A blast of cold air greeted them when they opened the door. They could hear the sound of moving water, but nothing was visible in the blackness. The sword in Rhavaniel's hand did not glow - there were no Orcs or goblins hidden in there.
Kili hooted to see if anything moved in response. The sound echoed, then nothing, not so much as a scuttling rat. Kili cautiously raised the lantern to the entryway.
They saw an open floor of stone. It looked as though the walls had once been painted in a white and yellow diamond pattern, to brighten the place. An ancient oil lamp, covered in cobwebs, was on the right.
"Welcome." Kili nearly laughed with relief, pointing to Dwarf rune marks etched in the stones on the floor. He handed the lantern to Rhavaniel, then lifted the chimney on the oil lamp and lit it with the small flint that hung on the wall beside it. The lamp still had oil, and after a spitting, smoky start, it worked.
"Put your sword away and switch to knives." Kili said. "That will be better for close quarters."
Rhavaniel complied. They weren't sure they were safe yet.
They entered the doorway - the first Dwarf to do so in one hundred and seventy-one years, and the first Elf ever.
The rock roof was low, but not uncomfortably so. Once inside, they could see the underground river to the right. A rusted, wrought iron gate ran along the edge of the water.
"To keep the Dwarflings safe?" Rhavaniel asked. Kili nodded.
There appeared to be fine nets hanging from hooks. Rhavaniel touched one, and the ancient fibers crumbled. Disheveled tools, tables, and bins lay along the rock floor, running the length of the exposed river.
"Did Dwarves or Men live and work here?" Rhavaniel asked.
"Dwarves, by the look of the place." Kili said. "But it was rare for Dwarves to fish as a profession back in the glory days of Erebor. At least from what I was told. Cave fish aren't exactly a delicacy."
Another long tunnel appeared on the left, in the direction of the smokestacks.
"Living quarters." Kili pointed. They spotted more lamps and lit them as they moved down the hall. They passed a kitchen, an empty pantry, two small bedrooms, and a larger bedroom at the end of the tunnel. That was all.
Rhavaniel noticed that Kili was shaking. He needed rest and food, and it was freezing in this cave.
"Here," Rhavaniel took him by the arm. "Lie down."
Kili sat on the platform of the bed in the last room. The mattress and blankets were long gone, but there was a heating stove in the center of the room. Rhavaniel ran outside to get their packs, and with one last look outside, shut the door behind her.
When Rhavaniel came back, she helped Kili out of his bloody clothes, and wrapped him up in the bedroll. She collected broken pieces of wood from the entry, and started a fire to warm the last room.
She wondered if there was anything in the medical kit for Kili's pain. She regretted that she knew so little about medicine. There were wax vials of potions meant to be bitten open and the contents drunk, but she was not sure what each one was for. For those few that she did know, she was concerned at how a Dwarf might react.
Except she did recognize one word on a vial - Yavannah. This could be miruvor. It was supposed to come from the honey of Yavannah's undying flower. She had heard of it, but never seen it, certainly never tasted it. The honey mead was very rare, but it would restore strength.
'Yavannah is wife of Aulë, who the Dwarves call their Maker, Mahal, so I will take that as a good sign.' she thought.
She turned to Kili, "I want you to drink this. It will make you feel better."
Kili did as she told him. Within moments, he could sense that the medicine was working. He was not so cold, and the pain subsided enough that he could lie down. He sighed, and drifted off to sleep.
Rhavaniel checked his wounds again, kicked off her little boots, and joined him under the covers to help keep him warm.