Izzy's Ponygirl Journey Pt. 17

The goblins' school was hidden by a small hill behind the forest on the edge of the village; it was a flat building made of mud bricks and an old thatched roof that blended in nicely with the landscape. A low hedge framed the school grounds and also enclosed a stable and a couple of sheds belonging to the school.

"You're doing well," Grall praised Izzy, who didn't have much trouble keeping close behind Albaea. The bred pony was visibly excited and pleased to be in the lead in this little race. With every other stride, she took a small jump, which of course only slowed her down. Luckily for Izzy, Grall also refrained from using the whip, but he didn't want to win anyway; nevertheless, it was a relief for her battered bottom to get a little break.

The main gate was on the other side of the school grounds and Izzy followed Albaea down the hill. They had almost reached the bottom when a loudly screaming Kreks whizzed past them. "You're too slow, Grall!" he shouted, spurring Lisande on with hard blows. One of the blows hit Izzy on the rump as she rode past, who howled angrily.

"I'll show you!"

He kicked Izzy in the side, who immediately took off running. As soon as she started moving, she was hit with the first blow of the riding whip, motivating her to gallop faster - the time for recovery was over. She stormed past Albaea and took up the chase. "Faster. We'll catch him!" But that was easier said than done; Kreks had a good head start and the path was narrow and ran close to the hedge. Small branches protruded and cut open Izzy's arm.

They were rounding the last bend when it happened: a mole had dug a hole in the ground and Izzy stumbled halfway into it. She was lucky to avoid a fall, but her foot twisted painfully despite the sturdy ponyboot. Izzy groaned and Grall immediately jumped out of the saddle.

"Calm down, Buttercup, let me have a look first," he said, feeling her leg through the boot. Izzy whimpered at the touch.

"Nothing seems to be broken. We just need to take it easy on you and I'm sure it will heal soon." He led Izzy by her reins into the school grounds. They were both limping. "You can rest for the next few hours. We'll have a closer look when we get home." Izzy gave him a dirty look, but then she nodded. There was nothing more they could do anyway.

"It wouldn't have happened with a real rider," Biscuit sneered patronisingly. He obviously had no sympathy for Izzy's pain.

"That wasn't a fair race, you had a head start." Grall gritted his teeth.

"She's wasted on you. Now she's even limping because of you," Kreks sneered. His voice left no doubt that he still didn't really care about Izzy. Through it all, he held the whip in his hand and, even standing up, slapped Lisande's butt if she moved too much. Izzy's eyes burned with anger.

"Look how well I've already trained Lisande, soon I'll be doing the same with Buttercup." Lisande looked pleadingly at Izzy, who was almost heartbroken. Kreks looked mockingly at Izzy's bottom. "Have you finally understood how to train an animal?

Perhaps you're not a lost cause after all." Izzy growled angrily, but unfortunately that didn't impress Kreks.

Mexi had also arrived by now and pushed her way between the arguing boys. A fiery glare met Grall's eyes. "You wanted to let me win. I know Buttercup is fast, you didn't have to trick me."

Grall blushed. "No, I just wanted to ride with you for a bit. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Don't ever do that again, or else..." said Mexi and rode past him. Albaea also snorted angrily, which seemed rather comical in her case. It was hard to take offence at the white mare.

Saxea, who had so far kept to the background with Sunshine, trotted up slowly. "What a disaster," she mocked. "Do you like her? Admit it, you're in love!" The little goblin girl grinned and winked at Izzy, but Grall just rolled his eyes.

Until now Izzy hadn't thought about the fact that Saxea had to go to this school too - but it made sense, there was only one goblin school in the neighbourhood after all. Sunshine seemed a little nervous like Izzy, of course it was her first ride to school as a horse too. The two nodded knowingly to each other, waiting anxiously to see what happened next.

