Chapter 15: Nick Ryde's School for Sheriffs

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"Rise and shine, kid!"

Piercing rays of sunlight infiltrated Albunrey's deep slumber, earning a scowl from his weary face. He looks up to see Nick parting the curtains and covers his face with his blanket. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you up. It's training day." Nick pulls the blanket off of Alburney. "Can't be a legend if you're laying around. Here." Nick hands Alburney a cup of coffee. "Wash up and get dressed. I'll be waiting outside by the barn."

Alburney hopped off the couch and ran outside. After cleaning himself in the basin, he threw on a shirt and a pair of trousers and met Nick by his barn.

"Being a sheriff takes more than a big hat, a gold badge, and a fast quickdraw," Nick began. "It takes dedication, a desire for justice, and most importantly, a willingness to put your life on the line for others. Think you can do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Nick's school for sheriffs is officially in session."

Before Nick and Alburney worked on their lassos, Nick made Alburney exercise, only with a twist. He made Alburney do chest presses using a barrel until his arms got wobbly, and he dropped the barrel on himself. Then, Nick made his trainee do pull-ups from the support beam in the barn with a hay bale tied to his legs with his lasso. After pull-ups, Alburney did planks and push-ups with the sheriff on his back. Later on, Nick made Alburney run on his makeshift treadmill.

"When catching a criminal, chances are they won't surrender willingly. Say they decide to book it, and as you're chasing them, be prepared for whatever they throw at you. Literally."

Nick pulls away a sheet to reveal a wheelbarrow filled with random objects. He picks up a bucket and throws it at Alburney, followed by a hammer, shovel, a cat, chicken eggs, and a couple of horseshoes. Alburney dodged the bucket, hammer, and shovel but got pelted by the eggs and was smacked in the face by the cat. He pulled the cat off of his face in time to see Nick throwing a wagon wheel at him. He jumped over the wheel but was knocked off the treadmill by an anchor.

After the treadmill, Alburney sat on a barrel with an ice pack on his head while Nick fetched two lassos from the barn.

"Alright, kid. Time for a little lassoing." He hands Alburney a lasso and stands before him. "I was impressed watching you give Bill's men Hell yesterday." As Nick talked, he began to twirl his lasso back and forth. His eyes stayed glued to it as it twirled effortlessly in his hands. "You handle your lasso with great skill and precision, but there's always room for improvement. Let me show you a few tricks I've picked up over the years."

"Okay."

"Now, first things first..." Nick makes the loop big enough to jump through back and forth. "When it comes to roping, it's all about having a good feel for it. You want to make sure your loops are tight and controlled, like so."

"Thanks, Nick, but I know how to jump through hoops. I mean, you saw me yesterday."

"Yesterday only showed me a preview of what you're capable of. Now, it's time to challenge your current knowledge and bring it to your full potential...I mean, if you wanna do things like this."

Nick throws his lasso at the barrel by the barn and pulls it toward him. He hops on it and begins to roll on it like a log. Alburney laughs as Nick rolls around him.

"See, kid? Once you get the hang of that, you can start doing tricks you never thought to do. I mean, if I only relied on my own knowledge, would I be able to do this? Or even something like..."

Nick then flips the barrel and kicks it toward the barn doors, shattering it into a pile of planks. Alburney hung his mouth open and chuckled in amazement.

"Get it now?"

"Yeah. That was awesome!"

"Thanks, but remember, it's not just about flashy moves. It's about using your skills for good. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Great. Let's get to ropin'."

As the afternoon wore on, Alburney and Nick worked tirelessly on their lassos, with Nick imparting his knowledge and Alburney taking in the wisdom and experience of the old lawman. Despite his initial knowledge, Alburney improved with each attempt, his determination fueled by Nick's steady guidance and encouragement.

Nick grabbed a couple of horseshoes from the barn and went back outside. He throws a horseshoe at Alburney, and the trainee catches it. Alburney proceeds to block more horseshoes with the one he was twirling around. Alburney sports a cocky smirk after blocking the horseshoes and lets out a triumphant whoop...but not before getting hit in the head with a horseshoe.

"Ow! Nick!"

"You let your guard down. You can never let your guard down when you're sheriff. Words of my father: "The devil doesn't rest when you do." Even when you're so-called "off duty." trouble will still strike. Had that shoe been a bullet, I would be out in the desert looking for a new young buck like yourself. So, you must stay ready for whatever happens."

Alburney rubs his face and nods.

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