Hired Hand 25
It took Danny some time to get used to his new room. Every morning he would wake up in a bigger space than he was used to and with a full bed all to himself. He was reluctant at first to start decorating the bedroom since it had previously belonged to someone else. This was brought up over breakfast and he was surprised when Niles and Hudson encouraged him to make the place his own.
“Rusty’s not gonna be coming by anytime soon and if we could ask him right now, I’m sure he would have wanted for you to make it your own,” Hudson told him.
“Yeah, It wouldn’t feel right if you just left it bare, it’s your room now.” Niles agreed.
With their permission given, Danny started to customize the room to his liking. There wasn’t a lot at his disposal to decorate the place with for the time being. That could be fixed with a bit of shopping in town. With the passing of time Danny was getting more things, either via shopping or from things being given to him from the others, mainly Flynn and TJ who were doing some refurbishment for fun.
Even after about two weeks he was still feeling a bit out of sync with waking up in the home and stepping out to join the others in the Stables, that is, if he wasn’t having breakfast with the canines. Danny would bring Niles with him and gradually he watched as the shiba was becoming more used to being in the presence with others and he was interacting with others a bit without getting an encouraging “push” first.
“You’ve really come into your own,” Danny said. He was out doing the laundry and Niles was assisting him, following the human’s lead.
“Yeah, I guess…” the shiba said, blushing and folding his ears back from the embarrassment he was feeling. Putting his focus onto the laundry, the soft bodied canine was stirring the blankets through the water, grunting from the effort needed to move the bulky bedding through the soap and detergent-infused water.
“Hey, Niles,” Danny said, getting the dog’s attention. “I was thinking we could go out onto the dock again later on. It’s pretty hot out, isn’t it?”
“It is,” the shiba agreed. His mind seemed to be elsewhere. Danny wasn’t certain what it was about. From what he could tell, Niles wasn’t portraying any prominent emotion. If anything he just seemed lost in thought while they were working.
“So, we’ll go out later, right?” Danny asked. Niles didn’t answer that time. “Niles?”
“Huh?” the fluffy canine asked. “Oh, sorry.”
“Something on your mind?” Danny asked.
“Uh, kinda…” Niles said as he helped the human lift the heavy wet bedding from the basin. “I was just thinking that...it’s been a while since Rusty left.”
“Oh right…” Danny grunted as he spread the bedding out so it could dry properly. “Time passed pretty quickly, huh? You miss him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but not as much as I thought I would,” Niles admitted as they continued washing.
“I just always thought that I would miss Rusty so much...because I was going to be all alone. But you and everyone else have been so nice to me. So even though I am sad that Rusty’s gone, I’m also happy at the same time if that makes sense. Marlo wants to teach me how to cook and Flynn’s offered to show me how to fix some things up. It’s like...the moment I start to feel lonely there’s someone right there.”
“I know the feeling,” Danny said as he put his hand on the shiba’s shoulder. “I felt all alone when I got here too. My parents weren’t the best. In fact they were far from it. I even took this job just to get away from them. I never would have guessed taking that offer would lead me here and let me meet you and everyone else. It was the first choice I made on my own and it turned out to also be the best one.”
Niles nodded and he had better focus when it came to doing the rest of the laundry. Together they finished it up faster than expected. With a clear head, Niles agreed that it was hot and he suggested they go out to the dock and enjoy the lake’s cool water.
“Those two have gotten along quickly,” Marlo commented. He, Owain, and Beau had been watching from the fields.
“It’s no surprise to me. Those two are a lot alike,” Owain said.
“You think so?” Beau asked.
“Yeah, Danny was real shy when he first came here, always looking around with anxious eyes. You would never guess, but he came off as a real sheltered type, but it didn’t take him long to get into the swing of things around here,” Owain chuckled as he helped maintain the crops that were growing very nicely.
“You had a lot of help in that. In fact you were being a bit too pushy,” Marlo pointed out.
“I was...excited then. He was a new face and a human. You know there’s practically none around here…” Owain became flustered but then cleared his throat. “I made an ass out of myself but that’s in the past. And now we’re all buddy-buddy.”
