Eclipse of Hearts ✔

34. Vanished [Alyssae]

When Alyssae returned to her hometown, she hadn't found a solution. Still she had sent Eldinòr a letter, letting him know she was ready to leave. She had no idea if his offer still stood; he had probably forgotten her. Sending a letter however was the least she could do. She might not know him very well, but good enough to suspect he would be interested in kidnapping a dwarf king. After all, that was what pirates did, right?

She hoped he knew a place where she could hide Niamh as well. She expected him to be familiar with places that are unknown to most creatures and actually he was her last hope. If he dared to take her daughter on the ship at all...

"Where is Niamh now?" Kíli asked when she entered her home. He was playing cards at the table with Dwalin. From their faces she concluded that they had been here long enough as well. Alyssae hadn't felt home ever since she had returned, but that feeling must be much stronger for the dwarfs. 

"I brought her to a tower nearby," she told. "She has to stay there until we can leave."

"And then?" Dwalin wanted to know. 

"Then I hope to find a place where I can hide her, until I can bring her to Thorin."

"Good plan. Maybe she can eat him," Kíli suggested. 

Her eyes flashed aside but their was not even a little bit of humor on his face. She said nothing, but his comment was anything but funny. 

"I want you to come with me to Niamh. When she gets used to you, the chance is little she will attack you."

The dwarfs agreed and she took  a deep breath in relief, although she hadn't expected Dwalin and Kili to be scared of Niamh. First of all they were family - although far away in Dwalin's case - and furthermore they had seen worse than this. 

"And if not we will keep her away," Dwalin answered. "We are no elvish sissies."

He grinned to show his words weren't meant as an insult, but she knew how he was. 

. . .

At the end of the day they reached the tower. Alyssae went inside first, but petrified when the room was empty. It felt like her organs were withering. Anxiously she bit on her lip. "She's not there," she whispered to Kíli and Dwalin. 

After those words they separated to explore the surroundings, but when night fell, they all returned with empty hands. 

"It looks like she has vanished."

Alyssae wrapped her arms around her upper body, feeling like the ground disappeared beneath her feet. What kind of mother was she that she lost her own child? 

"She will return, Alys. We'll just wait."

Kíli grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the fortification. In silence Alyssae stared at the exit, the hours crawling by. Dwalin fell asleep, with his head against her shoulder, and in the end Kíli's head bent forward as well. Alyssae however stared at the entrance with concentration, fruitlessly hoping her little girl could would appear.