Bill the Pony - Dawn of Brilliance

..:: Chapter 3-The Black Rider ::..

As Donkey lay on the hay in his sister's niche in the stable, the stableman came in followed by Ferny, Butterbur, and a third person. This third person was evidently a Bree-bobbit, being brown-eyed and a little darker in skin color than the hobbits of the Shire. His eyes were bored and half-lidded under his pair of spectacles. He was expecting to buy a good pony that he had paid in advance for. He was only half-concerned, and wanted to get this transaction over with quickly.

The stableman was slightly surprised that Donkey somehow loosened the rope that was tied to the pole in the middle of the stable and was now in another pony's nook. Donkey was led out into the light of the lamps, after which the stableman exited the building.

"This is it," Ferny announced.

The dark hobbit was dismayed. "What? I did not pay for this donkey!"

"It's a pony. And you've already paid. Too late." Ferny sniggered. "Take it or leave it."

Donkey stood unmoving as the dark hobbit squatted down and closely inspected his body. Matted gray hair thinly covered the fleshless skin that was hung loosely over Donkey's starved body. Presently he rose in disgust.

"I will leave it. It is only a bother. You have starved it so much it will die anyway."

Ferny grinned in delight. "Most regrettable," he said.

As the dark hobbit ambled out of the stable, Butterbur stood in a rare, solemn silence, looking on Ferny in a quiet, analytical disposition that was all the more perturbing because of the innkeeper's usual jolly manner. As the innkeeper at the cross-junction of many paths, Butterbur had seen many kinds of people, but the narrow-minded cynicism of Ferny amazed him.

Ferny, though unnerved by his gaze, made as if to leave with his pony. As he fumbled uneasily with Donkey's reins, the stableman returned, leading five ponies tied to each other by one long rope. They certainly looked well fed and furnished. Had the dark hobbit remained a while longer, the emaciated physical state of Donkey would have been even more strikingly clear.

The momentary unease suffered at Butterbur's gaze having dissipated, the customary grin of wicked satisfaction returned to Ferny's face as he led Donkey through the door. Vitalia anxiously rose up, faltering a bit, from her niche and they exchanged a swift glance of farewell as he was pulled out of the stable. The night had deepened into pitch-black darkness that was broken only by the light from Ferny's dim lamp.

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We interrupt this story to talk about.

*Donkey's Name*

This is a brief interruption in the story to relate how come Vitalia calls Donkey "Brother," like he never had a real name before he got the name "Donkey."

I mean, Vitalia has a name, and Donkey knows it. If she got it during the time before they arrived at Bree, then wouldn't Donkey have a name that she would know as well? Why doesn't Vitalia have a name to call Donkey other than "Brother"?

Okay, let me reword those questions. Suppose that they had a better life together before they came to Bree and got separated. Vitalia had the same name. Donkey, on the other hand, got the new name "Donkey." Then it follows that Donkey had an old name that Vitalia must know. But she doesn't use that name. Why?

When they arrived at Bree, Donkey was a young pony in his youth, while Vitalia was a mere baby. Being very young, Vitalia barely knew how to speak. (Provided this is 'animal-speak,' here.) Neither did she know the name of the brother, whom she valued above all other beings, though she did not know his name. They were separated, with Donkey longingly referring to her as Vitalia, and Vitalia growing up without any other name than "Brother." The next time they meet, Donkey has already adopted the new name "Donkey," which Vitalia refuses to use. Donkey has forgotten his old name, it being valueless to him. Vitalia simply calls him "Brother" from that point on. Simple, but makes sense. Back to the story.

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The dark hobbit's abject denunciation of Donkey's quality cut deep into the preexistent wound in his pride. And though he felt strangely relieved that he wouldn't be taken out of his familiar environment, he realized that he would probably have had a better chance of escaping if he had been purchased by the Bree-hobbit. Not for the first time ruing his bad fortune, Donkey staggered home, led by grinning Ferny, who was only happy in the Bree-hobbit's dissatisfaction in Donkey.

As Donkey drearily tottered onward home on the dark path, Ferny's circle of light illuminated for a moment the passing shape of a man that he recognized as that of Strider. Strider seemed in quite a hurry to the Prancing Pony Inn. Ferny, if he noticed him, did not seem to care. But abruptly, Ferny's halted his walk as his countenance, lit by the yellow light of the lamp he held in his outstretched hand, was frozen in an expression of sudden remembrance. The face lost its expression and slowly gained a look of dread, as if cold water had been splashed over him.

