Mike breathed hard as Liam stepped back in and patted his side. The flush of mating had left him dazed, but the stable boy's attention was comforting. It took little coaxing for him to follow the boy out of the stall and into the main area. Liam brushed him down and gave him an apple, which tasted surprisingly good. Mike felt completely at ease, and oddly fulfilled by the brief but potent sex. It was different than anything he had imagined - instinct and need completely devoid of worry or responsibility.
Liam finished up and moved to his right side. This made it easier for Mike to see him. "That's the intense part. How would you like to try the more normal life?" He gestured outside. "I could use another drafter to help pull a wagon for a while. Old Dan is already hooked up, and he's a Shire like you. Pulling the wagon would be easy with two of you. And you could see what it's like to work in a team, to partner with another horse. You'd pick up what to do real quick, and find out what it's like to be a different creature. You game?"
Mike considered it a minute, then nodded his head and whinnied. It might get boring, but he wanted to see what this strength was like. Liam led him outside to a huge wagon loaded with barrels. A black Shire, almost identical to Mike, stood patiently in the traces. The boy guided Mike next to the huge animal, which snuffled at him curiously and lipped at his neck. It only took a few minutes for Mike to be strapped in, and Liam grinned as he stepped away to admire the team. "You two make a perfect pair. Dan, you make sure to share what you know. This young fella just may like being a horse enough to hang around a while."
The other Shire whinnied and nodded his head, making Mike wonder if the animal was also someone transformed. It would be interesting to try being a horse, but he'd never want to stay one permanently. Would he? Liam jumped into the driver's seat and grabbed the reins. "Yah!" Dan started off, almost making Mike stumble, but he quickly fell into step. The wagon was heavy, but they had no trouble pulling it. Once he got the right pace, Mike found the work almost pleasant, making use of his great strength and size. They headed away from the village, apparently making a delivery to some remote farm.