A goblin teacher with big glasses and a walking stick came out of the school, ringing a small bell in his hand. "Come in quickly. Tie the ponygirls to the post, the caretaker will look after your animals." The pupils tethered their horses as instructed, with Grall briefly informing the caretaker of Izzy's problem.

"Nice horse," a boy called out to Grall. "So it's true, you're finally riding. Congratulations!" Several other goblins also looked at Izzy, Sunshine and Albaea with interest before the teacher herded them into the school with a broom. Apparently new horses were not common, and three in one day was probably very unusual. Yet Izzy would have gladly done without the attention, it still made her nervous when new goblins only saw her as an animal - even if it was true.

The beginning of the first lesson not only marked the start of a new school day, it was also the dawn of a whole new day for Izzy. While the children of all ages studied hard for their future, she and the other twenty ponygirls would have to wait for their riders until the end of school. Izzy guessed that it was a daily routine for most of the ponygirls, but for her it was unfamiliar, and it wouldn't be long before it became a mind-numbing routine for her too.

The caretaker turned out to be a very small, wrinkled and, above all, stone-aged goblin, who walked towards them bent over with a short walking stick. Izzy watched him with interest as he took the first horse. He seemed to be very experienced as his first move was to bandage the ponygirl's legs - making escape unlikely. He took the horse with him and led it into the stable. Soon most of the other ponygirls had gone - including Sunshine and Albaea - and it took a while before it was Izzy's turn. That gave her enough time to take a closer look at the school building. It was an old building, older than her own former school, and had no glass windows, but there were shutters to protect the students and teachers from the weather. Thanks to the glorious sunshine, all the shutters were wide open, allowing Izzy an intimate view into one of the classrooms. The floor was made of solid clay - as always, the goblins loved to be directly connected to nature - and the students were perched on small mounds of earth with their writing utensils right on their laps. They sat in a large circle and the teacher stood in the centre and told them about the cities of the humans. Most of the students listened with interest, but Grall only seemed to have eyes for Mexi. His chin was propped up on his arm and he stared at her without blinking, which some of the other students commented on relentlessly.

Izzy rolled her eyes; once this boy was obsessed with a girl, he forgot everything else in the world. Her stomach clenched and a thousand emotions swirled around in her head. Anger, joy, jealousy, hatred, love... how many thoughts could one actually feel for a single goblin? The whip, the chastity belt, the night in the stables, his mischievous grin, the rough fingers and the realisation that he was meant for Mexi and not her...

Izzy sighed.

The shackles on her legs dragged Izzy back to reality. The caretaker untied her reins and led her slowly into the dark stable with small steps, careful not to strain her aching leg. Once there, he untied her leg restraints, opened her pony boot and applied a little ointment to the joint. "Don't put too much weight on it, it'll take a few days to heal. Don't look at me so surprised, I know you're not a bred pony. You're a girl from the village, I recognise you. Strange to see you here now, but we'll take good care of you, don't be afraid." Izzy nodded gratefully, yet she felt horribly uncomfortable that she had been recognised once again.

She lifted her gaze and looked around after her eyes had adjusted to the dimness. The stable was a small building with barely enough room for all the ponygirls. The windows were small, and the roof was low. It was not a nice place, especially not as pleasant as the classroom, and to make matters worse, although he took off her saddle - under which her hands were now additionally tied as usual - Izzy was now, like all ponygirls, almost completely naked. Only her chastity belt gave her some privacy, and she was almost grateful for this terrible construct. There was some food and water in a corner, but as the horse bit remained in - as did the ponytail - eating and drinking wasn't much fun.

But Izzy had another goal, and it was already looking at her for help. Lisande was waiting at a window and neighed with relief when Izzy pressed against her. Shaking hands was out of the question anyway, even a normal conversation was impossible. But they both knew what it was all about: Kreks and the suffering that Lisande had to endure at his hands. Sunshine also joined them and gave Lisande a friendly nudge. Despite the horse bits in their mouths, they soon found a common language of neighs, deep looks and the occasional letter that they drew in the straw with their hooves.

