Kili and Rhavaniel were close to their destination. High at the peak of the foothills, they could see the remains of a tower of the City of Dale.
"Must have been a herald's tower." Kili mused. "The City of Dale will be on the other side. It will be downhill from there."
"It will be good to have high ground for the night." Rhavaniel noted with relief. Even she was tiring after a hard day of climbing. "Nothing will be able to sneak up on is if we camp there."
The sun was rapidly setting in front of them when they reached the base of the tower. The roof had partially caved in, and stones and tiles were scattered at the base of the structure. The large double doors had long rotted away and the opening was partially blocked by large pieces of ceiling tile.
"Do you think it is safe to go inside?" Rhavaniel asked.
Kili slid off his pack and pulled his knife. "Wait here." and he crawled over the debris.
He came back in a moment. "We can't use the stairs. We will have to stay at the lower level. The arches are strong though - it will not collapse on us. Come in."
Rhavaniel handed over their packs, and gracefully jumped over the crumbled pile of ruins.
Once inside, the dust of nearly two hundred years made her sneeze.
"Look." Kili took her by the hand, and proudly led her to the back window of the tower. It was a dizzying straight drop of several hundred feet, but below them were the ruins of the City of Dale. And to the right - the massive doors of Erebor.
Kili smiled. "We are here. Just a matter of finding my brother and Uncle now."
"We can't risk a fire. It might be seen from leagues away at this height, what with so many holes in the walls." Kili said as he kicked away some old wood and leaves to clear a space for them on the floor.
"I do not like staying in a place with only one exit." Rhavaniel said. "How did people ever get to this tower from Dale?"
"I have already thought of that." Kili told her. He went back to the window. "Look - they used a narrow stair built against the cliff wall. It is gone now but you can still see the anchorage drilled into the rock. I would not trust the spikes - they may be rusted through. But this structure is still strong." and he patted the tower walls. Kili pulled out their climbing gear and set up the hooks and ropes on the Tower support pillars. He pulled food, water, weapons and bedroll out of the packs, then hooked the packs at the top of the ropes.
"This is how we are going to get down in the morning." He told her. "If something comes here in the night, we can make a quick exit out the back. They will have to fly to follow us."
"That is a good plan." Rhavaniel told him. "And I will take watch. I promise I will wake you if I hear anything at all this time. I will not leave the tower without you."
"That is good, because I was about to tie you to a line next." Kili teased.
They drank from the water skins and felt through their packs in the dimming light for food. They settled on the last of the stew.
Rhavaniel looked up at the stars from the hole in the tower ceiling. "We have gone from too much roof over our heads to too little." she noted. "Still, the stars are beautiful tonight."
She curled up beside Kili.
"Are you planning to talk with me until I fall asleep?" Kili smiled at her.
"We have been talking all day." Rhavaniel informed him. "I thought I would kiss you until sleep is the last thing on your mind."