Izzy's Ponygirl Journey Pt. 19

"Where are you looking at?" Matheus asked his daughter, who turned to him briefly. She looked back at the hill, but Bastian was gone.

His face, however, was burnt into her retina and would probably remain so for a while. She had expected anything, but seeing curiosity in his eyes had thrown her completely off balance for a moment. Of course, there was the familiar look of disgust that she was all too used to seeing in people, but curiosity? What had he expected from her life after seeing her as a horse in the school lesson? And why was he interested at all? What had he been doing on this hill when no human ever came here - except as an animal. If he wanted to see her humiliation, why this reaction?

Izzy blinked and remembered that her father had asked her something. She tilted her head and mumbled something until her father finally got the idea to take the horse bit out of her mouth. "It's... I've seen Bastian."

Her father scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's not like no one amongst the humans knows what happened to you. But I understand why it makes you uncomfortable. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not today," Izzy replied, but before she could say more, Kreks had woken up and was obviously in a fighting mood.

"This isn't over yet! I'm going to get Buttercup, you'll see!" But to Izzy's astonishment, it wasn't Grall who knocked some sense into him, but his father. He slapped him hard on the back of the head and hissed: "Haven't you brought enough shame on you and me yet? Forget this horse already, it will only bring you bad luck. No horse is worth that." He dragged his shrieking son behind him by the ear, and Izzy could only hope that was the end of the matter.

"What are you looking at me so strangely for?" asked Matheus as Izzy focussed on him again.

"Did you leave the horse bit in with my mother if you didn't want to listen to her, too?

Matheus suddenly blushed. "Well... maybe sometimes. She must have felt the need in her later years to make up for everything she couldn't say before. She was an angel, but the horse bit was occasionally a blessing." He looked at her guiltily, but Izzy just grinned. Her father was a good-natured man, and she could well imagine her mother accepting it just for his sake, to keep him happy. "Anyway, I'll go congratulate your rider."

"You really are the fastest horse in the whole neighbourhood," Grall slurred. It must have been his third beer, and the spontaneous celebration was only just beginning. Word of the victory had spread quickly among the goblins - even among those who weren't interested in horse racing. The celebration was spontaneous; everyone brought something, a small group played music and the rest danced, celebrated and laughed. Izzy and Lisande were extremely popular, they were always being given treats and stroked, but they were still not guests: they stood - together with Albaea and Sunshine - tied to a post at the edge of the square and could only watch the hustle and bustle. Izzy hadn't expected anything else by now, but at least they had been treated by a vet beforehand and given a few medicinal herbs so that they were no longer in pain.

Lisande had become visibly more relaxed since the race, now that she had realised that her life was back on a better course - even if she would remain an animal for all time.

"You deserve a reward, my sweet. What do you want?' said Grall, taking the horse bit from Izzy's mouth, which had been reinserted in the meantime.

She stretched her jaw and relished the freedom. "You promised me that I could be human again. You owe me something for this trouble here. I want to be human among humans again. But not here, too many people know by now that I'm..."

"That you're a horse? Fine, fine, if that's what you want, we'll do it together. I promise! We'll travel a bit further away, where people don't know you."

"Can't I go alone?" Izzy asked sharply.

Grall raised his hands in defence. "Yes, but I also have to take a few things to the bank, and I thought you'd like to do something with me again. As friends, of course."

"Friends don't bet each other," Izzy reminded him, grumbling slightly.

"Won't happen again." He turned to Lisande, swaying. "Welcome back. You did well at the race, congratulations. Nice of you to lose, though." He hiccupped. "After the party, you'll be in a nice, clean stable. Strange, last week I didn't have a ponygirl, now I'll soon have two." Lisande neighed uncertainly.

"Do you look after your horses?" asked Oozol in a warm voice. He obviously liked his son in this role; not unusual for a man who wanted to inherit his farm at some point. "It's good if you practise."

Grall crossed his arms in front of his chest and Izzy guessed what would follow. "While we're on the subject of experience with ponygirls, you could use a little practice too," he said in a voice loosened by alcohol. "Your training methods are bad. Bad, bad, bad!" Mexi listened in the background and nodded.

"What?" asked Oozol surprised. "You want to teach me a lesson about ponygirls?" The old goblin puffed himself up, but Grall stabbed him in the chest with his finger so hard that his father literally ran out of breath.

