"And what I want is to mount her as a bigger centaur!" Mike looked at the scruffy boy curiously. "You can really match my horse parts to hers?"
"Sure!" The boy grinned and gestured towards the open stall. "Go on in and get acquainted. I'll get my grooming tools and we'll have your horse parts fully Shire in no time."
Well, he had made his choice. Mike shuffled slowly into the stall, alert for any indication of displeasure on the part of the larger animal. Her ears perked and she swung her head around to snuffle at him, then dropped her head to rub her forehead against Mike's human waist.
"She likes you." The boy came in behind Mike and shut the stall gate. "So she doesn't get loose." he explained. The mare repeated the rub of her head. "She wants to mutually groom with you. Make a fist and rub the side of her neck up by the mane with your knuckles. She likes that."
Mike followed directions, and the mare twisted her neck and leaned into his firm massage with obvious pleasure.
"Yeah, that's the way." Liam pulled out a couple of brushes, looked at each thoughtfully, then put one back. The one he chose was obviously old, with a heavy leather strap and a wooden handle that had been worn down by the pressure of fingers. In contrast, the bristles looked new, glossy black like the mare's hide.
Tye watched them both from where he sat on the back stall wall. Neither Mike nor Liam could see him as he shook his head in disgust. Mike was already screwing things up. To be fair, Tye had changed things so that centaurs were considered nothing more than potential animals by the townspeople. Even so, the former human was making things too easy for them. And he was ignoring the warnings Tye had given him about this all being real. If Mike really believed that the magic changes he was about to undergo could be permanent, Tye doubted the centaur would be so quick to let a stranger start using that brush on him.
Liam pulled a bucket over and flipped it over to create a stool, and then stepped up to run the brush down the center of Mike's back. Nothing happened at first, but then the golden-brown hide began to darken. Mike 's eyes widened as the tingling warmth of magic sank into his skin. "That feels weird, but good." Liam chuckled as he pulled the brush over Mike's back in long, smooth strokes. "Oh, we're just getting started.."