Kili and Rhavaniel trudged silently throughout the rest of the day. They walked far apart, ostensibly to better scrounge for the dried branches they would need to start a fire that night. No words had been spoken since Kili's outburst earlier.
'I should apologize.' Kili told himself. He wondered if he could get away with apologizing to her personally (which he wanted to do) or if he would be expected to apologize to all Elf-kind. Fili had instructed him that if he ever got into an argument with a girl, he would be expected to apologize early and often, even for things he had not done or said. Kili was not sure he could sincerely take back the things he said about other Elves. What if his apology was not good enough, and escalated into yet another argument? Fili had warned him about those outcomes.
Kili looked ahead carefully for a place to camp. He chose a spot with several good-sized boulders for shelter from the wind, and a few short trees to remind Rhavaniel of home.
"Here!" Kili called over, and dropped his stack of kindling on a barren portion of ground.
Rhavaniel joined him and silently dropped her stack beside his, then retreated to what passed for a tree line.
'I have waited too long to apologize.' Kili thought. 'She will expect me to take back my words about King Thranduil himself at this point.'
Kili started a fire, and set about making the stew he had promised. When it was done, he looked around for her, but she was gone. Her pack was still there.
"Rhavaniel!" he called out.
"Here." she called in reply.
He looked up. She sat midway in the tallest tree, which was not even twelve feet in height. She looked a bit like a giant sitting in a child's chair, and Kili could not help but laugh. "You look ridiculous!"
"Thank Ilúvatar there is no one I am trying to impress out here." she replied dryly.
Kili did not completely regret laughing at her, since this presented a chance to apologize for a lesser offense.
"I am very, very sorry that I laughed. You must be uncomfortable. Please come down and eat with me." he offered.
"I am not hungry." she said, "You may save my portion for breakfast, thank you."
Kili sighed. "Are you going to sleep up there?"
"I am not going to sleep, and this is the best vantage point we have for the night, so here I stay." Rhavaniel replied.
Kili ate alone in silence. He covered the remains of stew and put the last of the kindling on the fire to keep away the cold night air. He retreated to his bedroll on the ground and tried not to think of how much more upset Rhavaniel might be in the morning. He quickly fell asleep.
Kili dreamed a memory from childhood. He was with his entire family. Father was still alive. An Orc invasion had forced them to flee Blue Mountain's North Range for the South Range, and the only way to get there quickly was by taking a ship across the Gulf of Lune. Grown Dwarves, warriors, would have rather faced a hoard of Orcs that cross deep water. Dwarves could not swim. It was not for lack of strength, or will, but that they sank like rocks. Ever since they were little, Dwarflings had been warned to stay away from deep water.
Kili was scared, but his father held him close and said, "You will be safe. I would put you and your brother on my shoulders and walk across the bottom of the Gulf. You would not even be wet. I promise."
(***********************************)
Kili awoke at the break of dawn to a cacophony of birds. They truly had returned to Lonely Mountain, and their path was directly over Kili's head. He sat up and looked around. He had expected the campfire to be a few faint embers. Instead, it was a roaring blaze. He saw not less than twenty arrows in the ground, forming a wide circle around him. The victims appeared to be three or four field rats, one snake, some frogs, several giant grey slugs, and what might have once been an overly large cricket.
"Rhavaniel?" he called softly. She was not in her little tree perch. He jumped up on to a boulder to look for her.
He spotted her walking back to camp, arms loaded with more kindling. He sighed with relief and waved.
When he jumped down, she was coming around from the other side of the rocks. He ducked just in time to miss being hit in the head with the largest stick she was carrying.
"You slept through all of it!" she yelled.
Kili was taken aback. He looked around - at the fire and the arrows - and then he understood. This open ground was to Rhavaniel what deep water was to him. She had been frightened. He had told her to follow him across, and she did so because she trusted him. Instead of offering her comfort, he had yelled at her and left her alone with her fears.
Kili took the rest of the firewood out of her arms and placed it on the ground. Rhavaniel sniffed, eyes red from fighting back tears.
"I am sorry." He said, "Sorry I judged you. Sorry you were frightened." He put his arms around her and held her close. "We will be safe. I promise."
He believed it himself, and she believed him.