“Just like us,” Beau said with a smile.
“Damn right we are,” Owain beamed. “It’s the three of us against the world.”
“I’d prefer if you three were against the weeds,” Prince said as he strolled up, surveying the progress they were making so far.
“We’re just taking a small break,” Owain defended.
“It’s far past ‘small’ at this point,” Prince said and then he smiled. “But everything looks good so far.”
“Much to your liking, your highness?” Owain asked with a snicker.
“Very much so,” the hog responded. “You may continue.” he said in a posh voice like he was graciously allowing them to continue with their work.
The trio of bovines snickered a bit, then got back to work while making small talk. They also wanted to get their tasks over and done with so they could enjoy the summer day just like Danny and Niles were. Owain liked this time of the year on the ranch the most. Summer jobs were the most simple: the most important thing was to keep crops watered, weed free, and free of pests. They started to talk about what they would do for the height of the summer season.
Being apart from the group and standing by himself in the same field was Storm. He was having an easy enough time with his work, but was in a bad mood as he watched the trio of bovines interact. At first he was happy for the three of them coming together but as time passed the clydesdale was feeling more and more pushed to the side and left out. Sure Owain and everyone else still talked to him. They played their games and had fun in other ways but it wasn’t hard to notice that Owain in particular wasn’t around as much.
Storm started to figure that he was just the odd man out on the ranch. It seemed that everyone had someone else they could relate to or pair themselves with. There were three bovines now. TJ and Prince were both porcines. Hudson, Gordie, and Niles were all canines. Even those not of the same species seemed to have closer bonds than him. Sebastian was very close to Gordie and even closer to Flynn; the rodent in question even had a working partner in the form of TJ.
On one hand, Storm knew that he was surrounded by friends but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel lonely in a certain way from time to time. With his work finished, the equine started to walk around the ranch while looking around, watching as everyone else was already starting to do things. He settled down beneath the lone apple tree that was near the brick wall, enjoying the shade that provided relief from the sun’s heat. It was already making him feel better and he realized that it had been a while since he sat by this tree.
Eventually he got up again and wandered further, not realizing that he was near the dock until he heard a voice calling out to him. “Hey, Storm!” the equine looked in the direction of the voice and then felt himself already smiling. Sitting on the dock side by side were Danny and Niles.
“What’s up?” he asked them when he approached.
“Wanna hang out with us for a while?” Danny asked.
“Sure, not like I’ve got anything else to do right now,” the big stallion chuckled as he sat down on the smooth wood of the deck.
The three spent some time talking and skipping stones across the water. Before he knew it, Storm felt all his troubles bleed away. Even afterwards those feelings wouldn’t linger as Danny would continue to call out to him and invite him to do things with him. Sometimes it was just the two of them and other times there were more. Danny never seemed to forget to invite him to be part of whatever he was doing.
“What do you think about this?” Danny asked. He was at another shop to get just a few more things to fully complete his bedroom.
“Looks good to me. But I like this color better, would fit better with the wooden floors” Storm said, while pointing it out.
“Yeah that would look a lot better,” Danny agreed as he picked it up. They did a bit more shopping before paying and stepping outside again.
“Hey, Storm? Is there a holiday or something coming up?” Danny asked. For the last few days he noticed that the small town’s square was looking more...decorated and there was this charge in the air that was building.
“Around here it might as well be,” Storm said with enthusiasm. “When summer starts to wind down that’s when the racing starts.”
“Racing? What kind of racing?” Danny asked.
“Oh right. I’m talking about horse racing,” Storm explained. “Not the kind with humans on horseback. Horses like me register and participate in the races. It lasts just a few days but it’s a blast from start to finish. As stallions from all over come to town, so do the companies they’re affiliated with. So the square gets decked out, they set up shop and it becomes a huge market.”
“So it’s a huge celebration?” Danny pondered aloud.
“Yup. One that lasts multiple days. It’s tradition around here, a way to say goodbye to summer. It especially means a lot to me cause it’s a time to have some fun before fall and harvest season comes. And...it also reminds me of when I used to race,” Storm said.
