Whittle is a sworn brother of the Black Company who appears in several short stories of the On The Long Run narrative arc, "Shaggy Dog Bridge" most prominently. He got his nickname for his constant habit of whittling ugly little carvings from any wood available. His very thick provincial accent was transcribed verbatim by Croaker in his Company Annals. It is not established when he joined the Company. Though Croaker referred to him as "a strange little man", Whittle often volunteered for risky recon missions and was undaunted by the truculent Company recruit Rusty.
"Those Who Went Before"[]
As the Black Company approached the Grand Memorial to Our Honored Dead deep in the western wilderness, Whittle split off from the main group and entered the woods. He reappeared a few days after the Company departed the haunted cemetery to warn them all that an Imperial infantry regiment was hot on their trail.
"Shaggy Dog Bridge"[]
Whittle was a member of a reconnaissance team led by Elmo and was accompanied by Rusty, Robin, Zeb the archer, the wizard One-Eye, and the Annalist Croaker (who joined the group without authorization). Whittle had several tense interactions with the belligerent Rusty during this time. As they investigated the territory ahead of the main encampment of the Company, they discovered a mysterious, centuries-old bridge over the precipitous Rip that was hidden with sorcery.
Whittle was quick to volunteer for dangerous solo missions. He asked to be the first to cross the bridge. Three days later, he volunteered to spy on a hidden settlement and report back, but he was overruled by Elmo who ordered One-Eye to do it. Finally, he helped Croaker, One-Eye, and some others load Blind Emon's explosive kegs beneath the bridge despite the presence of Imperial infantry topside. Whittle nearly exposed their presence when he swore aloud in outrage after enemies on the bridge unintentionally splashed them with urine. The Imperials did not know what they heard, however, and Croaker wrote: "We were, for once, blessed by Whittle’s fierce dialect."
"Bone Eaters"[]
Whittle and Fall Woo led a haggard-looking scout group at the head of the Company and the long train of refugees from the Lady's Empire that followed them. Behind them was a hidden guard posse including Goblin and Croaker. Whittle, Fall Woo, and the others encountered the band of 7 amateur brigands which included Chasing Midnight, a young woman would play an important role in the weeks which followed. Whittle disarmed 6 of the brigands by force. However, he left the new captives with Rusty and Robin, and Rusty attempted to rape Midnight. For this decision, Croaker was critical of Whittle, writing "he lacked the imagination to see a potential problem in leaving Rusty self-supervised".
Whittle is not mentioned again in the available Annals. However, as he was not among the 10 Black Company survivors of the Battle of the Barrowland many years later, he must be either deceased, missing, discharged, or possibly even a deserter by the end of The White Rose.