"Exactly like that! Admit it, you're afraid you'd like a ponygirl as much as Buttercup's mother again. That's why you haven't had a steady horse for all these years." Grall waited for his father to say something, but he just looked at him with wide eyes. "Gotcha! You need your own ponygirl again so you don't forget what it's all about. And as luck would have it, I've got one here! You need to change a few things about yourself, and that's a good start." He attached a lead to Lisande's horse bit and handed it to his father, who continued to look at his son speechlessly. "Have fun. And no excuses. Lisande is your permanent ponygirl now. Be good to her - she's mine and I'll be really angry if you're not nice to her!"

Izzy watched the spectacle in silence and admired Grall's courage in standing up to his father. Even though Oozol was rather small for Izzy, she also had respect for him - and not just because of the whip.

Oozol kept looking from his hand to Lisande and back. "That's... you never cease to amaze me, my son," he finally said, scratching Lisande's head. "All right, I'll give her a chance."

"No, I'll give you one," Grall said, chuckling. Another small beer had disappeared into his stomach. "She'll serve you well, I'm sure of it. How about you take her for a ride right now?"

Oozol swung himself into the saddle and actually took Lisande for a short ride, and Izzy couldn't help but smile as he did so. Although Oozol had all the horses in the world at his disposal, something seemed to have changed for him. Perhaps he really hadn't got over her mother all those years, Izzy mused, and Lisande was now a new beginning for him. The connection of goblins to their ponygirls would probably remain a mystery to Izzy forever; the strange mix of submission and affection - at least among the good goblins - just didn't make much sense if you weren't a goblin.

The party then continued to develop splendidly. Luckily for Izzy, there were no humans to be seen, but that was little consolation after Bastian's gaze from the hill. Hundreds of goblins already knew her as a ponygirl, she was registered and even living that life, and it was only a matter of time before the last human knew about it. A way back seemed increasingly difficult, even if Grall agreed. It was a depressing thought, but she wasn't ready to give up hope just yet. There was always a possibility, no matter how unlikely it seemed. Even if Grall was now her friend again, it was still the life of a ponygirl, and she didn't want to rule out the possibility that one day she might have to take a more extreme step. But how far would she have to travel before no one knew her anymore and she would no longer be returned to the goblins - and her owner?

Late in the evening, Izzy was taken to the stables with Lisande. They shared a stable for the night and, to their surprise, both had their horse bits taken out of their mouths on Grall's orders. They talked excitedly until the morning. As expected, Kreks hadn't told Lisande about the bet or the conditions, instead he had threatened her with a severe punishment if she lost.

"He tricked me," Lisande grumbled. "You almost got caught too!"

"It doesn't matter now, he can't hurt you anymore," Izzy reassured the other mare. "You're Oozol's horse now." She bit her lower lip. It still felt strange to say something like that to another human, but yet it was the truth. Like Izzy herself, Lisande was a horse, and Grall had every right to lend or give her away like that. As the hours passed, they found new topics and eventually Izzy dared a peek at Lisande's butt, something she had strictly avoided until now. She already knew from shy glances out of the corner of her eye what she would find there, and yet it felt like a harbinger of her own future.

It was a brand.

Krek's mark was emblazoned on the pale skin and would forever remind Lisande of her former owner.

"Did it hurt much?" Izzy asked cautiously.

"Are you asking out of pity, or because you're unsure when you'll get yours?"

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "That's not going to happen!" she said seriously, although of course she knew it might not be her decision forever.

"If you have any say in the matter," Lisande said. "The branding was terrible. It's one of the worst things the goblins can do to us. And they're so terribly proud of it. You'll see, Grall will press the hot brand on your ass with his own hands."

"Never!"

Lisande laughed out loud. "You're sitting here with a tail stuck in your ass and you really think it's up to you? It's all right, you'll survive. Still, I've never quite understood why they're doing this to us. I've seen ponygirls with multiple brandings. What's the point?"

Izzy shrugged her shoulders. "I think they just like to see us with their mark. Especially if it's forever."

Lisande looked at Kreks' mark. "Forever..." She swallowed. "Do you think Grall will give me his brand? Or Oozol?" She shivered, but Izzy didn't know the answer to that.

In the morning, Lisande was taken out of the stable first - her wounds were already well again thanks to the medicine - while Izzy was freed from her bridle and got her dress back. Her leg was a little better by now, but she was still left in the pony boots to protect it further, but Pexo removed the horseshoes. The boots disappeared almost completely under her dress, only those who looked closely could see them. It was strange for her to be able to swing her arms while walking again after such a long time. Some other things were also unusual, her ponytail was missing, even her head felt unusually light and free without a bridle. There was only one thing that still bothered her. Izzy reached between her legs, undid the last straps and threw the chastity belt across the square into a corner. It was a liberating feeling, but she also felt strangely naked now. Of course, everything was covered, as it should be, but the loose fabric did not give her the same security as the tight straps and her saddle. Lisande seemed to notice and neighed in amusement.

