Chapter XXVIII
The Voyage to Umbar
Bill Ferny felt a gentle breeze as he leaned against the ship's railing, grinding a whetstone along the edge of his knife. He, along with all the Orthanc Rangers, had been given a chainmail shirt, a hooded black cloak, and a new longbow when they joined the Army of the White Hand. Bill had even been named the Captain of the Orthanc Rangers. After they left Isengard, led by a ranger from the north, they travelled to Edoras, where King Thengel granted them a battalion of foot soldiers, unusual for Rohan, which usually favored cavalry. Next, they went to Minas Tirith, where Steward Ecthelion lent them spearmen and archers.
Now here they all were, sailing on ships from Lindon and Gondor on their way to Umbar. Though most of the men from Isengard were spread out on all of the ships, the Orthanc Rangers all stayed together on the same Gondorian vessel. While Bill was sharpening his knife, he watched as his fellow Rangers practiced throwing knives at a mast, which Bill did not do because he liked his knife too much to try throwing it. He looked over to a nearby Elven ship that carried some of the Guards of Orthanc, whom Bill recognized by their massive swords. There were also some of the soldiers who carried the strange 'crows beak' polearms.
While the others were having friendly interactions with the Gondorians and Rohirrim, Bill kept mostly to himself. He did have friends among the Orthanc Rangers, but at the moment he just wanted to sharpen his knife. It was an excellent single-edged knife that his father had given to him. The blade had a thick, straight spine and a curved edge. The guard was brass, the grip was made of black buffalo horn, and the pommel was of bone, all of it perfectly and beautifully polished.
While Bill was sharpening his knife, he glanced around to try to find that ranger of the north. That man seemed sinisterly shady, yet oddly familiar. He heard that the ranger went by many names, such as Estel and Thorongil. Bill also heard rumors that the ranger had another name that was used only in private meetings, and known only to the Wise.
Suddenly, there was a strong hand on his shoulder, and he let out a gasp of fright. He turned around, and there was the mysterious ranger, cloaked in mottled and well-worn black traveling gear.
"Careful, sir!" Bill exclaimed as he sheathed his knife. "You damn well nearly scared me to death! With all these mean-looking soldiers about, I thought you were going to rough me up. I was just about ready to stab you."
The ranger pulled out his own knife and seized Bill by the collar. "I could say the same thing myself, Mister Ferny."
"What are you on about? You seem to be making me out to be some cretin, which I most certainly am not. I was but a humble woodsman, and now the Captain of the Orthanc Rangers."
"Oh, really? Just a simple woodsman? I wonder, is that what you told Saruman? He would have had you thrown from the Pinnacle of Orthanc if he knew that you are experienced in more than just archery. You and I both know that you are but a cowardly, lying snake who would never hesitate to stab your benefactors in the back at the promise of power. It was a mistake for the Dunedain to trust you."
Bill raised his eyebrows, now realizing the ranger's identity. "Oh yes, I think I know you. Strider, is it? At least, if that even is your real name. How many people know who you really are? From what I've heard, your name changes everywhere you go. And you call me a liar."
"The time will come when all will be revealed," said Strider. "But not until I have come to my full purpose. Regardless, you are a fraud, Mister Ferny. You trade in sensitive information, and you gave away the names of several Rangers and the whereabouts of their encampment near Bree to a pack of bandits in return for an opportunity to thieve some Dunedain coin."
"That's not what I do anymore," said Bill. "Times were tough, but I've found new opportunities. I've committed no crimes since I left Eriador. I am an upstanding individual now."
"I will be the judge of that," said Strider as he thrust Bill away. "This is your chance to prove yourself. The wealth and power of Umbar can be tempting, but I expect that you will not defect. Should you prove that you are now worthy of trust, I might be tempted to grant you pardon for your transgressions, courtesy of the Dunedain Rangers."
"Oh, you've got yourself a deal, sir," said Bill eagerly. "You'll see. I'm a new man, a faithful warrior. Now, you just need to let me prove it."
Author's note: More slipping of my nonexistent schedule. My apologies. I should also apologize for the short chapter. It was going to include the assault on Umbar, but I decided to split it in two, so the attack will be in either the next chapter, or the one after that. This chapter essentially establishes that Bill is a bad man, but he claims that he's reformed. Is he truly an honest man, or is he the world's biggest liar? I know the answer. Do you?
In other news, I've started working on a Bloodborne fanfic titled The Endless Night. You're welcome to read it, should it please you. I'm also expecting to finish the second chapter for Champion of Destruction soon, and my Ico and Shadow of the Colossus oneshots, so look forward to those.
