At first light Celebrimbor and Dringol saddled their horses alongside Nimtolien and his rangers and set out northward to the Dwarven kingdom of Carn Dûm. Passing over the empty plains they descried from afar the towering peaks of the northern reaches of the Misty Mountains. Turning their eyes westward they saw that the mountains reached toward the sea, their snow-capped summits spiraling into the clouds. To the east the mountains arced southward toward the realm of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain. But in the northernmost reaches of the eastern slopes a dark summit reached higher than all others, engulfed in smoke and black thunderclouds.

"It is Mount Gundabad," said Celebrimbor, "The stronghold of the Orcs. If Eriador is to ever be secured it must be emptied and placed under guard, so that no evil may again enter its endless caverns."

"Truly," Dringol replied, "Though we cannot know what lies within, for seemingly endless are the legions of the Shadow."

Thereafter they passed in silence over the ranges of northern Eriador, resting little, until after many days they arrived at the foot of the great mountains, wherein lay the Dwarven kingdom.

*"These mountain passes are treacherous. Captain Nimtolien, I think it wise that we scout ahead, for I do not know the way to the Dwarven gate, and we do not know if Orcs are near," Dringol said.