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Next to Frodo on his right sat a dwarf of important appearance, richly dressed. His beard, very long and forked, was white, nearly as white as the snow-white cloth of his garments. He wore a silver belt, and round his neck hung a chain of silver and diamonds. Frodo stopped eating to look at him.

"Welcome and well met!" said the dwarf, turning towards him. Then he actually rose from his seat and bowed. "Gloin at your service," he said, and bowed still lower.

"Frodo Baggins at your service and your family's," said Frodo correctly, rising in surprise and scattering his cushions. "Am I right in guessing that you are the Gloin, one of the twelve companions of the great Thorin Oakenshield?"

"Quite right," answered the dwarf, gathering up the cushions and courteously assisting Frodo back into his seat. "And I do not ask, for I have already been told that you are the kinsman and adopted heir of our friend Bilbo the renowned. Alow me to congratuate you on your recovery."

"Thank you very much," said Frodo.

"You have had some very strange adventures, I hear," said Gloin. "I wonder greatly what brings four hobbits on so long a journey. Nothing like it has happened since Bilbo came with us. But perhaps I should not inquire too closely, since Elrond and Gandalf do not seem disposed to talk of this?"

"I think we will not speak of it, at least not yet," said Frodo politely. He guessed that even in Elrond's house the matter of the Ring was not one for casual talk; and in any case he wished to forget his troubles for a time. "But I am equally curious," he added, to learn what brings so important a dwarf so far from the Lonely Mountain."

Gloin looked at him. "If you have not heard, I think we will not speak yet of that either. Master Elrond will summon us all ere long, I believe, and then we shall all hear many things. But there is much else that may be told."

Throughout the rest of the meal they talked together, but Frodo listened more than he spoke; for the news of the Shire, apart from the Ring, seemed small and far-away and unimportant, while Gloin had much to tell of events in the northern regions of Wilderland. Frodo learned that Grimbeorn the Old, son of Beorn, was now the lord of many sturdy men, and to their land between the Mountains and Mirkwood neither orc nor wolf dared to go.

"Indeed," said Gloin, "if it were not for the Beornings, the passage from Dale to Rivindell would long ago have become impossible. They are valiant men and keep open the High Pass and the Ford of Carrock. But their tolls are high," he added with a shake of his head; "and like Beorn of old they are not over fond of dwarves. Still, they are trusty, and that is much in these days. Nowhere are there any men so friendly to us as the Men of Dale. They are good folk, the Bardings. The grandson of Bard the Bowman rules them, Brand son of Bain son of Bard. He is a strong king, and his realm now reaches far south and east of Esgaroth."

"And what of your own people?" asked Frodo.

"There is much to tell, good and bad," said Gloin; "yet it is mostly good: we have so far been fortunate, though we do not escape the shadow of these times. If you really wish to hear of us, I will tell you tidings gladly. But stop me when you are weary! Dwarves tongues run on when speaking of their handiwork, they say."

And with that Gloin embarked on a long account of the doings of the Dwarf-kingdom. He was delighted to have found so polite a listening; for Frodo showed no sign of weariness and made no attempt to change the subject, though actually he soon got rather lost among the strange names of people and places that he had never heard of before. He was interested, however, to hear that Dain was still King under the Mountain, and was now old (having passed his two hundred and fiftieth year), venerable and fabulously rich. Of the ten companions who had survived the Battle of Five Armies seven were still with him: Dwalin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Bombur was now so fat that he could not move himself from his couch to his chair at table, and it took six young dwarves to lift him.

"And what has become of Balin and Oin?" asked Frodo.

A shadow passed over Gloin's face. "We do not know," he answered. "It is largely on account of Balin that I have come to ask the advice of those that dwell in Rivindell. But tonight let us speak of merrier things!"

