Hired Hand 26
The others were in town while Storm, Danny, and Owain stayed back at the ranch to get some last minute practice in.
Ryan and Riley helped Hudson unload the wares for the day, taking them to the stand that was designated for them. While they did that, Niles was free to do some exploring of his own. His excitement didn’t come from the festival alone; taking part in a contest, he had won a ticket to see the racers that would be participating in the race. They were all gathered in one of the unused buildings that was still in good shape. The inside was decorated. Snacks and drinks were provided. While he needed a ticket to get in, those of the local new stations were able to get in for free, giving interviews to the racers.
Niles weaved his way around groups of journalists, trying not to draw attention to himself. He located one of his favorite racers, Johnny Flair. And to his luck, the table where he sat was empty. All but running up to him, the chubby shiba got the horse’s attention.
“Hey there,” Johnny said to him.
The fur along the shiba’s tail bristled. He had to take deep breaths to keep himself calm. “I just wanted to say that you’re my favorite racer! I’ve seen you compete ever since I was little!”
“Aww, that means a lot to me. Really, it does.” Johny grabbed a marker and one of the many posters of himself. He wrote his signature along the bottom and then gave it to the shiba, making him nearly squeal in surprise.
“D-do you think you’ll be winning again this year?” Niles asked him.
Then the horse laughed. “There’s no way I’m gonna win if Kevin’s around.”
“Why do you say that?” Niles asked, a bit confused why the normally spirited racer had a strangely resigned look in his eyes.
“Well I… Nevermind,” the horse said. “It was great talking to you, little bud. I’m gonna take my break.” He got up, leaving Niles on his own. The canine found that odd. There were plenty more racers to interact with. Going to the tables that were free, he kept asking about their chances of winning and all of them had similar responses; that they wouldn’t be winning at all because of Kevin. While it was easy to assume that Kevin’s level skill was just that high, there wasn’t even one that suggested they had a chance.
Going from table to table, Niles came face to face with Kevin himself. He approached, preparing for an insult but instead the appaloosa was greeting him like everyone else. Did the horse not recognize him? “What can I do for you?’ Storm’s brother asked, back to being polite.
Niles swallowed down his anger, instead seeing an opportunity. “I can’t believe someone like you came all the way here. Do you think there’s a good chance of you winning?”
“Good chance?!” the famous horse spluttered. “I’m a shoe-in to take first place.”
“And why do you say that?” Niles asked, doing well to sound completely oblivious.
“Because I’ll be the only one giving it my best effort,” Kevin said matter of factly. He then blinked, realizing what he said. Then he cleared his throat. “The others will be too intimidated to perform their best, I’m a top class racer and all these guys are mid-rank at best, they know they’re outmatched.” The appaloosa said in a tone of absolute confidence.
“I see. Well good luck to you. Not that you’ll be needing it,” Niles said as he began to walk off. He decided to bring the subject up with Kevin’s manager and perhaps figure out if it was always like this. He knew where they would be located, finding the door in the very back. It was partially opened, a voice coming from the other end.
“E-excuse me,” the shiba said, pushing the door open further. On the other end was a polar bear. He jumped, making the papers in his hands fly in various directions. “Oh! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Niles stepped in to help.
“It’s not your fault. What can I help you with, young man?” the bear asked.
“I was just something I was curious about surrounding Kevin.” Niles explained why he’d approached him. “I noticed something strange and I think he might be up to something. I’ve been asking the others competing in the race and they’re all certain they won’t win for some reason. Kevin on the other hand is very sure of himself, saying he’ll be the only one ‘giving his best effort.’ Is it usually like that?”
For a moment there was a certain look on the polar bear’s face. It faded and he smiled. “Oh I’m sure he meant that the others are simply shaken by having someone so famous racing alongside them. But I know they’ll give it their best efforts. Kevin can be very intimidating to race against due to his stellar record.” The polar bear cleared his throat. “If that is all, please do leave, I am busy.”
