It rained hard, the rain falling in sheets and deluging the plains. As the lightning cracked and the wind tore through the acacia trees of the Cavallone Forest, the cows were moved to small islands that they had owned and the work of driving cattle on the ranch was suspended.
The Cavallone had all their small little islands filled with different kinds of animals. Apparently, the first generation of Cavallone thought it would be fun to fill them with something interesting. The late Ninth had especially loved birds and cows and, in a nutshell, having one island filled with only the two of those animals, a type of paradise for them.
Now Dino being the same as the rest of his ancestors, had done the same what his father and the rest of the bosses had done and bought the horses, not caring whether they were wild or tamed.
After the floods had subsided some days ago, the time arrived to break in the new horses which would be needed to enable the workers to round up the thousand head of cattle to another island where most of their kind are. Days earlier these same horses had been roaming freely, but the camouflage provided by their grayish-brown coats against the dried grass of the vast uninhabited grass plains of the island had been insufficient to protect them from the men who had come on horseback to catch them with ropes.
Now they started bunched together against the fence at the far side of the temporary enclosure and, as Dino started walking towards them with his rope, the terrified animals began to climb over each other in their desire to run away. Dino sighed at the sight.
This batch had been one of the wildest he had seen yet. He would still be releasing them into the island where they would have their freedom, but if they are not trained proper, the Cavallone wouldn't allow them to enter those premises of the land.
Well, at least the animal industry seemed easier to handle than his sworn younger brother's Vongola who had the grand pleasure and stress of having 50% of the world's wealth and industries. (Even though Tsuna had donated really a lot that people could live on that sum without working, it was a mystery how that amount never decreased instead.)
"Isn't that the nerviest bunch of horses you ever saw, Boss?" called Romario.
"They certainly don't know what we are, Romario," Dino answered. "They've probably never saw a man before, certainly not one on foot anyway."
With his high experiences of wild horses, the horses reared up and Dino brought one of them down by lassoing its front legs. Before it could recover, Dino had squatted on its neck and was holding the horse's head against his chest. The hot breath of it flooding up from its nostrils.
As he held the horse, he could see that it was afraid and being natural with horses themselves, he covered its eyes.
"There, there, young guy. You're safe here. Don't worry." Stroking the animal with its free hand, he never stopped talking gently to the horse. Romario, being Dino's right-hand man of the Cavallone, still couldn't stop himself from being surprised with his boss's tactics. He smiled with pride for his boss's marvelous work against animals.
So many years had passed, and Romario had served since his boss was just a mere child. Dino still hadn't kicked off the habit of being clumsy after all these years and had only truly done that task when his men were around.
But he could work well with the animals in the house ever since he was young. And maybe when he got the whip, he attained his first name [Bucking Horse Dino]. But now whether it be injury or trauma, he had worked hard to bring them back their original selves, and years later he would never expected to earn the name [Animal Whisperer].
Dino spoke quietly with caution, telling it all he intended to do and stroking the terror out. He then tied the horse's legs so that its movement was heavily restricted and carefully put a rope bridle over its head with the bit in its mouth, all the time talking to the horse in low, soothing tones. (Stockholm Syndrome, as Romario would say to his embarrassed boss)
As Dino backed away, the horse struggled to its feet, but every time it tried to move a leg, it fell. Eventually it laid down for a moment and, when it tried to move, it could only hop up and down; then it just stood there glaring at them furiously.
Dino laughed spontaneously with a hint of nervousness at the infuriating glare given.
By mid-morning eight of the horses stood tethered and motionless, waiting for they know not what, with the voice of Dino still running in their brains. Hardly surprising, the other eight were wilder than ever, scattering along the fence and running in a sea of dust which increased as the day warmed.
At the end of the day, Dino grinned manically and turned to Romario."I'll start riding them tomorrow, Romario." He said. "They'll be a real beauty and picture perfect by the time they are going to meet their mates."
Romario couldn't do anything but only smile. "Have fun, Boss."
Another randomised story. (Something must be wrong with me these days...)
Word Count: 912