...He was dreaming, but didn't know it. To his way of thinking, things were happening as they normally did. Walking through the pasture of his home, Bradley stopped every so often to squat down, place his face near the ground and nibble at the sweet grass. A voice nearby brought him around and spotting his father, he raised a hand to wave.
...To his disappointment, his dad didn't respond. Running across the field, his hooves carrying him faster than he normally would run, Bradley stopped a few feet from the fence. Ambling up to it, he leaned on the fence and nickered, "Dad, you have to help me. I've been cursed because of what I like to do. I don't believe I deserve to be turned into a mare, but maybe I shouldn't have done what I was doing to the horses."
...On the other side the fence, his father ignored him and stared out at the pasture. After a moment, a familiar looking person joined his father. Recognising the Roma who had cursed him, Bradley nickered out, "You!" as the man leaned on the fence next to father and stared out at the field.
...Again, to his dismay his words were not heard. Moving closer, intent to try again, he stopped when his father said, "You still interested in buying Bradley?"
...The Roma nodding and his father explained, "You'll have your work cut for you breaking her. She's frisky, even for a mare at her age. Plus, she's foaling. So, you'll also likely have to deal with a newborn at some time," to which the Roma merely shrugged and replied, "The spirited the better. A foal will be a welcome addition, unless you wish to hold her until the foal has been weened."
...Still trying to get there attention, a peculiar feeling creeping over him as the two continued to talk, Bradley eventually doubled over. Gasping out, "What is happening to me," he watched as his teats grew heavy with milk and his body took on a swollen appearance. Rolling over on his side, he tried to read down to relieve the pressure building on his teats, but found that once again he had the front legs of a horse instead of the arms of a human. Whinny, "I'm sorry," over and over, the pressure building as a pain erupted in his genitals and the surrounding area like nothing he'd ever felt before and bearing down, he...
---
The Roma, well aware of Bradley's dream, watched the sleeping mare. It had been nearly fifty six years since he'd acquired Bradley and since that she had been renamed Misty, used to haul wagons, put to work helping raise the tents and had foaled at least thirteen times. Of course, because of the existence they lived in, the time really didn't matter. They could show up and it would be 1936. Or 1823. Or 2019. It was the secret to how they have lived beyond the normal time span of the average human. Sighing, another Roma, this one looking like a rather masculine man, approaching, the first Roma waited for the other to speak, knowing eventually she would.
When she finally did, asking, "Are you still sure she might be ready to try again," he didn't answer at first. Instead, he merely watched the sleeping mare, knowing that Misty's dreams had progressed to something more comforting as she experience the joys of raising and knowing her foal.
Inwardly, the Roma knew that Misty had come to some terms with what she'd done and understand that it was wrong. Playing with the charm that had finished the curse, he thought about what he would offer the mare and how it might one day help her reclaim what she'd lost and further lead her to being a better person. He knew of course that Misty could never reclaim her old life. That had been lost the moment the curse had been placed. But he also knew that there were other options.
His thoughts played out, the Roma reached for his poke and rolled a cigarette. Not lighting, he held it and after a moment, he slowly nodded and told the masculine woman, "I believe she is ready. It will be a trial basis and we'll have to watch her. Also, she cannot be made fully human. Something about her equine self will have to remain, besides her name. But, yes. I believe she is ready for the next step."
The masculine woman looking at the sleeping mare didn't say anything. Eventually the Roma turned away and started toward the breakfast tent. Falling in step next to him, the masculine woman remained silent as she walked next to the head of the clan. After a moment, she asked, "When will you undertake the ritual and will you need assistance?"