“Right,” Niles said. With the bear turning his back the shiba quietly kneeled down and scooped up some of the papers the bear had dropped on the floor and hid them quickly by putting them into his bag, posters were already sticking out of it. He quickly stashed the papers among them.
“Hmm… why are you still here?” The polar bear asked.
“Oh sorry, I just noticed my shoelaces had come undone.” Niles excused himself and quickly left. The shiba knew taking those papers was wrong but he just had to be certain…
Niles decided it was time for him to leave. He had already talked to everyone he intended to and knew better than to draw attention to himself. The tension within him eased once he stepped out of the building. It was easier to forget about it all when he was back in the heart of town, able to partake in just the prelude of what the festival had to truly offer.
He’d find a quiet moment later to look at those papers, hopefully the bad feeling he’d had wasn’t indicative of anything wrong.
Back on the farm Storm was still giving it his all when it came to training. While the other horses were taking it easy, the clydesdale wanted to ensure that he would be at his best when the day came. Speeding down the long stretches, maneuvering his body to best handle the turns. Clearing hurdles with more ease than before, the big draft horse had a smile on his face when he stopped. Danny and Owain were right there with him.
“That’s your fastest time yet,” Danny informed him.
“And all of that was with the weights,” Owain backed him up. “I think you’re more than ready.”
“Yeah…I think I am,” Storm panted. It was just past midday but not quite sunset yet. There was still a good amount of the day left for them to enjoy. Owain handed his friend a towel to wipe himself with. Storm was grateful for it and everything else that they had done for him. Knowing that everyone had his back was an incredible feeling. Even as he was no longer running, his body was feeling charged. Now when he thought of facing Kevin on the racetrack, a surge of excitement surged through him. Even better would be beating him on TV.
Just as they were winding down the sound of the truck coming back was heard. The three looked in its direction to see it coming back with the trailer attached. Hudson and Niles were in the truck itself while some were in the back with the wares that hadn’t been sold, the rest riding in the trailer that was pulled along. One by one they got out, moving things where they needed to go. Hudson asked them to get some things ready and in place ahead of time before they all went their separate ways. Danny could see the anticipation on the wolf’s face. He was just as thrilled as the rest of them, almost looking like a kid that couldn’t wait for Christmas morning.
Things were put into place. When the morning would come everything could be placed and sent off in a timely manner. “Thanks for the help, guys. Now I think we should get ourselves ready. There’s gonna be a lot to do tomorrow. Not only is this year shaping up to be the biggest celebration in years but we’ve also got one of our own competing!”
Storm suddenly looked bashful when attention was on him. “Hehe, thanks guys.”
“I know you’ll make the ranch and the entire town proud, no matter what.”
The others clapped and gave their support to Storm, wishing him well on the race. This just made Storm all the more certain of himself. Not just to beat his brother and prove to himself that he’d grown, but to also make his friends proud after all the support they’d given him.
***
It was about dinnertime. Marlo didn’t have the chance to make something but that was okay. Plenty of food from the festival had been brought back. Storm did his best to choose the healthiest options of the bunch and had some water alongside it.
“Tomorrow's the big day,” Gordie said aloud.
“I can hardly wait for it,” Beau put in.
“You’re not nervous are you?” TJ asked in a teasing way.
“Don’t be. You’ve got this in the bag!” Owain was quick to outdo his partner’s mocking.
Storm wasn’t fazed by the teasing, instead he just smiled. “Thanks, guys. Whatever happens, I’m just gonna do my best and have fun.” It wouldn’t matter what place he would finish in. As long as he got to come home to so many that truly cared for him. He looked over at Danny. Their eyes met and the stallion felt a fluttering in his chest.
Danny was compelled to follow the stallion after dinner, finding the stallion at the lone apple tree. By then the sun had gone down. The moon was still rising, casting the land in a sheen of silver light. Slowly he approached, not wanting to disturb the equine that seemed to be relaxing.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked. Storm turned around, smiling when he saw the human. Without saying anything he nodded. Danny closed the distance and sat down next to him, looking out across the field’s expanse.
