hissing vile complaints. Branches groaned under their weight as they bore down upon him with awful speed. Large and looming, the air shivered with their fury.

Raising his tiny blade, Laerion managed to draw in a shallow gasp and swung at the closest spider.

It recoiled with a sharp cry: the sound gurgled then died abruptly as its head flew from its body.

Overspilling with dark tar, the lone thorax tipped forward and crashed through low branches.

Singing righteously, many arrows swept through the gathered spiders, falling like rain into their midst.

Dropping one by one, the beasts' furious racket dwindled until all that remained was the dull anticipatory thrum of the sick forest. It was over in seconds.

Wiping clean her sword on satin robes, the Elvenqueen bridged branches to stand before her son.

Above them, Liatan joined the gathered band of elves, holding Legolas to his chest and Tauriel to his side. Both elflings clutched his tunic, faces hidden, webs clinging to their clothes.

Laerion shirked under his mother's glare. Her disappointment stung.

Thalanes extended her hand. In her open palm, the boy placed his bloodied knife.

"Consider yourself lucky," Thalanes said, a storm on the horizon. She turned away, clutching the knife to her chest.

Another elf placed his hand at Laerion's back, herding him after the hunting band towards warmer shadows.

>---|-

Feathers brushing her ears, Alphes reached up to readjust her slipping crown as she peered around the corner.

Earlier, her brothers had stolen away Tauriel while she had been stuck in the hold of her linguistics teacher. When a great fuss arose outside, he had been gone fetching new scrolls from the library, which quite stupidly gave Alphes the opportunity to slip away. They could never trap her for long.

Now, she hovered at a shadowed nook overlooking the throne room, out of sight of guards that would snatch her up and carry her back to her teacher.

"Iônnig."

An ant far below, the prince turned back to face his father.

"They are only young, and the forest has become perilous. You must be more careful," Thranduil said, rigid. The deep thrum of his voice echoed grandly throughout the cavern.

Laerion dipped into a low bow. "I understand, Adar." Alphes thought his light voice shook just a little. It might've been the hollows of the walls.

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