Disclaimer: I do not own lotr or the Chronicles of Narnia. I do this for fun.

AU: *sigh* I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I hope you all are still interested in the story. I have the end goal fixed on this one it's just the middle that I'm figuring out. So, please bear with me. Thank you all for your continued support! Leave me a review and tell me what you think of the story so far. I love reading your opinions, good and bad. They really help me grow as a writer.

.oOo.

"Something feels off." Susan said as she walked down the overgrown path. They had been journeying in the forest for several days and already it became ever clear that they were not welcome. Though it was still daylight above, only a mist of light penetrated the canopy above casting the forest with an ominous glow. She gazed into the deep forest so thick around them, and noted the many cobwebs hanging among and ensnaring the trees.

"Well, in case you weren't listening, " Peter started, "evidently, everything in this forest wants to kill us. Including the water." He poked a stick at a nearby creek.

She sighed, "No, It's not that. It's just… the trees. They look sick."

Peter stopped by a tree and frowned, "You're right…. Maybe these cobwebs have something to do with it." He reached out his hand to touch it.

"Peter, don't!" Edmund's hand shot out and caught Peter by the wrist but not before one of his fingers was stuck to the web. Peter immediately jerked back sending a wave of vibrations up and through the forest. The Pevensies watched and listened for a second while a chilling silence pierced through the wood, waiting for any sign of danger.

When nothing sounded in return Edmund sighed and let go of his brother's wrist. "Those aren't normal spider webs." he finished.

Susan stepped forward, "Well that's obvious. I don't think normal spider webs are supposed to do that. But… just what are dealing with here?"

"Chandraraj mentioned the spiders of Dul Guldur, and now that I've seen their webs… they're not as small as I thought they were going to be."

Peter smirked, "Alright Mr. Biology expert, how big are these spiders? Are they bigger than a bread box? Am I going to have to use my whole boot to kill them instead of the toe?"

"Peter," Susan reprimanded, "try to take things a little serious—"

A resounding crash split through the air and the siblings froze. There was a short silence before more creaks and groans were heard in the forest coming closer and closer. Until at last, they looked up to see a spider double the size of a human leering down at them.

Edmund's mouth dropped open, "Definitely bigger than a bread box."

"Run!" Susan shouted as she pulled her brothers down the path. The spider screamed out after them and its voice was soon joined by several others.

Peter and Edmund, now shaken out of their daze drew their swords as more spiders appeared beside them. They slashed at a few and managed to drive them back before continuing to sprint down the cobblestone path.

Susan looked back behind and saw the other spiders were gaining on them. She quickly drew an arrow to her bow and shot back at the closest one, missing it entirely. She gave out a frustrated yell and tried again, this time hitting one of its eyes. It gave a shrill cry and fell back another spider taking its place.

Heaving another groan Susan picked up her pace behind her brothers and nearly crashed into them when they skidded to a dead stop.

"Why aren't we running?" Susan yelled.

Edmund pointed in front of him, "The path is gone!"

She looked around him and saw nothing but a deep ravine. "What are we going to do?"

Peter looked behind at the hoard swiftly approaching them, "We go off the path."

"What?!" Edmund and Susan both exclaimed.

"Do you have a better idea?" he shouted before running into the forest.

Edmund and Susan looked to each other before running after him.

"I don't like this!" Susan shouted, "We should have stayed on the path!"

"What path?" Peter yelled back.

Rolling her eyes, Susan was caught off guard when a spider jumped in front of her. "Peter!" she slid to a stop and drew an arrow, firing it at the monstrous arachnid. The arrow hit its target but another sprung upon her in it's place and knocked the queen backwards before she could draw another arrow.

Edmund who had turned back faster than Peter, jumped over the dead spider's corpse and sliced open the following spider's head before grabbing Susan's hand and pulling her on her feet, practically dragged her past the dead spiders to Peter's side, only to come to a screeching halt once more as they realized they were surrounded.

The Pevensies stood back to back, weapons raised as the spiders began to flood the clearing. Susan nocked an arrow and drawing the string of her bow to her cheek she took the first kill as the spiders advanced towards them. Peter and Edmund hacked and killed many of the arachnids but every one killed, brought three more in its place.

It was in the frenzy of the moment that Edmund was knocked away into a tree, his sword flying far from his grasp. Out of breath and unable to reach his sword, Edmund was defenseless against the spider that was charging him. Susan reached for an arrow only for her hand to slip through air. She turned to Peter where he was already running to Edmund's side and with a wide slash he cut off the spider's front legs then stabbed it through the head.

Peter helped his brother stand and they turned to face the spiders once more, but found that the rest of the spiders had fallen back to a little beyond the clearing.

"What's this?" Edmund asked as he watched the spiders slowly circling the clearing.

Stooping down to pick up Edmunds sword, Peter sighed, "I would suppose, they're waiting for reinforcements." He handed the sword to Edmund and started to clean his off with the dead leaves strewn on the forest floor.

"Reinforcements?" Susan sighed as she looked around at their enemies then ruefully back at her empty quiver, "Where's our reinforcements?" When silence was her only answer, she continued, "Well, we're lost, surrounded, and it's nearly nighttime. What do we do now?"

Slumping his shoulders, Peter sat on a tree root after he sheathed his sword, "I don't know."

Edmund looked up at the treetops and sure enough, the light was fading quickly. It would be night soon. "We don't have reinforcements because we need to find them. What if…." he continued looking at the sky and lowered his voice, "What if one of us were to sneak out under cover of night to go find help."