“Pretty, isn’t it? This is my favorite spot,” Storm said aloud as he kept looking out.
“Yeah, I can definitely see why,” Danny said. “I uh… Saw the way you looked earlier. Was there something you wanted to say?”
“Actually… I wanted to say thanks. You’ve done so much for me. I’m not just talking about this whole racing thing. It’s kinda strange. You’re one of the newcomers, but you’ve always been there for me. Heh,” the confession came out more awkward than he intended but Danny was smiling and then hugged himself close.
“You’ve been there for me a lot too,” Danny admitted in return. “So helping you out with this was the least I can do.” There was a moment of silence between the two. “Uh, Storm?”
“Yeah, Danny?” the equine asked.
“You really need a shower,” the human chuckled.
The equine blushed and then chuckled as well. “Well, maybe you can help me out with that.”
***
“Storm? Storm!”
The equine was roused from his sleep, opening his eyes to see Danny. Coming all the way out of the Stables, the human had gotten up early to wake up his friend. “Today’s the big day.”
“Yeah. Yeah, it is!” Storm said, suddenly rising from the bed, throwing the blankets from himself, and planting his hooves firmly to the wooden flooring. The noise was waking everyone else up as well. Also realizing what today was, there was an immediate excitement shared by all of them. None of them minded being woken up so early, in fact they started to get ready for the day’s events.
Hudson and Niles were up as well. The shiba was helping load things onto the back of the truck. Seeing this, the others joined in. Niles was grateful for the help and continued doing his part. This time they were loading up their best wares to sell at the festival. The place was going to be packed full of people wanting to enjoy the celebration and watch the race.
“Can hardly wait, can you?” Hudson asked his son, snapping him out of his light daze.
“Oh…right. Yeah, it’s gonna be great,” Niles responded with his best smile. In truth he wasn’t seeing the race in the same light, not after reading the documents he had taken. It had been a gut feeling, the same he got when reviewing his dad’s finances. And that feeling hadn’t been wrong.
The reason why the other racers were certain that they wouldn't win. It’s because they simply weren’t going to. Everything was set up to be rigged in Kevin’s favor. The appaloosa would get a lead because the other racers would hold back. It was simple but brilliant; Kevin was the talent from out of town already expected to win. But why was it set up this way? Surely someone so accomplished wouldn’t need to cheat. That’s because the rigging would lead to a much greater ploy.
There was a lot of money on Kevin to win. Of course betting was allowed, but the amount of money that was being put on Kevin to win was obscene. Thousands and thousands, all under the same name too, a middleman used by Kevin’s manager. Though the bear hadn’t told Niles his name, the shiba had learned it from the fancy looking nameplate on the bear’s desk. The manager had also been dressed in swanky clothes, obviously living large. But it seemed he needed even more and had to resort to illegal tactics to get it.
Knowing all of this, Niles wasn’t sure what to do. Sure he could tell his dad but Hudson would likely be angry with him for snatching documents from someone else. Even if he was right, that didn’t excuse him taking things from someone else…
With the truck loaded and everyone ready to get out and go, Hudson called for everyone to get on the truck or trailer so they could leave. Niles joined them, having his bag with him and in it were the documents…
Swelling anticipation was felt the whole way to town. The relatively short ride felt like it took ages. Once they were in town again, the first thing that needed to be done was unload the special wares. Hudson directed them to handle the items carefully to their assigned booth. It was a prime spot, right where people would be walking back and forth to get to attractions. Once they got things in place, the wolf finally let them all go their own ways, allowing them to enjoy the festivities.
“Isn’t there something you wanted to do?” Hudson asked, not expecting Niles to stay by his side.
“I think I’ll stay here and help you out for a little while,” the shiba responded. His father wasn’t aware that he was keeping a lookout for anything else that might be shady.
Since he was competing, Storm would go where the other racing horses would be. That nervousness came back again as he stood outside of the building. Security was there, needing him to identify himself. So he did, giving his name and assigned number. They nodded and let him in, giving him a boost that made him able to step in. Luckily it was easy to find the place he was meant to go.