Titan looked out of his stall and didn't look amused that his mare was dressed up. Izzy winked at him and looked at the chastity belt lying in the dirt, and the stallion snorted happily. Izzy grinned back, even though she remembered Grall's words well... as a human, she wasn't meant for a stallion.

Grall hobbled over to her and waved a piece of paper. 'My dad just brought me this, it's the new ownership documents.' He was beaming from ear to ear and his eyes shone bright as the sun as Izzy read the certificate of ownership with her name - Buttercup - and dates. So it was official: Grall was her owner. How strange that felt, Izzy thought, her whole body shaking; she was wearing a dress and yet she was property. Her friend, on the other hand, was beside himself with joy, but he had also just received a valuable animal and hadn't been given away like a sack of potatoes. But she couldn't entirely blame him either, she understood by now that this certificate was also a sign of his affection for her, even if she didn't share his enthusiasm. But at least she was no longer owned by Oozol. She had respect for the old goblin, but she couldn't help the feeling that she was safer with Grall - despite his many stupidities. Grall would never sell her, she was sure of that.

"So, where are we going?" asked Izzy to change the subject.

"To Udamos. Wait. I know what you're going to say, but it's a good start. They've probably forgotten about you by now and no one from the village will meet us there. If there's any trouble, we'll leave immediately. I promise."

"And how do we get there?" asked Izzy uncertainly. She actually wanted to ask about the brand for Lisande too, but it seemed better if the other horse wasn't around in case the answer was bad.

'We'll take a cart,' Grall explained and Izzy noticed Lisande being harnessed to a small carriage. The mare looked uncertainly at Izzy, who could only smile back awkwardly. Sometimes things changed very quickly.

"Don't worry, we can always go for a ride. You miss it already, don't you?" he said in a silly tone and she blushed, even though she knew it was just a joke. Or so she hoped. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "If necessary, I can even ride you back. My father reminded me of a little trick." With nimble fingers, he pulled a travelling horse bit and some straps from his pocket. "I can ride you bareback anytime with these, isn't that great?"

"What, no! No way!" hissed Izzy, who had the strangest feeling she'd seen these things before. Something at the very back of her mind screamed out loud, and she was absolutely certain that she wouldn't just let him make her his horse anytime, anywhere - even if she was legally always his ponygirl anyway.

"Don't worry, I've got Lisande with me today. But hopefully we'll try it out soon, it'll be fun!" he said, but Izzy just rolled her eyes. Of course he would have fun with it, but he wouldn't be turned from human to horse in seconds either. Goblins, Izzy thought, and snorted. The two climbed into the wagon and Grall signalled Lisande to start running. The ponygirl looked over her shoulder at Izzy once more, then trotted off. It was obvious that she was inexperienced at pulling carts, but Grall gave her enough time to slowly get used to it.

"Take good care of both of them," Oozol called after his son. He looked at them from his rocking chair. "And don't lose Izzy again right away. A city is dangerous, keep her close to you." Izzy guessed that the old goblin wasn't too keen on this trip - she could see it in his eyes - but at least he wasn't preventing it. "Bring me Lisande back safe and sound, too. I'm not giving my heart away carelessly to a ponygirl."

Lisande stamped her feet, which was probably a sign of approval.

For the first few meters, Saxea accompanied the carriage on Sunshine. It was a nice feeling for Izzy to be among friends - the two goblins, but also the two ponygirls. It was a rare peace that everyone had earned; even if Grall did have that awful travelling horse bit in his pocket.

Just for a moment, Izzy thought back to Bastian; she pushed the thought aside. The class had already seen her as a ponygirl, how much worse could it get?

"Udamos is far away, we should hurry," Grall said, spurring Lisande on. She sprinted off while Saxea said goodbye and disappeared into the forest with Sunshine.

Izzy felt the breeze under her dress and leaned back and relaxed. It was nice not to have to do the work herself, even if the sight of Lisande's rhythmically swaying buttocks reminded her of what it felt like to pull a cart. She knew she wouldn't be able to run as fast in the dress, but it was a small price to pay for her freedom. The word lingered in her mind; it wasn't easy to think about it openly while another woman had to pull the cart in front of her as an animal. She knew very well the feeling of being just a means of transport, a workhorse at the service of the goblins. And now she was benefiting from it herself. But on the other hand, it was also a pleasant day, and Grall would have used Lisande for the journey anyway. Nevertheless, she decided to buy Lisande a small gift at the end of the journey if there was enough money left over.

