In case you are expecting me to write that Catherine and I mated that night, you’ll be wrong.
Catherine did indeed engage with me in an intense snogging session, once we had undressed each other in the main bedroom of our new bungalow – and our hands did roam as we stood, as we got to know each other physically for the first time as equals. My bay-furred Lusitano centauress gave several blowing sounds, as if she was still a horse, as she felt my pecs and my toned stomach, before moving onto where my human skin gave way to my bay-coloured fur – touching my waist at the front, sides, and then finding a ticklish spot at the back, making me yelp. In turn, I did the same to her – finding that she too was ticklish in the same area. Then, with her permission, my fingers gently brushed the underside of her slim breasts, before circling in closer to her aerolas. Catherine nickered – then pulled away. She told me to shut my eyes and stay put. I found out why, seconds later, as she took a few steps and her hands played with my new equine phallus, making me neigh out loud in shock, as my eyes opened wide.
“I just…whinnied!” I exclaimed to her, gasping.
Catherine’s smiling face reappeared in my field of view. “Looks like I am already coaxing out the animal in you, Charlie!” She kissed me, slowly and lovingly. Then she turned serious. “But we do not have to mate tonight, if you are not ready to do so. We will have a long time to get to know each other intimately, after all – and I want to build up your anticipation.”
I gave a groan. “You’re going to make me chase you, aren’t you?”
She flashed a white-toothed smile at me. “Absolutely! Through the green countryside of this world. On a night when we are both ready to run.”
“How about I just retreat to a bungalow, and wait for you to come to me?” I smirked back at her.
She mock-pouted. “You’re NEIGH fun… Come on! You will need to test how fast you can go on your new hooves, Charlie. And, for that, you will need to build up your experience of walking about on all fours first!”
“Can’t argue with that.” I nodded. “Okay, so let’s use tonight to get to know where we both like to be touched – then I just want to lie next to you, and comfort you as you sleep.”
“And I want to do the same to you,” Catherine agreed. “So let us take it easy tonight.”
***
In the morning, before breakfast, using the wooden support pillar in the bedroom, I managed to rise from bed for the first time in my new form – and then I experienced my first session of taking a pee and a dump as a centaur. That was done in the communal toilets – and Catherine escorted me there, just as Robyn and Darwin showed up also. I noticed that Robyn was a little uncertain in her steps – so, from I had learned of the ways of our new kind, that meant that Robyn and Darwin also hadn’t mated during the night. If they had done so, I think that my sharper sense of smell would’ve picked it up, too.
Robyn sniffed at me, taking in my scent with her enhanced senses. She gave a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness it’s not just me who wasn’t ready to jump the gun, last night!” she declared. “I was too exhausted by the time it came to go to bed…”
“It is perfectly fine, Robyn,” Darwin spoke up, as he patted her shoulder, to reassure her. “For months, I have patiently waited for the right centaur mare for me to show up. And I now know that you are that mare. We will mate when you are ready to do so. Not before.”
Robyn smiled her appreciation, and gave Darwin a quick kiss. “Thank you, darling.”
A Caribbean-ethnic centauress was acting as toilet assistant at that time – and she used long-handled brushes to help clean each of us down, after we did our business. Robyn gave a nickering sound as her bum was wiped. I gave her a look, as the significance of the moment sunk in for us.
“Involuntary reflex… I sound like a horse,” she muttered.
“I experienced the same thing last night – in a different way,” I admitted. I turned to the Caribbean-ethnic mare, whose face reminded me of a leading Blake’s 7 actress. “Thanks,” I told her.
“No problem.” She smiled. “I should introduce myself. I’m Starlight – Steve’s mate, and Jeremy’s step-mother. I came with Steve – when he felt the need to be here, sensing that Jeremy would need us, before he arrived.”
“Ahh, right. How is Jeremy now?” I asked.
Starlight gave a little snort. “He’s on the mend, thanks. I’m glad to see that he’s now got himself a fine mare in the form of Kimberley! She’s no soft touch - she’ll work to keep him out of trouble.”
The other centaur present during toilet duties then introduced himself too. He was a hairy-chested, strong-looking stallion, with hair that matched the tone of his dark fur. Though there were some white spots on his equine chest that were arranged in a square formation. Due to having just shovelled our faeces into a manure cart, he didn’t shake hands. But his demeanour was still friendly.
“I’m Pegasus.” He nodded. “Epona called upon me yesterday, to come here from Chiron’s Grove, my home village. She wanted me to escort you new additions to our race over to there. So that we can get you all shod!”
***
The party of us who set out for Chiron’s Grove with Pegasus, after having breakfast were myself and Catherine, Imogen and Icaro, Robyn and Darwin, and Maggie and Jasper. Cindy and Tim were staying in Hylonome’s Haven with Cindy’s adoptive parents for now. And Kimberley did not want to stray far from her new mate, Jeremy, whilst his leg recovered.
