Aragorn

"My name is Estel, the Hope! I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and I have come to claim my inheritance!"

Silence.

Many pairs of eyes turned to the young ranger, including the eyes of Narzug.

"That's why he looked so familiar. If I imagine a 20-year-old Viggo Mortensen, I see Aragorn before me," thought Narzug and continued to scrutinize Aragorn.

A tall Dunedain, built like a bear, stepped forward and snarled at Aragorn: "Who do you think you are just because your father once..."

"Halbarad! Silence!" rang the bright, strong voice of Lindëwen through the ruins. "I greet you, Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Whether you are our hope remains to be seen. You truly are the spitting image of your father... how was it in Rivendell? Did Elrond, the old dog, take good care of you and my sister?"

"Are you Lindëwen Araniel? My mother's sister? I am supposed to report to you as soon as I arrive, and we were well taken care of... ehhh and please excuse the commotion..." apologized the young Aragorn.

"Interesting," thought Narzug, "That means Aragorn must now be 20 years old and have learned of his true inheritance from Elrond... it must be around the year 2951 T.A...."

"No problem, Aragorn, or should I rather call you Estel? Come with me and tell me everything in a more private place," said Lindëwen with a rare smile and gestured for Aragorn to follow her.

"Aragorn is fine," said Aragorn, and together they went into Lindëwen's wooden hut.

Narzug turned to Elendras, and the two shared a meaningful look.

"Do you think we'll get a new chieftain in a few years? I somehow have a good feeling about this Aragorn... he could really be our hope," Elendras said to Narzug. Narzug was about to respond when a third voice intervened.

"First, this greenhorn needs to prove himself!" It was the ranger Halbarad. "No one here has ever become more than an ordinary ranger without experience, no matter how much Elendil's blood flowed in their veins! It will be no different with this Aragorn... I bet 5 gold coins that Lindëwen will first send him on some simple missions."

"I bet against it!"

"I bet for it too!" Narzug also joined in, but his thoughts were with Aragorn. How should he deal with the situation?

The decision was taken from him directly when Lindëwen looked out of her hut and called his name: "Jacob, come here!"

Narzug had barely reached the leader when she pulled him into her hut and onto a chair next to Aragorn. The door slammed shut and an awkward silence ensued.

"Ahem," Lindëwen cleared her throat and then explained, "I brought you both here because I am going to let you both take the test for the Rangers of the North... you will go into the wilderness together and protect the roads and wilderness from monsters like orcs and trolls for a year."

"Except for each other, you are on your own, you must not receive any help and if one of you dies, both of you fail the test! Work as a team, think as a team, act as a team!"

Narzug and Aragorn looked at each other. Neither was keen on spending the next year in the mud and dirt hunting orcs with the other, but neither had any say in the matter. Reluctantly, they nodded to each other.

"Don't be like that, you two... you will have to learn to trust your back to the other," and with a cheeky giggle, she added, "besides, you will surely soon be cuddling up to each other to defy the harsh winter of the North!"

Narzug first stuffed a pipe with Longbottom Leaf and was just about to light it with a firesteel when Lindëwen threw him out with the words, "Pollute the air outside."

Elendras and Halbarad approached Narzug and Aragorn, who stood slightly lost next to him.

"And what's new?"

"The greenhorn and I are taking the ranger test..."

"Haha, that means payday for me!" Elendras shouted and made a grabbing hand gesture. At the questioning looks of the others, he explained, "The bet was that the greenhorn would get a mission alone, but Jacob has to go with him..."

Defeated, Halbarad and Narzug each threw a bag of coins to Elendras.

"Come on, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, let's see what the elves have taught you!" Narzug called and pulled Aragorn to one of the many training grounds.

Many of the rangers, who had noticed Aragorn's appearance and wanted to know what lay behind his words, quickly gathered. Aragorn drew his sword and prepared himself.

To his surprise Narzug was a human ax fighter and drew Ira. This was relatively rare because humans often lacked the strength to fully exploit the power of the ax.

The metallic sound of clashing weapons filled the air as Narzug struck at Aragorn with his mighty ax, which he skillfully parried with his sword. The battle had just begun, and the two warriors were already engaged in an intense exchange of blows.

Narzug was superior from the start, faster and stronger, but he wanted to see the full potential of his opponent. Therefore, he initially held back a bit and observed Aragorn's techniques.

The latter moved with the ease of a dancer, executing precise thrusts and quick strikes aimed at penetrating Narzug's defense. Ira repeatedly hit Aragorn's sword with great force, but each attack was deftly parried.