“You used to race?” Danny repeated with shock in his voice.
“Yeah, yeah…” the equine started to become flustered as he cleared his throat. “But that was before I got to the ranch and it didn’t last long.”
“Then I guess there’s no point in asking you to register,” Danny said with mock disappointment in his voice.
“If it were anyone else I would have instantly said no. But for you, Danny, I’ll think about it…” Storm said with a playful smile. He explained more about the event, how it only lasted a few days but those days were full of numerous events and even the shops themselves would be swapped out with different products being offered.
“So should we be offering anything to sell?” Danny asked.
“Oh, Hudson’s already got that taken care of,” Storm said with a dismissing wave of his hand. “And we’ll also have those days off so we can all enjoy the events.”
Hearing all of this, Danny was more excited than ever to experience it all for himself. For the time being there was still much to do in terms of putting the final touches of his room together and doing his usual chores on the ranch.
Arriving much sooner than anticipated, the last days of the summer season were nearly upon them and with it would come the horse racing season. Things were in full swing though the actual “holiday” had yet to actually start. Even though it was a day off, everyone was up early, Danny included. The only ones that seemed to have work on the mind were Hudson and the goat twins. They were working together to load some things into the back of the truck.
“That should be the last of it,” the wolf confirmed as he looked everything over.
“We’ll get them set up at the booth,” Ryan said, saluting the canine as he climbed into the passenger seat while Riley took the driver’s spot. Hudson saw them off and then saw Danny.
“You’re up early like the rest of us. Guess that means you know what time of the year it is,” the lupine said with a hearty grin on his face.
“Yeah, Storm told me all about it,” Danny confirmed. “So you’re going to be selling things at the market?”
“You betcha,” Hudson said with pride in his voice. “I made sure to save the real good stuff for this event, plus a little extra something that’s gonna be unveiled on the last day. I’m real excited because this is the most stock we’ve ever had. It just feels like everything’s finally falling into place. It was hard at first but once the ball got rolling-- Anyways, you should see it all for yourself. Trust me, you’re gonna love it.”
Danny took the wolf’s word for it and he joined the others that were quickly eating breakfast in the Stables, talking up a storm about everything to do with the festivities that would be taking place in town. Some were already mentioning their favorite activities. Even Niles was detailing his favorite thing to do, his tail wagging as he spoke.
“Still haven’t made up your mind?” Danny asked Storm. The equine had just finished eating and was about to get up when Danny spoke to him. An awkward look appeared on his face as he mock chuckled.
“Well, not yet-”
“Make up his mind about what? Unless you mean… No way!” Owain exclaimed.
“Now don’t go jumping to conclusions!” Storm huffed with a playful grin on his face.
“Okay, okay. But if you were to just happen to be thinking about racing, you’d better make your choice soon. The registry time ends this afternoon,” the bull warned.
Storm rolled his eyes and then left the Stables with Danny following. They went outside just in time to see a line of cars, trucks, and other vehicles rolling down the long road that passed by the ranch. Not many drove by so seeing the “parade” passing by was a sight that made them both stop and watch. The others were doing the same, coming out and watching them all go by.
“Yup, this year’s going to be a good one,” Gordie said. “You newcomers are in for a real treat,” he said, referring to Danny and Beau.
There was something that made them all pause. Breaking away from the line of passing by vehicles was one in particular. It was being driven towards the ranch and then passed through the entrance gate, coming to a stop along the driveway. Of course everyone gathered around to see what was going on, everyone but Storm. The equine took his sweet time walking up to the luxurious and shiny car, knowing exactly who it belonged to.
The tinted windows didn’t give any clue to who was inside. When the door opened everyone else was able to see that it was a stallion. He was dressed cleanly and wearing a pair of sunglasses that he took off.
“Here’s a new face. Welcome to my ranch. Any reason in particular you decided to stop here?” Hudson asked as he greeted the horse, being just as unfamiliar with him as everyone else.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I’ve come here to participate in the season’s race and to also see my little brother,” the stallion said.
“Little brother?” Beau repeated curiously.
