Tauriel and Rhavaniel were nearly finished at the west forge. Rhavaniel had strung her spare bow and filled her quiver with arrows. She said goodbye to her kinsmen.

"If anyone can find Uncle Lithaldoren and his family, it will be Tauriel." Rhavaniel assured them.

Tauriel was checking on the supplies of arrows that all of the Guards would need tomorrow, for their excursions into the Avari settlements. This was something Vehiron used to do, but his replacement had not yet been named.

Night was just falling when they spotted it - a distant light in the sky, coming from the east.

Tauriel turned to Rhavaniel, "Stay here. Stay at all costs. You must not leave."

Tauriel ran for the Citadel, to rally the troops, hoping this was not what she feared it was - the awakening of Smaug.

Máfortion kept control of the forge, ordering bundled arrow taken at once to the Citadel and to several towers along the village perimeter. Every able-bodied person had a task.

Daeron, a young cousin of ninety, spoke up "I will take these."

"No!" Máfortion stopped him, "Someone has to watch Rhavaniel. See that she does not leave."

Rhavaniel was flittering about in the loft, for a better view of the eastern skies.

"Seriously?" Daeron replied with indignation, "I am a good archer, as good as a Guard, and you need these arrows taken now."

Máfortion was firm, "Stay here and watch that your cousin does not leave." he shouted up to Rhavaniel, "Come down here! Stay put and mind Daeron."

Daeron was angry. All this excitement, and he was missing it. Stuck with a runt of a girl cousin who apparently had been killing Orcs herself for the past two weeks, but now had to be treated like a thin shell of blown glass.

Rhavaniel had not seen much, just a glow of red light very far away, beyond their tree line. It looked like it was coming from Lake-Town, definitely not Erebor, and that gave her a sense of relief. Maybe the Men were just having a harvest bonfire. She prayed that Orcs were not attacking them next. King Thranduil would order his Guard to rush to their aid, she was sure.

Rhavaniel fidgeted with her pack, readjusting her belongings, not knowing what else to do with herself until Tauriel returned. She sorted through the new things from Melima, and combined them with the few personal items she brought back from her time with Kili. She noticed a small wooden box that looked familiar. It was the box of enamel ear trinkets the Avari had gifted her with over the years. Melima had kept them out of her reach - not wanting Rhavaniel to be tempted to pierce her ears until she turned fifty.

'Looks as though Melima she does not care what I do with my ears now.' Rhavaniel thought to herself. But she no longer wanted to pierce her ears, 'Kili would not like it.'

Still, they were beautiful - all of those individual feathers. She could fashion them together and make one lovely set of enamel wings and perhaps wear it in her hair. She had not tried her hand at jewelry design before, but this would be a good reason.

Daeron paced angrily.

Rhavaniel glanced at him, "I am sorry, Daeron. I want to find out what is going on as much as you do."

Then they saw it. High in the sky, the unmistakable streak of fire.

"The dragon..."

The Dwarves must have entered Erebor, and awoken Smaug. Her heart ached with uncertainty of Kili's fate.

Daeron snapped at her, "I should be helping, but I can't leave you or you will be gone in an instant."

"I will stay this time." Rhavaniel promised. Truthfully, if she had any idea where to run to help Kili, she would be gone. She did not know what to do, and was frozen in this place with uncertainty.

Daeron stopped pacing, "Here, do me a favor."

"Yes." she jumped up to help.

"Stand here."

Before Rhavaniel could realize his intent, Daeron had snapped a manacle around her ankle, leaving her chained to the central post of the forge.

"What were you thinking?" Rhavaniel yelled at him.

"I am thinking that I can't be in two places at once, and I can't trust you to do as you are told. I am sorry, but you brought this on yourself." Daeron grabbed two large bundles of arrows and headed for the exit. He hesitated before departing.

"I will be back as soon as I deliver these arrows and get news. You want news don't you?" he asked gently.

Rhavaniel nodded, "Yes, but please don't be gone long!"

"I won't be."

And with that, she was alone.