Quote:
Originally Posted by Puddleglum
Keeping a guard seems to be a very normal thing in a dangerous world. The Elves of Lorien did it; The Dwarves of Erebor did it; The Bree-landers did it; The Bucklanders did it (even before the Ruffians took over); The Rohirrim did it; The men of Minas Tirith did it; The orcs of Cirith Ungol did it (until distracted by in-fighting); Minas Morgul did it; Saruman did it in Isengard; and so on. While Saruman's & Sauron's search for the Ring may have (I suspect "DID") play a part - the presence of a guard seems very plausible to me in any event.
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The Orcs apparently weren't
that alert for intruders, at least not from both directions, east and west. There is no indication they were aware enemies were in the Mines until Pippin dropped the stone into the well. As I said, I can see the purpose of keeping a watch, but not necessarily a strong force like the one the Company encountered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Puddleglum
Gandalf spent a fair amount of time search high & low for Thrain. That included even venturing into Dol Guldur and the dungeons of the Necromancer. Given the connection between Thrain and Moria (he wanted to venture in after the battle of Nanduhirion), Gandalf could well have explored there himself as part of his search.
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Ah, you're right there. Gandalf indeed told the Fellowship that's why he had gone to Moria.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Puddleglum
Perhaps Aragorn ventured in as part of his hunt for Gollum. He doesn't tell much about his search after Gandalf gave up (other than tracking him to the confines of Mordor and finding him in the Dead Marshes), but it is at least possible he searched in Moria also.
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The trouble with that idea is that Aragorn's search for Gollum apparently didn't begin until Gandalf asked him to help TA 3001 (
The Tale of Years). Balin's Dwarf-colony had been destroyed in 2994, and the Orcs had obviously returned to Moria at that point.
When the Company was debating whether to go through Moria, Gandalf says this:
Quote:
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If there are Orcs there, it may prove ill for us, that is true. But most of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were scattered in the Battle of Five Armies.
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If Aragorn had been through Moria recently enough to have looked there for Gollum, shouldn't he have known there were Orcs there, and warned the Fellowship?