The three of them had been travelling for hours before the city walls appeared before them. Izzy gulped as she recognised the guards: They were the same ones from her previous visit, and she didn't like that at all. But as Grall had noted earlier, with so many people it was practically impossible for most of them to recognise anyone. The guards were more concerned with Lisande - who cost 80 thalers deposit after all - and waved the empty cart through. The town was as noisy and crowded as ever, and Grall suggested they split up; he wasn't a big fan of shopping sprees anyway, especially not for women's stuff, he noted with a grin.

"But your father warned us," Izzy reminded him, and Lisande nodded in agreement.

"He's overreacting as usual. Besides, you're very strong now. One kick and all will be well. Meet me at the gate in two hours, all right?" he suggested.

"If you say so. I just want to buy a new dress. Speaking of which... I forgot to bring money!"

His big grin really got on Izzy's nerves, but at least he took a wallet out of his pocket and tossed her a few coins. "You're not allowed to have money either, it's forbidden for a... you know... to have money. That's my money there, and you're buying something on my behalf." He winked, but Izzy wrinkled her nose.

'Yes, master,' she said, making an exaggerated curtsey.

"You're being silly. See you in two hours." Grall urged Lisande on again and Izzy watched the cart go by. The other ponygirl braced herself against the weight of the cart, sweat pouring down her body. They had been so similar that night, and now their lives were so different again. She felt how unfair that was, and a slight pang of guilt rose up inside her. Sure, life with Grall was better than under Kreks, but a ponygirl was still a ponygirl. As a horse, she would never wear a dress again, or be truly free. The only question was whether Izzy could be free again, or whether this was just an illusion.

The city was buzzing with life, merchants everywhere selling their wares, people doing their business - sometimes in more than one way... - while humans and goblins rushed through the streets. No-one seemed to remember Izzy, but that was a silly idea really, with thousands of people wandering the streets seemingly aimlessly. On her last visit, they had probably only recognised her because they had gone back to the blacksmith in a short time. Today she had a different destination: she had learnt that there was a separate district where mainly clothes were sold. Surely there would be a shop there with some pretty dresses? She asked for directions and soon found herself in an alleyway where one shop followed the next. The houses were tall and cast deep shadows on the broken cobblestones. The shops were busy - with humans and goblins - and Izzy browse through them. Some, to her disappointment, only had things for goblins, others were exclusive men's shops, others only sold hats, shoes or handbags. She probably had little use for the latter anyway - her arms were usually hidden under a saddle after all. But a ponygirl in a hat would certainly look funny.

"Excuse me," Izzy asked three goblins who were talking outside a shop. The first one turned round and Izzy took a step back. The goblin was very dirty and glared at her. He was missing a few teeth and his clothes were full of holes.

"What do you want, human?"

"It's just... oh, not that important. I just wanted to know if there were any shops for dresses around here."

"Do I look like I know?" He spat on the floor.

Izzy thanked him and hurried on, but the goblins looked after her and whispered until Izzy disappeared round the next corner. Luckily for her, she found herself in a large square full of nice little restaurants. She sat down at a free table and ordered a warm tea - she hadn't had any for weeks and it smelled fantastic. But her belly was warmed even more by the smile of a young man from the neighbouring table.

"First time in town?" he asked directly, probably used to talking to strange girls.

"No, but I've never been to this part of town before," replied Izzy, who was very familiar with this type of young man. Confident, direct, charming, and often hideously deceitful just to get into a young woman's panties. But she didn't care about that today, she needed contact with people, and this was an easy way. "Are you always here talking to women?"

"Every day," he said cheekily. "Most people know that I'm a no-good guy. So do you, I can see that in your eyes. But you still talk to me. My name is Jonatan."

'Maybe I like that today?' she whispered, rubbing her legs together. The lack of a chastity belt left her with a few options. How long was two hours really?

Jonatan stood up and walked over to her table while Izzy adjusted her dress. His eyes travelled over her body and he already had the chair opposite her in his hand when his movement froze. "You're... I don't want anything to do with that." He turned on the spot and marched out of the restaurant.

Izzy looked after him in surprise, then looked down at herself. Her dress had slipped down slightly and the upper part of her number was exposed. So he had recognised what she was. She jumped to her feet and pulled her dress back up, only to hurry out of the restaurant before anyone else noticed.

Her heart was pounding in her chest; this was close. She had to be more careful, the city was not a friendly place. Now a little more cautious, Izzy walked down the streets, finally finding a shop that offered what she was looking for. "Huberta's Best Dresses" promised a lot: the shop window was decorated with gorgeous dresses, pictures and fabrics; Izzy entered the shop to the ringing of the shrill doorbell, which jolted the old dressmaker out of what must have been a rather sweet dream. She greeted Izzy in a high-pitched singing voice and beckoned her deeper into the shop.

