He hadn't thought of a strategy when a commander led a group of men, mostly farrier, ostlers, and grooms from stables around the port, to the gates of the corral.
"Get this lot distributed throughout the fleet," the commander said, surveying the sturdy beasts of burden penned inside the corral. "The fleet sails at dawn!"
A few quiet brays went up as the men trudged into the corral, grabbing bridles and halters to lead the animals down to the docks, but for the most part, the donkeys trotted without protest.
Except for one, which tried to dig in its front hooves as a scruffy youth tugged on the animal's bridle. He couldn't let them lead him onto one of the ships...
An older man, amused with the youth's obstinate problem, offered a clever solution. He grabbed the bridle of one of the few jennies in the corral and led her in front of the stubborn jack. The jenny huffed, sniffed the air, and urinated in front of the jack.
Laurent, initially reacted with simple disgust, but then he felt a twitch as his long, dark cock snaked out from its sheath. He felt a flow of his own piss join the pool produced by the jenny. His nostrils flared. A powerful scent kept his mind reeling.
He brayed with gusto as his cock stiffened.
"She's got his attention now," the older man laughed. "Get his bridle, boy, and follow me."
Laurent now had to be restrained from breaking free in a mad rush to get closer to the jenny. Easily led, wanting to follow the jenny and the arousing scent that emanated from her, he was led one step at a time to the great fleet moored at the docks. A great noise greeted their arrival as horses and donkeys were led up gangplanks and then eased down into the holds of the ships. The ships swayed in the gentle harbor waters and Laurent felt unsteady on his hooves and confused when the man led the jenny away from the ship.
"She'll have to go on a ship with other jennies and mares," the man said. "She'd never make it on a ship with such randy jacks the whole voyage."
He disappeared, taking the jenny with him and heading to another ship in the fleet, leaving Laurent distracted and painfully erect.
All through the night, workers loaded the ships with supplies. They had to lay in feed for both the human crew and the equine cargo. A few more unfortunate beasts were delivered to be stuffed into the crowded hold of the ship.
Eventually, Laurent, mortified at his earlier display of animal lust, calmed and listened to the commotion. The hold soon began to stink. Laurent tried to hold off, but he eventually had to let manure tumble from his backside to mix with the other foul droppings. Before morning came, he had also endured two different pissing sessions.
Before morning, more workers arrived and installed strange sling-like hammocks in the holds. Once that task was completed, they worked to shift each horse or donkey into its own sling. The devices were designed to keep the four-legged animals from injuring themselves when the the elements would inevitably toss the ships to and fro.
As a man worked Laurent into his own sling, he accidentally pinched the animal's large, heavy balls. Laurent brayed in pain and shock.
The man, more amused than apologetic, slapped the donkey's rump and told him to relax.
Laurent brayed again, but soon exhausted himself.
As dawn arrived, he could see better and saw that the hold of the ship was packed with other asses. He didn't see any horses, being ignorant of the fact that the more valuable horses were transported on other vessels, under slightly better conditions.
He fell asleep, standing on all fours, supported by the strange sling.
Just after dawn, the fleet followed the flagship out of the harbor.
Laurent didn't wake until the ship was so far out to sea that familiar land had disappeared. Not that it mattered. He could see no farther than the stinking ship's hold. He heard the creak of sails and the conversations of sailors. He flared his nostrils and smelled salt air.
A three-month voyage lay ahead of them.