He found the other racers in the locker room. They were already getting themselves ready, changing into their outfits that had their numbers on them. Storm had his own assigned locker. Walking up to it, seeing his name written on it made pride well up inside of him.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is.” A familiar voice made the clydesdale groan. He turned around and faced his brother. The appaloosa was strolling right up to him. “I almost thought you weren’t coming. Of course I wouldn’t blame you for being too scared to show your face. But then again, now everyone’s going to see you lose.”
“Oh really?” Storm asked, keeping his tone even, showing that he wasn’t going to be swayed by his brother’s tactics this time.
“Yes really. Maybe even our parents are watching. Then they’ll see me beat you once and for all,” Kevin proclaimed. His loud bragging attracted the attention of the other racers, who gathered around to see the public feud between apparent brothers.
“You what, Kevin. Even if you do win there’s still a few things I’ll have that you won’t.”
“And what’s that?” the appaloosa asked.
“All the friends that will still like me no matter what,” Storm said.
“Is that all?” Kevin asked, rolling his eyes.
“Well, there is something else,” Storm said with a more mischievous cadence in his voice.
“And what is that?” Kevin asked, sounding very annoyed at this point.
That made it the perfect chance for Storm to be undressing. They were in a locker room and he needed to get changed into his racing outfit after all. He heard the gasps and saw the widening eyes when he dropped his pants to put on the shorts. Showing proudly between his legs was his length, out of its sheath in a semi-hard state. The sight and size of it shut his brother up and made him walk away briskly. Now more satisfied than ever, Storm proceeded to get himself dressed.
He was soon looking at himself in the mirror, standing tall in the clothes that were made to fit him, even having his name. “You can do this,” he said aloud to his reflection. He spent the rest of his time in the locker room mingling with the other racers. Familiar with a few of them, he was able to catch up and got to introduce himself to new people. They were friendly towards him, grateful that he shut Kevin up. The appaloosa had been bragging endlessly even before the clydesdale showed up.
Faster than expected, a staff member was calling for the racers to come out and get into their positions on the track. Being led out, Storm was walking alongside the others out of the building. People were already outside cheering for them. Other staff members and set up barriers kept them out of the way. While on the path to the track, Storm looked around until he saw his friends. They saw him too and cheered for him, calling out his name, Danny included, giving them a smile and thumbs-up in response, he followed the rest to the racetrack, holding his head up high.
Standing on the track itself, Storm took a deep breath. He and others were put into position, having their own designated lane. Gathered around the track, the townsfolk and those who had come to watch were already cheering, their enthusiasm absolutely unrestrained. There was an announcer that was going through the formalities; introducing the racers and where they came from. The cheers were even louder when Storm’s name was said, the announcer showing some bias by pointing out he was the town’s own representative. Following the listing of names was a word from their sponsors. With all of that over and done with, the race could finally commence.
In position to take off with his fellow racers, Storm felt his body tingling with anticipation. His muscles were tensing beneath his dark coat, ready to propel at any moment. Beside him was his own brother Kevin. The appaloosa had his coat done. It was gleaming in the sunlight and even his racing uniform was more decorated than anyone else’s. He also dismissed the other races, including his adopted sibling, with scoffs and glares. Storm didn’t let himself be put off by this. What he focused on was all the training, everything that led up to this moment.
“Hope you’re ready to be left in the dust,” Kevin sneered, his voice dripping with overconfidence. “Remember: there’s no shame in losing. Especially when it’s expected.”
Storm didn’t respond, deciding to hold his tongue until the end.
Off went the starter pistol. Hooves thundered against the ground and they were off. Kevin surged ahead, sprinting with all of his might. Storm was running as well, his heart pumping with exhilaration. At first all of the horses were in close proximity to each other, except for the lead that Kevin got. But it didn’t take long for Storm to pull ahead as well, which he found odd.
