Gimli's Route to Rivendell

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Rumil

It is still rather a mystery as to why no conatct was kept up between Dain and Balin. I see two or three possibilities

1- Politically maybe it was against Dain's interest to be in contact - Balin had defied his authority after all and we know that the Dwarves held serious grudges

We know that wasn't the case, because Dáin had actually given permission for Balin to go.

'At last, however, Balin listened to the whispers, and resolved to go: and though Dáin did not give leave willingly, he took with him Ori and Óin and many of our folk....'

Glóin at the Council of Elrond

I see that as Dáin doing everything in his power to talk Balin out of going, then giving in when he saw Balin wasn't going to let the matter rest.

Originally Posted by Rumil

2- Messengers were sent but never returned (either direction) probably caught by the orcs somewhere in the Carrock-Dul Guldur area, or on the approaches to Moria itself. Perhaps Dwarven captives still languished in the dungeons of Moria and/or Dol Guldur?

3. Messengers were sent but ran into orcish forces as above but escaped, returned and Dain or Balin concluded it was pointless to try and get through again.

I don't think the second and third options are likely either. Glóin indicated that they simply stopped receiving messages from Moria, with no mention of any more of Dáin's people going missing after being sent to check on Balin and Co.

I still think the likely reason Erebor did not try to re-establish contact was Dáin. He alone had looked into Moria and seen Durin's Bane. He had to the wisdom to recognise after the great Battle of Nanduhirion that not even all the forces they had there at their disposal, after the Orcs had been destroyed, were enough to drive out or destroy Durin's Bane. I imagine him thinking, after not hearing from the colony for a long time, "Well, I was afraid something like that would happen. I tried to tell him going there was a mistake. If Balin and the others are dead, there's nothing I can do."