After the Fall of Nargothrond, Túrin hunted in the wild for Finduilas daughter of Orodreth the King, but as he came to the eaves of the Forest of Brethil he discovered that he was too late. She had been taken away as a captive by the Orcs, and a rescue attempt by the Halethrim of Brethil had led her captors to slay her rather than give her up. From this time Túrin settled among the Men of Brethil and fought the Orcs beside them, but to hide his identity he laid down his famous black sword Gurthang and fought with bow and spear instead.

After a time the Orcs massed for a determined attack on Brethil, and Túrin was persuaded to take up Gurthang again in defence of his new homeland. With Gurthang in hand he drew hundreds to his cause, and with them defeated two hosts of Orcs, leading the Woodmen to hail him as the Black Sword of Brethil.

Scattered survivors among the Orcs made their way back to Nargothrond and its conqueror, the Dragon Glaurung. They gave him news of the Black Sword of Brethil, and thus Túrin was revealed. Glaurung set out to destroy Túrin himself, and thus set his own fate as well of that of his foe: Glaurung would be slain by Túrin's black sword, but Túrin would take his own life with the same blade soon afterwards.