For the first time Alyssae found the silence that surrounded them soothing, while earlier today she'd found it threatening and exciting, as if the atmosphere had been trying to suffocate her.
Their footsteps echoed as they went down step by step. Alyssae was very aware of his hand. His fingers were rough between hers and his skin was warm.
They didn't speak to each other as they descended the stairs and the desire to talk about unimportant things subsided. Thorin was no man for that kind of conversations. He rather was silent than that he started a useless and uncomfortable conversation and she had peace with that.
"What are you thinking of?" Alyssae asked when they left the last step behind. He had stared forward for a while, as if he was no longer aware of the fact that she was with him.
"The words of the elfen king." He looked up at her. Despite the fact they'd left the steps behind, their fingers were still intertwined. "Are you going back?"
Although Alyssae missed her family, she didn't feel the need to go back, not even now she was with her own kind.
"It would break my heart if you would move on without me."
It would be especially break her heart if she had to say goodbye, knowing that this would always be a moment she would remember. She knew that was going to happen. If Thranduin pushed the ring around her finger, she would recall this evening. Her hand in Thorin's.
"Come with us."
Alyssae gathered her courage. She didn't want to ruin this beautiful moment by saying Thranduin's name, but she couldn't ignore the truth. "Thranduin will not let me go. I'm sure he wants to come with me. "
Thorin's hand slipped from hers and he looked at her incredulously.
"He loves me," she tried to explain. "He has been looking for me for half a year! Do you think he will let me go with a bunch of dwarves on their way to a dragon? "
"Does he know that?"
Thorin's mood seemed to change.
"Of course not," she answered quickly. "I haven't told anyone about your quest. That is also the reason that Thranduil thinks you have delivered me here and that our ways will go in a different direction. I have no idea what he will do when he discovers that we got here caught up accidentally! The only option I see is that we stick to the plan. We leave at the same moment and Thranduil will believe my fiancé and I return home.'
Alyssae looked at him expectantly, afraid of his reaction. "I know you don't want Thranduin to come along," she murmured, "but his fate is connected to mine. He will go where I go. All we can hope is that the journey falls him short and that he will go away."
Thorin looked at her scornfully. "He will not leave you with us."
"Think about it."
He looked at her briefly and sighed. "Is he trustworthy?"
"I dare to put my hand in the fire for him. I also know that he is willing to wait outside Erebor if that pleases you. He respects you. He just wants me to be safe." She hesitated. "But maybe it's better if he discovered only at Erebor that there is a dragon lying in your palace."