Eclipse of Hearts ✔

Chapter 90. [Thorin]

Thorin didn't know what to feel. He had searched the whole are, but he hadn't found Alyssae's body. It convinced him that she hadn't died, but it was a mystery what had happened to her. One dwarf had seen her running away with another elf, but more details he could not remember because he was gulped down by the turmoil of battle. 
He didn't believe she had deserted the army. Nobody had forced her to take part in this battle and she had known what to expect. Leaving this place hadn't been her choice. 
During his return to Erebor he stepped over some mutilated bodies. Some faces were covered in so much blood they were unrecognizable. Doubt started to gnaw again. Were his theories about her disappearance more than  ignorance of the truth? When Alyssae's face was mauled like this, he probably wouldn't recognizer her. Wouldn't want to recognize her. 
When Thorin came back in Erebor, he first went to his nephew. He had been shocked when he heard what had happened to him, afraid his last family member would disappear too. But the sight of Tauriel on his side had cheered him up and he was glad she had taken care of him. 
Kíli's face was just as pale as the white coverlet he was laying upon, but his eyes were open and his hand laid on that of the elf woman. Thorin nodded at her, not knowing how to express his gratefulness. 
"Will he get better?"
Tauriel nodded. Tender she touched Kíli's face, and Thorin felt the jealousy stabbing him. He wished Alyssae was here as well, but they were separated again, and nobody knew how long it would stay that way. Maybe he never saw her back. 
A door opened behind him and his eye caught Iorwen.
"My lord," she whispered. "Can I talk to you?"
Thorin grimaced. He knew there were countless things he needed to do. The dwarfs expected there would be a feast, since they had beat the elves from Mirkwood, but he felt no joy and he hoped someone else would pick up the organization. The longing to lock himself up in his room was enormous. He rather spend his time in loneliness, but at the same time he feared that four walls, who had already seen so much of his grief and anger. He was afraid he would fall back in his former sins if he gave in. 
Thorin left Kíli and Tauriel, and gave Iorwen a questioning look, but she avoided his glance. 
"I have to tell you something, but rather not in this corridor. I think you need to sit down for a moment."
Her tone gave him goose bumps. This wasn't Iorwen: she always said what she thought and he had learned to appreciate that. Even more, he could think of only one message she wanted to tell him away from everyone, and that presumption scared him to dead. Without speaking he took her to his private rooms, closing the door behind her. He didn't take place on the chair, but looked nervously at her. "What's going on?"
Iorwen sighed. "Vaughn wants me to tell you Alyssae is dead."
His midriff shrunk of anger when he heard the name of his former counselor. 
"If I don't, he will kill both Alyssae and Dwalin."
Thorin clenched his fists. He felt so helpless. She was alive, but he knew what Vaughn was capable of. It was only a matter of time before she died. 
Iorwen gave him a penetrating look. "Nobody can know I told you the truth, Thorin. If you show any doubts that she's dead, he will murder her. And Dwalin."
Thorin didn't know what to say. She could have told him the lie. That had been safer for everyone.
"I care about Dwalin," she explained, as if she had heard his thoughts. "But I owe you my loyalty, my lord. Whispering lies is not my definition of loyalty."
A watery smile appeared around his lips. Iorwen was the only one he trusted with his life. "What do we do now?"
"You will mourn, and everyone with you, for the loss of many of our brothers, and your beloved. It will only be a matter of time before Vaughn shows up and in the meantime I'll try to discover his whereabouts."
Thorin made a grumbling sound. All he wanted was to start the hunt for that traitor, but he did not know who else was part of this conspiracy, nor where Alyssae and Dwalin were kept prison.