It was easy to assume it was just good luck but as the other horses continued to fall behind, creating an ever-increasing gap between them and his brother, Storm started to think that something was off. He didn’t want to make assumptions but it didn’t seem the others were trying. Realistically, getting in second should be a much greater challenge. A good number of the other racers had far more experience, natural talent, and were the right breed for long sprints.
This continued until the midway point. That’s when a break was called, not just for the racers but also those watching. A chance to get more snacks or refresh their drinks.
“Slight change of plan,” Kevin hissed to the other horses. “Stay back still but try to make it look less obvious!” This message was passed quickly before Storm could hear. He hadn’t joined them right away, instead talking to his friends.
“That was great!” Owain praised.
“Yeah, you’re killing it out there!” TJ added.
“It's practically a race between you and Kevin,” Ryan pointed out.
“One that you’re gonna win!” Danny finished, speaking with certainty that others agreed with.
The time came for the second half of the rest. The racers were back at the start line, ready to take off. With Kevin’s prior “suggestion” things would play out differently. When the pistol went off, this time the other racers put in a greater effort. Keeping pace with each other for the most part, it wasn’t until the last three laps that they started to fall back one by one. Just like before it was just Storm and Kevin.
“Try and keep up if you can!” Kevin called back.
Storm wasn’t deterred. He focused on his breathing, maintaining a steady rhythm. Now that they were in the final stretch, he was falling back on his endurance. Kevin was still in the lead, full of confidence that the race was assuredly won. But he was also starting to feel the strain in his legs. Ignoring it, he pressed on. As long as he kept the gap between him and Storm consistent, his victory would be assured. He could already hear the thunderous applause of the crowd.
Now it was the final lap. Storm began to close the gap. And it was gradually shrinking. This ignited a flicker of hope that he could indeed catch up to Kevin. No, he could beat him. “Keep you pace, Storm,” he said to himself, focusing on the steady pounding of his hooves on the track.
Kevin’s lead dwindled as his energy was giving way. He glanced back in disbelief, seeing Storm approach. The clydesdale was gaining on him steadily and when they were right next to each other, Storm suddenly took off, tapping into the energy that had been kept at bay all this time.
“You’re supposed to be slow!” Kevin shouted, panic seeping its way through his bravado.
Storm’s focus was on the approaching finish line. His breathing was strong; his powerful legs getting him all the closer. Kevin felt the panic really setting in. He willed himself to go faster, even as his muscles ached and panged for him to at least slow down.
“You can’t win!” Kevin yelled, this time with clear desperation. “This is supposed to be mine!”
Just as Kevin started to catch up again, Storm surged forwards again. It wasn’t his speed but his power that was propelling him. With his stride long and his legs pushing him ahead in surges, the finish line was just up ahead. He could hear Kevin’s heavy pants behind him. Not daring to look back, he instead made one final hard push, crossing the line and breaking the tape. The next thing he knew, the crowd was erupting into a roar of cheers and applause. It was all for him!
As Storm got first, Kevin came in second. Something he was most certainly happy about. The smile on his face was strained, all for the sake of his image. Clasped harshly in his hand was the silver medal while Storm was standing beside him, having the gold medal, holding it high for everyone to see.
“This race was a sham!” the appaloosa shouted when he was behind the podium. “There is no possible way that a heavy draft horse like him could win a race against prime, experienced racehorses!”
Gasps and murmurs came from the crowd. Of course those from the ranch boo’d the second-placer, figuring that he was just throwing a fit over his loss.
“You’re the real sham!” one voice managed to overpower the others. Everyone else went quiet, turning their attention to Niles. The shiba had been ruminating on the information he had. It was gnawing at him, becoming something that he just couldn’t contain anymore. Kevin’s comment caused him to just shout without thinking. Now that he had all of the attention.
“This whole race was rigged. Storm was the only honest racer. Everyone else was holding back so that Kevin could win!” Niles accused. This disruption caused security to march onto the stage. D’Laney was there too, the crowd parting as he approached Niles.
