Fear squeezed her throat while she looked around panicking, to the exit next to which burned a small flame, so that she knew where she had to go. She had done what she could, but none of the pans were blazing and she didn't know where Thranduin was. For a moment she feared the elf had abandoned her. Was this his revenge, because she had chosen a dwarf over him? Maybe he didn't differ so much from his uncle as she had thought. Maybe he was just much smarter.
"Thranduin?" she whispered.
She didn't dare to raise her voice, since the tail of the monster was very near, so that she didn't even dared to come upright. Very slowly the tail glided across the gold as if it was a snake. Alyssae could only stare to it. In the distance a fire was lit. Was that Thranduin? Or was it Smaug's heat, pushed outside by his giant nostrils?
She grabbed the ring out of her pocket and shoved it around her finger without thinking. She could not sit here forever. The magical ring would not protect her when the dragon breathed out his fire, but she felt a little more comfortable.
Alyssae looked longing to the exit. Could she go back without Thranduin? What if something had happened? Had Smaug eliminated him without making a sound?
Suddenly a terrible voice reverberated through the hall. "Who dares to enter my domain?"
Her hairs came upright.
"Go back, Alyssae!"
Thranduin's voice was only a weak whisper compared to Smaug's fury.
A new fire was lit. Apparently he was still there.
Alyssae hesitated. It felt unnatural to leave the elf behind, but she knew she was only distracting him. The poison was already spreading and when Smaug opened his mighty jaws, all three of them would be blown up.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
With tears in her eyes she turned around and ran towards the corridor where the blue flame was burning. She didn't look back and heard Smaug's voice still echo.
With tears in her eyes she slipped through the door, where she walked over to Thorin. She however didn't look at him, but stared at the door. Thranduin could come any moment. She felt sick by her own thoughts. She had doubted his goodwill. She had feared that he had left her with the dragon, while that was exactly what she had done.
"The dragon is awake, isn't he?" Bombur whispered.
Alyssae nodded in silence.
"That is not unfavorable," Gandalf's calm voice sounded. "When his breathing speeds up, his dead will come sooner."
A tear ran down Alyssae's cheek.
That also went for Thranduin. When Smaug obstructed his way, he would never make it.
She dropped down on the floor, not looking away from the door. The others also started to walk around nervously.
"I have to close the door," Thorin mumbled. "Or the gas will escape."
Alyssae looked up in anger. "Not before Thranduin is back!"
"Otherwise the whole plan will fail!" the dwarf king protested.
Surly she looked forward. "I don't care."
"You want him to die for nothing?" Thorin grumbled, where after Alyssae stared at the ground and sighed. She wished he wrapped his arms around her, whispering that Thranduin would come back in time, but his facial expression was steadfast.
"Please," Alyssae whispered when Thorin walked to the door. She grabbed his foot, but he tore loose immediately and looked irritated at her.
Her shoulders were shaking, her throat swollen. "You neither would have done this when I was the one inside."
"Exactly the reason why you should have stayed here," Kili mumbled. "But thank god you were back in time."
Alyssae looked furiously at him. Kili knelt down sighing and took her hand. "Thorin needs to stick to the plan, no matter what."
"He should have gone inside himself," Alyssae snarled.
Thorin looked over his shoulder when he heard these words, but the look in his eyes only made her feel worse. She wished he screamed that he had the right to do whatever he wanted, but he kept silent and started to close the door with hanging shoulders.