Bill the Pony - Dawn of Brilliance
This is the first of a series I'm planning to write on the adventure of Bill the Pony. I wanted to write a story on a character that no one else would think of writing about, and I thought-that pony that Sam likes so much! I hope you like this.
..:: Chapter 1-Kindness ::..
The whip cracked sharply on the hide on Donkey's back, as his master pushed him to make him move faster. The sun was shining mercilessly upon the streets of Bree, and most of its inhabitants were inside their houses. Though he had lived in Bree for most of his life, Donkey had never known the jovial atmosphere that the town was famed for, since his whole residence there was as a beast of burden under the meanest man in town: Bill Ferny.
The load on his back was becoming unbearably heavy, and his pace was becoming slower and slower. Having starved for longer than he could remember, he had no energy to spend anymore. With his head drooping low, and dripping with sweat, Donkey moaned a plea to his master, who sat on another pony counting money that he had ripped off from some poor Bree-folk that day. He snapped his head up and glared at Donkey, silencing him immediately. After another crack of the whip, Ferny drove onward toward the hovel he called home.
On raising his head up for a gasp of breath, Donkey caught a glimpse of a tall Ranger roaming the streets, apparently headed for the Prancing Pony, the local inn where most visitors tended to go. Bree was the crossroads of wanderers, situated deep in the empty lands around it. Of course, there were the towns Combe, Staddle, and Archet, but all of these were small towns. Most people who passed by Bree were Rangers, rather tall men who roamed the lands and brought news and stories to Bree from their distant andventures.
Rangers were usually tall, but this one was especially so. He traveled in clothes that looked weather-beaten, and had piercing eyes of mysterious gray. Donkey had seen him now and then, since he visited every few months. He didn't seem to have too many friends-in fact, he had none, to anyone's knowledge. He talked very seldom, and kept to himself most of his stories. Known for his height and long shanks, he was nicknamed "Strider."
Bill Ferny, noticing him, called derisively, "Paying us a pleasant visit, Strider?"
Strider but nodded, smiling faintly, and passed him by. Ferny seemed disgusted that he could never attain any satisfaction from Strider, since he never responded to his rude remarks. Donkey moaned again, now almost completely exhausted of strength. Strider turned around and stood with his arms crossed, looking steadily at Bill Ferny.
"Ferny," he called, "I would say that you are pushing that pony a little hard." Donkey didn't realize that Strider was talking about him. He had been called "Donkey" for so long that he thought himself more of a donkey than a pony.
Sneering, Ferny called, pulling back painfully on the rein in Donkey's mouth, "And I would humbly heed my good friend Strider's sound advice!" He whipped Donkey again and began to drive on.
Strider caught up with him. "You will kill that creature. Why don't you sell him to me?"
Ferny hissed and snapped, "If you're willing to pay 20 pennies!" 20 pennies was about 5 times the pony's value.
"10. That is more than double his worth."
"20. I'll not budge."
"Then I'll at least feed him something." He reached into a pouch on his belt and tossed a piece of bread gently on the ground in front of Donkey, where he could without too much physical exertion stretch his neck and eat it. But Donkey, dumbfounded, did no such thing, and trembled, standing still.
In the meanwhile, Ferny growled and shot out his hand to snatch away the piece of bread. But Strider was too fast. He reached out his hand and stayed Ferny. Donkey, his eyes glistening with tears, slowly reached down and put the bread in his mouth. Strider smiled brightly at Ferny, who was frothing with anger. He angrily threw Strider's grip off and whipped Donkey furiously, driving off at a rapid pace.
Donkey trotted with renewed energy, chewing numbly at the piece of bread in his mouth. But now Ferny whipped him viciously, harder and more painfully than before.
But that was fine. He had just learned a new concept: kindness.
This is the first of a series I'm planning to write on the adventure of Bill the Pony. I wanted to write a story on a character that no one else would think of writing about, and I thought-that pony that Sam likes so much! I hope you like this.
..:: Chapter 1-Kindness ::..
The whip cracked sharply on the hide on Donkey's back, as his master pushed him to make him move faster. The sun was shining mercilessly upon the streets of Bree, and most of its inhabitants were inside their houses. Though he had lived in Bree for most of his life, Donkey had never known the jovial atmosphere that the town was famed for, since his whole residence there was as a beast of burden under the meanest man in town: Bill Ferny.
The load on his back was becoming unbearably heavy, and his pace was becoming slower and slower. Having starved for longer than he could remember, he had no energy to spend anymore. With his head drooping low, and dripping with sweat, Donkey moaned a plea to his master, who sat on another pony counting money that he had ripped off from some poor Bree-folk that day. He snapped his head up and glared at Donkey, silencing him immediately. After another crack of the whip, Ferny drove onward toward the hovel he called home.
On raising his head up for a gasp of breath, Donkey caught a glimpse of a tall Ranger roaming the streets, apparently headed for the Prancing Pony, the local inn where most visitors tended to go. Bree was the crossroads of wanderers, situated deep in the empty lands around it. Of course, there were the towns Combe, Staddle, and Archet, but all of these were small towns. Most people who passed by Bree were Rangers, rather tall men who roamed the lands and brought news and stories to Bree from their distant andventures.
Rangers were usually tall, but this one was especially so. He traveled in clothes that looked weather-beaten, and had piercing eyes of mysterious gray. Donkey had seen him now and then, since he visited every few months. He didn't seem to have too many friends-in fact, he had none, to anyone's knowledge. He talked very seldom, and kept to himself most of his stories. Known for his height and long shanks, he was nicknamed "Strider."
Bill Ferny, noticing him, called derisively, "Paying us a pleasant visit, Strider?"
Strider but nodded, smiling faintly, and passed him by. Ferny seemed disgusted that he could never attain any satisfaction from Strider, since he never responded to his rude remarks. Donkey moaned again, now almost completely exhausted of strength. Strider turned around and stood with his arms crossed, looking steadily at Bill Ferny.
"Ferny," he called, "I would say that you are pushing that pony a little hard." Donkey didn't realize that Strider was talking about him. He had been called "Donkey" for so long that he thought himself more of a donkey than a pony.
Sneering, Ferny called, pulling back painfully on the rein in Donkey's mouth, "And I would humbly heed my good friend Strider's sound advice!" He whipped Donkey again and began to drive on.
Strider caught up with him. "You will kill that creature. Why don't you sell him to me?"
Ferny hissed and snapped, "If you're willing to pay 20 pennies!" 20 pennies was about 5 times the pony's value.
"10. That is more than double his worth."
"20. I'll not budge."
"Then I'll at least feed him something." He reached into a pouch on his belt and tossed a piece of bread gently on the ground in front of Donkey, where he could without too much physical exertion stretch his neck and eat it. But Donkey, dumbfounded, did no such thing, and trembled, standing still.
In the meanwhile, Ferny growled and shot out his hand to snatch away the piece of bread. But Strider was too fast. He reached out his hand and stayed Ferny. Donkey, his eyes glistening with tears, slowly reached down and put the bread in his mouth. Strider smiled brightly at Ferny, who was frothing with anger. He angrily threw Strider's grip off and whipped Donkey furiously, driving off at a rapid pace.
Donkey trotted with renewed energy, chewing numbly at the piece of bread in his mouth. But now Ferny whipped him viciously, harder and more painfully than before.
But that was fine. He had just learned a new concept: kindness.