Kili approached Dwalin. If Dwalin was expecting Kili to reach out to heal the rift between them, he would be sorely disappointed.

"I have a question." Kili started.

"What?"

Kili showed him the crescent arrowhead that Rhavaniel had given him. "Have you ever seen arrowheads like this? Have you seen an Orc use them in battle, or a Dwarf make them, no matter how rare, or how long ago?"

Dwalin looked at it, turning it over. "Where did you get this?"

"That was not an answer."

Dwalin handed it back, "I have never seen it before."

"I will walk away and not trouble you anymore with this. But I want one thing clear between us - I know you are lying to me."

Dwalin stopped him, "Here, here, I am not lying! I have never seen this tip."

Kili snapped, "But you have seen a scar, on some of our peoples faces, including my mother's. This is a match. "

"Aye, I saw that scar. But any number of pieces of metal could have made that mark. I have never seen this arrowhead before. No one has had a scar like that in nearly eighty years. Ask Balin, or Gloin, or even Thorin. We had a bad run with Orcs in Blue Mountain. Nearly four years of terror. Didn't even seem like Orcs, seemed more like the Ilúvatar himself had turned his back on us. That was when you and Ori and Fili were tiny or just born. You think you want to set something right? There's no fixing what went wrong all those year ago, because the monsters behind it are all gone."

Kili shook his head, "You did not kill that thing, though. You never even got close. Because if you had, you would have seen his arrows. That is what I think. I agree now that you are not lying - but you are wrong. You did not run him out. He got bored and left. That is why he still haunts the dreams of every life he touched."

Kili walked away.

Dwalin called after him, "Would not be the first time I was wrong!"

Kili stopped, and Dwalin kept talking, "I will tell you one other truthful thing. I am the one who told them you were dead. I was wrong. I left you behind. I lost your trust on that Ridge, something I built up slow over your lifetime, and I will never get it back. That Elf girl just picked it up like lost treasure."

Kili paused, "Rhavi once said trust was like currency."

"I am not sorry she is gone. She does not belong among us. Not here, not now." Dwalin said, "But I am sorry it has hurt you this badly, and sorry for my part in that."

Kili turned back to Dwalin, "She would not have liked it in here, you know? All that gold but no sunlight? Nothing growing? Riches did not matter to her. She knew what real treasure was. You say you lost your treasure on a Ridge? At least you made an honest mistake. I put my treasure on a horse and sent it away. When this is all over, if I survive, I am getting her back."

Dwalin put a hand on Kili's shoulder, "If we get out of this alive, I will go with you."

(******)

Fili met privately with Kili and Bilbo at the appointed time.

Kili rushed to speak, "Fili, you told me that you needed to start questioning Uncle Thorin. Now, more than ever, he needs you to tell him he is wrong. He will not accept this from me. He would not have listened to me even before we fought about Rhavaniel. He thought me too young, and now he thinks me corrupted by the influence of Man and Elf. But you know this is wrong. Bilbo knows it, Balin knows it, and some of the others as well. The people of Lake-Town are owed. At least help them and break the alliance between Elf and Man."

Fili sighed, "I know. I am just back from talking to him. Uncle Thorin has gold sickness, just as our mother described it. He will not see reason. He will not let us try to settle this peacefully."

"I thought this might happen." Kili nodded sadly. "The sickness is a wild animal, running in Uncle Thorin's head. But this time the animal is so strong, it caught and rode Thorin."

Bilbo cleared his throat. "I am going outside. I will see if I can convince Bard or King Thranduil to leave, or at least send away the troops, so that Thorin does not see them as threat."

Fili and Kili nodded at each other.

"That is a good idea." Fili said, "We will help you slip out."

Bilbo shook his head, "I was thinking you two should come with me."

"No." Fili insisted. "I believe Bard is honorable, but I do not trust Thranduil. He might take us hostage and demand ransom for us. It would only make matters worse."

"Fili is right." Kili agreed, "I think Thranduil is as sick as Uncle Thorin, and has been sick for longer than any of us have been alive. There is no trying to reason with him if he thinks he can use us to get more jewels. I will not go to the Elves. But it is more than that. If Thorin was just my King, I would leave this place and never concern myself with the loss of my share of treasure. But Thorin is my family. He took care of me, and I will not leave him while he is sick. He needs me now more than ever."