It turned out that Lisande's reality was even worse than Izzy had feared. Her stall was tiny and bitterly cold at night, plus Kreks' riding gear was deliberately uncomfortable and his riding style harsh and cruel. It was obvious he wasn't just trying to make her compliant; his aim was to break her completely. Lisande begged Izzy in every way she could to help her, but what could a ponygirl do but feel pity? It was the fate of horses to be at the mercy of their owners and riders.

Another thought slowly but relentlessly crept into Izzy's mind: despite everything that had happened, she had been very lucky with her owner - the thought still felt wrong - after all. Grall was young and wild - and he often didn't think before he acted - but he never acted out of cruelty. The whip was unwelcome to Izzy, but even she recognised how useful it often was, but apart from that he cared for her lovingly. And yet, above all, he was now her owner, or soon would be officially; and her rider, who had once been her friend.

The remaining ponygirls spread out in the communal stable and dozed off standing or sitting. Izzy marvelled at this ability to completely surrender to doing nothing, but she quickly became bored. She looked out of the only window and watched the birds in the trees as time passed at a snail's pace. Only Albaea provided some diversion. She kept joining Lisande, Sunshine and Izzy like a playful puppy, where she was often completely blind to when she was interrupting. She seemed to have chosen Izzy as her new big sister and absolutely nothing could change that. Sunshine in particular seemed deeply irritated by the bred pony; her naive playfulness didn't fit in at all with Sunshine's rather rebellious nature, who accepted her life as a ponygirl, but certainly didn't view it with the same devotion as the snow-white ponygirl did. Sunshine always turned away from her, but Albaea seemed to see this as a game and gave the grumbling mare even more of her undivided and highly energetic attention.

The school break brought new life to the courtyard. The goblin students fled noisily from the actually very nice classrooms and filled the courtyard like a green plague with laughter, teasing and a real playfulness that Izzy wouldn't have believed some of the goblins had. Grall also came storming out with Mexi, but Kreks was hot on their heels.

"Leave us alone!" hissed Grall. Izzy pricked up her ears.

"Not until you've listened to me!" Kreks snapped, grabbing Grall roughly by the shoulder. "What's so bad about a race? Are you afraid you'll lose?"

Mexi crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Get lost, Kreks, we want to be among ourselves."

"You can smooch around later," said Kreks - and Saxea, who was listening to everything from a safe distance, giggled. "Still, I'm right. Lisande has only just become a riding horse, but thanks to me she's already faster than Buttercup. You wouldn't stand a chance."

Grall wiped Krek's hand off his shoulder and put his arm around Mexi instead. "Too bad we'll never find out." He led Mexi to the stable and they stood in its shadow, right under the window. It wasn't a visit to Izzy, she quickly realised, the house only provided a good cover - but she still listened carefully. "He's a really annoying idiot sometimes."

"That's what people say about you too."

"Only the people who know me." Grall sniggered. "Why is it so important to him who's faster?"

Mexi rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, he just wants to tease you. He's jealous, that's all. Don't you have more important things to do?"

Grall looked at her in confusion, then he understood. Izzy turned away, she wanted to give them some privacy, even if they both didn't care. Albaea was less restrained, she pushed Izzy aside and watched her master unabashedly and free of any shame. Izzy regarded her thoughtfully; had mum always been as much of an animal as Albaea, or was this an outlier? What did such a long breeding line do to a human like her - or even herself?

A loud shout from Lidea across the yard separated the two, obviously to Grall's displeasure. Izzy headed for the window and neighed until Grall opened the window wider and took the horse bit from her mouth. "We can't talk here, I can't speak to my horse here," he reminded her.

"Thanks for reminding me, I'd totally forgotten about that. I was wondering why they put a ponytail up my butt!" Izzy explained sarcastically. "Listen, we have to do something for Lisande. She can't stay with Kreks, he's cruel!" Lisande agreed, whinnying, and Sunshine nodded too. Albaea stood a little further back in the stable; it was obvious that she was uncomfortable with a horse-to-rider conversation.

