The Horse in the Prince's Stables

Chp. 5

            Suddenly a thought burst into my mind.

            You fool! How did you not think of this earlier?

            Once the moon rose to it's highest peak in the sky, my curse would be broken for an hour. I had completely forgotten due to my misery. Fear clouded my mind, I would be defenseless, a lonely girl in the hands of vile horse thieves! I swallowed nervously, I was still a virgin. These men had the power to change that. I tried to slow my breathing and calm myself down. They cannot be allowed to find me!

            I nickered apologies to the horses around me as I forced myself to the center of our prison. Some had bitten at me, showing their displeasure at being aroused from sleep. Many had to shift around to find a sliver of free space and fill the gaps. I raised my head, trying to catch a glimpse of the thieves. The smoke from their campfire drifted lazily into the air, an occasional spark spiraled up and around in dizzy loops and back downwards. The men themselves I could not see. 

            I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I could hide in the center of these horses for the short time I would be a human again. It would only be an hour. Just an hour. I could avoid being detected, I knew how to remain quiet and stay invisible. It's only for an hour. 

            I can last... I can last that long...

            I waited anxiously as the moon rose higher and higher into the sky. My stomach twisted into knots and flipped around due to my fear. What if they did find me? Would they abuse me? Physically? Sexually? My mind journeyed to the darkest images, adding fuel to my panic. I trembled as I glanced up into the sky. The moon had risen to it's highest place. 

            I grimaced, squeezing my eyes closed. I felt my bones began to change and shift. The process used to be a little painful, but now it barely phased me. My tail shrunk into nothing, my hooves split and became hands with fingers and feet with toes. My long nose melted away, leaving a plain human face. The long horse torso shortened into a slender girl's body. My mane grew longer and lost it's coarseness. My velvety horse ears dwindled down into hairless and rounded human ears.

            After a minute, I stood there still shaking. I cautiously opened my eyes, expecting to be surrounded by the horse thieves who would be gaping in shock, then grinning with lust. I grasped my shoulders tightly and gasped quietly.

            It came out as a neigh.

            I clapped my hand over my mouth instantly, praying that nobody heard that. It seems that my vocal chords still hadn't quite shifted to fit a human's throat yet. In my mind, I laughed at myself for being so worried. Who would question a little whinny coming from a pen filled with horses?

            Shivering in the cool breeze, I crouched low to the ground, peering through the maze of horse legs, hoping to catch a glimpse of the horse thieves. They're voices had ceased, and their fire had burned low. It seemed like they had decided to call it a night. I managed to see one stand up, his silhouette shaking out a blanket, then settling down on the ground to sleep.

            Maybe I could help the prince escape!

            I glanced doubtfully down at myself. I had no knife, no weapons of any sort. The only possession I had at the moment, was a cotton white dress, which I was currently wearing. Matilda had sewn it for me about a week ago. The hem came to about me knees, and it had two straps that crisscrossed on my back. It was a simple dress, but I really liked it. For some reason, whatever I currently wore before I transformed back into a horse, would still remain on my human body to the next night. I felt incredibly grateful in that moment, it would not do me any good to appear naked within a group of cruel men.