Eclipse of Hearts ✔

Chapter 83. [Alyssae]

With every step she took, her nervousness grew. Since she had gone through some much already, she had thought she could overpower her nerves, but her heart bounced so fanatically it seemed to shut out all other sounds.
The mountain arose out of the mist, as a monster that had shot up and waited patiently at the right moment to devour its prey. The last time Alyssae had been around the mountain, terrible things had happened. Fíli had died. Thranduin had died. She had died. Who would be the next? Kíli? Raphael? Thorin? 
In the past years she had believed all her beloved were taken away from her, but now there seemed to be much more souls Death could claim and she felt how her fear increased. 
"Are you okay?"
Alyssae looked aside. Raphael's eyes were concerned and she suppressed a sigh. "I wish there was another way."
She didn't doubt the decision she had made, but she did doubt her own capacities. She had never fought in a war. Maybe she would die before she came close to Thranduil. What would happen then? Would Thorin forget about himself again? Would her daughter never meet her parents? 
"Maybe things will be better than expected," Raphael spoke. "Once they're confronted with us."
Alyssae couldn't imagine he was right. Thranduil wouldn't back off. 

When they approached Erebor, the battle hadn't burst out yet. Orders were screamed, but the elves hadn't intruded the dwarf city. Relief came over her, but that flew away quickly.
The wood elves saw them and  regrouped. Thranduil stood out of the others, for he was seated on his moose. Her fingers burned by the longing to put an arrow on her bow and aim at his head. Unfortunately he was still out of  reach.
"Don't you want to speak with him first?" Raphael asked softly. 
Alyssae squeezed her eyes. Talking was impossible with such a beast. Furthermore she was not only here to help the dwarfs. She had also gathered an army to avenge their king. "I'll save my goodbye for the moment he will disappear in the ground."
Alyssae looked aside when someone touched her elbow. 
"The dwarfs are coming."
A satisfied smile played around her lips. A few days ago she had send the dwarfs of the Iron Hills a message that they had to hide behind the mountain until Alyssae's army showed up, so that Thranduil's army was surrounded by three enemies. 
She nodded to the bugler and his resonance startled everyone. On that sign the gates of Erebor opened and the dwarfs marched outside. Alyssae drew her sword. "Bring me his head!" 
The men and women under her command cheered. It drew Thranduil's attention, but Alyssae's fear had vanished. There was only one thing she wanted at the moment. 
Or not? 

While the battle raged and arrows flew around, an elf she had not expected here appeared on the battlefield. 
"Philae?"
The look in his eyes was a bit bewildered and he pushed her aside when an arrow almost drilled her arm. 
"What are you doing here?" She put on arrow on the string, fired and tried not to think of the elf through whose armor the deadly projectile went. 
"I have to show you something."
"Now?" Alyssae yelled, trying to beat down an elf who tried to hit her with his sword. 
"Yes," Philae answered. With a few quick moves he finished the job for her. "They have your daughter."
Dazed she lowered her weapon, and Philae warded off a blow of one of their opponents. 
"I saw how some dwarfs pulled her into a dark entry." Philae shortly looked in her eyes and dove away for the swing of a sword. "Come with me."
Alyssae followed him immediately. She no longer cared about the arrows that hit the ground around her feet. Unharmed she left the line of fire. 
There the elf grabbed her hand and took her to the side of the mountain, to the place were they had mined for the powder to kill the dragon years ago. Were the dwarfs about to do the same with her daughter? Thranduin's heart pumped the blood through her body as crazy, and experiencing his presence seemed to give her wings. Her daughter was her. 
She would get her back.