Charting the Shire lines - Page 2
© Michael Martinez
So, in the year 1248 Minalcar, then regent of Gondor, fought a brief war which pushed back many of the Easterlings and resulted in a new alliance between Gondor and the Kingdom of Rhovanion, which had been established in the lands just east of Mirkwood. Sauron was effectively cut off from the east for a while, and he changed his strategy. He sent the Lord of the Nazgul north to found the realm of Angmar, which lay on both sides of the Misty Mountains. But Angmar's chief function was to afflict the Dunadan realms of Eriador.
It would seem, nonetheless, there must have been a large migration of peoples (soldiers, at least) to the north. Was it conducted in secret? And were there any Orcs, Trolls, or other evil creatures among the colonists? In any event, the Lord of the Nazgul established himself in what became the city of Carn Dum, and with his Ring-induced sorcery and the terror he wielded he took control over the region. Whatever Men lived there accepted his lordship, or left, or died.
So, by 1300 people in Rhudaur knew there was a new realm in the north, and it wasn't friendly. The Dunedain and their subjects must have experienced raids and skirmishes along the borders at first. Add to that the appearance of Orcs in the mountains who were beginning to attack the Dwarves (presumably taking Gundabad away from the Longbeards) and things must have looked pretty grim to the people in Rhudaur.
And as stories of the terror in the north and the mountains spread south and west the Hobbits would have remembered their family history. The Harfoots had been in Rhudaur only 250 years. The Fallohides and Stoors had been there only 150 years. And it's doubtful the Kings of Rhudaur would have accepted an influx of settlers without getting some sort of explanation of what was going on.
So in all probability the Hobbits of Rhudaur remembered the tales of their grandfathers which led them to migrate west in the first place, and they must have had a few debates over whether the evil had followed them across the mountains. All that we know is the Tale of Years says "the Periannath migrate westward; many settle at Bree" for the year 1300. It sounds very much like there was wholesale panic. The Kingdom of Rhudaur must have been very weak and incapable of defending itself. The King might have had to seek peace with Cardolan. Quite possibly, the last King of Rhudaur and his heirs may have died in battle trying to stem the tide.
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