Choosing a suitable dress took well over an hour; Izzy had lost her sense of time. She slipped from one dress to the next - careful never to let her number slip - and each one she liked better than the last. Her fringe boots went uncommented on, even though they rarely went well with the dresses. In the end, she opted for a dress with a plunging neckline that only very barely concealed her registration number. Despite the initial shock, she wanted to enjoy the day to the full, and a little skin would certainly do her no harm, she just had to be careful. She hadn't brought a brassiere - a horse just didn't need one anymore - so she had to make sure the dress stayed in place. The rest of Grall's money was barely enough. She thanked the shopkeeper and stepped outside with renewed courage.

She had not made it five meters when the three goblins came out of the shadows and blocked her path.

"Please forgive me," said the goblin from earlier. "We were a bit rude. My name is Udexo, and these are my brothers Pikex and Qax. You wanted to know where to buy nice clothes, did I get that right?"

Izzy nodded slowly, but there was something about this situation she didn't like. Other passers-by had also stopped, but that didn't seem to bother these three goblins in the slightest. "I've already bought a new dress."

"We can see that. It looks good on you. Tell me, where are you from?"

"None of your business."

The goblin smiled broadly. "Something about you caught our eye. Two things, actually. This place is a magnet for all kinds of folk, and the three of us are wondering if you don't have something to tell us." The goblins scattered around them.

"Leave me alone or I'll scream!"

"There's no reason for that. Why don't you be good girl and show us your right breast?"

"Like hell I will!" Izzy hissed, but the goblins jumped on her. Their skilful hands pulled down her dress, revealing the registration number and her nipple rings.

"What's going on?" a guard demanded, running up in a hurry. Izzy looked at him frantically, but before she could say anything, one of the goblins gagged her and another tied her hands behind her back while Udexo bound her legs. "Oh, I see you've captured a ponygirl. Those stupid things. How do they escape so often anyway. How can they be smart enough to do that, but then come to our town, which is full of horse-catchers?" He laughed and turned round.

Izzy looked after him in despair as the goblins cut the dress from her body, exposing the tax tag.

Hundreds of eyes stared at Izzy as she was dragged naked and bound by her arms and legs through the city by the goblins. There was no pity in the eyes of the humans and goblins; it was disdain - the humans looked down on her and the goblins spat on her because she had escaped from her master and owner. There could be no doubt in their minds about that, why else would horse-catchers be leading her - who had the markings of a ponygirl - around the city.

"Your owner will surely reward us well; you're a magnificent animal, you'll be worth a lot of money to him," Udexo said greedily.

"Why don't we sell her ourselves?" grunted Pikex, and Izzy howled unhappily. "She's not branded yet, that'll increase her value, surely a buyer will be found quickly."

Udexo scratched his chin. "That may be true, but if the guard finds out, we'll no longer be welcome here."

So at least they weren't necessarily horse thieves, just horrible creatures, Izzy thought. Qax swatted her on the rump, scratching her with his claws.

"She needs to run faster. Faster!" Qax said.

The three of them led her down a dark alley in the worst neighbourhood of the city. Izzy had looked around for Grall on the way, but he was nowhere to be seen; no wonder, they were on the other side of town and what reason would he have to look for her here?

She was led into a filthy stable and tied to a post with her back to it, then her gag was removed. "Tell us where your stable is and we'll bring you back," Udexo offered. "You don't need to be afraid, horses run away all the time, I'm sure you'll only be lightly punished for that."

"I didn't run away!" Izzy hissed. "My... owner wanted me to be here." Although it was the truth, the word owner still hurt. Grall had taken on that role before, but now that it was official, the echo of the words drilled deep into her soul. She was her best friend's property, and that wasn't just a theory; she could see in his eyes that this was of great importance to him. She was his ponygirl; his possession, like a pair of pants or the magnificent riding shirt that made him so proud. She thought briefly of Lisande and the brand; a shiver ran down her spine. Now that she was standing here, tied to the post, the whole journey as a human felt like a game that had come to an abrupt end. The reality of a ponygirl was back. Why did it have to be Udamos?

"No goblin lets his horse wear a dress. That's unnatural. Humans don't give pigs hats, and we don't give ponygirls dresses. Now tell me, where is your stable? Speak, otherwise we'll have to ask the registry, and that costs money, which we'll get from your master. Then he'll be even more angry. Why don't you have a brand anyway?"

"I don't need one, he trusts me."

The goblins laughed out loud. "That obviously worked out well."

"He wanted me to buy a dress!" Izzy stomped on as best she could with the restraints. She would have loved to kick the three of them.

