Thorin's Heir

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

I have wondered about that myself. I am afraid the only answer I have is this is an inconsistency generated by Tolkien having written and published The Hobbit before writing LOTR. Since Tolkien had already written that the dwarves had gone back to Erebor in the end it limited his ability to write something that placed the dwarves in a new home before then, even if it would have made more sense.

Well, keep in mind that the Dwarven army was made up of other houses as well, which had come to Thráin from other parts of Middle-earth. Those of Durin's house who remained in the West were very possibly, as Zigûr suggests, simply too depleted in numbers to resettle the Mountains.