Long before the count of years, the Valar carved from the barren earth a world of forests, planes, lakes, and rivers. Not least among them was the realm of Arnor, the realm between the mountains and the western sea. The lush lands would become the home for the remnants of the fallen kingdom of Numenor and there, they would rebuild what was lost into a new kingdom. However, nothing, spare the stars of Varda, lasts forever, and Arnor fell under the power of the Shadow. Though scattered, the lost race of Numenorians survived, becoming a nomadic peoples. In the days of the Dunedain, many secret tasks were appointed to them, the most skilled rangers ever to walk the wilds, blessed with long life through their ancestry and cursed with the shame of their forefathers.
Their leaders, chieftains of royal linage, were as well cursed with the fate of lives cut short due to tragedy. Near the later days of the Third Age, the Dunedain had dwindled in numbers, and only one child was given to Dirhael to continue the line that followed all the way from Aranarth, and she was a young fair maiden. Gilraen, the fair, young daughter of Dirhael was weded to Arathorn II, son of Andor, of the line of Isildur, and through them, a child was born of both great bloodlines of the royalty of the Edian. And more will be spoken of their son, Aragorn, who would become Envinyatar, the Renewer.
By the doom appointed to him, Arathorn fell to an orc arrow and passed from the circles of the world. He left an heir at the age of 2 and young wife to protect the child proclaimed to be the hope of Men. Without a leader, the Rangers of the North continued to patrol the ancient grounds they had guarded for generations.
Places of great renown, such as Weathertop, once known as Amon Sul, and the great crags of the Misty Mountains, were often seen by the wandering rangers. Though they at times were seen in the village of Bree, the Dunedain often kept to themselves. It is in that, that the secret of their chieftain would remain safe as he was raised with the Elves.
With hope, they endured, awaiting orders, for they were the first to note of the rising Shadow, for they were one of the chief foes to the creatures of Darkness. Because of the perseverance of Elrond, half-elven, of whom many stories are told, they would not wait long.
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From the Author:
Thanks for reading, I promise I'll get past all this history stuff and get into real story stuff. Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! (I've never written a fic like this!)
- Navana / Estel