Curse of the Chelicerae

Page 5

"Kommmme." Hard pincer-like fingers gripped Sinaedh's arm at the elbow and turned her away from the cave wall where she'd been collecting the sticky thread. The basket was pulled from her grip.

"We's nar done here," Sinaedh heard her kobold friend say. There was a sudden tug at her arm, a crack, then a thud and whimper.

"Seknar?" she said softly, reaching out blindly toward him only to be harshly pulled back by the arachite who held her.

"Mes fine," he mumbled. As the clawed hand turned her sharply away, she heard him say more strongly, "Mes fine. Yus be careful."

"I will," she whispered softly. "You too."

Sinaedh stumbled along with the overseer, its hard clawed hand guiding her through the rough halls, climbing with every step. As they moved, sounds within the cavern changed from the whispery sound of web collection and occasional wail of pain common to the depths to a babbling chitter that grew in volume until it sounded like locusts Sinaedh had heard gathered in the fields near Camelot in the summer. Sinaedh looked blindly around, listening. The overseer drew her to a halt.

"Thissss isssss the onnnne," Sinaedh heard a deep voice speak. All the clacking and rasping nearby ceased immediately. "Thissss onnnne we willllll tttttrade."

"Ja." The voice was close. Sinaedh looked that way blindly. "Dis one'll do. Agreed." Sinaedh heard the clink of metal hitting the ground, then the clawed hand freed her, to be replaced by a firm human hand on her arm. She caught a whiff of soured man-smell as he leaned close to whisper, "Follow me. No struggle."

She nodded mutely, thoughts whirling. Could this be a rescuer? The accent was Norse, of that she was certain, so that didn't make him a friend. The man hurried her through the chamber, his hand on her arm. They finally stepped out into the forest. The man lifted her to the back of a horse, then swung up behind her. His scent of stale sweat and soured ale swirled along with the strong horse smell. He clapped heels to the animal's side, and urged it away without another word to her.

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