[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by alatar

Or did he sneak past the Fellowship, and get on the other side of the Chamber, and so somehow stays in front of the Fellowship (on alert since the attack) as the Fellowship makes their way to the Bridge?

But let's say he is somewhere near the Fellowship as they make for the Bridge. He then must find another exit from Moria, as the Bridge is destroyed before he can use that way.

But let's assume that the Dwarves had built other ways out of Moria (though the Bridge was the main way), and that Gollum found and used one of these, which I assume were not guarded or were poorly guarded.

That seems possible to me. Gollum had entered Moria from the east and had been there a while. He would have been much more likely to have known other routes around the road the Fellowship was forced to take. Aragorn and Gandalf had both once passed through Moria, but they presumably had been looking for the shortest and straightest ways through, so they wouldn't have known all ways leading to the Doors. And any Orcs would have been on the lookout for the Fellowship, not one little withered hobbit, so I don't think it's out of the question he could have got past them.

Originally Posted by alatar

So assume Gollum escapes Moria somehow. He then actively pursues the Fellowship. Now, I'll concede that Aragorn is looking more forward than backward at this time, trying to get those thrust into his care to safety as quickly as possible. So let's say he doesn't see Gollum, who though trapped inside a mine for some time, is able to keep up with the Fellowship, moving as fast as possible to avoid orcs.

Aragorn knew all about Gollum, or at least that's what he told Frodo.

'Ah!' said Aragorn. 'So you know about our little footpad, do you? He padded after us all through Moria and right down to Nimrodel.'

FOTR The Great River

Originally Posted by alatar

So, to recap: Gollum somehow gets past the greatest hunter of all time or finds an alternate route through a maze that almost stumps Gandalf, gets past a trap that would inhibit both Free People and orcs, gets across a chasm that, without a Bridge, keeps enemies from entering (or he finds an unguarded alternate passage), pursues the Fellowship unseen and travels rapidly despite suffering from deprivation and Yellow Face being in the sky.

Amazing what lust for the One Ring and a natual 'sneaking' tendancy could enable one to accomplish....