The Death of Dads: Toddlers

Show: IHS - The Vikings Winter Show - Extended
Featuring:
Horse: 044 NRR Dettifoss
Rider: Dave Burton
Country: USA
Story: Yes (below)
Sponsor: Yes
Advertisement: No

Placing:  1st
IHS Viking Winter Show - Results

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Dave was thoroughly happy with how his stud, Dettifoss, was coming along. He wasn't a horse that he had to struggle with or question why he bought him. Not Detti. He was an incredibly intelligent horse that could jump backwards if he was given the warm up (not that this has been tested...). In short, he was turning out to be a fine creature by Dave's standards which were, by no means, small. He felt completely confident that this was the horse he'd be taking through the Champion's League. A hard working, nimble, athletic, well-mannered horse was just the one for Dave and, no doubt, would be effective for his team as well. 
And Detti proved to have a clean round. Dave was beyond satisfied with how the stallion handled himself out on the Viking themed course. He didn't make a fuss at the tent. He didn't even blink at the banners hung above or the large stones scattered about. Dave would have been highly disappointed if any of it should have caused a scene. No horse of his would dare be such a silly creature. 
The show ran smoothly enough, though he sure was missing the help of his oldest son, Chris. But he was still off, working under Tristan Ennerstone's instruction. He felt a little bad for pawning him off for a horse... (Hypothetically Speaking, Of Course) But he seemed to jump at the chance for a little freedom. So, Dave had to learn to move on without him. Though he could be a bit difficult to follow orders, he was still a very good kid about watching his siblings, Daniel and Abigail. Abigail tried her hardest to fill Chris's shoes with watching after Daniel, but the little one could get rather excitable! And he proved as much as soon as they were all trying to leave the arena and go back to the stall to untack Detti from his stellar performance. 
"Daddy!" Daniel squealed in delight and charged into the arena!
Dave heard the distinctive squeal and all of his insides shriveled all at once like a towel being wrung. He knew that meant Daniel was charging in at high-toddler-speeds. Slippery, slimy toddler running that no one could stop! Dave gently turned, preparing himself to get plowed by the enthusiast youngster. He kept his knees bent just in case. Daniel had a way of taking people out at the knees when he got going at full steam. 
To Dave's absolute horror, Daniel had bypassed him completely and hung an immediate right angle turn, headed straight into the arena! 
"Daniel, no!" Abigail yelled after him, fully aware he wasn't allowed to go into the arena when someone else was doing their run. But she sure as hell wasn't going after him! She didn't want to get in trouble either. 
Daniel was making quick work to crawl into the arena, giggling and smiling so happily! He had no concept of fear or endangerment. 
"Daniel!" Dave shouted as he threw Detti's reins and bolted for the toddler. In that single breath, all of his soul and nerves drained out of his body, leaving a shell of a man to chase down the child. It felt like it took hours to chase him down just ten feet away like he wasn't going to be able to save him! So many horrors and fear washed over Dave's mind. The endless amount of hurt and pain and despair that could happen to such a little body if that horse and rider failed to see him and plowed right into him. OH GOD! 
Dave never jumped a railing so fast in his life (okay...maybe one other time when he was at a competition warming up and he received a call that his wife was in labor. He bolted at the speed of light, figuring at that point, he actually could outrun the horse. And that was the night, Christopher came into the world...)! Dave heard the ear-piercing shriek of a distant whistle, alerting the rider that there was something wrong and they needed to stop. Dave swooped down on Daniel like a falcon. He wrapped his arms around the slippery boy and yanked him from the ground, all in one movement. 
Daniel squealed with excitement! He thought it was a game of tag! 
Dave sighed loudly and nearly dropped to his knees as his soul that had escaped earlier finally rammed itself back into his body. He hugged Daniel close to him, trying to gather that everything was alright again. It was a hard feeling to shake; he could have just lost his son just now.
Daniel was not on the same page. He giggled and squirmed in Dave's arms. Dave turned to head out, giving such an apologetic wave to the rider and the steward that had alerted everyone. He felt horribly embarrassed that one of his own children had been responsible for the upset. Daniel had much to learn about being a Burton. 
Once out of the arena, the show could go on and he could share a few words with his son. He spotted Abigail stood a few feet away from Detti. She wasn't holding the reins or anything but stood in proximity so she could at least tell him if he tried to walk off. Detti just watched quietly, standing right where he was left with a curious look in his eye.
Dave set Daniel on the ground and held his little shoulder, "Daniel, you cannot do that!"
Daniel smiled and pointed out to one of the jumps that was composed of replicated, painted Viking chess pieces. The one on the inside that could be seen had a massive blonde mustache (Dave was inwardly satisfied by the look of it). "Daddy!"
"Did you hear what I-" Dave glanced back at the chessman... He squinted hard at it, making a stern expression back at its stern expression. That was a rather impressive mustache. Dave wiggled his own impressive lip warmer back and forth, sizing the chess piece up... "We look nothing alike. You are greatly mistaken, my dear boy." He shook his head and returned to the matter at hand. He gave Daniel a very serious face, "You could have gotten really hurt out there, Daniel. Do you understand?"
Daniel's smile dropped a little. His little child brain whirring about, trying to understand such things. He was just going to go play with the giant daddies... But of his dad looked upset, perhaps he was in trouble? 
"You cannot run off from your sister like that, okay?" Dave stated. Abigail crossed her arms, giving the same hard look back. Yea. It wasn't her fault he was a slippery one. She...tried. "What if I hadn't been there to save you?"
Daniel stared at Dave like he was being quizzed on the answer to the universe. He smiled like the lightbulb lit up and he had the answer. He grabbed Dave's cheeks, "Daddy is my heerwo(hero)!" He kissed Dave's nose with a loud, "Mwuah!" afterwards. He had watched his mother do something similar before and it made Dave happy. So he did it too! With his own spin on it. 
Dave's was a little caught off guard by his son's thought pattern. He sighed heavily and leaned his head on Daniel, retreating while he could. It was no good. He stood absolutely no chance at disciplining his children. The little toddler had managed to melt his heart into nothing but a puddle of joy and other warm, fuzzy feelings. 
Dave pulled himself together and scooped Daniel up again. He was not risky a runaway again. Daniel was under lock and key, now. "Supahman!" Daniel deemed Dave, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. Dave groaned a little, taking Detti's reins up, "Daddy's gonna need someone to save him before he loses all of his hair..."
Abigail snorted and giggled, picturing her dad bald. Daniel laughed because Abigail laughed. He targeted the hairiest feature on Dave: the mustache. "I HELP!" He grabbed onto Dave's big ol' mustache with both hands and pulled with all the might of a four-year old!
Dave tried not to outwardly yell as loud as he wanted to, trying to keep some sort of composure! Such little arms! Such immense strength! Where was his hero to come dashing in to save him from the little monkey trying to swing from his mustache!?!? Where was his Superman!? HELP! 

(1404 word count)

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eeeeeyyyyy, I did a thing!
I keep thinking to myself: I CAN'T WAIT TO GO OUTSIDE AGAIN ERMIGERD
And then I wind up doing another indoor competition and end up adoring doing them :'') I've either brainwashed myself or have finally embraced them, I don't know which came first lol Plus this one, I got to listen to "viking" music on loop for hours on end. And look up cool relics and such! I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a little...flair~
But the mighty mustache is on the move! (If his son doesn't rip it off his face first...)

Dave/Detti/Chris/Daniel/Abigail © Drasayer 
Tristan Ennerstone © Saoradh 


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