"That's not possible, she belongs to Kreks, or rather his father. I don't like what he's doing either, but there's nothing I can do."

"You'd better think of something. You said I could trust you. Prove it. Show me that you really care about a tortured ponygirl. Earn my trust," she said brusquely. Albaea neighed uncertainly, she was probably not used to an animal making demands - that was even worse than speaking. Her hooves trampled nervously on the straw floor and her eyes were as big as tea plates.

The little greenling was silent for a while before finding an answer. "That's not fair of you." He was right about that, Izzy knew that too, but the wretched sight of Lisande did not leave her heart untouched. "Well, I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise you anything. What he's doing is legal." Lisande stood next to the window and sobbed a little.

"Promise me you'll take it seriously."

"Is it really that important to you?" asked Grall.

"Absolutely serious. No matter what it takes, you have to help her."

"I promise you!" With that, he put the horse bit back in Izzy's mouth, stroked her and Lisande's cheek once - and ruffled Albaea's hair, who whinnied and fought her way to the window - and closed the window. Only Sunshine had stayed in the background; Izzy had often noticed that she only accepted Saxea, while the other goblins were still not very popular with her. Grall walked around the school, visibly thoughtful, and Izzy realised with a grumble that he hadn't even asked about her leg.

The rest of the school day was as boring as the first half. While the students concentrated on their lessons, the ponygirls had nothing to do but wait. The sun was already high in the sky before the caretaker struggled to push open the old stable door. The weathered wood swept aside the loose straw and fresh air flooded the small, stuffy room. Izzy was standing in a corner with Sunshine, Lisande and Albaea; the four of them were dozing peacefully, leaning against each other and blinking at the bright light coming in.

The caretaker took one of the ponygirls out at a time, saddled them up and tied them again in front of the school so that the students could ride home. That was what the ponygirls were there for after all; it was their purpose to be a means of transport for the students, that was the only reason they were here in the first place. It was still a strange thought for Izzy, partly because it made her own time seem so insignificant. Waiting for hours so that a child had to spend a few minutes less on the way to school seemed utterly silly to her, and yet it was the reality of this place.

Albaea was jumping around so excitedly that the caretaker gave her priority treatment, followed later by a very unhappy Lisande, Sunshine and finally Izzy, whose leg was still hurting. The teacher opened the door and let the students out. One by one they jumped down the small staircase; most of them ran from the yard on foot, while others mounted their horses and rode off. Saxea also ran to Sunshine, both greeting each other with an affectionate kiss on the nose. Only Mexi and Grall were nowhere to be seen, instead Izzy heard a loud discussion from the door. Before she fully understood what was going on, Kreks flew down the stairs. He had a black eye and was rubbing his head, but he quickly picked himself up and seemed ready for a fight. His small fists were aimed at Grall, who was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at him with a burning gaze.

"You're a coward, Grall," the other boy shouted.

"And you've got a big mouth, but I'll shut it if you don't stop!" hissed Grall with clenched fists, Mexi barely able to stop him from jumping down to Kreks. "Besides, it's not about that stupid bet. You should stop telling your lies!"

"It's not a lie, I'm sure of it. We can all see the way you look at her. And she looks at you. No, there's something going on between you and Buttercup!"

Izzy stomped off in horror, Grall had also turned red again. The remaining ponygirls - apart from Albaea and Lisande - neighed in disgust at Izzy, who gave them a dirty look in return. Even Sunshine grimaced, even though she stayed silent.

"I would never touch an animal like that!" shouted Grall. That was the truth, Izzy knew, unless he was forced to, but the disgust with which he had said it was still hurtful. Did he really feel that way, or was it the accusation of breaking such a well known taboo that he was so angry about? It was considered unthinkable among the goblins to have an intimate relationship with a human, especially a ponygirl; still, it was one thing to know a rule, but quite another to have it thrown at you with such fervour. He turned his head briefly towards Izzy and his gaze softened. There was something apologetic in his eyes.

