I stepped out into the pouring rain, ready to start my laps when I saw the females shivering from cold and hunger.
I looked back to see if the owners were watching me. They were busy discussing their theories and speculations, it would take them a while to get out.
I rushed into my tent and brought out my stash of nuts, berries and a blanket to cover them. They just got their cut, so their bodies were freezing without their wool. I wrapped the blanket around them and left my food for them to eat.
They didn't say anything, only stared at me with their big round eyes. I didn't have time to wait for their reaction and quickly went back to my training.
The owners could have tried their luck with predator females. They were known to have more strength and would have been more suitable for their experiments.
But they didn't. Why? Their personalities and temperaments were probably too troublesome for them to deal with.
Sheep females, on the other hand, were easily impressed and docile.
Now that I knew their preferences, I had to make sure I had some advantage over all sheep females. If I let them train and become better than me, I would lose.
It wouldn't make sense for the owners to keep me when they could have a better one. They didn't care about looks. They cared about usefulness, so I had to keep that in mind. I was not allowed to lose my value.
"Huff...huff...el..." I mumbled, unable to speak out loud because my lungs were not letting me. I felt so tired already. "...eleven..."
My toes sunk in the mud and the rain made it hard for me to see the ground. I stumbled and fell into a puddle, "Ugh!"
I wiped my eyes and tried to get up, but my body refused to listen. I wanted to get back up, but couldn't. I crawled forward instead, then felt a warm hand grab my elbow.
I looked up and saw Skaris pulling me to my feet, "You tripped on the same puddle three times in a row, did you notice?"
I didn't, I wasn't keeping track. I had to count the laps, and that took all my attention. I didn't even notice someone was watching me.
He stood in the place where I tripped, so I could avoid it this time.
"Wh-why are you...out in the rain?" I asked.
"The rain reminds me of the time when Dear ordered me to roll in the mud like a pup because I called her ungrateful one too many times," he chuckled, "I never did it again after that. Doing nothing but playing all day was not as fun as I thought it would be."
His feet dug into the mud, as if remembering the event, then started sprinting around the tent, the wind whipping his hair back, knocking me down on my butt.
He ran around the camp, and I watched him, fascinated. He was like the wind itself, a storm. Before I got up into position to continue my laps, he passed me again, knocking me back down, "..."
"I'm not going to lose to you," he said in passing, his blindfold moved to the side, revealing his empty eye socket, "If Dear doesn't want you here, then I don't either. Even if I have to beat them all up to get rid of you for her, I will do it."
Baron leaped out of the tent and tackled Skaris down into the mud, "You know that if you hurt her, you will be in so much trouble with Vick and Romeo. You think you can take them both? Is provoking them worth it?"
Skaris wrapped his legs around Baron's waist, his hands holding onto his neck as Baron flipped him over, sinking him into the mud, "I'm sick of bending to their will. Why do I have to please others before my mate?"
"Because they know what's best for her," Baron replied, a bit more gently this time, tackling him into the mud, again and again, trying to tire him out.
"What are you staring at?" Michael's eyes peeked from the tent as if he couldn't even stomach the sight of the rain. He was a desert creature, so he probably hated getting wet, "Run, run, run."
I hurriedly got up, going back to running. Skaris' words haunted me the entire time. I was a source of trouble for some owners, like their last chick, the one I replaced. I was causing them issues and disagreements, they just hid it for some reason.
Vick and Romeo? They seem to be holding control over the rest, like a leash around their necks, making sure they would all do as they wanted, not what Skaris and Madam wanted.
"What's gotten into you?" Baron asked, sitting on Skaris, who was refusing to get up and refused to listen. He wasn't cooperating at all.
"She," Skaris pointed at me, "She's helped them," then pointed at the sheep females, "Like she's the nicest, the kindest, the most selfless person ever, when in truth, she's selfish as hell."
I stumbled on my feet, the rain almost blinding me, my eyes burning from the cold. I kept going, despite what he said.
"Stop being paranoid," Baron scolded him, "You are just projecting your ex onto every nice female you meet, and you know it."
"That's not it. How did she survive until now then? Is she really a sheep? This world is too dangerous for an outcast sheep to survive. Yet, here she is, strong enough to survive, weak enough to make us feel bad for her," Skaris punched the ground, his fist creating a dent, not wanting to hurt Baron even though he was angry, "Don't let your guard down. That's all I ask for."
Baron's nose almost touched Skaris', his eyes widening in realization.
Skaris turned his head away.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." Baron started.
"I know." Skaris stopped him.
Baron's nose nuzzled Skaris' cheek in apology, and Skaris let him do it, breathing out his frustration with a quiet sigh.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Thank you for the golden tickets! I will try to publish another chapter today.
╚═════════════════╝