Courage ✔

Chapter 25

It was mouse-still around them. Fili's hand disappeared from her shoulder and Alyssae wanted to run away and never return, but she didn't dare to move.

"You did what?" Thorin spitted out. His eyes were a thrilling fire, which scared her more than any flame Smaug could have produced. "All this time you wanted to steal the Arkenstone from me! I thought you wanted to help us! I thought you loved me, and now I feel such an idiot!"

Alyssae got on her feet when Thorin drew his sword.

"You betrayed us! You betrayed me! Your heart is even darker than that of that cursed elf king!"

"I had no choice," Alyssae cried. "He would have killed all of you! I just discovered that the Arkenstone is not an elf jewel, you never told me anything about it! How should I have known it meant so much to you!"

"You know now!" Thorin grumbled. "Does it matter? You are a traitor. We were all played by your charms and the only one you could not mislead was Gloin!" His knuckles turned white. He raised his sword and Alyssae touched for her own weapon, but she could not pull it out of its sheath. She could not raise her sword to the man she loved.

Helplessly she saw how Thorin attacked her, the look in his eyes more steady than ever. He hated her. He wanted her to disappear forever.

Blood splatted around when the sword cut through skin and flesh. Alyssae fell down, but the pain did not come. Something heavy laid upon her and when she recovered from shock, she saw it was Fili. His chest was cut upon from his left ear to his right side and his intestines bulged out, overflown by blood. 

Astonished Alyssae stared at Fili's lifeless body, that slid off her. The blood that poured out of the wound spread like wildfire and soon an increasing pool was formed.

"No," was all she could say. She sank down to her knees and grabbed his hand, staring at him. She took a deep breath a few times, but she didn't dare to cry, afraid her tears would make his dead permanent.

Somewhere in the background, a sword fell on the ground.

"Fili!" Thorin's voice seemed to make the earth beneath her knees tremble, but she didn't look up to him. The emptiness in Fili's eyes captivated her glance.

From the corner of her eye, she saw his brother kneel beside him. Tears ran down his cheeks. "You can't leave me," Kili whispered sniffing. "I can't live without you."

Alyssae wanted to hold him tight, but she could not move. She should have laid there. He had sacrificed his life for her, while she had chosen to be with the man who caused all this misery.

If there had been someone who should die for her, it was Thorin, but he rather did the opposite. He found she didn't deserve to be alive, and now she saw Fili's dead body she felt the same.

Thorin had seen the only solution. Her death would end the oath. The gems would stay here and Thranduil would have no reason to march to Erebor, for they owed him nothing.

A lonely tear ran down her cheek, followed by many others. This was just as much her fault as it was Thorin's. They did not supplement each other like a couple was supposed to do. They only intensified the traits that could better stay hidden in a dark soul.

"I am sorry," she murmured with a quivering lower lip, but she knew that would not bring him back to life. In despair, she looked at Thranduin, who was also crying.

Everyone was crying.

"Is there nothing you can do?"

Thranduin shook his head slowly.