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After the War of the Valar against Melkor much of northern Middle-earth was broken, and then Oromë returned to take the Eldar with him into the West. The majority of the Elves departed, but a part remained behind, becoming known as the Avari, in the Sundering of the Elves.

Oromë guided the Eldar north of the Sea of Helcar, passing under the smoke of the ruined Ered Engrin. Some Eldar fled in fear, and disappeared from history. Later the host passed through a great forest (the later MirkwoodMirkwood was a great wood east of the Misty Mountains in Rhovanion, in J. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth. Mirkwood was the forest dwelling of a Silvan Elven kingdom, ruled by King Thranduil. It had been called Greenwood the Great until around the year 1 on the path where later was the Dwarf Road, and then long waited at the shores of a Great River ( AnduinTolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Anduin or Great River of Wilderland is the longest river in the Third Age (the original Sindarin name means Long River), rising east of the Misty Mountains and flowing south through Wilderland and eastern Gondor.) while Oromë sought a way to get them over the Hithaeglir mountains, which were much higher in those days.

When Oromë returned, having found (or forged) the High Pass where later was built RivendellMiddle-earth places Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. It is also referred to as 'The Last Homely House East of the Sea a reference to Valinor, which is west of the sea. It is established by Elrond in the Second, most Eldar went on, but a group remained behind under their leader Dan (or Lenwë), becoming known as the NandorIn the works of J. Tolkien, the fictional Nandor (singular Nando were Elves of Telerin descent, who left the Great Journey from Cuivienen to Valinor as the Elves reached the Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains). Under their leader Lenwe Dan in their own language).

The remaining Eldar passed north of the immense forests that covered all of EriadorEriador is a large region in J. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dunedain felled most of the forests to build ships out of them. Much of it was encompassed in the ear, along the route of the later Great West Road that ran through ArnorIn the fiction of J. Tolkien, Arnor or the Northern Kingdom was a kingdom of the Dunedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara (high, kingly) + n)dor (land). It was founded at the end of the. Finally the VanyarIn the works of J. Tolkien, the Vanyar are the highest of the High Elves. According to legend, the clan was founded by Imin, the first Elf to awake in Cuivienen, his wife Iminye, and their twelve companions; but eventually it was Ingwe, the first Vanya to and Ñoldor crossed the Ered Luin, while the Lindar still lagged behind in Eriador (for which reason they became known as the Teleri).

The Vanyar and Ñoldor were ferried across Belegaer on Tol Eressëa by Ulmo, while the Teleri finally entered Beleriand. When Ulmo returned for them the greater part of the Teleri finally crossed Belegaer, but a part remained behind again, becoming the Sindar.