Gandalf, Moria, and Arrest

[Moonraker]

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

Seems like perhaps the safest, fastest route would be to quickly go back from
Rivendell to the Grey Havens (while the nazgul are in disarray and horseless).
Then take a ship (hugging the coast---it's a medieval world traveling wise, so
traveling by sea near the coast tends to be the fastest and safest way to travel.
Go past the Isen (no further because of the threat from Corsairs) and then either travel across south Rohan (hugging the White Mountains) or cross Andrast and thru south Gondor. Cross the Anduin and then perhaps go around south Mordor or through another pass. Biggest immediate problems are crossing the Great River and dealing with Rohan or Gondor authorities---but they'd have Gandalf, Aragorn, and Boromir.

Whichever road they took, was there any realistic possibility of this being kept hidden from Sauron & Saruman? Both would have had spies covering all routes, and both would have assumed Gandalf was taking the Ring to Minas Tirith. They may as well have been escorted by a large army to Lorien if there was no hope of secrecy. The events in Moria would have certainly rang alarm bells in the Dark Tower as to the whereabouts of the Ring pretty quick.

Originally Posted by Andsigil

You can attempt to explain this away as much as you want, but the fact remains that you began this thread by jumping (pole vaulting!) to the option of arrest (out in the wilderness, with no means of enforcement, no less)- as if that were the only option.

I have dealt with this in other posts earlier, so I do not wish to repeat myself.