Answering the question himself, Storm stepped up to the front of the group. “Hello, Kevin,” he said plainly.
“Ah, there he is!” Kevin said as he gave Storm a hug that wasn’t returned.
“So this is your brother?” Marlo asked. The pair of equines were side by side but there were a lot of differences. The biggest thing was the two being obviously different species. Storm is a clydesdale and the other equine was not. His breed of horse was an appaloosa; a prime racing breed. And he was clearly built for it, tall and slender, while Storm was built for greater power. Opposed to the cyldesdale’s more common brown pelt, Kevin’s fur was white with black spots and a silver coated mane was evenly styled and cut, also opposing Storm’s natural, long free-flowing mane.
“Yes he is. I know there’s not much of a family resemblance. You see, Storm was adopted when I was young. He was also a runt if you can believe it,” Kevin said with a snicker while Storm just groaned. “Our family comes from a long line of racers. It’s in our blood. So of course Storm wanted to be one too. But he just...wasn’t cut out for it. He tried his best, but often wound up embarrassing himself and the rest of our family. Eventually he saw sense and retired from racing. But he also disappeared without a trace. He left our parents worried sick for months until he finally sent a letter detailing that, of all things, he had become a common work horse. Honestly it’s a fitting role.”
The excitement and intrigue felt upon Kevin’s arrival was gone completely. As Kevin finished speaking the others just stood there with looks ranging from unamused to downright offended. Hudson broke the near silence by clearing his throat. “Well, I would be more than...pleased to give you a tour of the ranch.”
“Thank you. I’ve always wanted to see the place that kept Storm away from home,” Kevin said as he followed the wolf. Kevin had a hold on his brother, wordlessly compelling him to follow along and the brown equine did so with obvious reluctance.
Once they were out of ear shot the group let out a collective groan.
“Jeez, what a snob,” Owain sniffed. “No offense, Prince.”
“I would be even more insulted if you did compare someone like him to me!” the boar huffed.
“Did he come all this way just to embarrass his brother?” Flynn asked. Having an older brother of his own, he couldn’t imagine Vincent doing the same to him.
“And that car. Dude’s totally loaded. Sure any horse can compete but it’s local. There’s no way some rich guy would come all the way here for something like that,” TJ figured.
“He’s definitely trying to embarrass Storm in front of us. My parents used to do the same thing all the time,” Danny spoke up, getting the rests’ attention. “Based on the way he explained their past, Kevin could be doing this purely to show off.”
“ If he wants to show off he can just compete and show everyone how good he is,” TJ said, failing to hide his irritation. “I think Danny’s right. This guy probably went out of his way to come here. That’s just petty. Even pettier than you, Owain!”
“Hey!” the brown bull shouted.
Hudson was really trying to show Kevin some hospitality but it was getting all the harder to keep his tone even. The appaloosa kept snickering and snorting when shown different parts of the ranch. These facilities and areas that he took great pride in were being mocked, he could tell. When he faced Kevin directly and asked if he had any questions, the horse was always so polite that Hudson couldn’t be outwardly rude in return.
Going all the way around, the tour ended with the Stables where the others were, trying their best to prepare for the festivities. Seeing the interior of the Stables seemed to be the thing that finally compelled him to speak. “Wow, you practically sleep in a barn. But that makes sense given that you left everything behind to be some lowly work horse.”
“Hey! This place has got charm in spades and what’s wrong with being a workhorse?!” Owain asked as he marched right up to the other equine.
“There’s nothing wrong with it per say but it usually wouldn’t suit someone of my brother’s background. The way I see it he suffered a few losses and threw himself into the dirt, squandering any potential that remained,” Kevin said plainly.
Hearing that Owain would have lunged for the appaloosa if not for the others holding him back. They seemed to be doing so only out of obligation. In fact some were just standing by, not attempting to hold the angry bull back at all.
Kevin didn’t seem to be scared at all as he walked past and approached his brother again. “So tell me, Storm. What do you do around here? Surely someone of your caliber is providing something unique at the least?” The race horse’s voice was almost dripping with sarcasm.
