the work. Though he didn’t seem perturbed that Caleb had interrupted. “You going to work with Rudy?” he asked.
Caleb grinned. “Yep. I promised him he’d get to fly today. I’ve never seen so much prance in his step. We may have to rename him.”
Pax hammered three more times. “He came from Rudolph’s line, though.”
Seeing that his joke had landed flat, Caleb just went along with the conversation instead of trying to explain what he meant. “That he did. So maybe we’ll keep it.” Toasty now, and starting to sweat in all his layers, he moved away from the flame. “Stop over if you want. See how he does.”
“I’ll wait to hear your report over supper.”
“Sounds good.” Caleb patted the doorframe once and then went to get Rudy. Pax was hard to read. Caleb would like a closer, better relationship with his brother, but it took two people. Maybe Pax was fine not ever talking about important things together, but Caleb missed the kid who used to follow him around the ranch and talk his ear off.
Rudy was upside down in his stall, standing on the ceiling just because he could.
“You enjoying the view from up there?” Caleb called.
Rudy ran around the outside walls in a spiral until he was standing in front of Caleb. He headbutted him.
“Yeah—you get to fly today.” Caleb rubbed between his ears. “I expect you’ve been waiting long enough for this, so let’s get you in a harness.” Caleb hurried out to the tack room to find a leather harness that would fit Rudy. The gear hung along the far wall with the reindeer’s name on a board above their stuff. Kind of like a coat room in elementary school. They didn’t have gear for Rudy.
Caleb tapped his chin as he contemplated his options.
Rudy butted his back, anxious to get going.
Startled that the reindeer had followed him into the tack room, Caleb jumped. “Hey, you’re not supposed to come in here.” He laughed. “I didn’t think you ever would, but look at you. You enjoy exploring this ranch, don’t ya?” He turned back to the wall. “I think you’re about the same size as Waffles.” He reached for the butter-colored leather. Waffles didn’t fly but could pull a sleigh. “I won’t tell him you borrowed his getup if you don’t.”
Rudy winked in response. Caleb grinned. The energy coming off the reindeer was all Christmas hope and buckets of faith.
Harnessing a reindeer who wasn’t used to a harness was always an experience, but they usually worked with young reindeer, not almost grown ones. Rudy kept trying to turn around and look at what was happening, making him chase his tail. Which in turn made Caleb laugh and his fingers stumble. “If you don’t hold still, we’re never getting out of here.”
Rudy huffed as if Caleb was the one slowing them down.
“You think so—but it doesn’t take Dunder this long to gear up.”
Rudy scowled.
“Don’t like being compared to a legend, huh?” He leaned closer to Rudy’s ear. “Let’s see about making you a legend too.”
Rudy lowered his head and shook as if he had a full rack on and the move was impressive. It wasn’t so much so without the antlers, but Caleb got the idea. Rudy was feeling his potential, and it was time to get him in the air.
They made a mad dash from the barn to the arena doors. Caleb fumbled with the latch while Rudy watched him with one raised eyebrow, asking, What’s your problem? The weather’s fine.
“Some of us aren’t built for the cold.” The door flew open and Caleb fell inside, barely catching himself and staying upright. “The things I do for you,” he mumbled.
Rudy stood inside and stared at all the apparatuses and training tools. They had different level blocks to jump from. The higher ones were for new reindeer—the longer the fall, the more time they had to get their hooves under them. The shorter blocks were for the more experienced reindeer. Santa’s crew had to be able to take off in one leap.
Ramps provided a chance to practice takeoffs on an incline—like a rooftop. The next platform over, with two sloping sides, was for landing on uneven surfaces.
There were also bars for walking across, and then, in the air, were lead ropes. A ladder led up to the platform where the wrangler would attach a wire from the harness to the lead. With this setup, the reindeer could work on flying straight or flying in tandem with another reindeer