Why only Halbarad?

[Maeglin]

RotK, The Passing of the Grey Company:

"He went thither some hours ago, saying that he must take thought, and only his kinsman, Halbarad, went with him; but some dark doubt or care sits on him."

My question is simply this, why did Aragorn only take council or thought with Halbarad alone? While Halbarad is wise, surely the sons of Elrond, who were also with the Grey company, could have been of great help/assistance here as well, especially since this is the time when Aragorn decided to use the Palantir, he could have used folk of such power as Elladan and Elrohir?

 

[BlackCaptain]

I'm guessing from my readings that Halbarad was Aragorns...or should I say Strider's #1 guy, his right hand man when he was a ranger. I think that all the rangers looked up to Aragorn, and Halbarad was sort of his prince. If anyone could set Aragorn in the right direction it might be Halbarad.

Now, why he wouldnt take the sons of Elrond, I can only guess. They would have undoubtedly known more about Aragorn's lineage than Halbarad. Perhaps it was a personal thing?

 

[Saermegil]

Maybe he just needed someone to talk to. A friend. Someone he could confine in. He was, afterall, just a man.

 

[HLGStrider]

I always thought Halbarad was there not for comfort but as an assistant, to hand Aragorn the props, to hold up the banner behind him, etc.

You wouldn't expect the sons of Elrond to play page, but it needed to be someone trustworthy.

 

[33Peregrin]

I always thought that Halbarad might just be Aragorn's really good friend. They were both Rangers in the North anyways, and maybe they were both the most important ones.

 

[Inderjit S]

I think it is because Halbarad was Aragorn's closest friend. Halbarad was Aragorn's cousin and he may have been second in command of the Rangers and him and Aragorn may have been together a lot. Aragorn and the sons of Elrond would have been close but not as close as Halbarad and Aragorn.

I don't think Halbarad would have offered much 'advice' Aragorn was someone who followed his own advice (in certain occasions) and as Gandalf observes Aragorn must have felt himself strong enough to encounter Sauron. I don't think you need other's to advice you on how strong you are, though if Halbarad knew him better then anyone else then he would have been a better adviser to Aragorn then any other in Middle-Earth. He tells Gandalf that he is rarely impetuous, especially in matters of great importance, and I think he would have thought long and hard about his decision. He corrects Gimli when Gimli questions the wisdom of him looking into the Palantír.

Halbarad, mighty ranger though he was, was not Aragorn. We can presume that since he was 'second in command' of the Rangers he would have led them when they attempted to repel the Nazgûl, but were eventually driven away, whilst some fled and attempted to bring word to Aragorn who was on a errand on the East-Road.

It must have been tough for Aragorn when Halbarad was killed in the Battle of the Pellenor Fields.

 

[Rhiannon]

What Inder said. I always thought of Halbarad as Aragorn's close friend and second in command- it specifically refers to him as his kinsman, after all. He's there for moral support, as someone Aragorn can trust.