Dubai World Cup

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It was like an oven. As soon as she stepped off the plane Amalie has almost been knocked off her feet by the extream heat of the UAE. Juliet seemed unused to the heat too and walked with lethargic steps, head hung lower than usual, eyes droopy. Amalie gave her filly an affectionate pat, leading her away from the air conditioned plane and out into the sun. Neither could wait to reach the hotel, both eager to be out of the blistering heat and into a comfortable bed. 

Amalie had been warned against travelling and had been told she was not to race. Her would could open again, she could fall from the saddle or crash into another horse. These facts scared Amalie and she'd almost scratched Juliet from the race. 

Harley had tried to cheer her up, distracting her from her injury and telling her how he looked forward to seeing her there. She'd smiled and ambiguously answered she hoped to see him too but never really committing to the journey. When people saw that not even Harley was able to cheer her up almost everyone thought she really would drop out. She'd never dropped out of a race before so no one knew how she'd handle it. The other jockeys started to walk on eggshells around her and nobody seemed to know what to do. If the jockey from Fox Harber Farms couldn't convince her to stick to it it was unlikely anyone could. 

However, it was Sou who turned everything around. 

Sobian Antrium was not always considered 'nice'. Sure, she was like the Big Sister to everyone but she was also a boss. She held a no-nonsense approach and if someone was down she wasn't really the one who provided gentle comfort, she kicked them in the ass and got them moving out of their funk as subtly as a fist to the face. So she wasn't always the one you went to for soft words and a comforting hug but one thing that could be said for her was that she knew what her family needed. 

Sou knew very well that Amalie needed a gentle hand right now. Still afraid and lost after her near-murder she was insecure over her decisions. After Sou was nearly killed she lost all fear of death but for Amalie it was the other way around; she gained a fear of death. Being told that she may crash during the race was a terrifying thought and it left her with some serious food for thought. But she was running out of time. 

Sou took her aside, a long trek out into the forests where she always went to calm down. There she managed to pry Amalie out of her shell, the younger woman breaking down and crying of her guardians shoulder, confessing to every thought that shadowed her. For all Sou was a strict boss she was also a loving parent and couldn't stand to see her ward so troubled. 

She did not tell her what to do. She did not tell her what was right or wrong. She simply held her and told her it was alright, that there was nothing wrong with being afraid that weighing all these options so painstakingly was the correct actions as it showed a mature leader rather than the selfish little girl Amalie seemed so convinced she was. By helping Amalie clear her head the two talked for hours, weighing the pros and cons of entering the race, contemplating the risks and wether or not it would be  too dangerous for Amalie to enter. 

Amalie had been up and about for a long time. The Bullet had grazed her, hitting neither organ nor bone. She was still in the saddle, albeit gently and had still raced and trained the horses. Mainly it was the travelling distance and how her weakened body would handle it. In the end it was decided that Amalie would go, however Sou would accompany her and should anything go wrong or should Sou deem that Amalie was not fit to race then they would pull out. Differing to Sobian's judgement, Amalie packed up and readied Juliet for the journey to Dubai. 

After arriving Amalie joined Sou in the hotel. The place was luxurious to a fault. Sou was not poor, the estate was well furnished and tasteful, filled with as many comforts as one could wish for. However even Sou confessed she felt like a street urchin in this hotel and she very much disliked the staff who tried to tend to her every need while she was in the wheelchair. 

"You'll do fine." Sou said again, giving the conversation a U-turn. "A bit of jet-lag hardly qualifies as a threat. Get some sleep and I'll tell you tomorrow what I think."

"I know, I'm fine." Amalie insisted, looking out the window, anxiously. 

"Even if I couldn't read it on your face - which I can - I can read it in your body language. You're hardly new at this, Amalie. Tomorrow you can take Juliet out for a run and if I see anything I don't like I'll tell you." 

The two shared a smile, one reassuring; one reserved but a smile nonetheless. 

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