Journal entry: II ''Thoughts on half-blood rangers''

It has become more frequent again.
Half-blood Dunedain seem to be popping out of the ground like cabbages on a farm. 
It saddens me to see that we need to relay on these ''impure'' Dunedain for survival but it is what Halbarad wants. 
I can not blame him..... Our ranks are thinning out so quickly that becoming extinct is now a real threat. 
I remember that about fifty years ago some of us decided to try and expand our kin once more. Even if we would loose the purity of our bloodline. I myself included. I was young and reckless and I thought it was a good idea. I did not realize that it was not as wise to do as I thought.
I had a daughter because of this. But because she was not a full blood, she didn't have the same strength, sight and physical skills that we full blooded Dunedain have. After all, her mothers blood was that of a farmers daughter in the North Downs. It still pains me. I loved her like any father would love his daughter but I should not have let her become a Ranger. It is what killed her in the end and now, more like her are around. It is dangerous.
This was my most painful lesson from this all. From many experiances with the Half-blooded ones.

Their is a reason for this all though and I do well to remember this.
Half blooded ones do not equal us is physical skills. Their hearing is worse as is their sight. Given that they can live longer then common men they still will die around their 160th year. They also physically age allot faster. Due to this they will loose what physical skill they have rather quickly. Like any common men would.
Their minds are not as well defended against the darkness and fear that the Iron Crown and Mordor force upon our people. They are more easily swayed to the darkness.
They mangle with the common folk so often that our secrets, like the location of Esteldin, our last true hidden stronghold, are on the line. And what would happen then. What if they just casually talk about its location and its heard by our enemy. They often do not realize how much is at stake when they just blabber on about them being a Ranger of the Dunedain or when they just got to an Inn for a laugh and a drink. They do not realize that a town is not our home. Not until the war is either lost or won. Not until we are truly safe  Rarely do you find one that has any form of common sense about what it means to be a ranger.

I should not provoke myself with this. Honestly I am also thankful for their existence. In some way they will carry on some of our legacy but... but we should not so easily accept them into our midst. We should not just let them all become rangers and most of all....
We should not let them learn our most trusted secrets.
I always told Halbarad that we should not let them so close but he is kind. Perhaps he has more hope for them, perhaps I am just getting old and grumpy. He might see something  that I don't.

Remember this, my future self. 
If you ever read this for council...
The half-blooded are your allies, they are often kind of heart and mean well. But they are also easily corrupted and often can not keep secrets unless it is of benefit to themselves. 
Do not fear them, but do not trust them either...
Stay in the middle....

Stay grey of mind.