A few questions

[Elfstone]

the fact that they sing to him from trees is just a tad on the strange side

Yes, and also his encounter in Mirkwood was wierd and fairy tale like. They have a merry party within site of the road, but when you enter the party site all the lights go out and you pass out? Then, instead of going somewhere where they will be left alone, they go a little ways away where their fires are still in plain sight and start the party again?

After the third intrusion why did they decide that was provocation enough to take Thorin prisoner? Two disturbances is allowable but three is a crime? Why did they take only him? It would be best to take one and leave the others hopelessy lost in the forest? And why did they take him all the way back to the King? No lesser elf could handle the situation of a trespasser? That's something the King deals with? The elves at the party site couldn't just ask Thorin why he was bothering them themselves?

If it wasn't for the rest of the books I'd suspect that elves were a bit flaky. Thank goodness for Legolas.