Thranduin raised his quiver a little higher on his back. The pad strode along endlessly and he had the feeling he was led through the woods with a detour, but he was unfamiliar with this region and his uncle had urged him to stay on the road.
It was troublesome elves had been send away the last days, who hadn't returned, but he refused to believe Alyssae had met the same fate. She had been gone for months when the message reached him that she had escaped from a goblin dungeon and he had been so seized with emotion he couldn't do anything but cry. He had not understood her choice to stay away longer, but the message made him so happy he couldn't blame her
Just a week later he'd heard Alyssae was seen in Mirkwood. Immediately he had mounted his horse and rode to the city of his uncle, where he had come across a very ill dwarf, who had raved her name. When he woke up he had told them she was wandering through the woods with his companions.
Around midday one of his companions, a young elf who was called Tauriel, said she heard voices. They quickened their step and it didn't take long before they met a group of little men. However, they weren't the ones who caught his eye.
Alyssae did. She was held by two dwarves. He didn't care about the weapons the other elves raised, nor about the nonplussed eyes that stared at him.
'Alyssae!' he yelled, but she didn't seem to hear him. He lifted her from the arms of the dwarves and was shocked when he saw her face. He barely recognized her. It seemed like she was tortured for weeks and had fought a lonely battle against Death.
'What happened to you?' he whispered in his own tongue. He was so happy to see her back that the tears ran over his cheeks. It was a strange observation, but he'd missed her terribly, even though they hadn't spent much time. He had been totally lost when he heard she was missing and the months that followed had been a true torment.
He had seen her for the first time during the Feast of the First Stars and as soon as her endearing smile had reached his eyes, he had been in love. Her beautiful, purple eyes had made him lose his mind and even before they'd talked to each other, he'd known everything within him longed for her: he wanted her to be his wife and he'd asked for her hand and luckily her father had agreed.
'Who are you?' a grim voice sounded. He looked down and eyed at a dwarf, who looked suspiciously at him.
'Your friend sent us,' Thranduin answered, who didn't want to lose time while arguing with the dwarves. He glanced at Alyssae's face again. He could hear her breathing softly and he suspected she suffered the sleeping disease, just like her companion had done. It was important he brought her to the House of Thranduil as soon as possible. 'Alyssae has to come with us.'
'We were already looking for you,' the dwarf mumbled. 'An elf found us, but she is killed by an orc.'
'Who?' he asked in shock, but the dwarf shrugged his shoulders almost indifferently, which made him angry. He however resisted the temptation to start a fight and assigned the elves to start moving again.
He noticed a dwarf who was just as battered as Alyssae. 'Take him over,' he said to one of the elves, since the dwarves were all exhausted.
The dwarves didn't have the strength to raise protests and Thranduin wondered how long they were wandering around here. What were they doing here in the first place? And what did Alyssae want from them?
'How – how is Fili?' a hesitated voice sounded next to him
'He's fine,' Thranduin smiled when he saw the worried look in his eyes. 'He can't wait to see you.'
The dwarf inhaled in relieve, but soon his glance became solemn again. 'And Alyssae? Will she be okay?'
He looked at her peaceful face. Everything in him screamed that would happen indeed, but he knew her situation was just as insecure as everyone who came in contact with the water.
'I will do everything that is in my power to help her heal.'
He didn't know if that would be enough, but he wanted to let the frightened dwarf know they weren't alone anymore.