Alyssae's cheeks burned when Thorin kept looking into her eyes. 'I think you have quite an idea of what I said.
'She let go of his hand uncomfortably.
'Of course,' he answered scornfully. 'My Sindarin is excellent.'
The fact that she didn't want to translate her words, seemed to make him angry and she wondered what was going through his head. What options was he considering? Would it ever cross his mind that she loved him?
At the moment she wanted to give in, they suddenly fell down. She bent her back when she touched the ground, but Thorin's weight upon her made her sunk back into her painful gesture. A scream of pain echoed through the mouse-still forest and she tried to raise herself, but still she could barely move and despite Thorin's small shape he wasn't light-weighted.
She could imagine he felt embarrassed to lie upon her, but every move he made caused a torturing ache.
'Please,' she whispered. 'Don't move.'
Through her tears she saw Thorin's indignant face. 'We can't keep lying here forever!'
She squeezed her eyes when the pain fired along her spine again and exploded in her head. Of course Thorin was right, but the pain became too heavy and she lost conscience.
When Alyssae woke up again, she was lying in the grass. A cold draught touched her back lightly and she found out she was lying on her belly, with an uncovered upper body. An unknown elf voice whispered healing words and she wanted to turn around, but somebody placed a hand between her shoulder-blades and pushed her down again.
'Just a minute. I am almost finished.'
Finger tips, soft as silk, glided along her spine and a warm stream of energy caused goose bumps on her arms.
'You can sit now.'
A little confused Alyssae did as she was ordered. 'Who are you?' she asked curiously to the dark haired elf.
'Lotus.'
She handed her the brassiere, which she put on hastily. Her eyes flashed aside and she saw Thorin turned his head away quickly.
However, Alyssae believed her nudity was just a small price she had to pay for her healing, for it certainly had been an obstacle for the healing process, but that precisely Thorin was the one who had to be a witness, was almost ironically.
She pulled her dress over her shoulders and couldn't help that she had to chuckle when she saw Thorin, who was still staring into the void.
'I am dressed again.'
He mumbled something which didn't reach her ears and he avoided to look her in the eyes, from which she concluded he had seen more than she could handle.
A nervous giggle left her mouth and Thorin raised his eyebrows in surprise.
'I hope I have not winded up your fantasies,' she noticed teasing, too happy with her freedom to wonder what Thorin might possibly think of her.
'You don't have to be afraid,' he grumbled, while his eyes scanned Lotus suspiciously.
'Thank you,' she said to the elf in their own language. 'We had already lost our hope to be rescued.'
Lotus bowed shortly and she glanced curiously at the dwarf. She certainly believed they had a strange relationship.
'They have sent me to find you, Alyssae. Everybody is combing out the woods.'
Alyssae braided her fingers nervously and glanced at Thorin, who did not like the fact that he was not able to understand their conversation – something Alyssae was very thankful for.
'The dwarves don't know who I am and I think it will be better if it stays that way.'
Lotus nodded understandingly. 'We have found one of the dwarves. He had fallen into the river and suffers from the sleeping disease. I do not know if he will awaken, but he mumbled your name.'
Alyssae took a deep breathe. It might not be sure if Fili would turn back to reality, but he was alive and in the hands of healing experts.
'We will -'
'We have to go back,' Thorin interrupted their conversation brutally and he glanced despised at the elf.
'Have you thanked her already?' Alyssae wanted to know.
Thorin sniffed and turned his head away.
'His proud is bigger than the whole of Middle Earth,' Alyssae spoke with a mischievous smile to Lotus in the common tongue. 'But we can wait as long as he behaves irrational.'
Lotus chuckled and Alyssae couldn't describe how joyful she felt to be in the company of another elf.
'I have plenty of time.' Lotus nodded at Thorin, who stared furiously at Alyssae. Then he rammed his sword in the ground – full of anger.
As if that movement was some kind of sign, frightened screams cleaved the air. Wild snarling mingled with cries of distress, which could only come from the dwarves. Quickly Thorin took his weapon in his hand again and he followed the screams, directly followed by Alyssae and Lotus.
Her heart bounced anxiously in her chest while the screams persisted and the noise of metal upon metal attacked their ears.
With raised swords they jumped upon the path, Lotus with her bow in the hand. However, before she could put an arrow on the string, an orc arrow found its way into her throat. She dropped down dead immediately.
'Lotus!' Alyssae screamed and she kneeled down next to the elf woman.
Thorin however pulled her on her feet again. 'There is nothing you can do for her.'
Alyssae was in shock when she heard the emotion in his voice and an ice cube formed inside her when she noticed Lotus wasn't the only one who had fallen.
At least two more dwarves were lying on the path, dead silent and bleeding.
Blinded by anger she dashed towards a warg which feasted upon the body of a dead dwarf, while the tears ran down her face and wrath drove her mad.