Dwalin sat silently across from Rhavaniel as she finished her stew. She was anxious for Kili and his Uncle to return, and growing a bit nervous under Dwalin's stern stare. She decided that she should keep busy rather than wear herself down with worry. She stood up, and Dwalin did as well.

Rhavaniel nodded politely, "Excuse me."

Dwalin stepped in front of her, "Where do you think you're going?"

Rhavaniel did not like being put on the defensive. "I am going to collect arrows from this morning's fight. Kili only has a few left, and I have none. I must salvage what I can."

"Already done." Dwalin nodded to a covered stack. Rhavaniel pulled back the sacking and found many of the three-tipped arrows she made for Kili, plus Orc arrows, but none of Elf design.

Rhavaniel turned to Dwalin, "Thank you, but none of these will work with my bow. I need to keep looking." and she proceeded to the cliff.

The Dwarves had collected Orc bodies while she and Kili slept, and had thrown them down an empty cistern. There was no point in climbing down - there would be no useable arrows in the battered, stinking jumble. She looked along the ground at the base of the cliff - there must be some here.

She explored the crumpled parts of the carillon. She reached down and pulled off a small bell. It was a lovely, delicate silver one, not dented in the fall.

'I shall keep this one.' she decided, wrapping it with cloth to muffle the ringer.

She glanced up at the cliff. The ropes and hooks that she and Kili had used to repel down were still in place. Rhavaniel had spent may arrows on top of the cliff that very morning. The ground should be fairly littered with dead Orcs and arrows. She might as well try. She reached for a rope.

Dwalin stopped her, "Hold! You are not leaving."

"I have no arrows unless I go up there. I have no sword, since your Prince Thorin took mine. How do you expect me to defend myself? I will be up and down again before the fishes are cooked."

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

Balin was the one who interrupted Thorin and Kili, "Best come quick, there's trouble on the cliff."

Thorin and Kili raced back to find the Dwarves and Bilbo congregated at the cliff base, below the ropes. They were yelling over each other with instructions and warnings and please for sanity.

Rhavaniel was a little more than half way up the cliff, and Dwalin was below her, on Kili's rope line. The two were screaming threats and curses at each other. Dwalin whipped the end of Rhavaniel's rope to jostle her against the cliff, and Rhavaniel threatened to cut Dwalin's rope with her pocket knife.

Dori ran up from the south side of the city, "What is going on? The Elves can see the commotion and they are getting very agitated."

"STOP!" Thorin roared. Everyone paused, even Rhavaniel and Dwalin on the ropes.

Fili tried to explain, "Rhavaniel said she needed to go up the cliff to find arrows, and Dwalin thought it was too dangerous."

"That is not what he said!" Rhavaniel's voice wafted down from the cliff.

"It is what he should have said!" Fili shouted upward, aimed at Dwalin.

Kili called up gently, "Rhavi! Fili is right. Come down, please."

Rhavaniel put away her knife and began to lower herself. Dwalin let go of Rhavaniel's rope, but waited for her to draw alongside him before he also climbed down. They repelled those last few dozen feet together in silence and mutual hostility.

When they reached the ground, Dwalin snatched Rhavaniel's bow from her back and smashed it on the rocks. "I said 'You won't be needing any arrows'!"

All the Dwarves and Rhavaniel paused for a moment of collected shock, then Rhavaniel made a completely foolhardy lunge at Dwalin. Kili caught her before she got close enough to land a punch.

Fili ran to Dwalin, "Apologize now!" he hissed.

Dwalin sneered, "Not to a little lul gijak..." he was not able to finish his sentence before Kili struck him.

"Enough!" Thorin pulled the knot of Dwarves apart. "Fili, Balin, mind your brothers, now! Dori, get back to the Elves! See that they are keeping the truce. Óin and Gloin, take the girl away, and do not let her out of your sight."