"There's that look again! Disgusting. Prove she's really just an animal to you and get in on the bet!"

"Shut up, Kreks, my brother's not like that," Saxea hissed from Sunshine's saddle. She clearly towered over the older goblin boy, but he seemed unimpressed.

"You have no clue! Are you telling me they're never alone? Has he ever slept in her stable?"

"Yes, but..." Saxea stuttered. Izzy swallowed. She had hoped that no one on the farm had noticed.

"There you have it. Grall, what do you say?" shouted Kreks. A mean grin split his face in two ugly halves.

Mexi stroked Grall's arm gently, but he was still looking at Izzy, and Izzy at him. Their eyes kept meeting and there was something about it that Izzy didn't like. What was he up to? It was obvious to her that he was struggling with a decision; what was he thinking about?

"I don't have to prove anything to you. And to no one else here!" Grall finally shouted. His gaze briefly jumped to Lisande, then he said more calmly. "Buttercup is my horse, and she means a lot to me, but what Kreks says is a lie. But I'll take the bet. After this, you'll never talk such bullshit again!"

"When it's over, my lips are sealed. I promise!" Kreks pulled at his ears, which among goblins was considered a sign of an important oath, even if it looked very silly to Izzy. Kreks really meant it. That sealed the deal.

Grall gave Mexi a kiss on the cheek as he went past and ran wordlessly to Izzy. He loosened her reins, jumped into the saddle after a "Tack!" and gave her the spurs before Mexi could say anything. Izzy limped from the yard, but Grall hardly seemed to notice. Although he spared her the crop, his shaky hands roughly guided the reins as he kept giving her the spurs. Something was very wrong, Izzy realised, but what had just happened?

Why had Kreks claimed this nonsense and what was this ominous bet? It was only after five minutes - they were already deep in the forest - that he stopped, clumsily climbed out of the saddle and ordered her with a weak "Zhrak!" to kneel in a waiting position, which she did out of instinct.

Izzy watched him confused. She too was trembling at the accusations - and also because she herself was still unsure how she really felt about Grall - but something about him was different.

Grall had leant against a rotten tree and began to sob terribly. Tears ran down his face. A deep pain ran through Izzy's heart: her - former - best friend was sitting so close and crying, but she couldn't help him; their roles in life were like a wedge between them. She would have loved to comfort him - despite all the trouble of the last few days - but with her arms under the saddle, she couldn't even hug him. With a ponytail up her butt, she was probably not made for comforting a goblin, she thought bitterly. Above all, she was puzzled by her own calmness - it was she who was the animal waiting for her rider, yet he seemed helpless and vulnerable in this situation. Was that a sign of strength, or had she already distanced herself so far from him that his tears no longer touched her as much as they used to?

She shook her head slowly. No, it wasn't that. Even if she hardly admitted it to herself, she was actually upset too; it was more of a deep tension that made her almost silent at the moment - but she felt that could change at any moment.

After a particularly loud sob, he wiped his face dry. "I did something really stupid," he said in a brittle voice. "Kreks really wanted to have a race. Him against me, you against Lisande. I didn't want to, but he started telling his lies."

Izzy lifted her head and snorted angrily. She didn't want to become part of a stupid bet, or race for the entertainment of goblins. She felt the tension turn to anger. What was he thinking! Grall, you're an idiot, she thought. She couldn't tell him through the horse bit, but no doubt her eyes revealed her thoughts all too clearly.

Grall lowered his head and gulped. "That wasn't all," he whispered, turning away as if he could no longer look her in the eye. "It wasn't a normal bet, there was a stake too. I didn't really want to do it, but then I thought about what you said about Lisande and... I wasn't really thinking it through. He knew exactly how to make me angry. He set a trap for me and I walked right into it. The worst part is that I forgot about your leg. I was so sure you were going to win..."