“I do…field work,” Storm stood tall and sounded firm.
“Pfft… really? Do you put a horse collar on and drag a plow?” Kevin asked with a snicker and Storm’s expression fell. “Well, well, well… I had a feeling you’d fallen from grace after leaving home, but I didn’t expect you to have fallen this far.” The appaloosa’s tone made Storm flinch.
“What the heck is your problem?!” Owain demanded. “So what if Storm works in the field? He does great work! More work than you’ve probably ever done in your life!”
“And that’s the difference between him and I. Storm never knew his place and that’s why he toils in the mud now. You say he works hard, but I only see it as his time not being worth much, he hauls dirt with a bunch of brutes, and what does he have to show for it? My time on the other hand… is valuable, running just a few races I can earn at least double what this farm profits in a year, that is the difference between him and I.” Kevin said with a smirk.
“At least people actually like me…” Storm muttered and the other horse’s smirk faltered.
“What was that, brother?” Kevin asked. His tone was still “polite” but his gaze was sharp.
“N-nothing,” Storm sighed, clenching his fist behind his back. Years of conditioning made him falter on instinct.
“Hmmm…I’ve already spent too long here in this dust bowl,” the rich horse brushed his sleeve. “I came on our parents behalf. They got worried but unfortunately I’ll have nothing interesting to tell them. But…while I’m here I might as well show this town how a real race is won.”
“There’s no way you’ll win if Storm competes!” Danny shouted. The conviction in his voice surprised everyone, even Kevin blinked a few times.
“Oh… who’s this Storm? Your cheerleader? Urgh… a human… I know you must be desperate for company out here Storm, but even you must have standards.” The appaloosa said with barely hidden disdain.
“You take that back right now.” Storm said, his voice like the distant rumble of thunder.
“What was that?” Kevin said sharply.
“I said… you take that back right now!” Storm met Kevin’s eyes and the other horse almost took a step back. “Danny is the most hardworking and kind person I’ve ever met, you can say whatever you want about me, but don’t you dare try to talk about him like that.”
Storm marched right up to his brother and for the first time Kevin noticed that his “little” brother had really grown up. The draft horse was taller and stronger than the smaller, slimmer species more suited to racing. Kevin’s expression became one of nervousness for only a moment. Then his smirk returned as he fell back on his verbal finesse.
“Oh… pardon me… I seem to have come off a little strongly…” Kevin cleared his throat, backing off without actually losing any face. “Here’s a little brotherly advice, Storm. Racing against me is just a waste of time. Save yourself the embarrassment and keep toiling in the mud.”
There were no more words spoken by anyone. Kevin walked out of the Stables and returned to his car. Everyone was glad to see him go, still remaining quiet until the luxurious car was driving away from the ranch.
“Storm, are you alright?” Danny asked.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” the stallion responded but he didn’t sound fine. Kevin’s appearance had shaken him, driven him back into the same headspace he’d been in when he’d lived with the appaloosa. There was a reason why he left home and only sent one letter to his family. He was grateful for being adopted but it was still hard living in Kevin’s shadow, always compared to their golden child. Nothing he did was ever good enough compared to his numerous accomplishments.
“Sorry for stepping in like that,” Danny said. “Hearing him say those things about you-”
“It’s okay, Danny.” The stallion’s tone and expression were softer. Honestly he was grateful to Danny for standing up to Kevin when he couldn’t.
“You don’t have to compete in the race if you don’t want to Storm.” Danny assured the clydesdale.
“Yeah… and if that fella tries to come and cause you grief about it, we’ll throw him right out.” Hudson assured.
Storm thought about it, the thought of facing Kevin in a race instinctively filled him with dread and yet… It felt like it was something he needed to do. “No, I’m gonna race him, and I’m gonna win!” Storm felt he needed to prove to himself that he wasn’t the same person anymore.
His declaration got everyone excited in an instant. He looked around and saw that everyone was behind him without saying it aloud.
“Well… in that case you best sign up and get in running shape,” Gordie said.
“I’m sure me and Flynn can whip up a basic running track for you.” TJ offered.
