Illegal love ~ the skinchanger book 1 *under construction*

Part 10

A few days passed since the dwarves got captured. Aspect had been guarding the prisons as much as possible, talking to the dwarves when no one was near. But still, there had been no way for her to help them. She had not seen any sight of a key, and Thranduil made sure to get her searched for weapons before she went on guard, taking every little blade and sharp stones from her. She had not smelled anything of Bilbo yet, and they all had almost lost all their hope.

"Is there nothing you can do?," Fili asked. She sat besides his prison cell.

"Not now, no. I need to search for a key - or Bilbo. I am afraid he is lost in the halls," she answered.

"But how do you know he is here? Have you seen him?" Fili looked at her, but no hope or sparks could be seen in his normally bright eyes.

"No," Aspect said, looking down at her lap. "But I smelled him when you got captured. A strong smell of honey through the deadness of the forest." Aspect smiled a little smile as she looked at Fili. He lit up a little. "I actually heard some of the guards talk about a key down in the wine cellar. I have been thinking on checking it out, but I am also afraid Thranduil is planting traps."

"What are you saying, Aspect?!," Kili asked, a bit too loud. The others hushed.

"If there is talk about a key, you should go and check it out. It can be a way out of here," Thorin said calm. "It is not long since one of the guards was here and checked on you. If you hurry, you can catch it before the next one comes."

"You are right," Aspect said, standing up. "I will go and check it out." And with that, Aspect went further down the hall and down a couple of stairs.

Down in the wine cellar, the faint smell of honey intensified. Aspect started looking around for the keys, and they were easy to find, as they hang on the wall besides the stairs. "Perfect," Aspect whispered to herself, grabbing the keys.

"What are you doing, Aspect?," a familiar voice behind her asked. Aspect froze. She let the keys go back onto the hook before she turned around. In front of her stood Jhaan.

"Hi, uhm, I just need to move one of the dwarves. There are a few who is sharing cells, and two of them is making a lot of trouble up there," Aspect excused, pointing stressed up the stairs by throwing her hands backwards over her shoulders.

"You cannot move them alone, Aspect. You are supposed to be up there at all times, are you not?," Jhaan asked suspicious.

"Yes, but forgot to ask some of the guards, so I will do that now," Aspect said, hurrying up the stairs.

Before she reached the prisons again, she stopped in a small, dark part of the hallway. The smell of honey became intens. "Bilbo?," Aspect whispered. "Bilbo are you here?"

"Aspect," Bilbo suddenly whispered, further down the dark hall. "It is so good to see you again, Aspect."

"Bilbo, you need to save the dwarves. I think I just got myself in deep trouble. Find a way out, before you let them loose. The keys are hanging down in the wine cellar. I will explain you all this later," Aspect said quickly. A long silence. No answer. "Bilbo?" More silence. Aspect shook it off. She had to be turning crazy. She stressed up the stairs.

"Problem," Aspect whispered to Fili as she sat down besides his cell. "I got caught. I do not know what happens now." Fili looked stressed at her. "But I did speak to Bilbo - or at least I think I did."

"You are hopeless," Thorin whispered underneath his breath.

"Well at least I am not in a prison cell," Aspect shot back.

"Aspect," a voice suddenly said behind her.

"Oh Udún," Aspect whispered underneath her breath before she turned around.

Legolas stood in front of her, with a disappointed face. "I thought I could trust you this time. I thought you did not have any secrets, but it seems like you have not changed at all," he said. Aspect noticed the two guards behind him. "I am not happy about escorting you to my dad, but I have to."

Aspect didn't resist. She knew there was no reason to do it, and she let the guards grab her arms and lead her the long walk of shame up the stairs. The many stairs, the many halls, up, up to Thranduil's throne.

Thranduil sat up at his throne, looking down at Aspect with a angry, but disappointed face. "It has come to my attention," he started, and then took a long and dramatic break. "That you broke my rules. I told you to stay on your guard the whole time. I told you no keys. I told you not to speak to the prisoners. I told you you had one chance." He stood up as he talked. The guards had let Aspect go, and she stood there empty handed in front of him. "You know the dwarves. All you told us was a lie, you were with them but you got separated in the forest." Thranduil drilled his eyes into Aspect. She opened her mouth to speak, but he broke her off. "No need to come with another lie. I know what I say is the truth. You are not the only one who can talk to animals, Aspect." Thranduil started to step down the stairs, slowly and confidently. "I will give you two choices," he continued. "Number one is to stay here, no more lies, no more wild life. You stay here, and you do your duties. You forget the life you had before, and you marry Legolas for a happy life." He took a break, looking at her, but Aspect looked away, down at her feet. "Look at me when I speak to you," Thranduil said harsh. Aspect looked reluctantly up at him, her normally green, sparkling eyes now dead. "Number two is to get thrown into one of the stinky prison cells, and rot with your small friends. You will suffer longer than them, and you know it."

"You are not my dad," Aspect said, tearing up. An anger started building up inside of her. "You cannot tell me what to do."

"No, I am not your dad, Aspect, but I am the closest to a dad you will ever have," Thranduil said. They held the eye-contact.

"My dad was strong," Aspect started. "My dad was kind. My dad would not tell me what to do, but give me advice about what I should do. And my dad was a strong, white wolf!" As Aspect spoke, her anger had built up, and suddenly she turned into the great, beautiful, white beast which she truly was, and jumped against Thranduil.

But Thranduil must have seen it coming, and took a few steps backwards. When Aspect landed at her feet, the guards were over her, grabbing her around the neck, fastening a leather cap around her mouth. Aspect started shaking her head rapidly, and tried to use her paws to get the cap off, but without success.

Aspect was still shaking and throwing her paws around when she turned back to human. She stopped. The leather cap now hang lifeless around her neck, as she halfway lay on the floor, weak with tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked up at Thranduil. "How could you?," she asked.

"I know your weaknesses, Aspect. Do that one more time and your snout is not the only thing I will tie shut," Thranduil said loud. "I guess you have chosen to rot with your friends. Have fun with that." Thranduil started stepping up to his throne again, as the guards picked up Aspect and started dragging her back to the prisons. She didn't resist. She didn't have enough power to fight back. Thranduil knew all of her weaknesses, and the leather-cap was just one of the mild ones.