Slowly, Izzy's anger gave way to deep concern. It wasn't the first time Grall had made a stupid mistake, but it had never made him cry so much. It had to be something bad, and she guessed the answer to the unasked question even before he opened his mouth again. But she had to hear it from him. She formed a word around the horse bit with her lips.

He nodded slowly. "We bet on Lisande." He shivered. "And on you. The winner gets both horses."

Izzy neighed and jumped up. Her leg protested, but she ignored it. She tried to say something, and finally Grall took the horse bit out of her mouth. "You dumbass, you should be helping Lisande, not surrendering me to Kreks!" hissed Izzy shrilly. "Besides, I don't belong to you, I belong to your father. You have to cancel the bet, I can't win with my damaged leg."

"I can't do that, everyone has heard that I've accepted. For my father, bets are sacred. Once made, they must be honoured. He'll punish me severely if I lose you, but he'll give you up anyway. You know how he is. He loves you, but he also sees me as a ponygirl and will do what he thinks is right. I've held it against him that you don't sell family, so you can imagine his reaction when I tell him now that I bet you."

Izzy bit her lip. She had wanted to help Lisande, and once again her willingness to help had blown up in her face. Maybe she should stop trying to help others, Izzy thought, but she knew all too well that it was probably just too much in her horse's blood. She turned pale and slumped down into the moss. "What happens next?

"We'll ride home and get you ready. The race is in three days, so we don't have much time. We have to concentrate on your leg. Remember, if we win, you'll both be safe." He was about to climb back into her saddle, but Izzy turned away from him and stayed seated. "Tack!" he said irritably.

Izzy shook her head. "Not so fast. There's something else we need to talk about. I mean, what Kreks said..." Now it was Izzy's turn to gulp loudly.

Grall avoided her gaze. "You want to know if I love you?" Izzy noticed his cheeks blush and she unconsciously did the same.

"Do you?"

"Of course!" he said without hesitation, but he didn't look her in the face. Something was wrong, Izzy realised. She waited impatiently until he finally continued: "I love you, with all my heart. More than a goblin has ever loved a ponygirl - or a human. But... it's not that particular kind of love - that way I love Mexi. You're..."

"A pet?" asked Izzy, immediately hurt, though he hadn't even implied that.

"No, it's different."

"Like a sister?" Izzy asked, and the tremor in her own voice didn't escape her either.

"Not like my stupid sister either," he replied, grinning again. His red eyes were a stark contrast to that. "Of course I love Saxea, but it's different with you." He was visibly desperate to find the right words. "In the end, doesn't it matter how I love you? You are important to me. You always have been. I'd go to hell and back for you if I had to. And you, do you love me after everything that's happened?"

Izzy knew this question had to come, but she had no answer. She dusted off the deepest corners of her soul, dug into hidden depths that she herself had almost forgotten, and looked at more than one precious memory from a new perspective, but nowhere was the answer to be found. So she had no choice but to listen to her heart. "You're... I think I'm..." she paused for a moment. "You're the only goblin I'll ever love." It wasn't an easy answer for her, but it was the truth. "But... I guess you can't give me what I need." She nudged him as he laughed filthily. "That's not what I mean! Well, not just... but I need a human, I guess. Or maybe not, it's all so confusing."

Grall exhaled deeply and sat down next to Izzy in the moss. "So you're not jealous about Mexi then?"

"Hell no! She's the best thing that's happened to you in a long time!" She gave him a little bump with her head that almost made him roll off the moss.

"You're right, I'm very lucky with you two. I'm marrying Mexi, and you're getting my brand." He stuck his tongue out at her teasingly, knowing exactly how she would react.

"Careful, don't take it too far. But if you don't love me like that, what's with the chastity belt? I thought you were jealous of Titan."

"Maybe I am," he admitted to her surprise. "But you really have changed. It's just to protect you. There's no evil thought behind it, that's the truth. Are we friends again now? After all, we've just confessed our love for each other."

