"Maybe we should wait until I turn back?" asked Nate.
"Oh, don't be such a worry wart, you'll be fine. Come on."
Matt stood up and went upstairs with Nate following behind. Matt slipped on his shoes and the two walked outside. They walked down the street to Kathryn's house. Matt stopped in front of it, taking in the sight of the fixed up house as though he were noticing it for the first time.
"Oh wow, I didn't even notice them fixing it up. Is this where they live?" asked Matt.
"Yeah, come on," replied Nate. He spotted Kathryn working in the back and walked back there with Matt following him.
Kathryn looked up from one of her flower beds and noticed Nate walking over, still a full dog. She smiled at the sight of him.
"Ahh, I see you got the ring to work. Having fun?"
"Actually, yes, I am." Nate sat down on his haunches and found himself panting.
Kathryn looked up and noticed Matt. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Matt."
"And I take it you know about our little arrangement?" asked Kathryn.
"I kind of blurted it out. I'm sorry."
"I'll forgive you this time, but be careful in the future, lest you want to spend the rest of your life as a dog," replied Kathryn.
"I will."
Kathryn held her hand out to Matt. "Give me the ring."
Matt handed it over without a second thought. "How did you know I had it?"
"I have a sense of these things." Kathryn replied. "Now then, I take it your know the arrangement I had with Nate."
"Not exactly..."
"I exchange spells for chores. For you, I have just the thing. Clear out all these flower beds. I need a place to grow things. You can pile them up in the back corner for compost. When you're finished, come see me. Nate and I will be over here waiting for you to finish."
It took the better part of the afternoon for Matt to clear out the overgrown flowerbeds. Kathryn and Nate watched from the Patio. The entire time Matt worked, all he could think about was what he wanted to be turned into. He moved from option to option in his mind, each seeming as tantalizing as the next. It helped him power through the taxing chore.
Kathryn reached over and scratched behind Nate's ears and ran her fingers through his fur, which felt so good to him. He started panting again. Matt walked over and poured some water from the pitcher on the table and began drinking it. He stopped suddenly and watched as Nate slowly transmogrified back to his human form. Nate looked over himself and stood up on his own two legs, glad to be back to his old self. He caught Matt's shocked glance.
"You're still clothed." said Matt.
Kathryn looked up. "Yep, I made it part of that particular spell. Less chance of embarrassment that way."
Nate just smiled and sat down on one of the patio chairs.
Matt returned to the chore, finished the last bit of the flower beds that ran the inside perimeter of her fence. He walked back to the two of them. "I'm all done."
Kathryn looked around at all the bare flowerbeds and was impressed. He had done an amazing job of clearing all the weeds and overgrowth. "Well, Matt, you have certainly earned yourself a spell. So, what shall it be? More muscular? More sex appeal? Or...do your desires run more exotic, like Nate?"
Kathryn secretly hoped it was the latter, those were always more fun.