In the morning, Dmitri went to check on the mares. Anya seemed fine, whickering gently at him when he woke her up. A quick scan showed her pregnancy, which was apparently twins, to be progressing healthily as expected. Dmitri let her out into a pasture for some exercise while he checked on Sassy. To his shock, the pure white mare was...round. The same scan he did on Anya showed she was halfway through her pregnancy somehow.
Sassy was still asleep, so Dmitri quickly fetched Ellany to do a better assessment of her state. When they got back, Sassy was awake and even rounder than before. Dmitri kept her calm while Ellany assessed her.
"She is two thirds through her pregnancy. And progressing even further. Roughly a day a minute," Ellany finally said. Sassy neighed in distress. "I do not know what caused it."
"Anya transformed her," Dmitri pointed out. "Magical transformations can have unexpected effects upon pregnancies."
"True." Ellany stroked Sassy. "I think you may be correct. I do feel some of her magic influencing the pregnancy." She looked at Sassy. "You will give birth today. Likely in a few hours." Sassy whinnied in distress. "Not to worry. Dmitri and I will attend your birth. It will go even better than if you were human!" At the joke, Sassy managed a weak whinny of amusement.
Sassy was let out into the pasture with Anya. Anya immediately galloped over. The two began to talk. Dmitri turned to Ellany.
"A foal will make it more difficult to travel," he said.
"Once she gives birth, we can turn her and the foal human," Ellany pointed out.
"True. Perhaps it was for the best this happened, then. The fewer members of our party stuck in one form, the better." Dmitri sighed. "Stay with her in case she goes into labor. I will go talk to Yevgeney."
Ellany nodded. Her husband walked away. She leaned against the fence of the pasture, watching the mares. Surely Sassy would go into labor any minute. In fact, Ellany could swear that she was already rounder than she had been a few minutes ago.