Chapter 43

The Brownie

I took a great gulp of air and closed me eyes. Willing meself to nae heed Liotte’s last commands to his minions. I tried to fill me mind with family and me great desire to care for them. Instead of the princesses, the image of wee Sammy filled me head. “Poor Little Miss--Blinked away from Mums,” I said to meself with worry.

“Stop her!” I heard the necromancer yell.

The noose snapped tight and, for a moment, I thought me done for. Then the pain vanished, along with the rope round my neck, and I found meself in darkness.

“Winni!” a wee voice piped out.

To my surprise, Little Miss stood before me. The Cyclops queen held her hand and the hand of a wee Cyclops girl, younger than Sammy and a tad taller. Then all three gasped in horror, staring at something behind me. I whirled round and saw the telltale webbing spread over a gap in the tunnel wall where we stood. One arch-spider, as big as me, made a clattery sound. Others answered its call and the web sagged with the weight of a multitudinous amount of the creatures.

The brave queen thrust me behind her with the wee ones and drew two concealed knives from her boots. “I will keep them busy. Take the young through the passage.”

“But what about Daddy?” Little Miss asked.

The queen turned and yelled down the tunnel, “Jim, hurry. We have trouble!” There was no answering call or the sound of footsteps approaching. “Jim!” the queen shouted once more.

Sammy tugged my hand. “We’ve got to find my daddy!”

“We will, Little Miss, but first we need to save ourselves.” I was amazed the web didn’t break from the weight of them. I had never seen so many. “There are too many, Queen! Thee nae can fight all!”

Two braver arch-spiders crept within arm’s length. The queen’s blades flashed and sang. Green ichor sprayed as the heads of the arachnids flew off. Their bodies followed their heads down into the abyss beyond.

“I don’t plan to battle all. Go!” The Queen edged to the opening. She parried another attack. This one, smarter, scuttled back out of reach. The queen slashed again, aiming for the threads that anchored the web to the opening. I ken her plan. It was a bright one, but she’d need help. I searched the tunnel for some sort of weapon. I surveyed the rocks strewn on the ground, but none sharp enough for me. The two girls hugged each other with their backs against the wall. The wee Cyclops was dressed an exact miniature of the queen. I eyed the boots then ran over and felt inside the tops. Yes! Knives! Small, but wickedly sharp and perfect for me.

“You two run ahead. I will help the queen.”

Brave Sammy shook her head. Even trembling with fear, she stood tall. “I want to help and I won’t leave my daddy.”

I had nae time to argue. The arch-spiders filled every space on the web, and I saw one lash out, cutting the queen. She winced, but did not pause her attack for even a thrice. I turned back to the girls. “Throw rocks at the spiders. Stay well back and mark ye nae hit me nor the queen.”

While the queen kept the beasts at bay, I clambered up the top of the web, avoiding the sticky strands and sawed through the ones anchored to the stone. Rocks flew around me, one smashing into the eyes of the closest spider. The web was stout. I’ll give that to the great beasts. They wove a grand weave, but with two thirds of the anchoring threads severed, soon the spiders would need to choose. Remove themselves or stay and risk a fatal fall. I put my trust in the queen and the wee ones to keep the spiders busy.

“Oh no!” the queen shouted.

I risked a glance. Those tricksful things! One of the smaller spiders ran between the queen’s legs and rushed the wee ones. When the distracted Cyclops turned, two more followed. I caught the queen’s eye and we exchanged a nod of kenning. Readying my blades, I transported meself the short distance to the wee ones. Three spiders, one for each of us. The wee ones kept hurling rocks and took out the forelegs on the side of one of them. It limped weakly in circles and keened.

I slashed at the one nearest meself and dealt it a painful blow. In agony, it flailed and caught its injured sibling within its pincers, dealing it a killing bite. Entwined, they both shuddered and were still. The third was cagey. It darted in toward Sammy who had run out of stones. She raised her hand, palm facing the spider, and shouted, “No!”

The spider was slung so hard that it sped pass the queen into the net. A force yanked the remaining threads free and the spiders screamed as they fell to their deaths into a darkened well beyond the door.

The three of us stared at Little Miss. “If you could do this, why did you not do it earlier?” the queen asked.

Sammy examined her hands perplexed. “I didn’t know I could.”

We looked for the wee one’s father, but he seemed to have vanished. I ken we had nae time to keep searching. I nodded to the queen and spoke to the child. “Little Miss, the spiders are gone and your father will find us, but we can nae stay.”

Little Miss’s lip quivered, but she held back tears. “Are you sure, Winni?”

“I’m sure. There are many tunnels that lead to safety down here. He will probably be waiting for us at the end.” I hoped with all my Brownie spirit that I was right.

“We must reach the borders and find my people. Come!” The queen rushed forward but stopped. “Nstrl....you fought well and have earned your blades. You will be trained, my warrior child.”

I offered the wee Cyclops her blades back but she took only one and gestured that I should keep the other. She was so proud that she nearly pranced after her mum.

We took the left fork around the deep well beyond the great spider arch. As we ran, Little Miss asked, “Winni, how did you find me?”

“Little Miss, I think from now on, I will ken your whereabouts always.”