As if her thoughts had been read, Udexo grinned. "Don't get your hopes up, we know how to deal with an unwilling horse. So?"

Izzy sighed, she just wanted to get home. "My owner is Grall, son of Oozol. Our village is..."

Udexo raised his hand and silenced her. "We know where the farm of Oozol is. Everyone knows that. We've brought a few ponygirls to him over the years. He doesn't pay well. But where else would such a magnificent animal come from? Are you a broodmare?"

"Are you an idiot?"

"Don't be so cheeky. You'll have to spend some time with us."

"Grall, he's in town. Take me to him."

"No, we'll take you straight to the farm. More effort, more money. Besides, I think I know who Grall is. The boy is still pale behind the ears. He has no money to pay for you. We'd better speak to Oozol directly." He went into an adjoining room and came back with a bridle and saddle. "We'll ride you back. Then we'll see."

As before, when she wore a different saddle, Izzy quickly realised how uncomfortable they could be. It was a blessing that Grall had a better one made for her. As much as the thought still nagged at her, she couldn't deny that he had taken care of her in that regard. Perhaps it was more a sign of love than she had previously acknowledged. The leather of the new saddle pinched at every turn and her arms barely fitted under the seat. The bridle didn't fit well either, it rubbed against her head and the horse's bit was old, grey and tasted disgusting. But none of that mattered once she was out of the city. All she had to do was throw off the goblins and run home. But the three of them weren't going to make it that easy for her. Before she had even finished thinking about it, they replaced her shackles with two new ones connected by an iron chain. It gave Izzy enough room to walk, but running was out of the question.

"Don't look so disappointed, you're not the first horse to try to throw us off at the gates," Udexo said, tying two leashes to her nipple rings and wrapping them around his arm. "So you don't run away from us. They say it hurts a lot when the rings are torn out." He took a large whip, tucked it under his armpit and led Izzy out of the stable on a lead. "You two get your own horses, meet me at the west gate."

Izzy grumbled. That wasn't the gate where Grall would be waiting for her. These goblins stank and were nasty, but unfortunately probably not as stupid as Izzy would have liked.

"Tack!" Izzy went to her knees on instinct, hating herself for it. Even this scum could easily control her like any other ponygirl. Udexo climbed into the saddle and she stood up.

The feeling of a new rider was still unfamiliar to her. Whilst this hideous goblin wasn't her first new rider after Grall, it just felt wrong to have someone other than Grall riding her. Riding created a very intimate connection between horse and rider, Izzy knew that by now from personal experience, and nothing was quite as irritating as having another greenling on her back. The weight was wrong, the movements weren't right, the breath smelled different; everything was unfamiliar and unwelcome, but the reins and whip left her no choice. She was not an equal partner on this ride, but once again just an animal. A horse. A ponygirl in the service of a goblin, whether she liked it or not.

After a quick kick, she reluctantly started moving. Now that she was dressed as a ponygirl, most people no longer paid any attention to her, only her anklet still attracted some attention. But even now, people were still disgusted by her - as if it was her own fault that she had let herself be ridden by a goblin. She had no way of knowing that in her case there was a spark of truth in this. Udexo pulled on the reins and skilfully led her through the dense crowd out to the west gate. They had to wait a while, then Pikex and Qax joined them on two for-hire ponies. The two horses looked a little older and worn, and Izzy's stomach tightened when she noticed the blank look on their faces. "Here we go then." He gave Izzy another kick and rode them out of town. With the short chain between her legs, little more than a slow trot was possible. "We'll have to spend the night halfway. Boys, keep your eyes open."

The journey was particularly arduous with the chain between her legs, and Udexo didn't spare the whip, although Izzy couldn't help the speed. He was a restless fellow on her back, and the conversations with his friends often made her shudder. She soon realised that these three also worked as thieves - if you could call them that - and generally never missed an opportunity, however disreputable, to earn a few thalers. Above all, however, she was only being used like an animal on this ride; again, she was just a means of transport, albeit one with value in this case. This was not about her personality, her humour, her looks or what she had to say; it was only about her usefulness as a mount and her value as a merchandise; nothing more.

The sun had already disappeared deep behind the trees before Udexo steered them towards a small clearing at the side of the path. "We'll do the rest of the route tomorrow. I hope you don't have a problem sleeping standing up, do you?"

Izzy neighed miserably. Could a human even sleep standing up? As much as goblins loved to treat humans like ponies, they usually knew very well that ponygirls weren't real horses either.

"Pony can lie down after drinking," Qax mocked, pulling his trousers down only to pee a little at Izzy's feet. "Thirsty?"

