Mika went back into the stable, wrestling with his conscience. The centaur seemed like a really good person. Not that Robin cared. He just wanted a nice horse, and he had ordered Mika to turn the centaur into just that. Maybe Mika could avoid the whole issue - the friendly giant might not even want to be groomed by someone else.
"Uh, sir?" He flushed slightly. "My master wants me to groom you. We have special salves and stuff that will heal your scars. I guess it would be like I was grooming a noble's horse." He added that last in hopes the comparison would make the centaur refuse. No such luck.
"Really?" The centaur looked a little amused, not annoyed. "And how much does your master plan to charge me for this royal treatment?"
"Um, nothing, sir. It comes with stall. I groom all the animals here when they come in." He winced even as he said it, but if the centaur was offended he gave no indication.
Instead, he chuckled. "If you think you can make this sorry old nag look like a noble's steed, then be my guest! But I think you'll be lucky to get much better than a plow horse."
If the centaur only knew. Mika debated telling him right out, but he wasn't sure what might happen. If the centaur killed Robin, Mika could be stuck forever like this. He decided to go ahead and get the healing and cleaning done first. The former wizard was actually curious how such things worked, and none of that would harm the centaur. The decision cheered him up and he smiled brightly. "Yes, sir!"
The paste and powder were right where Robin had told them he would be. He started with the paste, rubbing it into cracks and scuffs on the centaur's hooves, and then reaching up to smear it across old and new scars on the human upper body and face. Though the stuff tingled slightly, it did not seem to affect Mika's hands or fingers. It worked fast. By the time Mika had finished applying the salve to the centaur's face, the cracks and blemished on his hooves had vanished.
He then filled a large bucket with cold water and dragged it over to the centaur's stall before adding the powder. As soon as he did, the water began to bubble and froth, and to Mika's amazement, got very warm. The centaur watched with a curious grin, but showed no concern. "I don't know how your master can manage all this for one silver. He must not pay you anything! Do a thorough job and I'll be sure to give you a bonus."
"Thank you, sir!" Mike beamed, pleased by the offered generosity. He used an empty bucket to stand on and started scrubbing the equine back, working his way from the broad rump up to where the human torso merged with the equine body. "Uh, I can't reach your hair from here. Can I get on your back?"
"Of course!" The centaur shifted to make climbing up easier, and held still as Mika worked warm lather into his unruly black hair and beard stubble. His fingers seemed to have a mind of their own, carefully cleaning the pear-shaped ears, then sliding over the face, even delicately picking clean the broad nostrils. The froth remained covering skin, and seemed to foam within the beard and dense chest hair as Mika worked down the heavily muscled torso and arms. Curiously, the lather gave off a strong horse scent rather than any kind of perfume. Mika blinked as he rinsed the soap away, staring in amazement. The centaur's hair was glossy and somehow thicker, his skin was unmarked by any scars or blemishes, and both his stubble and body hair had rinsed off like dirt.
This last effect caught the centaur's attention and his eyes widened. "Gods!" He ran a finger over smooth skin that had previously had curly black hair over a puckered battle scar. "This is powerful magic!" But he grinned as he felt his face and examined the unbroken skin on his muscular arms.
Mika wondered how the centaur would react if he could see himself - where he had looked to be in his thirties before, the human portion was now that of a young man in his mid twenties. His face had smoothed, and while he retained the powerful physique, he had gotten leaner, younger. Still all good. Mika went back to the equine body and began working down. As with the centaur's human hair, the horse hide became glossy and perfect as he washed and rinsed. This part was easier, his stableboy mind somehow knowing just how to clean a horse. It wasn't until he was carefully picking waxy smegma from the centaur's erect shaft and feeling up inside the heavy black sheath that Mika remembered that this 'horse' might have issues with such handling. He flushed and jerked back, remembering he had already performed similar cleaning on the centaur's rump. "Sir! I'm sorry! I didn't think!"
The centaur was twisted around, watching him with an amused expression. "We both can see the need. Don't worry, lad. I am grateful, not offended for your thoroughness. In truth, I cannot remember the last time I felt this refreshed!"
Relieved, Mika went back to cleaning, washing the shaft off and then finishing up with the powerful legs and heavy feathering. In addition to becoming glossy, the formerly dusty brown hair obscuring the centaur's hooves was restored to a brilliant white. He stepped back and admired his work. The centaur looked ten years younger, impossibly perfect. Mika realized with a slight shock that the centaur WAS ten years younger, even his equine portion leaner and more sculpted.
"Last thing to do is brush you." He picked up the black-handled brush. "That will clean up any last blemishes in your coat. A perfect Shire."
Why was Mika using this word play? He felt like he should warn the centaur. So far everything was beneficial, but the brushing would eventually make this very nice person into an animal. But not right away. Mika wanted to see how this last bit worked. He could always stop as soon as he saw the centaur getting too horsey, couldn't he?