Theia got her answer a few hours later when Dmitri returned. He began to brush her down. Theia whickered her question hesitantly.
“Not to worry,” Dmitri said. “While we considered getting along without a Horse Witch, we decided that it was not safe to do so. Not with two pregnant mares. There is a nearby horse farm that was willing to lend us their Horse Witch. His name is Gelvin Warstone.”
The two mares’ heads immediately shot up. They looked at Dmitri and Theia. Dmitri moved on to cleaning Theia’s hooves. Once he was done, he put a halter and lead on her, and began to walk her to the stable where beginner horses were kept.
“Until you have earned your humanity, you will go by the name of Rain,” Dmitri instructed her. He led her to a stall with a small blackboard on the door reading “Rain”. Theia, now Rain, obediently filed into the stall. Dmitri glared at the stall next to her. “And you, sir, will be on your best behavior with her until both your punishments are complete. Otherwise, Yevgeny might just make you a gelding.”
Dmitri left. Rain looked at the inhabitant of the stall next to her. It was Thunder!
“Yevgeny decided your punishment sounded like a good fit for me as well,” Thunder said sadly. He swished his tail. “He had to place a charm upon me to guarantee I could be used for beginner riders. I do not handle beginners well.”
“Just relax,” Rain suggested. “This will all be over soon.” Thunder nodded. Rain turned her attention to the feed provided for her and began to eat. But a dread was building in her gut. This was no coincidence. They had been placed next to each other to really test their behaviors. Being Rain, the obedient beginner’s horse, wouldn’t be as easy as she initially thought. Not with the incredibly attractive stallion next door.
Back in the private stable, Sassy and Anya stomped their hooves, both panicking. The mere mention of Gelvin’s name had been enough to break the slowly weakening spell on them, and now they knew not what to do. Anya might avoid being recognized, but not Sassy. Not to mention, they were also grappling with the realization they were both pregnant.
“Calm down,” Anya whinnied. “It is bad for your foal.”
“It is bad for your foal, too!” Sassy snorted. After stomping and whinnying for a few more minutes, they slowly calmed. “Anya, what do we do?”
“I know not. My magic is not increased enough to turn either of us human.”
“Can we explain the situation to your brothers?” Sassy suggested.
“Once they return, yes. Though they have to purposefully cast a spell to understand us, as they are not Horse Witches. And they may not think to do so.” Anya swished her tail impatiently. “My sister-in-law Ellany, Dmitri’s wife, is a born Horse Witch, though not a trained one. She should understand us without using a spell first. But I know not whether or when she may come see us.”
“Anya!”
“Hush, my dear. Give me a few minutes to think,” Anya said. Sassy quieted down and waited for Anya to tell her what their next course of action would be. After a few minutes, she nodded. “I know what we will do.”