Why was Aragorn carrying the shards of Narsil around?

[Majimaune]

He was a ranger. They are like the elite. He was the best of them. He could probably ambush some orcs and kill them while having a cup of tea. He didn't need another weapon.

[MorvaShepley]

Maybe the reason he had to join the army of Rohan for while was so as to become an archer on horseback and so not have to use a sword. It must have been frustrating for fellow Dunedain when they wanted to attack a group of Orcs, say, but "...But Aragorn, mate, you better stay at the back with that broken sword ... You can fix up our wounds afterwards!" So that's why he became a healer!

[Majimaune]

He had the natural skill of a healer, he didn't need to learn to become one.

[devilsgrin]

um.... he would more than likely have learned his healing arts in the House of Elrond... naturally gifted he may be as a healer, but you still need to learn how to...

[Sibeling]

I checked the book, and it really does not say that Aragorn had a second sword (I didn't look through each and every page, though), he fought with sticks and things.

So he probably didn't want to fight with any other sword but that which belongs to his ancestors, and carried it around because no one else was worthy to keep it.

But anyway I don't see how he could have spent all those years fighting bad guys without proper sword..

[Majimaune]

He was too good for them. You see he used the sticks to club them unconscious and then got the broken one and slit their throats. Not quite his style I know but sounds good.