"Are you crazy?" Susan started, "Spiders are nocturnal!"

Edmund held up a finger, "But, they can only see you if you touch one of their webs."

She sighed, "Have you seen this forest? It's covered in that stuff! And in case you haven't noticed, these spiders aren't like the tiny ones back home!"

He sighed exasperated, "Well, we can't just wait here until they replenish their numbers! Peter and I are exhausted and you're out of arrows. We need to do something."

Susan opened her mouth to protest but Peter cut her off, "Edmund's right." He stood from his seat, "Remember what Aslan said. Things don't always happen the same way twice. We can't expect someone to come save us like Chandraraj did in the foothills. I think his plan is the best we've got; although, a distraction will need to be made so the spiders won't notice one of us leaving."

There was a short silence before Susan sighed, "Well, who is going to go?"

Both brothers exchanged a glance before looking back at Susan.

She took a step back, "Oh no. I'm not leaving either of you."

"Like I said before," Edmund stated, "you're out of arrows, and this distraction is going to have us fighting again."

She looked away from the pair and back to the sky which was nearing the last hour of twilight. "Alright. But promise me… that you'll stay alive."

Peter smirked, "We will if you will."

.oOo.

Susan regretted this decision. She crouched behind a rotting trunk and waited for the spiders to charge past. She knew where they were headed but she couldn't help Peter and Edmund now. She had to keep going; had to find help.

Taking in a deep breath she stood and jumped over the log and sprinted into the night. She opened her eyes wide to better try to see in the darkened woods but only her hearing and touch seemed to be of any use. Grunting she ripped her dress from a bush, and she gasped when her hand and sleeve caught on briers. She continued to hold onto her bow with a death grip as she followed her senses through the trees. It was well past midnight now and she wished the sun would rise above the horizon at least a little to show her the path but not even the moon's rays could penetrate the foliage above.

It was in her blind goings that she placed her foot mistakenly and gave out a shriek as she slid and tumbled down a cliff or hill. Landing at the bottom with a loud crash, she tried to catch her breath before sitting up with a soft groan. Then with a cry of dismay she realized that she had dropped her bow in the fall. "No. No. No, no." she said as she sifted through the leaves surrounding her trying to find it but her efforts were to no avail.

Throwing back her head she let out a groan; on the verge of tears. Then closing her eyes she took a breath, "Keep it together."

She raised her eyes once more and stood to her feet to continue her pathless journey when something caught her eye. An orange light was flickering off in the distance. She opened her mouth to call out to it but stopped remembering what she was running from.

So, keeping the light in her sight she began journeying towards it. She soon realized it was farther away than she expected when it became larger with every few steps she took.

An hour passed by and the faint rays of the sun began touching the trees and as Susan's path became easier and quicker to travel so did the light become brighter than just a shadow among darkness, but by some twist of fate, the sun's appearance caused the fire in Susan's sight to be quenched. She broke into a run and reached the clearing where the fire had been just in time to see its tail disappear into the last darkness of the night.

"No! Wait! Come back!" she shouted into the trees. "Please someone! You have to help us!" she huffed as she turned around trying to find a face among the trees.

When no answer came, she was ready to accept defeat but almost a second later-her limbs froze, and a chill shot up her spine when she felt many eyes on her.

Glancing around the clearing she could see nor hear anyone; never the less, the feeling of being watched did not leave her.

"Hello?" she tentatively called out. Stooping down to retrieve a large branch from the forest floor she armed herself, standing with it defensively. "Who's there?" Then in a surge of confidence, "Show yourself!" She did not expect; however, that her order would be obeyed.

Jumping back into her defensive stance she shifted side to side as more and more elves surrounded her, their bows at the ready. One gracefully landed right before her with his bow drawn, and in a moment of shock, the branch fell from Susan's hands.

"Who are you, stranger?" the elven soldier demanded.

Taking in a breath she squared her shoulders only for them to slump as fatigue began to wear on her adrenaline, "I… am Susan Pevensie, and I need your help!"

"Dartho pilin!" the elf called out and the other soldiers put away their arrows as did their commander. He gave a small bow of his head towards Susan, "My lady." She returned the nod and he continued. "We have been awaiting your arrival—"

"There's no time for pleasantries! Peter and Edmund are back there fighting for their lives and" she ran a hand through her hair, "I need to get back to them. There are these spiders and they attacked us when we were on the road. They distracted them long enough for me to find help but they're still fighting for their lives! We need to help them! Now!"

"Where?" he calmly asked.

She pointed back the way she came, "That way and up the ravine. They're surrounded in a small clearing there."

He nodded and turned away a little, "Feren, escort the queen to Thranduil's halls. I and my band will go to the kings' aid." Another elf stepped forward and placed a hand over his heart in silent confirmation as the commander turned to his troops, "Hir i ran!" and a dozen or so disappeared into the forest.

"No." Susan stated, and the commander looked to her in slight shock; she continued, "I'm going back with you. I promised them I'd be back. I have to make sure they're safe."

The brown, haired elf turned to the stubborn queen, "My lady, there is no doubt in my mind that you are an able warrior, if legends be true, but you will not last long in your condition." She was fixing to protest when he stated, "You are tired." And immediately she felt a wave of fatigue roll over her eyes.

"I give you my word that we will bring your brothers to safety." He said while leading her to Feren. Then shouting some more orders to his soldiers they went to the rescue of the kings leaving Susan to stare after their retreating forms.