[Fordim Hedgethistle]

I think this might be to set up the growing tension throughout this chapter concerning their path -- over Caradhras or through Moria? I always thought how smart Tolkien was to solve the problem of this portion of the book as well as he did. They had to travel a long way, so how to narrate it? A quick "and they went a long way south" or put in something to make the journey more memorable and interesting? He throws in a Wolf attack, which is good for a couple of pages, but it does not generate a sustained tension heading toward climax that a good narrative demands. So instead he has this slow build -- unseen at first by the hobbits -- toward the fateful decision to go into Moria. Having Gandalf arrive last after prolonged and secretive conversations with Elrond introduces the idea that there is something that needs to be talked about still, something that has yet to be resolved, something that is -- for whatever reason -- best left a secret to all but the most powerful and Wise. The journey ahead is a lot more than a long walk along a dangerous road: it is a long walk along a dangerous and uncertain road.