Izzy turned away with utter disgust in her eyes. This was too much to ask, even for her, who had already experienced so many humiliations. This was a line she simply couldn't cross. To her horror, her two companions were less shy; life as a rent horse must have brought its own challenges. The two horses got down on their knees and took what the goblins offered them, only to be allowed to lie on the ground as a reward. Izzy, on the other hand, remained tied to the tree, standing; Qax had thrown her reins over a branch and made sure Izzy couldn't lower her head.

"Grall, save me!" she pleaded unintelligibly through the horse's bit, but it was hopeless.

The night was unpleasant. Cold wind whipped past the trees and Izzy found it impossible to sleep standing up. Not that she felt safe enough to do so with these goblins around, but even as it was, it was dreadful. The next morning, the goblins didn't share food or drink - at least not the kind Izzy would tolerate - with their horses, and so Izzy's next ride began with aching bones, hunger and thirst.

Despite the slow pace, they couldn't be far from Oozol's farm, Izzy thought, after all they had already walked a long way yesterday; but she wasn't sure if that was really a good thing. They were on the main road and it was only a matter of time before the first people from the village would see them. She looked around uneasily, but she heard the laughter before she saw the familiar faces at the roadside.

"You were right, she really has become an animal," Grunhilda mocked and poked Bastian in the side, who laughed along loudly, but his eyes remained strangely serious.

"That's what I told you. She ran a real race and won." For a moment, Izzy thought she heard something like astonishment in his voice. That was impossible; why would he feel anything other than pure disgust? His eyes followed her closely.

"Is that your horse? Has Grall finally sold the useless cow?" Grunhilda asked Udexo, who had been ignoring the students until now.

"No, she just ran away. Horses often do that." Udexo gave Izzy one with the whip, who neighed loudly to her own displeasure. It was an instinct, and hideously embarrassing. "I'll bring her back, for a reward."

"Someone's paying for her?"

"Of course. She's a valuable object."

Grunhilda gave a dirty laugh. "At least as an animal you're worth something."

Izzy would have loved to kick them, but unfortunately that was out of the question with her legs tied up. The unwanted onlookers accompanied them for a while, then to Izzy's relief they parted ways. She looked after them briefly, but only Bastian turned round again.

It was strange; only yesterday she had wanted to go back to humans, but now it seemed almost safer among goblins. She practically longed for her stable, where she would no longer be stared at, laughed at or regarded as a curiosity. She was a ponygirl in the stables, but that was normal there.

"What's going on here?" asked Oozol as the three riders rode through the gate. "Where is my son?"

"Oozol, my best, don't you recognise your old friend Udexo, who has already brought you back so many horses?"

Grall's father's eyes narrowed to a slit. "You mean the horse thief who first stole them from me and then kindly offered them to me for a reward?

"If that's the way you want to put it, maybe we'll just take your horse with us again." Udexo patted Izzy on the side and leaned on her shoulder. "Where your son is, we don't know. We picked up his horse alone in the city. Anything could have happened to her there. Just imagine!"

"I don't have to, I can see it right in front of me," Oozol murmured. "I'm warning you: If you have done anything to my son, the island isn't big enough for you to hide." The four eyed each other suspiciously. Luckily for Oozol, the yard was full of grooms, who slowly spread out around the square. They may be small, but for goblins they had strong arms due to the hard labour. Sunshine skirted the horse thieves and stood in front of the yard gate where she stamped her hooves threateningly; no one would leave the yard without her permission; and certainly not with Izzy. A wave of relief washed over Izzy. As many unpleasant memories as the farm brought, she could still rely on the horses - and Sunshine in particular. "Now we can talk."

"No need for trouble, I'm sure he just needs to walk."

Just at that moment, Grall came riding up on Lisande - he had obviously left the cart behind. He was as pale as night and his eyes widened when he saw Izzy. "There you are. I thought you'd run off. I searched the whole town for you, but no one knew where you were!" Izzy neighed nervously and tried to throw the goblin off her back, but Udexo cracked his whip hard and kept a firm grip on the reins.

"You are Grall, I remember you. Then you are the owner of this mare?"

"She's mine, she's my property!" said Grall sharply, and the pride in those words didn't escape Izzy. It was a clear statement, but also something he would certainly like to shout to the whole world. "Hand her over!"

Udexo laughed. "She shall be yours again, but first I want to see some money for my troubles. After all, she ran away from you in the city and we had to go to some lengths to get her here. 5,000 thalers certainly isn't wrong, is it?"

"What?" Grall almost fell out of the saddle. "Who do you think you are?"

