Ch.18 (Movement 2) Diablo
#18 of Willing Student
Ch.18. (Movement 2) Diablo
**
Dalten and Rick had checked into a hotel, and Dal had called Marc, the representative from his new publisher, as soon as they were settled. He quickly outlined the situation as Rick took a shower.
The black equine folded his hands. "Well this was faster than we expected...."
"You expected this!?" Dal snapped at the air once in front of him out of rage. "Why didn't you warn me?"
The other equine shrugged, giving a slight indication of submission by his ear set. "Well, we didn't know for sure if it would happen. We have a few security agencies we can contact, it's not normal for people to be accosted by upset fans, but it isn't unheard of either."
Dal fumed.
"So here are some numbers to call....."
Dal wrote the numbers down on a hotel pad.
"I take it you're safe....for now?"
Dal ground his teeth for a moment. "Yes."
"Good, call me tomorrow, we have some travel plans to work out for your photo shoot and recording sessions."
**
Ken's fist landed hard on the other equine muzzle. He'd been one of two equines in basic, here he was one of many. He'd learned the larger furs were grouped together based on specialty. And this dumb horse had it coming....
"So you're Taylor? You're brother is that puppy lover eh? I tell you, I'd rather have at least a female puppy instead of some knotted up hound...."
Ken's rage boiled. He realized he was a lot like his father in this regard. Hold it in until too late. Dumb horse....
Ken straddled the other equine, pummeling the others face, his rage boiling, as tears ran down his fur. Quickly, a large set of bovine arms gripped him, and he was hauled off of the other equine. Ken screamed in equine rage. "You stupid mother fucker, if I_Ever_ catch you maligning my brother again so help me I will...."
"Taylor! What is the meaning of this!" One of the CO's was striding over to him.
Uh oh....
"I ah...."
"Ferris was giving him lip about his brother Sir!" Jacob all but yelled as loudly as he could. The CO, an avian of some type, Ken was not sure, but he had a crest of feathers on his head that rose and fell. He stared at Ken.
"Is this true Taylor?"
Ken clenched and unclenched his fists. "Yes sir! I laid the first punch."
"Ferris!" The CO barked.
"Yes sir! The stud's brother is that puppy lover, Dalten."
The CO eyed the two severely. Ken was getting nervous. He was the one that should be punished. He threw the first punch. A few of the guys were indeed claiming that as he fumed.
"Enough!" The CO barked.
"Report to the MP for detail. Dismissed!"
Ken trotted to his bunk to clean up, as did Ferris. The brown stud almost looked like his own brother. Ken didn't know why he was mad, he just was.
"Ken....I know you have to go, but why did you hit him?" Jacob sat down on his own bunk next to Ken's.
Ken sighed deeply. "I don't know. Maybe it's shame for who my brother is with." No thats not right.... he shook his mane...."or maybe it's that he's with a canine...."_again no...."_Ken stopped." He knew the answer but he didn't want to face the truth.
"You're jealous of him aren't you?" Jacob asked dully. Ken nodded silently. It was all so clear to him. His brother was the one that got to go off and find himself, and when Ken got to find himself, what he found was, well himself. Simple, dumb, stolid Kelten. Able to take the blows and able to hold the bales of hay for his father. No real passions, no real purpose. No big love in his life.
Jacob patted him on his shoulder. "You're thinking to much again stud. Let it go. Report for your detail with the MP" Jacob strode away slowly, his bovine hooves clopping on the concrete of the bunk-hall. "You're going to need to stop thinking, or it'll just hurt too much.
Something clicked in Ken's brain at that.
I wonder why he keeps insisting I don't think....
**
Dalten Sr, father of two, wife to one sweet filly, swore a curse under his breath as he adjusted the carburetor to the antique tractor. He'd resigned himself to spending all of his waking hours outside, lest he lash out at the poor pregnant filly he'd decided to allow to stay with him and his wife, while her sister and mother looked after their own farm.
Finally the tractor roared to life, idling quietly. He needed to go get some supplies in town and didn't need a malfunctioning tractor to keep him from his business. He hefted himself onto the seat, setting his straw hat on his head, his ears flopping to the sides. He shifted the gears and let out the clutch. The old tractor lurched forward and he steered it for the driveway.
Stupid filly. Complaining about everything The light is too bright, the food is too hot, this tea is too cold. Bah!
Dal took deep breaths through his nostrils to try to calm himself. The heady scent of the hay fields and crops around him did calm him. Soon he found himself in a "summer daze" as his grandad used to tell of it. Days that were so pleasant that nothing could erase them from memory.
He thought about those words. He'd worked them into a poem years ago. His grandfather had only been gone for a few years, but the words the old Stallion had spoke rang true. He'd written down ever piece of advice he could. The biggest one was his best. One day at a time Dal, one day.
Dalten Sr turned onto the lone street of the town and pulled up to the hardware store. He parked the tractor in his usual spot and got down, stretching his back, his broad shoulders soaking up the heat from the sun.
The bell jingled as he entered.
"Afternoon Jason!"
The old badger looked up and grimaced. Dal was not surprised. Jason Smith had been a surly, yet astute businessman who ran the general store for decades. Dal remembered him as a kid, looking just the same.
"Dalten. What can I get ya?"
Dalten rattled off a list of supplies. Nails, chain, some rope, some dried beans, and of course, sweat feed.
Jason got most of the things down and passed them over to Dal.
The door jingled as another patron entered.
"Morning Jason!"
Jason scowled over Dal's shoulder as Dal counted out his money.
"Rall. What can I get you?"
"A clean store for one. Who let the trash in?"
It took a second for the words to sink into Dal's brain. He turned. The huge bovine stood in front of him. Rallan Carson. A bully from what Dal could remember in school.
"What?"
Dal Sr. spluttered. The huge black and white bull snorted his long horns jutting out to the side. "You heard me. How's Junior? Had his rabies shot lately?"
Dal Sr. had always had a problem with his temper. Normally he was cool, calm, collected. But if someone punched his buttons right, he didn't know when to quit. He also didn't know when he was in over his head.
Dal laid one solid punch in the bull's gut before he got socked in the face, hard. His vision blurred and he saw stars. Suddenly there was a pain in his side. The bull had gored him! He gasped quickly as he felt his lung on fire. Something was not right at all.
Dal fell back to the floor. The burly and aged badger quickly ran over to him. "Rall! Get out! Dal! Can you hear me!?"
Dalten Sr. gasped. He looked down his grey muzzle at his side. Blood oozed bubbling from his ribs....he coughed up blood and rolled to his side....
"Yah Jason....I hear you....I think....this is bad....." The badger scrambled for his phone punching in the emergency line.
"Yes, paramedics. General Store. Dalten Sr, hurry!"
Dal gasped on the floor. His vision was fading. He found warm hands against his side.....pain lanced him in his ribs. He looked down. The badger had stuck his fist into the wound hole. It hurt like hell....
"Fuck...." Dalten swore.
"Vi is going to kill me...."
**