"How can he be so strong?!" went through Aragorn's mind. He used every opportunity to gain the upper hand with quick counterattacks. It was an impressive display of martial arts, revealing the determination and skill of both fighters.

During the battle, Narzug gradually began to increase the intensity of his attacks. With each blow, his ax became faster and more powerful, his movements more fluid and precise. Aragorn could feel Narzug's growing strength and speed and had to exert himself more and more to avoid falling behind.

Sweat beaded on Aragorn's forehead, his breaths became heavier, yet he showed no signs of giving up.Aragorn relied on his speed, trying to evade Narzug's massive attacks and find gaps in his defense.

But Narzug was too strong and too fast. He parried every attack effortlessly and responded with his own powerful blows, forcing Aragorn into the defensive. Despite all his efforts, he could not overcome Narzug's superiority.

The surroundings blurred as the intensity of the fight increased. The ground shook under the fighters' steps, and the echo of their blows reverberated through the forest. Narzug now began to unleash his full potential.

With a mighty swing of Ira, he struck Aragorn's sword, causing him to be pushed back. He stumbled but quickly recovered and attacked again. But it was clear that Narzug had already won the fight.

The decisive moment came when Narzug put all his strength and speed into a single, devastating blow. Ira broke through Aragorn's defense and disarmed him. The sword flew from his hand and landed in the grass, while he sank to his knees, breathing heavily and exhausted.

Narzug stood triumphantly over him, the ax still raised. He briefly considered whether to kill Aragorn, but that would definitely enrage the rangers around him. They would likely all pounce on him if he killed the hope of the West in a training match.

Therefore, instead of enjoying the victory or killing Aragorn, Narzug extended his hand to his fallen opponent and helped him up. It was meant to be a sign of respect and acknowledgment for the hard fight Aragorn had put up.

Aragorn stood up and bowed slightly to Narzug, and in that moment, they knew they could rely on each other in the coming year. Narzug returned the bow, even though he secretly thought that the coming year wouldn't be particularly difficult.

And so it came to pass that Narzug and Aragorn set out two weeks later with a bit of provisions, one water bottle each, and otherwise only their weapons and the clothes on their backs.

Lindëwen had given them a region on a map of Middle-earth which they were to keep safe and protected. The only further instruction: "Get lost! We'll see each other in a year! Don't die... there are already too few of us..."

Their territory was far to the north, on the border of the former Angmar. Most of the time, the two walked in deep silence, not quite knowing what to say to each other. They had only known each other for two weeks, and Aragorn was also more of a quiet type.

The two came to a rushing river, and Narzug pulled out a map and compared their position with the assigned area.

"We are on the right track... we need to follow the river upstream northwards until we are out of the 'North Downs'. Then our mission truly begins."

Aragorn nodded after studying the map as well. The further north they went, the colder and more impassable the terrain became. By day they walked, and at night they took turns sleeping while the other kept watch. So far north, orc attacks or even worse were not uncommon.

Days passed until they finally entered their assigned territory four weeks after their departure.

"Let's set up a small camp, preferably wind and sight protected, maybe we can even make a fire," said Aragorn, and Narzug agreed with a brief nod.

His heart was happy. Exploring the north delighted him and satisfied his thirst for knowledge. He had stayed with the rangers for so long because they had so much to teach. And Narzug was a diligent student, always eager to learn more.

"Curiosity is indeed a greed from which my heart sings..." Narzug pondered.

Eventually, the two sat in a makeshift shelter, grilling a bit of rabbit that Aragorn had previously hunted.

"Tell me, Jacob... how is it that you are so strong and fast? Even the Elven warriors in Rivendell could not match you in this regard, except for Lord Elrond. That is not human, is it?" asked Aragorn, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer.

"Mmmm, how can I best explain this to you..." said Narzug, wondering if he should explain it to Aragorn at all. Eventually, he gave in, as it would help him in the distant future to avoid being subjugated by Sauron.

"Have you ever heard the song of your heart? The song that sings from your innermost source, driving you. Some simply call it the source or core, which makes up your being. Act according to your song, listen to it, and your body will become stronger!"

Narzug had quickly realized that the way of the Orc shamans was nothing different, only greatly simplified over the millennia.

"Either Morgash knew nothing about his own song, or he never told me about this step. After all, he only wanted to make me strong so he could devour me afterward! Lousy traitor! How could I trust him so easily... how naive of me in hindsight!"

Aragorn pondered for a long time: "The song in my heart... Arwen also spoke of it in Rivendell... Tell me, Jacob, where did you learn about it?"

"Do you want the long or the short version?"

"The short one will suffice."

"In the endless darkness," Narzug concluded the conversation, his gaze dark and staring into the distance.