This wasn't the first time that Donkey had seen that expression. He had seen it before, though he had never found out exactly what it meant. Tonight, however, Donkey felt strangely bolder. Perhaps it was the talk he had with Vitalia just a moment before. Tonight would be the night that Donkey investigated into the mysterious dealings that Ferny had at night.

Ferny nervously yanked on Donkey's rein upon their arrival at his Donkey's stable. When pushed inside, Donkey looked around at the silent stable creatures. They all seemed to be sleeping. Indeed, the night had grown quite late. However, Donkey was in no mood for sleep, though his eyelids felt heavy and his muscles ached. Standing still for a moment, he listened intently to the world outdoors. Crickets chirped here and there, but aside from such noises as were usual to nature, the night was quiet.

The heavy, though muffled, thuds of massive hooves landing on the dirt road grew audible from a distance. Ferny, who stood at no great distance from the stable, gave a low, barely stifled gasp. At a rate that was to Ferny unbearably slow, the thuds grew louder, as the unknowable beast with hooves grew nearer. The clop-clop of the hooves approached at a nearer distance now, until Donkey could see the outlines of a black, hooded figure mounted upon a horse with hair and manes as dark as the night, faintly lit by Ferny's lamp.

The Black Rider stopped his horse. For a dreadfully lengthened duration, silence prevailed once the thuds had stopped. The Rider leaned his head closer to Ferny.

"The light," hissed the Rider as his emaciated hand shot out to grab for Ferny's lamp. It was difficult to see in the dark even with the harsh glare of the lamp, but the hand may well have been composed only of bones. "Extinguish it."

Hurriedly, as if afraid of the consequences of forgetting such a thing, Ferny blew out the candle inside. Then he stood rigidly, in the complete dark that ensued, awaiting words from the Rider.

"News?" the Rider asked softly, after a pause.

Ferny swallowed once before he proceeded to relate in a hushed hiss: "There is news indeed, lord. The hobbits you were waiting for. I believe they are here. Exactly four hobbits arrived tonight at the inn."

"Baggins."

"That's what I assumed, lord. And the one that calls himself Underhill. There was quite a queer happening tonight at the inn. This Underhill was dancing one moment, when, poof, he just disappeared. Some idiots think it was just some clever trick-"

"The Ring. It is here."

"Yes, the Ring," hissed Ferny, nodding. Donkey squinted in puzzlement. What could THIS mean? Ferny had gotten himself entangled in matters that sounded more serious than Donkey had imagined. What ring could they be talking of? And what was this about a disappearing hobbit? Were the two matters related?

Ferny asked cautiously, "What do you mean to do, lord?"

The Rider did not answer.

"I suppose, tonight," Ferny predicted, "there'll be a few deaths. Four?"

The Rider still did not answer, and suddenly, in all swiftness and stealth, his black horse bolted down the road in the direction of the inn. Ferny sniggered, knowing with quite reasonable sureness that he had guessed correctly. He felt a bit easier now that, with the Rider gone, the cold sensation was gone. He laughed as he went inside his house. He opened his door and entered, closing the door behind him.

Immediately, Donkey pushed through the stable door and ran onto the road. This created such a great deal of noise that he, afraid that Ferny might have heard, paused and listened for a moment. Feeling safe, however, he continued up the dark road, forced to go on at a much slower pace than before.

Murders! Donkey hadn't seen murders in years, since he was arrived starving in Bree many years ago. Whatever that the Rider planned, he had to do something about it. Donkey didn't know what a pony could do to stop the murder of hobbits by such a menacing Rider, but he couldn't stand by and watch.

However, his walk had to come to an abrupt stop, for the same cold sensation that he felt in the presence of the Black Rider was felt again, this time, with double the mind-numbing power. It felt like the air was laden with the cold, black essence of fear. Afraid for his life, Donkey jumped off the road into a ditch that ran adjacent to the road, attempting to hide in the brush inside. He peered above onto the road. The sensation strengthened in magnitude, and Donkey felt himself tremble in fear.

Three black shapes passed by without a sound, the cloaks of the riders trailing behind. After the first and second riders had passed, the third rider sped by after an interval a moment longer than between the first two. Donkey stopped breathing. Soundless and imperceptible in the night, the riders galloped past without noticing Donkey. The sensation of cold fear lessened as they became further away.

Donkey, shaking, but able to stand, decided that they were probably too intent upon their pursuit to notice slight noise. He galloped as fast as he could along the road in the ditch, jumping over the small bushes that occasionally blocked his way. The inn was a long way off.

:: Chapter Four coming up. Thanks so much for your interest!