"Well that was..." Jocasta began but before she could finish her eyes tracked towards movement along one of the strands. A giant arachnid the size of a bear was scuttling towards them. The light seemed to increase as the webs vibrated, stimulating phosphorecent spores that burst from unhealthy looking yellowish fungus which clung to the walls in patchy clumps. The creature was a deep gleaming black with an ugly blaze of leperous white on its underbelly. It twisted as it came, seeming to rotate around the web as it skittered along. Its face was a dark gray with eight disturbingly human eyes and a flat swollen nose. Two hooked mandibles the size of daggers dripped with some foul venom.

"Oh shit..." Jocasta gasped and tried to squirm backwards only to find herself stuck fast by the webs. Beren let out a curse and also tried to move with a similar lack of success. The web quivered and flexed as he strained his muscles but it didn't let go.

"Can you use some magic or something?!" he demanded. The spider was only a foot or so away now, it reared back to strike, mandibles flashing. Beren kicked out with his boot, cracking it across the face and sending it skittering back one of its eyes bloodied.

"I left my scroll of spiderbane in my other pants!" Jocasta tried, "I cant just spout arcane syllables and make it explo..." The spiders swollen body exploded as though struck by a cannonball. Yellowish ichor sprayed out in a jet. The spider made a strange hissing sound, staggered, made a grab for its web with a suddenly unresponsive limb and then tumbled into the abyss below.

"I stand corrected?" Jocasta said, her heart thumping in her chest. Above them they heard the arch-troll howling. Jocasta realised that in his frustration the old beast had hurled a handful of rocks after his escaped prey. By sheer good fortune his parting blow had saved them. The light was begining to fade as the spores drifted down on the air but Jocasta thought she saw a jagged opening in the cave wall below them. She began to wriggle, smearing the mineral oil that coated her arms and thighs on the web until it began to let go.

"I think we can get out down there," she told Beren, making a guesture to the hole now that she had freed her hand and nearly tumbling off into the abyss for her troubles. Beren caught her by the shirt and hauled her back into contact with the web.

"How are you planning on..." he began, "Wait dont just..." Jocasta cut the web with the knife she had freed from her belt. They dropped like stones, the web swining them towards the crevase wall and the hole. Jagged stone rushed up to meet them but they cleared the top lip of the cave and began to curl upwards on their momentum. Jocasta cut the web on the other side and they sailed free, falling the five or so feet to the cave floor with a crash. She landed on Beren's lap, driving the wind from him as they rolled to a stop.

"Another happy landing," she observed.