“Those are certainly some accusations...” he said, crossing his arms.
Niles was given the chance to explain himself to D’Laney. He revealed everything he knew and the papers to prove it. With him were Kevin, Storm, and Hudson. Away from the crowds, the shiba showed everything. Kevin was looking rather nervous as everything was laid out in black and white.
“Were you aware of any of this?” D’Laney asked. Hindsight made it obvious that Kevin had been cheating but he couldn’t just arrest the appaloosa right then and there. He was still innocent until proven guilty.
“I just wanted to win,” Kevin said, speaking in a way that told the truth but also didn’t outright incriminate him, at least that’s what he thought. “And Nick told me he would make it happen!” He spoke with conviction now. His strategy changed midway, now directing all of the blame towards his manager.
“Nick...Nick...” D’Laney got up from his chair and opened a cabinet, fiddling through some files. “Polar bear, right?”
“Uh, yes?” Kevin answered.
A file was pulled out, opened and dropped onto the table. Right there was a picture of the same polar bear that Niles had spoken too early, just looking a bit younger. On the document was the name Nicolas. Kevin’s manager was actually a mob member who went into hiding after their cartel was exposed and brought down.
“He disappeared without a trace one day, the only one unaccounted for. Turns out he’s been hiding in plain sight. Clever bastard...” the german shepherd growled.
Kevin’s pupil’s narrowed. This was more serious than he thought. Cheating in a race was one thing but being indirectly involved with a mob member was something else entirely. That’s when he sang like a canary, detailing how he met the polar bear. Nick had actually sought him out, promising him a successful racing career. He was true to his word. Kevin had assumed that his success came from his natural talent but thinking back it made more sense that Nick had been rigging every race he’d ever been in. This was just the first time he was aware of it.
“Kevin. You were always reckless and selfish. But this was downright low. You could have won just by playing fair and square. What’s this polar bear gonna do to you now that he’s not getting the prize money?” Storm asked bluntly.
The prize money! Kevin hadn’t concerned himself with that, having more than enough wealth to do whatever he wanted with. But his “manager” would very much care about losing out on that payday. All of the effort to get here, paying off all the other racers...all of that was for nothing now.
D’Laney got into contact with other officers, telling them to act quickly to apprehend Nick before he tried to make a mistake. He still had to manage this entire mess. Kevin would still be faced with charges for cheating and bribery. This would most certainly ruin his reputation in the racing world, if he would be allowed to ever officially race again.
“Storm...” Kevin said with a quaver in his voice when he was put in handcuffs.
“Kevin... Even if you didn’t know about all of the cheating before...you knew about it this time. And you still went ahead with it. Honestly this is the best outcome for you. Who knows how far this could have escalated? What would have happened if you lost in a really big race and he got angry with you?” Storm asked him.
Kevin paled and gulped. He knew his brother was right. That was his last chance to be “somebody.” Everyone liked Storm better when they were kids and his own parents didn’t expect much from him. This had been his chance to make something of himself but he let his own ego and the fantasy painted by that polar bear ruin it.
“You could join us when you get out,” Storm offered, making the appaloosa gape. “If you’re willing to do some hard work.”
“As if!” Kevin scowled. “My racing career may be over but I’ll never work in a dirty field! I have connections. Even if I can’t race, there’s plenty of other fields just begging for my presence.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind...” Storm offered.
“I...appreciate that, Storm,” Kevin said, the venom was absent from his voice. He was being taken away by other officers. Storm sighed, being patted on the back by Hudson.
They remained for some time later, getting confirmation that Nick had been caught and apprehended as well. But there were still a few things to discuss among them.
“I’m sorry, Storm. But since the race has been rigged that makes your win void,” D’Laney informed him.
Storm wasn’t that shocked to hear it. He assumed that was the case from the beginning. With a sigh he relinquished the gold medal.
“You did give it your best effort, and beat your brother legitimately. So I wouldn’t count this as any kind of loss,” the canine said with a smile. Storm smiled as well and nodded, feeling much better already.
