What danger was within a day of Bree that could overthrow it?

[BalrogRingDestroyer]

Aragorn: Strider, I am, to one fat man who lives within a day's march of foes that would freeze his heart or lay his little town in ruin if we would not guard it ceaselessly.


What is he talking about? The only evil things nearby are the Barrow Wights and the Old Forest (if evil that is).

There was talk of a race of people who were turned evil by the Witch King that lived on the other side of the river near Weathertop, but Aragorn said that they died out long ago (BTW, who were they? Why did they go evil and how were they defeated?)

I heard that Angmar once ransacked Fornost but I thought that Angmar was chased off and that Fornost was now just a ruin with grassy mounds for tombs. Unless evil is lurking near Fornost, I cannot think of any evil even on the same side of the river as them that could fit his description of being strong enough to sack all of Bree.

 

[Deleted member 12094]

As vague as it be, do remember that ME is a "world being after all full of strange creatures beyond count".

At the time in the story to which you refer, there was much animosity about trouble at the borders of the Shire (which is not Bree, admittedly, yet close nonetheless) as can be judged from Sam's discussion in the Green Dragon. Also Barliman Butterbur suggested troubles in the area.

You are right about the vicinity of the Barrow Wights and the Old Forest. However, I hardly see how these could be referred to by Aragorn, since these bad places did not actually constitute a menace outside their own perimeter.

There is no more concrete answer to that in LotR, in as far as I can see...