You whinny loudly once more, cursing as best you can and you hear the mare respond in kind. But somehow your transformed body can understand her, "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god," she is repeating, shying backward from you, "A talking horse! You're a talking horse," she says, loudly.
"Yeah, you too! Why did you have to grab the book you dumbass!" You neigh at her, stomping your foreleg with a loud thud.
"I'm the dumbass? What the fuck do you mean, hay-for-brains? How was I supposed to know your cursed fucking book would turn me into a horse! I can't be a horse! I have classes!"
"Yeah? I have a job!"
She laughs sarcastically, a nicker at your distress, "Just my luck, your some old creep too!"
"I'm not! I'm just 19! I graduated last year." She pauses at that and seems to focus for a second.
"Wait, your voice. You're not Beau Blue are you? The Valedictorian stuck at community college?"
You groan, "Why is that always what people bring up first. No Beau the brilliant, award-winning high school roboticist, or Beau the kind and supportive son but Beau, the guy who gave up MIT for his mom."
The two of you are interrupted then by the noise of an older woman clearing her throat. "Ahem." You both start, turning to look at her.
"No, don't speak. I can't understand you anyway." She says. "I see you found the Book of Beasts then?"
You nod your equine head vigorously, mane flying.
"Oh balls," the older woman says. She must be seventy-five, and she's fairly overweight, with white hair pulled back from her face and a cart stacked with books beside her. "I know someone in this town would fall prey to its curse, but I'd hoped it wouldn't be so soon."
You start to speak and she interrupts you. "Now, now, like I said. I can't understand you anyway. No one can, other than each other and I guess normal horses, although they don't have the best conversational skills I don't imagine. My name is Rose Gleeson, and forty-odd years ago I fell into the same trap you did here today. I was alone then and had to do it myself, so count yourselves lucky. "
She's rambling and the mare beside you, whose name you still don't know, stomps.
"Right. The Book of Beasts is an ancient artifact. I have been the librarian here since I completed my own quest, and I believe it to be a relic of a lost world. But that's beside the point. The point is that it exists to challenge people to find ways to unite their animal and intellectual selves by journeying to a sacred cave."
The mare says an unintelligible, "Bull Shit", to Rose's statement but you shush her. She glares at you and whinnies a foul epithet back.
"I suppose you think this is a bunch of mollycoddles. Well, it's not. You've been turned into horses so you may as well listen to me. At least you have legs! I was a snake, thanks for asking." She takes a deep breath, "You need to take the Book of Beasts to this ancient sacred cave and there complete three challenges to unite your base physical nature as animals, and your elevated intellect as humans."
She pauses again,
"Trips going to be easier for you since you're horses, but that's the size of it. I can provide you with a bag to carry the book and a map and directions, but that's it. Now that the book has passed to you, I am doomed to wither and die."
You let out a consoling whinny and the old woman cackles.
"Nah, just fooling, I'm going to Aruba. " She grins like the serpent she once was, and the mare complains loudly.
"Can't. Understand. You. Do you not understand English? Yo. No. Understand. Tu." The mare lets out a sigh and goes quiet. "Let's get you ready," Rose offers.
As she puts a pair of bags on your back, helping you maneuver out into the broader avenue, you finally ask the Mare her name. "I'm Claire." She says, and you laugh, "Oh shit, Claire Carmichael? Cruel Claire?" She gasps, "I'm not Cruel! I just expect excellence from the runners on the team."
You mumble under your breath, "Yeah, and they expect hospitalizations, at this point." She harumphs at you and turns away as Rose finishes tightening the straps.
"That's about all, I figure. You've got the map, and directions, and a few hundred miles to go. So go!" She slaps Claire on the rump and the lithe racing mare leaps forward through the open doors, leaving you to clatter awkwardly and heavily behind, emerging into the street.
It's late, and the streets are clear which you figure is lucky. You are able to keep an eye on Claire but she outpaces you, your barrel heaving with the effort to move your massive frame. She slows down to what seems to be a leisurely pace for her and you manage to catch up over the course of a torturous hour before she slows down and neighs. "I'm hungry!"
You survey your surroundings, an empty field, a small pond, a convenience store by a lonely road, some woods, and you tell her...