One of Kili's arrows drilled into the windpipe of an orc, who fell on the ground immediately. They moved away from the house that was burning. Flames puffed out of the burst windows and the screams of orcs, who were captured in the oven they lightened themselves, caused a satisfied look in Fili's eyes.
It was a huge chaos. There were orcs and bears everywhere, fighting each other. Now and then one of them was involved, but none got injured seriously. Fili walked to the others.
'We can better leave,' he suggested. 'Let them kill each other.'
Dwalin looked longing at the orcs whom were still alive, but turned his face away in the end. 'We have other things to do.'
'The bear man will save himself,' Balin thought.
'Where is Alyssae?'
Fili turned around and looked at Thorin in disbelief. He lost her in the chaos, but assumed she would slum, since she was just as strong as they were.
Thorin gave his nephew a penetrating look. 'Have you left her?'
Fili felt like he withered under his glance. Suddenly his belly hurt, like a stomach ulcer just appeared. His cheeks blushed of shame. He had gone back for a moment, but slipped out the house when he didn't saw her.
'She'll manage.'
'She is drunk!' Thorin snarled heated. 'I bet she can't even find the door!'
Ashamed he bowed his head. He never liked it when is uncle was angry, but above all his own confusing feelings made him lose his head. He didn't understand how he could have left her in such a situation. From the moment she climbed out of that tree to face the orcs he couldn't keep his eyes from her and that feeling grew while their friendship grow stronger. He saw Thorin reversed incensed and walked back to the house. Fili followed him quickly, hoping he could fix his mistake.
'I got your back,' the voice of his brother sounded behind him, but Fili hated himself too much to thank him. He would never forgive himself when something happened to her.
Thorin waited for him at the hall. In his hand he held a long sword.
'She's unarmed.'
Fili's throat was squeezed by fear. He shrunk when Thorin threw away the sword.
'She was not in the dining room,' he told Thorin. He looked devastating at him and entered another room.
Fili did go to the dining room, hoping to reach the adjacent space. However, he could barely concentrate. Alyssae never got out of the room. She was a defenseless prey: drunk and unarmed.
His respiration speeded up and he started to feel dizzy. Kili laid his hand on his shoulder. 'We'll find her.'
Nevertheless the fear was also reflected in his eyes and Fili almost drowned in guilt.
It was scorching hot when he opened the door. Everywhere were broken dishes, amongst the corpses of orcs. The smell of burning flesh penetrated his nose and in a flash he saw Alyssae's body, torn open and her beautiful, dark hair perished to ashes. He swallowed and shook his head to expel the fear.
One of the doors slammed open and orcs swarmed inside, noticing their presence. They screamed in inaudible sounds, probably forewarning the others of the dwarf flesh they had discovered.
Although he would have loved to confront the orcs and jump upon them, blind of hate, he had to find Alyssae first.
'There's nothing here.' Kili pulled his arm and shot some arrows at the orcs who came too close.
Fili wanted to turn around but suddenly it felt like someone put an invisible chain around his ankle. He tried to loosen his foot, wondering with what devilment he was confronted, but his foot remained in the hold of this invisible evil and he raised his sword to release himself.