Mike stepped out of the stall quickly and was surprised to see Brian without a weapon and a hat pulled down over his ears. He looked like a human boy, though you could pick out elven features if you really looked hard. He had to stifle a greeting, remembering that he wasn't supposed to know Brian.
The disguised elf looked around. "Uh, I was looking for a friend of mine. A big centaur? Did he come in here?"
Here was his chance to tell Brian the truth, maybe get out of here. But even as he thought that, Tye appeared behind Brian waggling a finger in warning. "Uh, yeah. His name is Michael, right?"
Brian blinked, obviously surprised. "He told you that? Uh, yeah. That's his name. He came into the village a few hours ago, and we.. uh, I was getting worried."
"Yeah, he came in here." Mike decided to stick to the truth as much as he could. "Told me he wanted to be a stallion, so I made him into a Clydesdale."
Brian stared. "Huh? You turned him into a horse?"
"He asked me to. I can show him to you if you like. You can talk to him yourself."
Mike had been wondering what he could do - Brian was an elf, not a centaur. He wasn't part animal at all. But then he discovered he had the stable boy's knowledge, and a plan popped into his mind.