“Tsk… you guys…” Storm smiled. He was honestly overjoyed by their support.
***
True to their word, his friends worked together to make a track for Storm to practice on. They timed his laps and made sure he had water when it was needed. The clydesdale knew he would be rusty from not running like this in a long time. But to his surprise that muscle memory gradually returned to him. The time of his laps was becoming shorter. His confidence was building as he kept at it and adjusted running with his matured larger body.
By his side, everyone else was doing their best to support him. Marlo was giving him special meals to keep his body in good condition. Owain was helping him push himself, having him run with makeshift weights. It was hard work but Storm embraced it. Even if his species weren’t suited for running, he had some advantages that his brother didn’t. The plan was to play to Storm’s strengths, such as his endurance and greater strength rather than raw speed.
Of course they still had jobs to do. They all worked hard for their friends’ sake, getting the work day done early so they could keep helping Storm. It wasn’t just those on the ranch. Hearing that someone from their own town was competing stirred up the town as well. It was a no-brainer that they would support one of their own.
Storm tried his best, shaving off time each day. He jumped higher over hurdles, feeling lighter on his hooves. And every time that he went out to the track, Danny was right there with him. The human was even giving him massages to ease his muscles, easing the soreness after he’d done sets.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked.
“Honestly, I’m feeling pretty good,” Storm admitted. “I thought I was done with racing…”
Danny was very happy to see that. Seeing the horse’s smile on his face while running made him feel all the happier as well. Everyone was doing their part, even Niles, who wanted to go into town to find some books about professional running and to also scope out the competition.
The shiba didn’t expect at all to see Kevin in the bookstore. Leaning against the front counter, the appaloosa was loudly bragging to the fox clerk who didn’t look at all interested. “Showing this boring town something worthwhile is the least I can do.”
“Will that be all, sir?” the unimpressed female fox asked.
Keeping himself hidden around the corner, Niles found it odd that Kevin was still hanging around town and still bragging so boldly. For some reason it felt…ungenuine. Thinking logically, it still made no sense that someone of his supposed fame and skill would dedicate so much time to a county event held for fun. Even after the horse left, he just couldn’t shake that feeling, that there was something else than just sibling rivalry going on.
The day just before the race came. Hudson went ahead and declared that everyone could have the day off. Why he did this was obvious. He and everyone else would be going into the town, enjoying the festivities. The first day was always just a prelude to when the races were held. It was also a chance for them to make some profits. But the main reason was for Storm’s sake, giving him the whole day to get some extra practice in.
Hudson and most of the others went into town while others like Danny and Owain remained with Storm, overseeing his drills. He had improved a lot given the short time available to them. Owain called for a break, feeling hungry. They agreed and the bull went to get himself something to eat, leaving just Storm and Danny outside.
“Tomorrow’s the big day,” the human teased. “Nervous?”
“Only a little,” Storm said with a casual shrug.
“Oh? I would be shaking if I were you.” The voice of someone else made the pair turn around. Danny audibly huffed when he saw Kevin approaching them. He seemingly walked the way here, lacking his flashy car.
“What are you doing here?” Danny asked, making it obvious that he wasn’t happy to see the appaloosa.
“I’m just here to wish my brother good luck,” Kevin said. “He’s going to need that and a lot more.”
Storm stood up, trying not to let his brother’s words get to him. “Well, that’s nice of you, Kevin.”
Kevin looked around and saw the track that Storm had been using. “Oh, and what’s this? You’ve been practicing? That’s adorable, brother. But it’s going to take a lot more than running circles in dirt to outdo me, let alone coming close.”
“Did you just come here to gloat?” Danny asked firmly. He noticed that Storm was starting to feel unnerved.
“Oh I just came here to inform my brother that the competition is gonna be recorded and televised.” The appaloosa said and smiled as his brother paled slightly, knowing how much Storm dreaded having cameras trained on him.
“I uh…n-need to take a walk!” Storm excused himself in a rushed manner, all but running away. Danny’s first reaction was going after him but he thought it best to just leave the other equine be, giving him the time he would need to collect himself. But that left him with Kevin to deal with.