Gloin began then to talk of the works of his people, telling Frodo about their great labours in Dale and under the Mountain. "We have done well," he said. "But in metal-work we cannot rival our fathers, many of whose secrets are lost. We make good armour and keen swords, but we cannot again make mail or blade to match those that were made before the dragon came. Only in mining and building have we surpassed the old days. You should see the waterways of Dale, Frodo, and the fountains, and the pools. You should see the stone-paved roads of many colours! And the halls and cavernous streets under the earth with arches carved like trees; and the terraces and towers upon the Mountain's sides! Then you would see that we have not been idle."

"I will come and see them, if ever I can," said Frodo. "How surprised Bilbo would have been to see all the changes in the Desolation of Smaug!"

Gloin looked at Frodo and smiled. "You were very fond of Bilbo were you not?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Frodo. "I would rather see him than all the towers and palaces in the world."

Not all that was spoken and debated in the Council need now be told. Much was said of events in the world outside, especially in the South, and in the wide lands east of the Mountains. Of these things Frodo had already heard many rumours; but the tale of Gloin was new to him, and when the dwarf spoke he listened attentively. It appeared that amid the splendor of their works of hand the hearts of the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain were troubled.

"It is now many years ago," said Gloin, "that a shadow of disquiet fell upon our people. Whence it came we did not at first perceive. Words began to be whispered in secret: it was said that we were hemmed in a narrow place, and that greater wealth and splendour would be found in a wider world. Some spoke of Moria: the mighty works of our fathers that are called in our own tongue Khazad-dum; and they declared that now at last we had the power and numbers to return."

Gloin sighed. "Moria! Moria! Wonder of the Northern world! Too deep we delved there, and woke the nameless fear. Long have its vast mansions lain empty since the children of Durin fled. But now we spoke of it again with longing, and yet with dread; for no dwarf has dared to pass the doors of Khazad-dum for many lives of kings, save Thror only, and he perished. At last, however, Balin listened to the whispers, and resolved to go; and though Dain did not give leave willingly, he took with him Ori and Oin and many of our folk, and they went away south.

"That was nigh on thirty years ago. For a while we had news and it seemed good: messages reported that Moria had been entered and a great work begun there. Then there was silence, and no word has ever come from Moria since.

"Then about a year ago a messenger came to Dain, but not from Moria -- from Mordor: a horseman in the night, who called Dain to his gate. The Lord Sauron the Great, so he said, wished for our friendship. Rings he would give for it, such as he gave of old. And he asked urgently concerning hobbits, of what kind they were, and where they dwelt. "For Sauron knows," said he, "that one of these was known to you on a time."

"At this we were greatly troubled, and we gave no answer. And then his fell voice was lowered, and he would have sweetened it if he could. "As a smal token only of your friendship Sauron asks this," he said, "that you should find this thief," such was his word, "and get from him, willing or no, a little ring, the least of rings, that once he stole. It is but a trifle that Sauron fancies, and an earnest of your good will. Find it, and three rings that the Dwarf-sires possessed of old shall be returned to you, and the realm of Moria shall be yours for ever. Find only news of the thief, whether he still lives and where, and you shall have great reward and lasting friendship from the Lord. Refuse, and things will not seem so well. Do you refuse?"

"At that his breath came like the hiss of snakes, and all who stood by shuddered, but Dain said: "I say neither yes nor nay. I must consider this message and what it means under its fair cloak."

"Consider well, but not too long," said he.

"The time of my thought is my own to spend," answered Dain.

"For the present," said he, and rode into the darkness.

"Heavy have the hearts of our chieftains been since that night. We needed not the fell voice of the messenger to warn us that his words held both menace and deceit; for we knew already that the power that has re-entered Mordor has not changed, and ever it betrayed us of old. Twice the messenger has returned, and has gone unanswered. The third and last time, so he says, is soon to come, before the ending of the year.

And so I have been sent at last by Dain to warn Bilbo that he is sought by the Enemy, and to learn, if may be, why he desires this ring, this least of rings. Also we crave the advice of Elrond. For the Shadow grows and draws nearer.