"A horse-catcher; and you're a boy who can't look after his pony. You may outnumber us here,' he hurriedly counted the grooms, "but we can cause some problems too." As if in passing, he took a knife from his pocket and cut off a strand of Izzy's hair. "It's only a small finder's fee."

Grall looked at his father, but he just snorted.

"That was your stupid idea, son," said Oozol. "You'll have to pay for it.

"Wait here," said Grall and ran into the house, from where he emerged after a while with a bag full of coins. "Thirty-five hundred thalers. That's all I have." Lisande joined Sunshine and looked at the horse catchers with a gloomy expression.

Udexo leaned forwards out of the saddle. "Then you can have just as much of your horse. We could cut off her arms and keep them. She doesn't need them, does she?" Izzy bristled and struck out, but the goblin would not be thrown off. "A wild animal. Someone like you can handle that? Five thousand thalers, or we have a very serious problem."

"Fine, I'll keep looking." Grall threw the money to his father and disappeared back into the house, after which he walked the stables and even disappeared into the forest. It took him over an hour before he had collected a pile of coins, some of which still had dirt on them. "4290 thalers. That's all I've got. Are we in business?"

"Don't let anyone say we're being unreasonable." He brought his knife to Izzy's head to everyone's shock. "Don't be so nervous, I just want a trophy." He yanked at Izzy's mane and cut off her long hair. "That hair was terrible anyway. You need to take better care of your mare." He tied the mane in a knot on his belt and jumped off. Then he grabbed the money. "We'll keep an eye on your Buttercup in the future in case she escapes again." He winked and a shiver went down Izzy's spine. "You can keep the saddle."

"Have you learnt your lesson?" asked Oozol as they both took Izzy to the stables. "The outside world is dangerous for a wandering ponygirl. You've ventured too far out. A town may be anonymous, but you don't know who you'll meet either. I'll send a rider to Matheus. We were both very worried yesterday when you two didn't come back."

"Why didn't you help me? They tried to hurt Buttercup!"

Oozol shook his head. "These men are rough and have bad manners, but they're not fools. They wouldn't have risked a fight for a few thalers, besides, they would never have left the farm with Buttercup, Sunshine and Lisande would have made sure of that. Besides, I knew exactly how much money you had. I know your hiding spots."

"Owning an animal makes you poor really quickly!" Grall lowered his eyes, then led Izzy across the yard. "I was very afraid for you. Where's your dress anyway?" He took the old horse bit out of Izzy's mouth and threw it in a bin.

"My old dress is in the bin and the new one - it was so beautiful - they just cut it up."

"We'll buy you a new one. But we have to be more careful. Udamos was probably not the right place. Or..." Grall bit his tongue.

"Or what?" asked Izzy sharply.

"Or we can leave it at that. I know I promised you, but I'm scared for you too. What if they don't bring you back here next time?"

"You want me to be just your ponygirl?"

"And my best friend. We now know what we have to do. Isn't that enough?"

Izzy shook herself. "It's not enough for me!" She sighed exhaustedly. "Can I go into my stable?"

"Later. But if we want to get back into the human world, we need a plan. With guys like these around, we need to be prepared. We're not splitting up anymore. And I need to be able to prove you're my horse if necessary." He took the travelling horse bit out of his pocket and Izzy snorted unhappily as he took the saddle from her. "Give it a chance. If it helps us get you walking around as a human again without danger, it's not so bad, is it? I'm sure you'll like it," he said as he put the horse bit in her mouth. Izzy folded her arms behind her back of her own accord. "You know how to do that, don't you?" he asked in surprise, but Izzy just shook her head; she didn't know herself how she'd guessed how to ride bareback - and she didn't want to think about it either. He climbed onto her back and slid his legs under her armpits, resting his bum on her arms. It was a strange sensation for Izzy, one she would have gladly done without. Without a saddle, he was unusually close to her, with nothing but thin fabric separating them.

Over the next few hours, they both practised finding their balance as she felt him close to her skin and heard his breathing in her ear. It was a different kind of riding, and Izzy strained to think why it seemed so familiar. Soon Grall left his shirt behind as well and they both swept through the warm forest as one being.

It wasn't as bad as Izzy had feared, and yet it was humiliating in its own way. Because even if he decided to give her another day as a girl in the future, she knew he would always have something with him to make her his animal again and ride wherever he pleased. She was only one reach into his pocket away from having him on her back again, and the thought would never leave her. Was that still freedom, or just an illusion, a nice little lie they were both allowing themselves?

And did she even want to go back to the humans? She had experienced nothing but ridicule and rejection from everyone except her father and the ponygirls lately. Maybe there was no way back. As she continued to run through the forest, she thought of Bastian again. That strange look in his eyes, what did it mean?