Alyssae couldn't believe what she saw. She never had known Thranduin was so powerful. Thorin's skin fused under his healing hands.
It was dead silent, as if they were afraid the magic would be blocked when they pronounced a sound. A tear ran down her cheek when she looked at Thorin's face, still unrecognizable.
She tore lose her glance when somebody took her hand and squeezed it encouraging. She showed a watery smile to Bofur, but aimed her eyes back to the dwarf prince soon, as if he would die when she did not.
She was afraid all this was just an illusion. A lively fantasy because she couldn't live with the truth.
It took a lot of time. Some dwarves yawned now and then, but turned away their heads ashamed when they realized they did so. Thranduin's face became pale. Sometimes he had to stop to gather energy.
"I have to stop now," he sighed in the end.
Alyssae stared baffled at him. Thorin's face was still a battlefield.
"I healed the worst wounds, so he is out of danger now. Tomorrow I will move on, but I will first bandage his injuries."
"Where do we go?" Alyssae asked softly. They were no longer safe here, but outside the walls of Thranduil's city they were neither safe, since it was teeming there with spiders and orcs.
Thranduin lifted up Thorin, who cried softly. Hearing his tormented voice caused a shiver and Alyssae stared at the ground.
"I'll take him to my room and place some of my men before the door."
"Why didn't you bring them with you hours ago?" Gloin asked aggrieved.
"I do not want to trigger a war, master dwarf. That would be of use to nobody."
Gloin mumbled something inaudible, but seemed to accept his explanation.
Alyssae did not move from Thranduin's side. He had surprised her this evening and for now he was the person she trusted the most.
She held her breath when they passed the guards, but the elves who were still there looked the other way.
"Are you okay?" Bofur asked.
Alyssae stared a while in the distance before she answered: "I don't think I will ever forget his screams."
His hand slid out of hers and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "It will get better," he promised. "Certainly when he becomes the man again he used to be."
Alyssae smiled, but could not imagine that yet. She was still afraid he would stop breathing any moment.
Alyssae stepped after Thranduin into the room.
"Is everything all right?" a voice sounded out of the shadows.
She looked aside and saw Tauriel, but she walked straight to Kili and held him tight.
"He's alive. Thanks for your help."
Tauriel nodded and walked to Alyssae. "It's horrible." She put a hand on her shoulder.
Alyssae sighed, not knowing what to add. "It's horrible you need to serve such a ... monster."
"I'm going with you," Tauriel mumbled. "I want to stay here no longer."
Alyssae held her tongue. Of course she understood that choice, but she didn't know if she could leave her people behind, knowing such a disgusting elf ruled over them. Although there was probably nothing Tauriel could do.
"Somebody should kill him in his sleep," she grumbled.
"Do not judge too quickly, Alyssae. He tries to be a good king for his people," Thranduin said.
She squeezed her eyes in disbelief. "If it wasn't for you, Thorin would be dead by now!"
Tauriel looked at her. "And if it wasn't for me, he would have killed you," she said softly. "Thorin himself wasn't such a lovely person either."
Thranduin stared her in the eye. "What? Did he try to kill you?"
He was so shocked he lowered his arms so Thorin fell on the ground.