Eric groaned as he opened his eyes. So this is what a hangover felt like. It was a new experience for him. The pounding in his skull, the glare of even the dim lights, and the mouth full of cotton. He smacked his lips a few times and wrinkled his nose. He moved to sit up but something on his head banged into something else and he flopped back down. "What the." He reached up and felt his antlers tangled in the decorative headboard. He had gone to sleep with the collar on, even.
With a little work he managed to untangle himself from the bed and sit up. There was a soft snoring coming from the cabin's living room which made Eric squint. Had Tag crashed here overnight. Overnight. What time was it anyway? He looked at the clock and shock flooded his brain, wiping away most of his fogged head. He had thirty minutes to make it and had no idea when the next train was leaving. "Shit! I'm going to be late! I need to get.." He looked down at the slightly rumpled vest and shorts he was still wearing. "Dressed. Guess not."
He ran out into the main room of the cabin to indeed find Tag sprawled out on the couch, snoring away happily. Eric gave his shoulder a nudge and Tag came awake with a snort. "Hey! Is it morning?" Tag looked at the window with squinted eyes then snorted. "Right. Winter. No sun." Eric eyed the few open bottles around the room. Just how much had they drunk?
"Sorry Tag, I have my lesson with Clyde in thirty, and if I don't go catch a train now I'm gonna be late. I guess you can hang out here until you're ready to head back." Eric was heading to the door, his tail flicking a bit in frustration.
"Train? Fly it, veli. You'll be there in flash. But I'll take you up on crashing for a bit, this sofa is comfy." Tag flopped back down with a short groan and was snoring away again in no time.
Right. Fly. Like he had done last night. With rushing no longer needed, he headed into the kitchen and brewed himself a quick cup of coffee to help with the headache. Then he was out and zipping north like a proverbial comet. Or more like Comet. He spotted Clyde already waiting in the practice grounds as he flew in, and came in low, he hit the ground with a bit of a stumble from the speed he was going but kept his feet.
"You landed!" Clyde shouted almost immediately, running over to hug Eric. Then he sniffed and pushed him out to arms length. "And you smell like a brewery."
"Yeah, I figured that out last night, after your brother rescued me from Bix. Then Tag found me and dragged me out drinking and I think we're friends now, I'm pretty sure he's still unconscious on my couch." Eric squinted at the white snow all around. "For no sun it's still really bright."
Clyde was obviously trying to hold in a laugh. "I heard about the Bix thing, but you let Tag drag you out drinking?" He stared at Eric. "Tag?! Don't get me wrong, he's a fun guy, but his idea of a night out usually ends with a, well, I guess you figured it out."
Eric winced and nodded his head. "Yeah."
"Well, at least some of the others are warming up to you. But you landing kind of upends my lesson for the day." Clyde scratched at his chin then wandered over to the supply closet. "Guess we need to get you some pulling practice."
"Pulling?" Eric watched as Clyde dug through the equipment, first pulling what looked like a block of stone on skis.
"It's kind of the main point of our job. We pull the sleigh. Well, sleighs. Like I said, anything that needs transport gets a few of us, even the alternates pitch in. But we need to get you used to lugging around something heavy, especially in the air." Once the block was in the middle of the practice yard, Clyde went back and this time produced a red leather harness.
"This is probably going to feel weird at first." Clyde said as he stepped over, holding up the harness in front of Eric. It looked like it would fit him, but he peered at Clyde questioningly.
"Not how I imagined us playing with a harness for the first time." Eric said as he took it from Clyde hefting it in his hands. "And I more pictured you in one."
Clyde's ears twitched and he rubbed at his antlers with one hand, looking a bit bashful but also wearing an all too pleased smile. "Well, this is a special harness, it's like the collar. Until you're completely one of us, you can't switch forms without help."
"Wait, you mean this will change me again?" Eric held it out a little.
"Yeah, of course. You need to be on four hooves to pull. Not much art out there of Santa's sleigh being pulled by nine buff reindeer dudes." Clyde took the harness and started fitting it on Eric.
"If you think there isn't, I need to show you some dark corners of the internet." Eric lifted his arms so Clyde could adjust some of the buckles.
"Really? You humans are strange. No way we could do it like that, the tack alone wouldn't fit right, and we'd loose a lot of the strength we need." Clyde cinched the last strap and patted Eric on the shoulder. "This might feel weird."
"It's not about realism, Clyde, it.. oo.." Eric shook his head as a tingle washed over him. He could feel his hips and shoulders squirming under his skin. He toppled forward and caught himself with his hands, which were rapidly losing their thumbs and shifting into cloven hooves like his feet. His chest barreled outwards, pushing against the straps but they stayed fitted to his form no matter how much he changed. He could feel his whole body swelling, and twisting about, the way his neck met his shoulders, allowing him to look forward, the shape of his limbs making being on all four easier. He could even feel the weight of his antlers increase as they grew larger.
