Jane took the employee's offer and decided to spend her time with the other mares in heat, separated from the rest of the herd. She explained to Molly that she was a little sick, and that she was being taken somewhere the employees could care for her. Carl understood what was really going on, but wisely said nothing. He begged Jane's forgiveness, but she refused to even leave her stall to talk to him.
Jane was led to a small pen at the distal edge of the farm. It was not as nice as the rest of the farm. It was just a large pen with high concrete walls so the other horses couldn't see in. The entrance to the pen was different than her stall. Only a human could open and close the gates. This was to prevent any unwanted horse guests from entering, and also to prevent a mare who got a little too overcome with lust from leaving.
Jane sighed. It wasn't a great place to spend 8 days, but at least she would be safe. There was plenty of food, and a little room to run. She even had a little company. There were a few other mares with the same problem, and even one pregnant horse. Jane trotted over to join them, and quickly made friends.
"Yeah, it really sucks, " said Joanna. "Come all this way just to be stuck in a pen. I better get my money back."
"Oh, it's not so bad, once you get used to it," said Sunny. "We still get to be horses, and run around and stuff. And we can try the rest of the stuff later when we come back."
Jane shuddered. She had no intention of coming back. She had quite enough of being a horse. Enough to last her a lifetime. Carl and Molly could come back here without her if they wanted to come back so badly. She knew part of her attitude was the result of her cycle. It made her so irritable. And a little frisky. More than once she considered sneaking through the gate and joining the herd for a little fun. Just once wouldn't hurt. Then better sense prevailed and she remembered the consequences.
On the third day, a new horse was brought into the pen. With a shock Jane saw that the horse looked a lot like her - about the same size, with the same color fur and mane. Even the white markings around her hooves and snout looked similar. They almost could have been twins. Except for the strange brand on her upper thigh.
"Oh, boy, " said Joanna, eyeing the new arrival. "You want to stay away from her. She is trouble."
The new horse trotted around, trying to introduce herself, but all the other mares gave her the cold shoulder. The new horse began to look a little sad and defeated.
"Why? She seems pretty friendly, and she looks a little lonely. What's wrong with her?" asked Jane with curiosity.
"She's a natural born. A horse that was born from two humans while they were transformed. Any animal born like that is not allowed to leave, but that brand on her thigh means she tried to escape anyway. Probably more than once, they don't use it lightly. Trust me, you want to stay clear from her," said Joanna.
Jane looked around the enclosure. The number of mares was decreasing, as they each finished their cycle. Jane would probably end up here alone soon if no one else came. She might as well make friends with the new girl now. At least that was the excuse she told herself. She didn't want to admit that she was really just very curious. What was it like to be born a horse with human intelligence, and spend your entire like that? She really wanted to know.
"Hello, my name is Jane. What's yours?" said Jane, as she trotted up to the new horse.
The horse was seated on the ground, her head turned away staring at the gate. She turned with a start, surprised that someone was speaking to her.
"Are you talking to me? Really? Pleased to meet you! I'm Jenny," said the horse, as she jumped up. She brought her snout close to Jane's and breathed deeply, inhaling her scent. Jane reeled back, a little shocked.
Jenny laughed. "You must not have been a horse very long. That's how we get to know each other, silly. Here, try it with me, " said Jenny.
Jane tried it, and was immediately inundated with sensory input. It was like looking very closely at someone's face so you could remember them well.
"There you go, " said Jenny with a smile. "How long have you been here?"
"Three days, " said Jane.
"Three days and you still didn't know that?" asked Jenny.
"Well, I went into heat on my first day and I have been cooped up here ever since. I haven't gotten much of the real horse experience, " said Jane.
"Oh, that's a shame, " said Jenny. "I know. I used to be a Counselor before ... well, before this." Jenny ducked her head down, pointing to the brand on her thigh. "I can help you."
"Counselor? What's that? " asked Jane.
"Oh, a Counselor is a natural born horse that teaches visitors all about being a horse. Kind of like a trainer or something. You know, show you how to run fast, what to eat, how to jump without getting hurt .... that sort of thing. It's been a while, but I can still teach you how to be a horse if you want, " said Jenny.
Jane looked at the brand on her thigh. "Why did you stop being a Counselor? What happened?"
Jenny blushed. "I would rather not talk about it. At least not yet. Maybe if we get to know each other a little better. I understand if you don't want my help. This mark kind of makes me a pariah. Most of the others won't even talk to me. You were very nice just to spend a little time with me, and I won't blame you if you want to just walk away now."
Joanna looked at Jane and shook her head in warning. But Jenny looked at her with sad lonely eyes. Jane did like the idea of getting the full horse experience, especially from a real horse. She might as well get her money's worth and make the best of a bad situation. But the mark did concern her. Exactly what bad thing had Jenny done? Maybe she was better off staying away from the troublemaker. Jane didn't want Jenny to get her into any trouble.
Jane debated her choices, then decided.....