Naurdam strode across the courtyard to his waiting steed. He had spent the past few months within the valley of Imladris and he was keen to be out on the road once more. He had visited the Halls of Lord Elrond on only a handful of previous occasions since their creation and on this most recent trip it had proven hard to mask his displeasure at finding the Halls open to not only the race of man but to the race of Dwarves also.
There are few of the First Born still remaining in Middle Earth that could equal Naurdam’s age but those that do still recall the great tragedy that befell Thingol and the realm of Doriath at the hands of the Dwarves. Naurdam saw the Dwarves as greedy opportunists who sought the help of others in order to amend their past follies. Their city like halls of Khazad-dum had once been prosperous but greed led the Dwarves to dig deeper and deeper into the earth in search of treasures, only to find an evil that had long been buried.
Now the Dwarves dared to petition the First Born of Eru Ilúvatar to enter that dark place of evil in the hope that the Dwarves may reclaim their halls. Naurdam foresaw that if the Orcs that dwelt within the dark halls were driven out they would then be free to pillage and spread across the land, and the Dwarves would then close and bar their gates to the world once more and leave the Elves of Imladris, Taur-e-Ndaedelos and Lórien to deal with the foe.
Mounting his steed Naurdam took a last look across the valley and turned towards the long winding road that lead towards the vast plains of Eregion.
