Courage ✔

Chapter 13

Alyssae's cheeks burned when Thorin kept looking into her eyes. 'I think you have quite an idea of what I said.

'She let go of his hand uncomfortably.

'Of course,' he answered scornfully. 'My Sindarin is excellent.'

The fact that she didn't want to translate her words, seemed to make him angry and she wondered what was going through his head. What options was he considering? Would it ever cross his mind that she loved him?

The moment she wanted to give in, they suddenly fell down. She bent her back when she touched the ground, but Thorin's weight upon her made her sink back into her painful gesture. A scream of pain echoed through the mouse-still forest and she tried to raise herself, but still, she could barely move and despite Thorin's small shape, he wasn't light-weighted.

She could imagine he felt embarrassed to lie upon her, but every move he made caused a torturing ache.

'Please,' she whispered. 'Don't move.'

Through her tears, she saw Thorin's indignant face. 'We can't keep lying here forever!'

She squeezed her eyes when the pain fired along her spine again and exploded in her head. Of course Thorin was right, but the pain became too heavy and she lost conscience.

When Alyssae woke up again, she was lying in the grass. A cold draught touched her back lightly and she found out she was lying on her belly, with an uncovered upper body. An unknown elf voice whispered healing words and she wanted to turn around, but somebody placed a hand between her shoulder blades and pushed her down again.

'Just a minute. I am almost finished.'

Fingertips, soft as silk, glided along her spine and a warm stream of energy caused goose bumps on her arms.

'You can sit now.'

A little confused Alyssae did as she was ordered. 'Who are you?' she asked curiously to the dark-haired elf.

'Lotus.'

She handed her the brassiere, which she put on hastily. Her eyes flashed aside and she saw Thorin turn his head away quickly.

However, Alyssae believed her nudity was just a small price she had to pay for her healing, for it certainly had been an obstacle to the healing process, but that precisely Thorin was the one who had to be a witness, was almost ironic.

She pulled her dress over her shoulders and couldn't help that she had to chuckle when she saw Thorin, who was still staring into the void.

'I have dressed again.'

He mumbled something which didn't reach her ears and he avoided looking her in the eyes, from which she concluded he had seen more than she could handle.

A nervous giggle left her mouth and Thorin raised his eyebrows in surprise.

'I hope I have not winded up your fantasies,' she noticed teasing, too happy with her freedom to wonder what Thorin might possibly think of her.

'You don't have to be afraid,' he grumbled, while his eyes scanned Lotus suspiciously.

'Thank you,' she said to the elf in their own language. 'We had already lost our hope to be rescued.'

Lotus bowed shortly and she glanced curiously at the dwarf. She certainly believed they had a strange relationship.

'They have sent me to find you, Alyssae. Everybody is combing out the woods.'