But to his disappointment, Izzy shook her head. "I guess love is sometimes illogical and painful. I'm not ready to be friends again yet. Not as long as you still have so much power over me. You know I'm right, you just bet me!" Her voice had become sharper, and Grall bowed his head.

"When the race is over, everything will change. You'll see, I'm a man of my word. We'll win and free Lisande - then we'll finally be friends again."

"But first you go to Mexi and tell her that you love her. I swear to you, if you mess up with her, I'll kick you to the mainland!"

"You're right, I should show my love more clearly." He leaned forward and gave Izzy an intense and long kiss on the mouth. Only his tongue held back, but his rough lips pressed tightly against hers.

She looked puzzled into his eyes after the kiss. "What was that about?" she asked uncertainly. Everything had seemed clear until just now, and now she was as confused as she had been at the beginning.

"So that you never forget how much you mean to me." He smiled warmly and licked his lips. "I just have to find a way to explain all this to her. You're sure you can live with the fact that I love Mexi?"

She grinned broadly. "She's nice - much nicer than you, actually - and a good match for you. Hopefully I'll find someone who suits me that well, too." His taste still lingered on her lips.

"A nice stallion, perhaps?" joked Grall, but Izzy just rolled her eyes, yet she didn't refute him. This was not what she imagined love to be, but the thought alone had an effect on her. Apart from that, it was good to have spoken to Grall. Her problem was not solved, but the certainty that Grall felt so much for her gave her a feeling of security. Especially because she believed him without any doubt. He wasn't fooling her, she knew that; he wasn't perfect, but who is, Izzy thought, and let him climb into the saddle.

For a moment, the future seemed brighter again, but then she thought of the bet, and the dark clouds gathered on the horizon again. In three days' time, her future would be decided. Either a friend would be waiting for her afterwards to help her regain some freedom, or Kreks would show her the darker side of life as a ponygirl.

Back at the farm, Pexo lovingly tended to Izzy's leg. It was swollen, but the medicine eased the pain. Nevertheless, the race was close and it was foreseeable that she would not be fully recovered by then. In full health, she would no doubt have left Lisande far behind, but now that was no longer so certain.

That evening, Izzy heard Oozol shouting at his son half the night for this stupidity, although he was probably more concerned with business than with Izzy. He obviously wasn't a big fan of his son losing a ponygirl on a bet, especially one as valuable as herself.

But for Izzy, it wasn't about money, it was about her freedom - her whole future. But it wasn't just her freedom that was at stake, she also had to be strong for Lisande. If she won, they would both be safe, but if she lost, they would face a bleak future together.

Izzy stood in her stable and thought hard - the night was still young and the sun had only just disappeared behind the mountains - when she heard soft footsteps outside her stable. The door was opened carefully and Pexo beckoned her out.

This was very unusual, but Izzy did as he asked. He didn't even have a lead for her, instead he simply waved her behind him, like a good friend to whom he wanted to show an exciting secret hiding place. That was nonsense, of course, but Izzy was curious and a little excited about what he wanted to show her. Finally, he stopped in front of Titan's stable and Izzy's jaw dropped. She neighed excitedly. Pexo winked. Izzy looked around in confusion, but there was no-one else to be seen - just Pexo and her in the yard, and Titan in his stable, she smelled. It was a strong and pleasant odour, exciting and inviting.

Pexo opened the stable door and stepped aside. He gave her the choice. This wasn't breeding, it wasn't forced, it was an offer she could refuse. But she was already standing in the stable and heard the door close behind her before she had finished thinking. Her body had answered for her. Pexo closed both halves of the door. Suddenly it went dark.

All was silent for a moment, then Izzy heard the familiar sound of Titan rising from the straw. Although she had come to the stable voluntarily, she was nervous at the thought. He was big, almost enormous even compared to her; and in more ways than one. She heard his rapid breathing and his approach. There was the sound of the chains again, so Pexo hadn't untied him from the wall; that left Izzy with a retreat if necessary.

