Thorin proceeded to the meeting with Fili and Kili in tow. The lookouts had already informed him that the main group of Elves had arrived, and joined with the original Elf Guards who had agreed to the parlay.

Thorin looked sternly at Kili, "I will do the talking. Speak only when I tell you to."

They met in the square of four arrows, south of the City of Dale, as night fell. The Elves had set up torches to light the meeting. The Elf contingent consisted of Prince Legolas, Tauriel, and a senior Elf Guard officer named Adanion.

Thorin greeted them, "We bring important news of the Woodland Realm."

"Prison break." Legolas responded dryly, "Yes, you are still the talk of the town."

"I speak of something far more relevant to your people." Thorin handed Legolas the enamel feather. "One of my Company took this trophy off a dead Orc, nine days past. When was the last time you heard from your Avari subjects beyond your high walls? "

If Legolas was concerned, he did not show it.

Thorin played the next card. "Are you missing two Guards sent out to investigate a forest fire? Glennodad and Vehiron?" Thorin then unwrapped and offered Glennodad's sword. "They are dead."

The Elves took the gesture as a threat, and their hands reached for weapons.

Thorin laid down the sword and held up both hands in a gesture of peace, "My people did not cross swords with them. They did not die until after they were turned to Orcs. At that point, I think you would agree that a mercy was served."

Legolas was angry and unconvinced, "You are lying. "

"You do not want to believe me?" Thorin snapped, "Ask one of your own kind. My nephew rescued an Elfling of Mirkwood. It was she who killed the Orcs that were once your brethren. She is at our camp now, not well enough to walk."

"Bring her out." Legolas demanded.

Thorin wanted nothing more, "We will, but there must be an understanding. My nephew tried to return the girl once already, but those two unfortunate Guards were overtaken by Orcs, and he had to rescue her. Honor demands that he not abandon her to danger. We need to know that all of you will be taking the girl home. That is reasonable. Besides, Prince Legolas, you had best be tending to your own Kingdom, and let me and my nephews attend to mine."

"Who is this girl?" Legolas inquired with suspicion.

Thorin turned to Kili and nodded.

"Rhavaniel Mordemirdanian." Kili informed them. "She is from a family of blacksmiths, small for her age, with black hair and green eyes."

"I know that girl." The Elf Guard, Adanion, said, "They call her Smudge. She is friendly with Vehiron's youngest child. How did she end up with you?"

"We crossed paths by chance in the woods above Lake-Town ten days ago and have been running from Orcs nearly every moment since." Kili rushed the words out. "You must understand, there are two tribes of Orcs threatening Mirkwood, Esgaroth and Erabor. Azog the Defiler's tribe hunts the line of Durin for revenge, but this other tribe is hunting Elf to make more of their own. They do not care how many snaga they lose to make one Uruk-Hai."

"You need to pick your battles, and it isn't here." Thorin interjected, "We bring you the Elfling, and you all depart."

Legolas cautiously agreed, "I will speak with her, and if what you say is true, we will leave."

Tauriel interjected, "Respectfully, Your Grace, I should go instead. A child may be intimidated speaking to her Prince."

Kili was reminded of Rhavaniel's comment about pretty Princes and had to suppress a smile, "She would not be impressed."

Thorin shot Kili a stern look.

"The Dwarf is right." Adanion said, "That one's not a normal child. Even the Avari think she's cursed. They tricked the Mordemirdanians into taking her."

"She is not cursed!"

"Kili!" Thorin silenced him, then turned to the Elves, "He has grown protective, watching over the child for so long. I do not believe in curses, but having know the Elfling only a few hours, I can attest to her genius at causing mischief."

"I will go with them." Tauriel offered again, and Legolas nodded.

Tauriel followed Thorin, Fili, and Kili back to their camp. The silence was awkward, and Thorin had not specifically forbid Kili from talking, so he began to give Tauriel details.

"This other tribe of Orc, hunting Elves...whatever they do to turn them was fast. We encountered Glennodad and Vehiron only five days later, and there was no vestige of Elf left in them. Rhavaniel is not even sure if they recognized her as herself, or just an Elf to be captured.

They ride Wargs. The Wargs...I don't know them by breed, but of the twenty I saw, they were all shades of black and gray. No reds or browns among them, if that helps. They had a mix of Orc, with many smaller foot soldiers they call snaga. All of them were bigger than us, save for the first one we killed - he was my height. They were all painted. Azog's Orc do not paint themselves, do they, Uncle? "

Thorin shook his head, "For war, certainly, to signify unit, but not for hunting and scouting."

Kili continued, "The paint was mostly white and red - stripes and shadows. They like painted wings. A few had real bird wings, on their backs. Between that and the hooks they use to bring down their prey, Rhavaniel and I had taken to calling them Birdclaw.

The Orcs near us now are Azog's - they use poisoned arrows, and they used one on Rhavaniel. That is why she is resting at our camp. This Birdclaw tribe does not use poison because they want to take you alive. If they catch one of you, they will torture you to lure out the rest. That is why they like to carry whips. You would know the leader if you can figure out who is carrying the whip."

Fili turned to look at Kili, imagining how awful it must have been for him to be tortured so.

"They don't care how badly hurt you are, either. The younger Elf Guard - his leg was freshly broken and he was walking on it when changed. It had been braced but still, it must have been agony." Kili said.

Tauriel was worried, "This must be a strong sorcery."

Thorin interrupted, "This conversation is rather one-sided. You, at least, seemed concerned when I mentioned the Avari. Why is that?"

"I am concerned with all the Elves of Mirkwood, as is our Prince." Tauriel said defensively. "He keeps his emotions in check when negotiating. It is a sign of strength, not indifference."

"Yet your emotions got the better of you?" Thorin pressed.

Tauriel hesitated, "I merely thought the ear trinket looked child-sized. It is irrelevant."

Kili stopped in his tracks, "If that Orc had been an Elf first...you mean to say, you think we killed a child?"

Fili turned to his younger brother, "You killed an Orc and it is not a child if it is old enough to try to kill you first."

Kili nodded and turned to Tauriel, "You will not say that to Rhavaniel, will you? She will be upset."

Tauriel assured him, "No, I will not."