Sassy was struggling with her current role as a horse. Yes, she was a horse of high quality and beauty, but a horse nonetheless. Her new relationship with Anya had also caused her distress. Needless to say, she wasn’t used to Anya riding her in this way. But all her feelings over her situation were put in the back of her mind when Anya explained that it seemed the horse witch, Gelvin, had cursed her to turn into a horse herself.
The next morning, Sassy awoke at dawn. The night before, Anya opted not to tie the former Prince to a tree as she had been doing, and made sure Sassy wasn’t wearing any of her tack, just in case her transformation progressed so far that she no longer had hands. Sassy slowly walked over to the small lean-to Anya had constructed to sleep under. Anya had been wise to set things up so that she wouldn’t need her hands. The transformation had completed overnight.
Curled up on the ground was a palomino mare of the breed referred to as a Witch’s Pony. Sassy recognized the incredibly rare magical breed, though most would not. Anya had, long ago, shown Prince Jasper a Witch’s Pony upon learning of his fondness for horses and riding. Much like Sassy, Anya was a mare of obvious high pedigree. Anya’s golden fur was flawless and smooth, her light mane and tail silky, and her general figure the ideal. Given the rarity of Witch’s Ponies, Anya was likely worth even more than Sassy. The two of them would have to be careful to not be caught and sold.
Sassy whickered softly and nudged Anya. Anya’s tail and ears twitched. She opened her eyes, revealing they were the same brilliant blue as when she had been human.
“Hello?” Sassy whinnied cautiously. She had been able to understand the horses at the horse farm, though she didn’t talk to them. She wasn’t sure whether she could speak Horse or just understand it. Anya’s ears leaned back, flat against her head.
“It finished, didn’t it?” Anya whickered sadly. Sassy nodded. She took a few steps back so that Anya could clumsily get to her feet. Witch’s Ponies, as befitted their name, tended to be short, though those raised by the Copperstone family (one of the few producers of the breed) were the size of a horse, rather than a pony. Anya had the more common shorter height. Sassy towered over her.
“At least we can communicate now,” Sassy said hesitantly. Anya flicked her tail.
“That is one way to look at things.” Anya huffed impatiently. “I just wish I knew why that horse witch cursed me! I gave him what he wanted!” Sassy shook her head to indicate that she didn’t have any idea. “To be honest, I am glad the transformation is over with. The transitory phase was too difficult to manage. I would rather be one species or the other, not some in-between.”
Anya walked over to a patch of grass and began to graze. After a moment, Sassy joined her. When they both ate their fill, Sassy tentatively posed the question eating away at her.
“Anya, what do we do now?”