The journey to the first village to be colonised by the new centaur race – our race now, I reminded myself – took the best part of the day, given that Robyn and I were getting used to our hooves and having extra legs. Imogen, Maggie, and the horse-born centaurs instructed my cousin and I on using our enhanced senses to be on the alert for potential dangers. Also, how best to utilise our muscles in order to turn quickly, also how to rear up, in order to defend ourselves with our forehooves – before they paced us as we were taught how to canter, then gallop. And even - when we encountered some hedges close to our destination – how to jump.
By the time we got to our destination, both Robyn and I were sweaty and gasping from our exertions – but our physical confidence as centaurs had increased. After getting entangled in some hedges that we at first failed to clear, mind. We embarrassing had to be pulled free by the others.
Eventually, we came across the village sign. To some of us – Robyn and myself included – it was just a series of Greek-like lettering. But Imogen was able to read it aloud, proving a side benefit of being a centaur in mind and soul.
“Chiron’s Grove,” she declared.
In the village, Maggie took us to her foster parents – who were no less than the head stallion and head mare. And she introduced Jasper as her new boyfriend to the friendly Chris and Amanda – after we were introduced in turn. With the friendly formalities over, Pegasus got Imogen, Robyn, and me to follow him to the Blacksmiths, so that all three of us could be shod. Pegasus explained that with Aiko and Helios acting as ambassadors to the Japanese haras, he was filling in at the smithy being Fred’s assistant.
And – just as at Hylonome’s Haven, there was activity inside and outside of the village – all of it being conducted by smiling, apparently-content centaurs. No horses or humans present at that time. The colts and fillies were being taught within their barn of a school. The field workers were busy with their carts and seeding the land at this time of year. The chicken, sheep, and dairy farmers were seeing to their duties. The hunting parties were out, and the wardens were guarding the approaches to the village. Birdsong filled the trees, and the sun was shining.
And soon, after hammering a set of horse shoes onto my sister’s four hooves, it was Robyn’s turn to be seen to by Fred, the paint-horse centaur. In the meantime, Catherine was conversing with the similar-looking wife of Fred, the pretty freckled redhead centaur mare called May. And a centauress called Jenny trotted over to our party and embraced me and Imogen when she heard our English accents. Turns out that she was a human-born from Coventry, before her family emigrated to the states. So, she wanted to hear what had been happening in the UK since she was teleported to Arcadia Centauri as part of the second equestrian team to arrive here.
And then Pegasus was ready with a set of horseshoes to put on my hooves. And the significance of the moment wasn’t lost on me, Imogen, and Robyn. By being shod, all three of us were accepting that we were never going to have human feet and toes again. We were physically accepting our centaur-hood. In Imogen’s case - having already mated - taking on horseshoes was like adding the loose cherry to the cake she had already eaten.
All in all, my first full day as a centaur was good. Jenny and Amanda took us newbies on a tour around Chiron’s Grove – then allowed us some rest time, directing us to some spare bungalows that had been readied for guests and visitors. And checking with Icaro and Darwin about what was happening further afield, we were informed that they hoped to build up a squad of volunteers from either of the two villages, in order to return to Pholus Prior. There to remove the bears from the town, and secure it for effective colonisation with the backup.
“So…,” Darwin said to our party, beaming. “…now that you are all hoofed and shod, it is over to yourselves as to what you want to make of your new lives. And where you wished to live them. I will stay with you, of course, Robyn. Wherever you want to be.”
Imogen, Robyn, and I looked at each other – whilst Icaro, Darwin, and Catherine flicked their tails and waited nearby. Waiting on us, as each of them would of course go where their chosen partner would travel to.
“Well…,” Imogen began, her pointed ears twitching. “I think we should stay close together, along with Cindy – if she so choses…”
“She and Tim will want to be close to me. I just know it,” Robyn agreed with a smile. “So that means returning to Hylonome’s Haven – and staying there, or travelling onwards to Pholus Prior. Personally, I want to be where I can help people the most. I lost my relief agency job, because of arrogant politicians who would rather abandon helping people’s lives and welfare, instead of tackling the real problems. What about you, Charlie?”
“I want to explore this world more, as a scout,” I answered. “But I think I can do that after returning to Pholus Prior. To help restore it to its former glory, and rebuild the trade lines. To make it a town of civilised centaurs once more. How does that sound?”
“Good enough for me. I can now hunt and mend walls.” Imogen nodded. And Robyn agreed with my suggestion too. As did the three horse-born centaurs we were now paired up with.
***
After a wonderful dinner in Chiron’s Grove, where we got to talk to more of the first centaur settlers, and a session on the cleared dining table where Imogen, Robyn, and I were teaching Icaro, Darwin, and Catherine how to play different card games – it was time to retreat to our designated guest bungalows, as the skies marked the fall of night.
