Kili and Rhavaniel watched the lights below them disappear. They kept watch, and thought they saw a flicker here and there, but nothing certain.
They began to prepare their defenses, and plot their next steps, until dawn broke.
"If it is Dwarf or Elf, we could signal a truce." Rhavaniel suggested. "At least we would know what was down there."
"I will not surrender to Elves. Not when I am this close." Kili insisted.
"I am not asking you to. I could talk to them alone. We can figure out a signal so I can let you know if they came looking for you, or if they have found any other Dwarves. That would be a great thing to know, wouldn't it?" Rhavaniel asked.
"But how would I get you back?"
"I assumed you were quite through with me at this point." she said contritely.
Kili stopped his preparations to assure her, "That is not true. You are mine now, and I am yours. What happened last night with the bell - it seemed disastrous at the time but it was a good thing to know. We would have repelled down to Dale at first light and been completely exposed. With time, everything you think you have done wrong turns out right, because you were sent as a blessing to me."
Rhavaniel threw her arms around him, "Thank you." she whispered.
Kili returned to the practical decisions to be made, "We will shoot a truce arrow, and see what happens. If they show themselves to be Dwarf, we repel down and greet them. If they be Elf, you go down alone. If they insist on taking you with them, you will go. You will be able to sneak away and come back, hmm, there." He pointed to the ruined sister tower on the west foothill spur.
"And if they are Orc?" she asked.
Kili frowned, "There is our problem. I have not completely figured that out yet. But we can't stay here. They will trap us sooner or later. Can you take one last look at the top of the tower?"
"Yes." Rhavaniel scurried up the central pillar, and made her leap to the carillon level. She looked down on the City of Dale and saw nothing. She looked to the south and again saw nothing. She looked back the way she and Kili had come. At first, the rising sun blinded her and then she saw them - Orcs. They were still far away - if they had been in the city last night, they would have been upon them already. No, these Orcs were just arriving.
"Kili!" she called down, "There are Orcs approaching, a great many of them, from the east. I think they are..."
"What is it?!"
Rhavaniel called down, "They are heading to the City of Dale, as if they had taken the long path around that we considered yesterday. They have come to surround the city - scores of them. The lights we saw last night may have been a scouting party."
Rhavaniel scurried down the tower. "But if those are Dwarves or Elves below us, then we should warn them, and quickly."
"Let us trust in Mahal." Kili said. Leaning out the window, he loaded his bow with his last Dwarf arrow. He aimed for an open spot on the outskirts of the ruined city, where they had seen lights congregate last night.
(*****)
The Company of Thorin saw the arrow come down.
"Dwarf arrow!" Fili called out.
"Do not touch it." Thorin warned, "It could be a trap."
(*****)
Kili and Rhavaniel conferred in the tower.
"Either no Dwarf, or distrusting Dwarf. Does not tell us much, unfortunately. The next test is for Elf." and Rhavaniel pulled a tightly rolled ribbon from her quiver.
Kili watched curiously, "I meant to ask you what those are for."
"Since Dwarves have few bowmen, I don't imagine you developed the language of archery that we have. The colors of the ribbons are signals. Red is danger. If they be Elves, they will know what this means. Like runes, I should not be telling you this. Call us even."
She let loose an arrow, and it joined Kili's on the ground.
(*****)
Bilbo spotted it first. "An Elf arrow...and what it the ribbon for?"
Thorin frowned, "A test. Leave it. Let them show more of who they are."
(*****)
In the tower, Rhavaniel climbed back to the top to judge the progress of the Orcs. Their pace was still casual - they were not charging. She could see that a part of the group had split off and was heading toward their tower - no doubt planning to secure a lookout point. The main force would be entering the City of Dale.
She called down to Kili. "Did your Uncle ever tell you what any of these bells meant? How many chimes for morning prayer, how many chimes for danger?"
"No. I don't know that." Kili yelled up. "Warnings always come in threes, though."
"Whatever is hiding in that City, if it were your people or mine, what would you risk to warn them?"
Kili knew what she was asking. Would they give away their position in the face of an advancing Orc war party? For all they knew, it was just more Orcs below them.
Kili listened to his heart. "It is the Company. I have to believe that . Elves would have answered your call with another arrow, and Orcs would have charged us under cover of darkness. Do it."
Rhavaniel shut the trap door. She knew what to do. She pulled a long scarf from her jacket pocket and wrapped it around her ears, then pulled up her green hood. She found the bell ringers' hammers, and took one. Selecting the biggest bell, she gave it three mighty blows.
(*****)
Thorin failed to take his own advice and grew impatient. "We should have taken that tower ourselves before venturing into this City. We have no high ground, no way of telling what is going on, or what whoever is in that tower now is up to."
Bilbo piped up with his theory, "I think whoever is up there is trying very hard to tell us something. Dwarf and Elf - they sent arrows of both kind. I think they are friendly to Dwarf and Elf. "
"Then they should show themselves." Dwalin said firmly.
Fili disagreed, "That is asking a bit much, don't you think?"
"Perhaps we should be showing ourselves, so that they know we are not Orcs?" Bilbo pressed.
Then they heard it - three big booms of the bell.
(*****)
Back in the tower, Rhavaniel could tell that the smaller Orc contingent heading toward them had heard the bells. They had quickened their pace to a run.
"We've been discovered!" she called down.
Rhavaniel pulled out three more arrows. She knew all eyes would be on the bell tower now. She let the arrows fly in the direction of southeast, toward the larger force of approaching Orcs.
There was nothing else Kili and Rhavaniel could do. They had to defend themselves next, and hope that whoever was on the ground, Dwarf of Elf, would know to do the same.
(*****)
Thorin grimaced, "Three bells and three arrows. There is danger, and it comes from the southeast. Fili, try to get a view of what we are up against. The rest of you, start putting last night's plan in place."