Post by Dante on Nov 9, 2011 15:06:04 GMT -5
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EXECUTIONER'S APPRENTICE
workout with
TOBIAS LANCASTER[/b]
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All of his horses had decided to break their maidens within a few weeks of each other. It left Tobias with a load of work to do - he could swear half his money was going to Red Bulls. There were dark circles under the eyes of the child sized man. It was a foggy Saturday morning, and technically the Sabbath, but he hoped he'd be forgiven for working on it.
Besides, it wasn't exactly work when you enjoyed it extremely, right? It was five AM, but that didn't mean he didn't like his job. He walked along the back, towards a grey horse in the grey morning, the only standout marking being a standout indeed. The commentators began to use the mark to point him out, over name or gate number by this point. It was amusing. The colt waiting, ears pricked up, beside Skylark, who was on a crutch and one leg. "I lost one." Skylark explained, once Tobias got within earshot. "It's in the trainer's clubhouse here, but it's not open."
"And why on Earth did you take off your- you know what, I don't want to know." Tobias replied, then looked up at the colt's back. "But I need a leg up."
There was a moment of awkwardness between the two, before a lot of flailing as a trainer missing a leg and 4'6" jockey clambered onto App's back. The colt took it well, though he did look a bit perplexed at the means the whole way through. Still, a jockey on his back meant a run, and there was nothing App loved more. He'd shaped up with tons of promise, and they weren't about to lose that. This run was going to be nine furlongs, on the ever-familiar turf. Nothing that App hadn't done before.
Loading into the gate as a simple task. App was clever. He knew the gate wasn't going to eat him alive, he knew how to cooperate with Tobias, and he was ready. He was well trained. The grey morning melded the track and the curve vanished away before them. That needed to be kept note of, but there was no apprehension in the body of horse nor rider.
The gate sprung open, and with that, they were off. App was a good starter, and his ability allowed him to bolt into second or third place and maintain it until "blood-shoulder", as the commentators dubbed him, went in for the kill. After that, it was a march for second for the rest of the horses. Especially if Tobias got App into the clear, then the horse just went.
He could feel the muscle and energy underneath him. App wanted to go, but he knew how this sort of race went. They'd hold out in a close second; and somehow, he knew. This was the pace they needed for this invisible horse race. Though, for all they knew, there could be another horse in the dog, a ghost horse, running forever in death....much more morbid than App's show name, even.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, App was running well. He was showing no sings of a spook, but just to be safe, Tobias kept him away from the rail. The last thing either of them needed was a collision with a metal bar. It would take App out and possibly be lethal to Tobias, being as small as he was.
The furlong markers were hard to see, but Tobias caught a glimpse of the six furlong and they sped up again with well-practiced ease. The acceleration was smooth, and easy. App's ears were forwards, and he pulled forwards; Tobias let him have most of the rein. He was still using caution, given the fog was getting thicker and thicker as they ran the curve and finished the run.
It took a moment to find Skylark, who, to help them, flickered a flashlight on and off. The fog had rolled in as they finished their race something crazy, but Tobias and App had hardly noted; they just adapted.
Despite the flickering light, Executioner's Apprentice didn't spook, and he stood up beside Skylark with ease. "You made a good run. I couldn't see exactly when you crossed the line, I had to use his shoulder - it's all you can see out there. And your jockey's silks, true enough. But even counting when his shoulder crossed, that was a run to be jealous of. Now....let's try and find our way off the track, shall we?"
As it turned out, they ended up walking App through the (human) guest entrance and into the parking lot, to accidentally scare some poor security guard that there really was a dead ghost horse walking around the track, still bloodstained from an accident.-----------------------
WORKOUT STATS
words| 793
workout surface| Turf
distance| 9 furlongs
horse| Executioner's Apprentice
jockey| Tobias Lancaster
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