Thorin and Fili caught up to Dori and Nori, after killing the last of the Orc stragglers on the eastern-most trap.

Dori looked up from the grim duty of searching through rubble for any still-breathing Orcs, "Did you see Kili?"

"He needs support on the east flank." Nori told them, "by the bell tower cliff. We've got them broken here, just picking off the stragglers. Go!"

Thorin was incredulous, "You saw Kili?"

Dori squinted at him, "How did you not see Kili? He ran your way. "

Thorin and Fili turned and ran back the way they came.

Thorin would not allow himself to trust in any eyes but his own.

"Fili," he cautioned, "I have seen this before. Men see things on the battlefield - ghosts, visions, walking dreams - they believe what they see and what they say, but they may be wrong."

"They are not wrong." Fili smiled broadly. "I know Kili is alive, that little sneak."

Thorin and Fili were nearly clear of the buildings, and finally able to see that a few Orcs were attempting to come down the bell tower cliff, using spikes and ropes. They could also see that an archer was targeting the Orcs coming down the cliff.

Fili pointed, "Need any more proof?"

Dwalin soon joined them from a southern alley. "Did you hear?"

"About Kili?" Thorin said, "We heard, but have not seen anything, except that there is an archer on that roof."

Dwalin took a second look. "There are two archers on that roof." He could see that while one archer was targeting the dwindling number of Orcs on the cliff, a second archer was engaged in a duel with an Orc archer on the next building.

Fili put the pieces together, "Two arrows this morning - for two people in that bell tower last night! One of them was Kili!"

More Orcs were coming around on foot from the cliff side. The three Dwarves had no choice but to fight their way to the building, gaining the upper hand and sending the last Orcs on the run.

Thorin turned to Fili "Dwalin and I will go after them, and take down that last Orc archer. You will stay here and find your brother."

Dwalin and Thorin pursued the Orcs as they fled. Other Dwarves of the Company were winding up their kills and routing the few survivors. Thorin nodded to Dwalin, and he split off, to climb a rooftop. Dwalin quickly discovered the Uruk-Hai bowman that had Kili and the other archer pinned down.

'At last, a worthy opponent.' Dwalin thought. He threw a knife at the big Orc's head, and took off its left ear in a spurt of blood and great flap of dangling flesh. The Orc roared in rage and threw down his bow. He was also ready for a good fight.

(************)

Thorin and the reassembling Company relentlessly pursued the few faltering Orcs to the southern edge of Dale.

To their shock, they found mounted Elf Guards at the City's edge. The Elves were also clearly surprised at showing up at the end of someone else's fight, but handled the task at hand with deadly efficiency. It was the Elves who had the privilege of finishing off the half dozen Orcs.

Thorin bade his men to halt and regroup. This was a shocking turn of events. They were in no position to confront Thranduil's Elves. The Dwarves had gone from victory to frantic retreat themselves in a few brief seconds - because of Elves.