Did Bill Ferny die?

[Lalwendë]

Lalwende: Personally I am convinced that Bill Ferny met his fate at the hooves of Bill the Pony as outlined above . I think the Bill Ferny you speak of is Bill Junior who combined his father scheming with the financial aptitude of his "uncle". Whether he shared his inclinations in other areas remains to be seen.

If Bill Jnr did indeed join up for a life of Middle Earth civil servitude then it is entirely possible that beneath his sober pin-striped cloak there lurked something more um...exotic.

I think old Bill and Aragorn had a 'history' of altercations in the kebab shop queue after chucking out time at the Prancing Pony, and the insults thrown as the travellers left Bree was just one incident in a long line of many.

[Lachwen]

Mithalwen: Of course, the Blackadder Chronicles also show that it was not uncommon to keep a dwarf in a cage - something that would have been much more difficult to do with Endorian dwarves.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

It is somewhat naive to just assume that Bill died at the hands of his former steed. Some 40 years after Bill's 'death', authorities uncovered several huge insurance scams, most centred around the Bree area. The chief suspect was Bill Ferny, and several claimed that they had cast-iron evidence of his guilt, were it not for one factor; Bill was dead.

It is my estimation that Bill did not actually have a twin brother, but rather that he had been living a daring double life all this time. The wily accountant was able to 'kill off' the vagabond and thus sleep every night on a pile of money, surrounded by many beautiful ladies.

Lying, cheating and stealing, kids; it's the way to the top.

[Mithalwen]

The waters are muddying and I think more study is required but I would say that the insurance scams bear the hallmarks of Bill Junior. Also it would be naive to underestimate the power of Bill -he did cope with the Watcher in the Water and a pack of Wargs - maybe as an expert in this field Eomer could provide information as to the survival chances of an aging pony in that situation?

Lalwende ... thank you for this insight into the bad blood between Ferny and Aragorn. I have heard that Matt Heathertoes's demise during the Troubles at Bree were less due to the outsiders but rather on some of the customers of his kebab stand capitalising on a rare opportunity.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Lachwen

Mithalwen: Of course, the Blackadder Chronicles also show that it was not uncommon to keep a dwarf in a cage - something that would have been much more difficult to do with Endorian dwarves.

THis is very true. They do not respond well to captivity and it would be an act of extreme folly to attempt to keep one as a domestic pet. Apart from the ethical issues it is almost impossible to construct secure accomodation for them given their great skill in working stone and metal which far surpasses that of the dwarves of our own earlier history who were additionally far more docile. Your only hope would be a cage constructed by a high class Noldorin smith, who despite having the natural Eldarin distaste for keeping any living thing in captivity, might make an exception a in the case of a dwarf.

Eomer if there is no Ferny "twin" then who was it who made a move on Aragorn?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

No twin brother, but a twin sister, I am lead to believe.

Speaking of Bill the Pony's remarkable survival in the Wild, I am fairly impressed. Although I don't believe that The Watcher in the Water was interested in the Pony, despite his tender flesh.

This is more of interest to the Wargs of the area. Rest assured, Bill the Pony could not survive an assault by one Warg, let alone a pack of Wargs. Thus, I must assume that the Wargs actually helped Bill the Pony, or at least did not hinder him.

For more information about Wargs, you know who to ask. But the relevant point I am trying to get across here is that Bill the Pony was not a remarkable Pony, but a normal beast of burden. Thus I doubt he would have killed Bill Ferny with that kick.

[Lachwen]

But why would Wargs pass up such easy prey as Bill the Pony? My impression of Wargs (at least in regards to food) is the same as with Boy Scouts: if there is food, whether they are hungry or not, they will eat it. So what reason would they have to not hinder (or even actively help) Bill? Could they have been an outcast pack of vegitarian Wargs?

[Mithalwen]

Indeed I also am puzzled as to why they spared his life... there wasn't exactly a surfeit of food in Eregion at tbat time... I think we need further explanation if my "Bill the Ninja pony theory" is discounted.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Have you two never visited The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread? There you will find a glut of information about Wargs and you will come to realise that they are arguably the most complex creatures in any of Tolkien's stories.

Bill the Pony was fortunate enough not to run into any of the fallen Wargs, creatures who would have torn Bill apart before you can say Blimey! My leg's been bitten off!

But maybe I am making a terrible mistake in my reasoning. After all, Gimli the Dwarf would not have survived a Warg attack if he was on his lonesome, yet he would have no problems in finishing off Bill Ferny quicker than you could say, uh, Crikey! Isn't that a Breelander's head flying past my window?

This conundrum baffles me. As well as it might, being a conundrum and all.