The big stallion came closer and closer until she could feel his breath on her neck. She stood with her back to him and he pressed lightly against her. His muscles quivered on her back; they were hard and hot. She shivered in a pleasant way. His scent was overwhelming, clouding her senses and making her head feel light and terribly heavy at the same time. She felt him getting excited, his hardness pressing against her soft butt, the contrast of the two igniting a fire between her legs.

How much she had longed for this moment, more than she had ever dreamed of Bastian. Titan had dominated her dreams for days, he was a perpetual presence in her thoughts. Had she become so much of an animal that this was necessary for her to feel pleasure? Or was it simply because of how undeniably more masculine Titan was compared to all the other men in the village?

Like herself, Titan also had a horse bit in her mouth, so kissing was out of the question. Not that horses were known for that anyway, and yet she longed for it. She felt her knees slowly soften, but then Titan took a few steps back and neighed.

Izzy looked over her shoulder into the darkness and understood. He wanted her to come to him. She was to be a good mare and come to her stallion, let him mount her at her own will and devotion. It was a game of power and he knew he held the better cards. He wanted to dominate her, and deep down she wanted it too. Izzy sighed, at that moment she probably would have done anything. She turned away from him again and took a few steps back, deeper into the stable and butt first to a stallion that wanted to pleasure himself on her.

How much more of an animal could she become, she thought, but in the end it didn't matter. She needed him. And he needed her.

Titan was now pressing against her for good. His chin was above her head, and she felt terribly small and weak. He must weigh almost twice as much as she did - and he didn't have an ounce of unnecessary fat on his body. He bent his knees a little and pressed his magnificent body between her legs, then neighed in displeasure.

Of course, Izzy cried to herself, she was still wearing the chastity belt! Then Grall had probably been right about her needing it after all, if not for it she would certainly have marched back to her stable that night with a foal under her heart. Her other gate was also sealed with the ponytail, and her mouth filled with the bit. Whatever Titan could have of her, her innermost was denied him, at least for this night. But that didn't seem to upset him much. He gave Izzy a little push and she landed on her knees. She understood what he wanted. She was an animal and so she had to give herself to him; and to make matters worse, it wasn't entirely unwelcome. It was honest, pure and somehow also very arousing.

Just a few days ago, such a move would have been unthinkable for her, but something about the conversation with Grall had changed her. She now knew that he loved her, but in a way he had also released her, just as she had released him. They could love each other in a pure way that was not in competition with their love and lust for others. Their love was not exclusive, and therefore probably particularly deep.

While she was thinking far too hard, Titan was only focussed on himself. His arousal dripped slightly from his hard steel and as he rubbed between Izzy's legs, it was enough to slide between her thighs. It was no substitute for the real experience for Izzy - which she had not yet been granted - and yet it was unique. Feeling him, smelling him, knowing he was behind her and above her almost took her mind away. He rubbed himself further and further between her thighs, close to the metal that hid what longed so much for him. But it was still overwhelming for Izzy. When he finally spurted between her legs against her stomach and breasts, she almost collapsed under the sensation.

Her heart raced in her chest and she lay down on the fresh straw with him, exhausted. Although he was a stallion, he could not be accused of being cold-hearted. He pressed himself against her from behind and his closeness soothed and warmed her. They were almost asleep together when the door opened once more - albeit only the top half. Izzy looked out and the moonlight shone on Grall, who looked down at her with a warm smile. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to.

They both knew that Izzy had taken another step in the life of a ponygirl, but even he recognised that she felt no remorse in doing so. Yet another thought flashed through Izzy's mind as she looked at Grall's silhouette against the moonlight: who was it that was looking back at her? Was he her friend, happy for her to enjoy a night of fun; or was he her future owner, giving his mare a taste of her future? Was there even a difference?