It took a while to cut Judd out of his wrap, Caste eventually finding his small saw and carefully breaking the threads. The large doors that would open onto the courtyard had been sealed shut with even more spider web but Giordi had a guess that fire would make quick work of it. They were able to find flint stone and, using the tip of Verne’s last arrow, were able to make sparks that leapt onto the webbing. The spider’s web lit up in a flash, the whole hall clearing in a matter of seconds and all that was left were a few stray sparks.

“Please don’t try that on me.” Judd warned, sitting up, carving at the last bits of web that bound his legs together. Verne lit several of the torches which were laced with a flammable oil and immediately a friendlier glow was cast over the gloomy hall.

The body of the giant spider was the first thing they saw upon opening the doors into the courtyard. Verne retrieved Judd’s sword then he and Giordi, who made a fuss about manual labour, dragged it into the main hall.

“We’ll need fuel for the fire…”

“We could use the thatch from the house whose roof we ruined.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Aalis watched Verne and Giordi head for the main gates of the courtyard that would open into the village then turned back to Judd who was trying very hard not to look at the spider’s body.

“Did it scratch or bite you?” She asked.

“No,” Judd rapped his armour, “this kept me pretty safe…although up on that roof I could have used a little less weight.”

“You were very brave,” Aalis frowned as he gave a mocking laugh, “what is it?”

“Brave? I tried to find the door to escape,” Judd winced in shame, “I…I would have left you all behind…” He shuddered. “I really, really…really hate spiders. But not you.” Aalis raised her eyebrows. “You ran at them and threw your mistletoe brew…you killed so many. I don’t think we would have been able to defend ourselves against all of them.”

“It did not work against the big spider, though.”

“Still, if we come across any more mistletoe, we’ll be stuffing our pockets with it.” Judd chuckled.

“Giordi was quite brave too, attacking it when he did.” The broken lute was a pathetic sight.

“Caste will be happy,” Judd groaned as he stood up, “and perhaps, by the time we’ve found Giordi a new one, he’ll have forgotten to write the ballad of the arachnophobic knight.”

“Judd,” Aalis said firmly, “you cannot help the things that make you so frightened that you lose all reason. Fearing something is an attribute of being human. Facing what you fear, which you did, makes you a knight.”

Judd smiled warmly at her and she tucked her dreadlock behind her ear, bashfully blushing.

“If I ever become a knight, I’m going to make that my motto.” She smiled, shaking her head and he opened his mouth to say that her gentle wisdom was just one of the things that he admired about her, which was turning his initial appreciation into a deepening emotion…when Verne and Giordi started yelling. “What now!” Judd’s reflexes were on high alert and he looked up, hearing them cry ‘watch out’ just as a grey force knocked him down and began to lick him madly. “Oof…get off me you mad duffer!”

“Sorry Judd!” Giordi called, he and Verne running into the hall, their arms full of thatch. “I think he was waiting until our backs were turned to run inside.”

“Oh poor boy,” Aalis scrubbed his neck, his tail whipping back and forth, spraying water, his tongue hanging out with pleasure, “did that mean orthros torment you and steal your dinner? Yes he did…”

Judd got up and sighed, rubbing the dog’s head to a show that he held no grudge against being knocked over.

“Poor fellow,” he shook his head, “he probably had owners in the village…”

“There hasn’t been a single sign of life.” Caste remarked quietly, looking up from marking his parchment with the blood of the spider. The giant leg he was using didn’t fit in the box so it had to go in its own sack.

“Strange that out of an entire village, the only body we found was of Sir Bobellion.” Giordi said as he and Verne tossed the thatch into the hearth and, using the flint and arrowhead, attempted to get a fire going. “If this takes off, we’re going to need more firewood.”

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“There should be more in the fort kitchen to feed the oven.” Aalis brushed her hands. “Maybe we will find you something to eat, hey?” She rubbed his head then picked up one of the torches.

“Need help?” Judd asked, hoping she would say yes and they could continue their conversation.

“I am sure I will be fine.” Aalis called, finding a door on the opposite side of where the stairs were situated behind the dais.

Aalis reasoned that kitchens needed to be close to feasting halls so she hoped the door she opened would lead her to where she wanted to go. Fortunately her instincts served her well and she found herself in a large kitchen that was as empty as the rest of the fort. There were a few unpleasant smells from food that was rotting and mouldy bread. She rested the torch in a metal brace then approached the large table in the middle where half a pig carcass had been lay abandoned. She used a cleaver to hack off the bone of the leg.

“Here boy, look what I found you.” She turned, looking for the dog that had happily followed her when called. “What do you have over there? Found a rat?”