“Satisfied?” the human asked him.
“Very much so,” Kevin said. His arms were crossed and a smug smile was plastered across his muzzle. “But since we’re on the subject of ‘satisfaction,’ I’ve noticed that you and Storm seem to be close.”
“Y-yeah we are,” Danny confirmed. He found it odd that Kevin suddenly brought that up.
“It makes me wonder how close you two truly are. You’re a pretty feisty one. I doubt my brother could handle the likes of you, not the way I can.” When speaking those last words there was an husky tone that Danny didn’t appreciate at all.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Danny asked, not at all sure where this was going.
“Think about it, I’ve got connections and wealth. Anything Storm could do for you, I can do much better,” Kevin said, putting on his best flirting impression “Anything you desire I could make come true.” The appaloosa offered temptingly like a devil wishing to lead someone astray.
By then Storm had gotten his anxiety under control and decided to finally stand up to Kevin and make him leave. But before he could round the corner he heard the offer that was given to Danny. That shattered his confidence. In an instant he was pulled back into the past, when Kevin had sought out one of his old boyfriends. It had been at a party. After just confessing his love to them, his brother swooped in. He said some things, used almost the very same words and the next thing he knew, his love at the time was walking with his brother, who looked back and flashed an evil grin at him.
Storm couldn’t hear anything, he could barely breathe. It was like he was having a panic attack and the only thing he could think of was getting away before he saw Danny walking arm in arm with Kevin, leaving for greener pastures with him.
Unaware of Storm’s nearby presence Danny was stunned for several seconds at Kevin’s sheer audacity, leaving Storm just enough time to stumble out of hearing range.
“You sure are full of yourself, but you’re utterly delusional if you think I want anything to do with you.” Danny said bluntly.
“Come on… don’t play hard… surely there is something you want.” Kevin said temptingly.
“Oh there are plenty of things I want, but none of them involve you. Did you think I forgot about the things you said earlier about me being a human?” Danny said and Kevin looked immensely taken aback that he was completely rejected and seemed to be confused as to how to salvage the situation.
“And I was right to feel that way! Fine, settle for that dirt covered disgrace. Just remember that you passed up riches for mud!” Kevin spat, showing his true colors. The equine turned and marched away. It was good riddance as far as the human was concerned, but after he’d left Danny wanted to find Storm more than anything else.
He went into the Stables, going into the back area where he found the equine in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with an almost blank expression.
“Storm? Are you alright?” His words made the draft horse blink and he looked over.
“Danny? You’re here?” he asked with surprise in his voice.
“Of course I’m here. Where else would I have gone?” Danny asked in response.
“But Kevin. I heard him offering-”
“And I told him no! Why would I ever choose him over you?” the human’s voice had genuine shock in it. He sighed and reached his hand out to help Storm out of bed. “I knew it was all fake anyways. How could someone go that low, just to torment their own brother?”
“Welcome to my world,” Storm said but there was amusement in his voice. “Kevin never liked me much. Not just because I was adopted, but because everyone always liked me better. Kevin always tried to impress others with this thing or that thing while I just wanted to hang out with my friends, playing tag and hide-and-seek.”
Danny listened to the stallion’s background. Apparently the torment really started when hardly anyone showed up to Kevin’s birthday one year. And when Storm’s came around their peers showed up in droves. Kevin got his revenge by sabotaging Storm. Starting rumors, blaming things on him, setting him up for failure. Breaking him down further by taking Storm’s first crush.
“There’s no way I would ever call someone like that a brother,” Danny said firmly. “Honestly I kind of feel bad for him. Sounds like he can’t get over that whole birthday party thing.”
“Hehe. Yeah, it’s pretty silly when you think about it. I can’t forgive him for all the things he did. But some good came out of it. Driving me away led me here. And I got to meet you,” the equine said with genuine affection.
“Oh Storm… Come on, there’s plenty of daylight left. We’re not gonna let him win!” Danny’s spirit charged Storm’s and the two were back on the track. Owain, having missed everything, was impressed by how focused his friend was.
“Hey, you forgot the weights!”