Dwarves and the northern war of the rings

[Dain]

I'm inviting a little speculation by all you intelligent and astute BDers. In researching for a story, I've been looking over the tale of the Dwarves of Erebor relating to LotR, and noticed some strange things that I either can't explain or understand why it would happen.

1) What were they doing in the year between the first arrival of the black rider a the lonely mountain and when they finally sent Gloin to Rivendell? Why didn't they try to warn Bilbo sooner? They didn't even know that King Brand in Dale had been visited by a nazgul for a while, so apparently weren't even talking to their neighbours. A year seems a long time to sit on something like this...

2) Why would Gimli have had any hope of finding Balin in Moria, when they hadn't heard from them in years? Balin died 5 years after going, about 25 years before the council, and obviously they hadn't heard from them since his death, or they would know. 25 years of silence isn't very encouraging...

3) Why wouldn't Gandalf have explained to Dain or at least Thorin about Thror's ring? The Dwarves still think it might be in Moria, and didn't even know Thrain had it. Apparently, the rings were secretly passed on from father-to-heir, and Thorin never got it. Thrain went wandering and disappeared with it, and Gandalf found him in Dol Goldur, but never revealed that he had lost the ring then, apparently.

4) How do you think the third visit of the nazgul went? I can just picture good ol' Dain on the battlements giving that nasty old black rider the dwarven equivalent of "go tell your master he can kiss my..."

Anyway, I wondered if anyone had some thoughts, speculations or sources that I have overlooked. Cheers!

(wow, 50!)

[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: Dain ]