Aragorn's first visit to Moria

[Alcuin]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Seems he could have at least filled in the Fellowship on what he knew, if that was the case. Gandalf made it clear he didn't know the state of things in Moria; he even thought it possible Balin and his group would be there. One would think the knowledge that Orcs were present in Moria was rather important. The Company would have been more careful; even Pippin might have been able to check his "hobbit walking-party" mentality at the Gate.

That depends upon when Aragorn went to Moria.

According to the Tale of Years, Aragorn was in Lórien in 2980. Then he met Arwen there, and their engagement began (they “plighted their troth”). Balin did not enter Moria for another 9 years. If Aragorn entered Moria around 2980 to scout the situation there, and Balin entered sometime afterwards, Gandalf would have had the better information.

Nor does it seem likely that Aragorn entered Lórien again before he came there with the Company of the Ring. Celeborn hints that this was the situation. Haldir indicated that the Elves were aware that there were again Orcs in Moria, or at least encroaching from the direction. Maybe the Elves did not know they were coming from Moria, but only from the Misty Mountains. (It seems obvious to me, but then, I’m not a couple of thousand years old: maybe I’m being “too hasty,” as Treebeard would put it.)

A better question might be why Elrond was unaware of the presence of Orcs, since he had been recently in communication with Galadriel and Celeborn through Elladan and Elrohir, who traveled to Lórien and returned following the Council of Elrond. Perhaps we should consider that the presence of Orcs in Moria was taken as a given – if Balin and his colony from Erebor were not there to keep them at bay in some section or another of the Mines, a possibility Gandalf suggested. His only mention of Orcs in connection with Moria was that ([FotR], “Journey in the Dark”)

If there are Orcs there, it may prove ill for us, that is true. But most of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were scattered or destroyed in the Battle of the Five Armies. The Eagles report that Orcs are gathering again from afar; but there is a hope that Moria is still free.

That could imply that Aragorn and Gandalf had discussed whether there were Orcs in Moria. They did have a running debate about the wisdom of passing through Moria beforehand, part of which Frodo witnessed.

But maybe Aragorn wasn’t looking for Orcs in Moria at all: maybe he was just “an adventurer”, though that would strike me as very “un-Aragorn”. Mere darkness would not have daunted Aragorn. If he didn’t meet Orcs in Moria, do you suppose he got an early glimpse of Durin’s Bane? I vote for Orcs.