Jessica pulled onto Harold as they ran deeper into the forest. The sounds of the siege had long faded away and the trees got closer together. She was in a complete panic and just ran not knowing where she was going. The leaves canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. It was only when she felt the ground beneath her feet changed that she stopped. Looking down it was some kind of sticky white substance that if it weren't for the adrenaline rushing through, she'd have known what it was straight away.

"Jess…", Harold whimpered. She looked up and held in a gasp. White silky web surrounded them on all sides. It was completely silent except for their breathing and a small rabbit struggling weakly inside a cocoon. An eight legged creature approached the rabbit and in one quick motion, the rabbit stopped moving.

Jessica ushered Harold to slowly back away back the way they came, keeping an eye on the spider as it consumed its meal. In the corner of her eye, she saw movement within the branches and stopped. Harold pulled on her arm to get her to keep going but she didn't respond. There was more movement and they could feel the taps of the spiders from the ground.

They slowly turned around to see that their exit was now blocked by spiders from the size of a turkey to as big as a basilisk. All around them spiders were staring them down. Fangs dripping with anticipation of a decent meal. Jessica pulled up her sword but it was heavy in her grip and in her fear she forgot her posture.

She and Harold looked at the spiders back to back, slowly turning in a circle. Sweat dripped down her face as the number of spiders grew, their red eyes being the only source of light. She swung her sword in the air causing the spiders to retreat momentarily. She swung again wildly but they didn't move back as much and by the third swing they didn't move at all. One spider slowly approached.

"Get back!" She screamed but it didn't stop its approach. It's mandibles clicking away preparing for the attack. The spider then stopped curling its legs slightly ready to jump.

Time slowed down. The spider launched up from the ground towards her. Its fangs poised to feast. She raised her sword and ducked, covering harold. The fangs brushed her hair as the sword cut off the tip of its leg.

It screamed in agony causing the other spiders to go wild. Some retreating, some attacking. With adrenaline rushing through her she swung her sword madly at the spiders keeping Harold. "Richard help!" She screamed, darting in whatever gap she could see frantically trying to keep herself and Harold away from the creatures.

"Richard!" Harold screamed with Jessica echoing those words. They scrambled under the legs of a large spider squeezing through some trees. A spider got stuck going after them, its leg brushing Harold's back.

They turned into a blind corner and scrambled around more spiders. Jessica wildly swung her sword keeping the spiders at bay but they were getting braver. She saw a small passage and darted towards it to lose the spiders but one then blocked her way. In a blind panic she raised her sword and stabbed it in the head, killing it instantly, and they ran over the top of it then squeezed through the passage.

They got through to the other side and the spiders were unable to get through, madly snapping at one another to be the first to go after them but they weren't safe. In front of them was a giant spider. It hissed at them slowly making its approach. Jessica raised her sword and… she didn't have it. Her sword was still in the spider she killed, impossible to reach.

Harold and Jessica clung to one another retreating into a corner of the spider's den as it took its time going after like it was getting a sick pleasure from this. They curled up into the corner, Jessica placing herself between the spider and Harold as it rose its head to strike. "Dad!" She screamed.

There was a roar and a burst of light pierced through the trees. Richard came barreling down with his sword and in one swift motion, the spider's head was no longer part of its body as it rolled to the ground.

He turned to face them, "You hurt?" They both shook their heads. With a nod he sheathed his sword and then brought his arms under her shoulders. "Don't let go of him." Realizing what he was going to do she clung to Harold more tightly and then they were in the air. The spiders hissed in disgust as they flew out of their grasp and got up above the trees.

Jessica kept her eyes shut putting all of her concentration into keeping hold of Harold. It seemed like they were in the air for hours and she just wanted to be on firm ground. "Rough landing!" Richard strained. She opened hers just as they landed in a river. The force of the landing caused her to lose grip of Harold.

She broke up towards the surface and looked frantically around trying to figure out where he had gone. "Harold? Harold?" She panicked, the water blurring her vision. Something grabbed her and she punched it several times as she was dragged out of the water.

"Hey. Hey hey hey!" Her vision cleared and she could see it was Richard, Harold was sat down by a tree. "We're safe now. We're safe." She took a couple deep breaths and only then did the weight of what they just went through hit her hugging Richard tightly.

"I… I didn't know what to do… they were everywhere… so many and…" She stuttered, rapidly breathing.

"Shh shh it's alright", Richard said, patting her hair. "You're safe now. You're safe." Jessica sobbed and buried her head into his shoulder. Harold then went up and hugged her as well. The three of them didn't move as they let their emotions out. Not only were they on the run again but now, they were being hunted.

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This is a ych I got from  Marsel-Defender over two years ago now. Was waiting for the right time in the story to upload it
Richard belongs to me