“Now, while these documents did put together the missing pieces, they were still stolen,” D’Laney acknowledged, making Niles and Hudson tense. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time, Niles. Of all people, I never would have expected this kind of thing from you. You weren’t even aware that you had stolen from a former mob member, a notorious criminal. Thank goodness he never noticed.”
“I...I understand, sir,” Niles said meekly.
“Hudson, I trust you’ll make sure your son has learned his lesson?” D’Laney asked, referring to the wolf now.
“No doubt about it, Sheriff,” Hudson said firmly. They were dismissed and allowed to join the others. On the way Niles was hanging his head low.
“Now, Niles. I’m not angry with you. Just a bit disappointed that you took things from someone else, even if it was for a good cause. You should have told someone. But I’m also proud of you. You exposed a cheated race and put a mob member behind bars! I gotta punish you, son. But I’ll make it fair...”
“Thanks, Dad...” Niles said, looking much better.
When they met up with the others, the entire ordeal had to be explained.
“So he didn’t get to keep the medal?” TJ asked with disappointment.
“Forget that medal. Storm won! We all saw it!” Flynn said.
“And I beat my brother. No doubt about that,” Storm said proudly, causing everyone else to raise their voices in support of him. “And I’m gonna compete again next year!”
“Alright!”
“Oh, you’re definitely gonna win!”
Storm managed to get over that disappointment of not being able to keep the medal or get the prize money. In the end it had been donated to a good cause, an outcome everyone agreed with. The clydesdale was able to focus on other things, enjoying the food and games of the festival until it was time to go home.
“I saw you. Cheering for me at the finish line,” Storm said. He was talking to and sitting next to Danny.
“Of course I was. You should have seen Kevin’s face when you passed him.” The two laughed and continued to talk until they were back at the ranch. By then they were all very tired, being up much later than usual. Between the time and the effort put into the race, Storm had all but passed out the moment his body laid upon the bed.
Waking up early, Storm got an early start, taking a solo walk around the ranch. That’s when he saw Niles. The shiba had been punished for how he uncovered the truth about his brother’s shady manager. That punishment was working in the fields for the entire week, along with cleaning out the cellar. Doing as he was told, Niles was picking up some heavy containers, obviously struggling with what he had but still trying to handle it anyways.
“Whoa! Easy!” Storm urged, stepping in to help him.
“Thanks, Storm,” Niles said. He was only just starting and yet his arms were already aching. Relating to that, Storm gave his friend plenty of tips to make the process easier and less of a strain on his body.
“Wow! That’s a lot. Really what I need is a...tutorial. Or maybe tutoring is the better word? And I’ve been thinking about getting some more exercise...”
“Well I can definitely help you out with that,” the equine offered. From then on he continued to get up early, finding Niles serving his punishment. He made a routine out of the work Niles was meant to do, also making use of the dirt track, running it alongside the shiba. Niles was always left tired after these sessions but he was determined and started to catch on. The end of the week marked the end of the punishment but Niles wanted to keep up with the exercise.
The others had also noticed the improvement in the fluffy dog. He didn’t struggle nearly as much with his tasks. He had more stamina and was more effective in his efforts. Everyone was impressed, even Hudson was thanking him for helping out his son. In addition to helping out Niles, Storm continued to help out on the ranch, giving his support wherever he could.
“You know...you would make a great trainer,” Niles said when they finished another run together. Storm hadn’t considered it before but those words stuck with him and then inspired him. For so long the clydesdale had felt that he lacked a special role of the ranch, that he was just another one working in the fields and staying in the Stables. But the race and this new role that was quickly embraced proved that he was much more.
More were joining the exercise training, also enjoying the equine’s style of turning their usual activities into ways to train their bodies and get into shape. Storm himself was feeling proud that he always had someone to teach when he held these sessions, not just Niles. Even Hudson would join in from time to time, wanting to put a bit of spring back in his step. The sight of him running around the track with the others was amusing but when it was all over he and everyone else were left feeling much better and looked forward to the next one.