They spent the night at the platform Fili had found. The dwarves were sure the door would appear here the next day.

Alyssae had to admit she had seen no place that could be more suitable: a large, stone guard was carved in the rock and a steady, well cut out stairs had led them to the platform, where was nothing else.

In contrast to most preceding nights Thorin and Alyssae slept with the others. She knew this was an important moment for him and sleeping against a wall in which an invisible door was hidden was the closest he could get to his former home.

The night went by without any oddities. Sunlight awoke them early and the rest of the day they discussed the plans for tomorrow, when they would enter the mountain. Of course a moment came when someone noticed one of them needed to scout the place.

Alyssae glanced at Thorin and he sighed deeply. "Alyssae will execute that task."

"What?" Fili burst out indignantly. "Why Alyssae?"

"Because the scent of an elf is less alarming than that of a dwarf," she answered shortly.

"Then I will go," Thranduin replied.

"No!" she protested angry. Somehow she had expected that everyone would agree after Thorin's approval, but that was far from the truth. "I can do this! I want to take my share as well."

"You can do that in another way," Thranduin grumbled. He grabbed her arm, giving her a begging look. "Please. Don't let me go through this again. "

It felt like she didn't see herself reflected in his eyes, but Mána.

"I am not her," she sighed. "You need to trust me. I will not hide for the rest of my life because you are afraid that history will repeat itself."

Thranduin swallowed with difficulty and she closed her eyes. Mána had had no golden ring with which she could become invisible, but she decided not to show the object to him. It felt like a secret between Bilbo, Thorin and her and she imagined how its power would weaken by every other person she shared the secret with.

"Promise me you will turn back when you've seen him."

"Of course."

"Promise me, Alyssae." He took her face between his hands and looked right into her eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise," she replied a little irritated. What was he thinking? That she would crash into Smaug? She had been lucky to decapitate Azog, but she knew she wouldn't get such a chance again. Someone else would have the honor of killing the dragon.

"Well, we're done here," she mumbled.

But she was wrong.

Although Thorin and Thranduin accepted her choice, Fili did not and he tried to persuade her the rest of the day, making her walk way frustrated in the end.

"I'm going with you," he kept saying. He even followed her when she walked away.

"Just leave me alone, Fili! You are really annoying!"

He shrugged indifferently and gave her a penetrating look. "That dragon killed my people! I don't want him to take any other life I care about!" He looked up to her and tears glittered in his eyes. "I know you've chosen Thorin over me, but that doesn't take away my feelings. I can't let you go inside on your own. I will come with you to protect you."

Alyssae sighed. "I don't need your protection."

"Don't be so stubborn," Fili grumbled. "Do you even know what a dragon looks like?" he taunted. "All he needs to do is breathe and you will turn to ashes!"

"Of course I know what a dragon looks like," she answered viciously. "I am older than you, your brother, your mother and your uncle all together, so don't tell me what to do!"

Fili stared at the ground. "You don't have to yell at me."

Alyssae took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down herself. She couldn't help she raged. "It makes me crazy that all of you are constantly trying to protect me."

The young dwarf looked up, his eyes showing disappointment. "Isn't that what friends do? What family does?"

Alyssae avoided eye contact. Even when he was right, she didn't want to give in.

She strengthened her shoulders. "I will go alone. I can make myself invisible."

"I thought that only happened when you were in danger. Then it's too late."

"I lied."

Fili's shoulders hang. "You lied? Why?"

"Because it suited me." She knew she hurt him, but it was about time he knew the truth. Months of captivity had changed her. She had become afraid of the world and the adjacent period with the dwarfs had made her harder. "I am not the sweet, perfect elf girl you think I am. They put me in a dungeon, I've been attacked by orcs, I was almost eaten by a spider and I have seen how Thorin was tortured until he almost died, not to mention that Azog the Defiler wanted to sprinkle the earth with my blood, in which he almost succeeded! Despite all that horror I made it to here and now I will not be stopped by a sleeping reptile, knowing he could never see me while he will be stunned by my scent." For a moment she touched his hand. "My mind is made up and I have the right to decide about my own doings."

Then she turned around and climbed the stairs again. End of discussion. The sun almost set and soon the door would be revealed.