But in my case, whilst Catherine trotted off to the communal toilets, I wandered off, finding myself walking along the banks of the village river, where apple trees and a meadow lay. Then, my elf-pointed ears twitched, as my now-sharper hearing heard moaning amongst the trees, away from the flame-lit torches of the village. Louder than the rushing of the waters.
“Oh, Pegasus… Wh-o-o-oa, Pegasus…!” a female voice gushed, in a musical voice. I could now see the dark shapes of two centaurs locked together in mating, as they thrusted and counter-thrusted.
I blushed, realising that I had blundered into an intimate scene between Pegasus, and his purple hair-streaked centauress - both of them fully naked. At the same time, though, I felt my malehood twitch, as I wondered what it would be like if I was mounting Ca-
I gasped as I felt a hand touch my horsey flank. Turning round, I saw my bay-furred Lusitano centauress grinning.
“Found something to get you in the mood, Charlie?” she teased me. She then walked ahead of me and wafted her lifted tail, exposing her femalehood – and the scent of her budding arousal. Then, with a cute giggle – she sprinted off, before I could stop her.
“You better go after her, Charlie,” Pegasus advised me. I swung my head back to him and his mate. They were now pulling themselves apart, with a ‘squelch’. “You’ll both feel better once you’ve mated.”
“I don’t want to hurt Catherine, if I lose control…,” I muttered.
He stood up, reached out and patted my shoulder. “You will not. I sense that you are a good soul, Charlie. Trust your new instincts, my new brother. They will guide you.”
“Okay… Er… Sorry to interrupt, by the way. It was an accident,” I said to the couple. “I wandered here by chance…”
“Or maybe it wasn’t chance. Maybe Epona guided you. To help you feel the need to get horsey,” the Australian Brumby centaur suggested with a wink. “More horsey than you already are, that is!”
“Don’t worry about Zoey and me,” Pegasus reassured me. “Go and claim your willing mare. Make each other complete! Then you will both be centaurs in mind and spirit – committed to your new kind. And you’ll able to read the language of our predecessors, as well.”
“And you pair will truly become a son and daughter of Epona, with even sharper senses. Like us. Go – don’t keep a lady waiting!” Zoey urged me. “Hope that you can make her feel as happy as Peg makes me!”
I took in their scents of love-making, then snorted them out and turned. Without thinking how to, a part of me – the animal part – began to follow Catherine’s scent as it cut around the edge of the village, leading to the lane that led north out of Chiron’s Grove. And there she was, standing just outside of the village, watching me – her tail now swishing again.
“Do keep up, slow horse-coach!” she called back to me. With a smile, she turned and began cantering into the darkness beyond the village torches.
I glanced at the nearby sentry, a Nakota centauress with dirty-blonde, shoulder-length hair, armed with a bow and quiver of arrows as well as a short sword in the scabbard tied to her. She grinned back at me. “I remember my first time as a centauress, too. It was sheer bliss. My compensation for being forced from living as a man into becoming a mare. Now, years later, I’ve not only forgiven Epona for that, I also still thank her for turning me into a centauress. I am a better person for it.”
“Wait a mo- You were a man? You’ve embraced your changes?” I gaped, thinking of Jade-turned-Jasper.
She nodded. “I am a doting mother to my filly, too.” Then she smirked at me. “You’re a good-looking Arab stallion, by the way. But I’m happily spoken for, with my hunk of a Gurkha. Now make your lucky mare proud to have you!”
“Okay. Thanks…” I sighed. I could’ve refused to play Catherine’s game, of course. Make her wait for a time and place of my choosing. But I was still a gentleman. If we mated when she became fertile, then she would become pregnant with our…foal, and bear the burden of carrying and then giving birth. So it would be childish to deny her her fun with me before that time. Whenever she wanted us to enjoy our....horseplay…together.
“After your own transformation, you’ll understand. You will gain the instincts of a horse – well, of a centaur, to be more exact. And then you will be eager to give free reign to your new inner animal.” That’s what Imogen had told me, just after she had mated with Icaro. And she was right. I was getting agitated. Frisky. I was no longer attracted to human women. No – I now felt the need to sexually bond with a female of my own, new kind. But only one particular centauress. The one who wanted and needed me in turn…
The clash inside was won by the stallion that was now within me. I nickered my growing excitement – then I duly moved and began to give pursuit, pounding my hooves into the ground and pushing my reformed body further as I explored my potential speed and agility, my two hearts pounding away, whilst I cantered away from the lane, and weaved between the scattered trees – sticking to the scent-path that Catherine was leaving for me, as she raced towards the holt before us. The holt that, I later learnt, was where Bolt, Lucy, Sandy and Jenny had all been reborn – becoming centaurs.
Sighting Catherine in the gloom before me, I pushed myself onwards - determined to claim my reward for taking my place amongst the centaur herd…