Line of Namrils [LoTR Aragorn]

Vl: Anduin River

The fellowship stood in a line before the elves as they clasped the cloaks of Lorien around their throats and inclined their heads to me, to which I returned the gesture.

"never before have we clad Strangers in the garb of our people, other than the Nuru Mahtar" Lord Celeborn said "may these cloaks shield you from unfriendly eyes" then Galadriel began to give each of the fellowship a gift. Merry and Pippin received elvish daggers, Legolas received a bow, Sam had a coil of elven rope, Frodo got a vial containing the light of Earendil and I knew not of what Gimli received. Aragorn was given no item that I could tell of, though the Lady of Light did speak quietly with him, then she came to me.

"ni law ander cen Gandes na lya, lo ni cen i na a maer  semar an a sain hathel" [I no longer see Gandes at your side, so I see it a good time for a new blade] she said as one of the elves brought a blade and scabbard wrapped in cloth

"ah caba ren hathel can in er gon in lir ned Namrils" [and what better blade than the one made for the line of Namrils] she handed it to me, and I began to unwrap the soft cloth. The scabbard was simple polished old black leather and the silver hilt and crossguard were inlaid with what looked like pieces of a dark wood.

Gripping the leather grip I pulled the blade from it sheath and marveled at the it, for it was unlike any I had ever seen. It was a dark charcoal grey with silver patterns on it like water or magma, the volcanic rocks.

"this is Namir, the black blade" Galadriel said "may it protect you from what you can see and others cannot" she smiled and then touched the evenstar "I fear the power of Arwen's evenstar is fading" she whispered

*

We were preparing to cast off in the elvish boats and I overheard Legolas talking to Merry and Pippin about the lembas, before continuing to pack.

"every league you travel south, the danger will increase. Mordor orcs now hold the eastern shore of Anduin" Lord Celeborn said "nor will you find safety on the western bank, for strange creatures bearing the mark of the white hand have been seen on our borders. Seldom do orcs journey in the open, under the sun. Yet these do" he warned, whilst simultaneously giving Aragorn a beautiful elven knife "Le aphadar aen" [you are being followed] "by river you have the chance of outrunning the enemy to the fall of Rauros" he said as we departed, rowing away.

I watched the water and heard Gimli and Legolas speaking, though I did not listen to their words. Merry, Pippin and Boromir were in one of the boats, while Frodo, Sam and Aragorn were in the second, leaving me, Gimli and Legolas in the third.

*

Night had fallen on the bank where we had made temporary camp. I stood upon a large rock watching. I could hear the whispers of Boromir and Aragorn along with another of their disagreements about the race of men. I paid no heed to them though. I drew Namir and looked at it's strange blade in the light of the moon.

There was the sound of footsteps behind me and I turned quickly Namir poised and ready to kill at the person behind me. That person happened to be Aragorn.

"I feared it was someone else" I told him sheathing my sword

"someone or something?" he asked

"both" I replied after a moment. We stood there upon the rock, facing each other in the light of the moon, before I cleared my throat "this is not wise" I said

"we haven't done anything" he said in a bit of shock and I gave him a questioning look.

"I mean standing in the light, we are in plain sight should any enemy chance to look our way" understanding he backed into the shadows of a tree where I followed.

"you seem...more burdened than usual"

"I now carry the weight of the dead" I said, referring to Namir.

"every swordsmen must carry the weight of the slain"

"and yet I carry more than that, you heard what they call me, the elves Nuru Mahtar. You know who I am" I said looking back toward the ground

"I knew before you told me, you wear the ring" he pointed out. I looked at the black dragon and skull ring on the index finger of my left hand. The ring of Namrils, or Nuru Mahtar the death warrior, or necromancer.

*

It was the next day and we were resting on another bank. I vaguely noticed Gimli and Aragorn talking about the route into Mordor.

I sat on the boughs of a nearby sycamore, running my whetstone along the length of Namir, even though it needed no sharpening. I was still transfixed by this blade, for it black hardened lava surface shone like no other metal and the wood the accented the hilt and crossguard was unlike any I had seen. The entire blade itself was covered in tiny elvish inscriptions.

One such inscription was inlaid into the bevel, while several more were carved into the sharpened blade, and yet even more were engraved into the hilt, crossguard and hilt.

"Alaylyn!" I looked up quickly and saw Aragorn motioning for me "Frodo has vanished, I fear Boromir may have been taken by the ring" at once I was on the ground with the others, searching the wood for our two companions.

I suddenly came out onto a clear hillcrest where stone ruins stood. I saw Frodo backing away from Aragorn. I ran to his side and looked at Frodo in confusion

"-Can you protect me from yourselves?" he asked

"Frodo-" Aragorn said softly

"Would you destroy it?" The hobbit said thrusting the ring toward him, but Aragorn merely closed Frodo's hand around it and I knelt before him

"I swore to protect you" I told him "I will not break it"

"we would have followed you until the end, to the very fires of Mordor" Aragorn said

"I know" he swallowed "watch over the others, especially Sam, he won't understand" we nodded and I returned to my feet

"Frodo" I whispered pointing to Sting which began to glow blue

"Go Frodo!" Aragorn shouted "Run, run!" and he did as Aragorn and I drew our swords, facing the oncoming uruk hai.