The changes stopped and Eric shuddered. He looked over his shoulder as best he could to his haunches, then spread his front legs and lowered his head to peer back under himself. "Wow, this is weird. Hey! I can still talk!" Though his voice was coming out deeper and more gruff.
"Of course you can still talk." Clyde stepped up to him and Eric had the very odd sensation of having to look down at the usually taller buck. He ran a hand along Eric's side, and started checking his legs and hooves. "Good, seems to have taken well, and you're not nearly as skinny like this. You actually got some meat on you." Clyde stepped around in front of him and Eric snorted. Clyde just reached up and wrapped a hand around one of Eric's antlers, pulling his head down as he tapped his forehead to Eric's, letting their antlers rest against each other. "You're a quick learner, Eric. You'll do great, I know it."
Eric let out a soft sound when Clyde stepped away. "We're here to practice." The other deer reminded him and started hooking the ski mounted stone to Eric's harness.
"So, um, what am I supposed to do here." Eric was trying to twist to see behind him, but he couldn't.
"Fly. But bring this with you. You not only need to see this as part of what you are flying, but you need to be strong enough to pull it along." He patted Eric on the withers. "Okay, all hooked up. Take off!"
The next hour was one of the most frustrating Eric had ever had. First he couldn't even get the stone off the ground. He'd take off but it'd yank him back down like an anchor. The few times he could get it off the ground it still dragged at him, making him feel like he was moving through molasses. "Don't think about it being heavy." Clyde advised. "Just think of it as an extension of you." The advice helped, and by the end of the second hour he was making slow laps around the practice yard, tugging the stone behind him. Not exactly level, but definitely airborne.
He heard clapping from below, and saw Rudy standing next to Clyde. So Eric came in, taking a few snow splashing steps as he landed, with the stone bouncing one on its skis behind him. Rudy was still clapping and nodding his had. "Paint me red and call me Mrs. Clause. You really do have a knack for this."
"You keep saying that." Eric muttered as Clyde came up to unhook him from his burden.
"And I mean it. You've learned in days what most young bucks that months or years to work out. True, you're a lot older than they are when they start, still, I'm impressed." Rudy circled him, looking this four-legged version of him over. "Good stance and build, powerful haunches, sturdy hooves. You're an almost perfect sleigh buck. Just need a bit more bulk."
"How very Mary Sue of me." Eric said sarcastically, though he still felt some pride at the compliments even if he did feel like he was being looked over like a horse.
"Mary who?" Clyde chimed up from where he was dragging the weight back into the supply shed.
"Nothing." Eric mumbled.
Rudy seemed to get the reference though and came around front to stare Eric in the eyes with that stern gaze of his. "Listen. I'm not just trying to flatter you. You are a natural. Take the compliment. I have a feeling you haven't had many of them in your life. You're not perfect, there's plenty you need to work on. But you're about as good as a buck your age could expect to be. You and Tag are pretty much even, he's stronger, but I think you're faster."
"Tag!" Eric blinked and suddenly remembered. "Right I'm supposed to meet him at the gym in a few. Can someone, um." He lifted one of his front legs, trying to get his nose near a buckle. Clyde rushed over and started undoing it.
"Tag?" Rudy asked, sounding incredulous.
"They apparently are friends now." Clyde said with an amused look for his brother. "They got drunk together last night and now they're close as can be."
"Tag?" Rudy asked again, sounding more amused this time.
"Not like that." Eric said, moving his legs so Clyde could slip the harness off of him. "He just. I guess he wants, I dunno. I guess he does want to be friends." Eric felt his form begin to shift back. His bulk receding as it felt like he was being pressed together, soon he was able to get up on just his hind legs, wobbling a little until his pelvis readjusted itself. "You're not upset are you?" He looked over at Clyde.
"Upset?" Clyde moved in and pulled Eric into a tight hug, pressing his nose against Eric's as he smiled. "I'm happy. You're being welcomed in by the herd, or at least members of it. And yes, I'm falling in love with you, but I don't need all your time to myself. You're your own buck. I just want more than anyone else gets."
Crunching snow made Eric look over to see Rudy leaving, giving the two of them some private time, then he looked back at Clyde. "Did you just use the L word?"
"Too soon?" Clyde asked, looking worried.
Eric shook his head and rested his chin on Clyde's shoulder, just enjoying the feeling of being held. "I think I am, too."
Clyde dropped the hug and smiled. "I'll show you to the gym."