The dog was scratching at the ground, splinters of wood coming up from its claws and it was whining with increasing frenzy. As Aalis approached she saw there was a large metal circle bolted to the wood on the otherwise stone floor, a large barrel having fallen across it, possibly in an attempt to hide it. Aalis heaved against the barrel and managed to move it enough that the ring was freed and she could see now that the wood the dog was attacking was a panel of heavy, metal bound planks set flush into the floor.

“Oh…could it be?” She grasped the ring and tried to put, the dog leaping back, barking in excitement but the trapdoor was too heavy. She couldn’t lift it. “Judd! Verne, Giordi, Caste!” Already summoned by the dog’s barking, the others were swift in appearing. Aalis pointed to the trapdoor. “I think someone is down there. I cannot lift it.”

“Allow me.” Judd grasped the ring.

“Wait,” Caste gasped, “what if it’s a monster?”

They paused.

“What if it is a survivor?” Aalis cried.

“Dogs are good judges of character.” Verne nodded at the grey hound that was scratching at the trapdoor again and whimpering. “I say trust it.”

“Then on three. One, two…three!” Judd heaved, the weighted trapdoor requiring all his strength to pull it up and back onto himself. He then realised the foolishness of his position, trapped in the corner of the kitchen with the heavy wood planks against him.

“Hello?” Aalis called. “Is anyone down there?”

Silence ensued…then…

“Are you human?”

She laughed and gasped at the same time. “Yes, yes we are!”

Judd squeezed out from around the trapdoor and saw a pale face looking up at them fearfully.

“There was a spider…”

“It’s dead.” Judd said with finality. The face looked at him with a great deal of scepticism in their eyes but Judd’s monster blood splattered armour seemed to convince the survivor. “The orthros too.”

The survivor breathed out with a deep sigh. “The alarm was raised to come inside the keep. Sir Bobellion…what happened to him?”

“I am afraid the spider killed him.” Caste said softly.

The survivor shook his head. “He…he mightn’t have been the most auspicious knight…but he saved us.”

“Us?” Judd peered into the darkness. “You’re not the only one?”

“Oh no, there are dozens of us down here.” The survivor disappeared and dull words could be heard then they reappeared and climbed up the ladder, stumbling a little. “Sorry, there wasn’t a lot of headspace down there. We’ve been cramped for days.” He wore the tunic of a cleric, dusty and stained.

After the cleric came several adults, all dazed and apprehensive. Judd and Verne helped several elderly villagers climb the ladder and then the children began to appear.

“We’ve got a fire going in the main hall,” Giordi announced, “follow me.”

“You’d think he was the hero.” Verne rolled his eyes, helping a weeping young woman out.

“Oh thank you!” She threw her arms around Verne who looked at Judd awkwardly. He chuckled at the archer’s discomfort then found himself thanked in the same way. “Thank you!”

Caste and the Fort Sol cleric, Elde, stood to one side, Elde flexing his legs and feet.

“I can’t believe you all survived down there,” Caste was aghast, “and for how long?”

“Four days.” Elde stretched his arms. “There’s quite a lot of space down there, it’s just not very tall. It’s a natural cave in the cliff face that is used for food storage for the fort. Sir Bobellion ordered us in there knowing we could survive for a while. There are holes that let in air and light and we gathered water when it rained from those holes, collecting it into barrels.”

“Sir Bobellion remained in the fort?”

Elde nodded. “He was going to kill the spider. We had no warning. It must have been biding its time in a cave on the southern most side of the isle then attacked. We were already on tenterhooks because of the orthros. Sir Bobellion and his contingent of soldiers were confident they could kill the spider but minutes turned into hours which turned into days…and we couldn’t get out. The trapdoor wouldn’t lift.” Elde put a trembling hand into his tunic and drew a small pouch out. “I…if you hadn’t come when you did…I would have been forced to put this into our collected water…”

“What is it?” Caste took the pouch and carefully pried it open, peering at the contents. “Wolfsbane?” He hissed in a whisper.

Tears welled in Elde’s eyes. “Cut with a heavy sedative…if…if the children were…starving…” He sobbed, sagging forward onto Caste. “I…I haven’t slept in days…I thought I was going to be their executioner…”

Caste looked at Judd who heard the weeping cleric and glanced over at him. Caste looked helpless and Judd jerked his head at him. Caste tried to give Elde a comforting hug which came out as an awkward pat but Elde seemed to be better for it.

“Judd,” Aalis said softly, “these people are going to need food. I thought myself, with anyone who can help, might make this kitchen operational. They are in a terrible, fear saturated state.”

“We won’t leave them until we know they are safe and provided for.” Judd promised.