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_ The Golden Bit _

"C' mon! Uh! God damn it! It's just a little way!" Vivian Lee cursed her large travel case, loaded with heavy reference books. Normally, the wheels would remove most of the discomfort of moving it but the large countryside estate she had just arrived at had a large driveway and it was paved entirely with gravel. The Asian-American woman was short, petite and regrettably proud. Vivian was now wishing she had taken the cab driver up on his offer to help with her luggage, but judging by the sound of the cab's engine, he was well away by now.

"Fine!" Vivian stopped and wiped her brow, "A quick break, then to the stairs... ah, crap, that's a lot of stairs! Okay! You need the exercise! Get in shape! C'mon, it's only been, what, 3, 4 days since your last slept?"

Vivian sat on her case and look up at the huge building, feeling some awe despite her troubles. At least, according to the sign, she was at the correct address; Google Maps had got that right.

Le Centre Equestre du Mors d'Or, the name sounded fancy to the English speaking ear, but in French, it simply said The Equestrian Center of the Golden Bit, a relatively mundane name. Vivian hadn't given it much thought, as at 28 she had spent her entire life in cities and suburbs. She never had a use for anything like an equestrian center. The largest animal she had met in person was the neighbor's Great Dane and the most rural place she knew was the neighborhood park. Horses were far from her mind until she was given this assignment.

A high-class equestrian school, for the purposes of teaching the equestrian arts or dressage, eventing and jumping. Many of their graduates had gone on to win championships and Olympic medals. There was even a polo field with league play. The reputation of their breeding center was impeccable, drawing the attention of buyers from across the globe.

Vivian didn't care about any of that. She was brought here by her art expertise. Her company had sent her here to evaluate the estate's large art collection and adjust the coverage accordingly. Vivian jumped at the chance to travel and see rarely seen artworks. The hardships of travel were beginning to make her second guess the decision.

" __Bonjour puis-je vous aider? Je suis Moniteur_ Maëlle Roche ,"_Vivian was so exhausted from her travels that she didn't hear the woman approach her from behind or

She spun around to find an attractive, thin, athletically built woman of roughly 60 wearing equestrian gear. She led a gorgeous chestnut-colored horse with beautifully made tack and saddle. Vivian, though she had never seen so much as a picture, thanks to hours of research she knew who it was immediately

"Madame Roche! I mean, uh, uh, Je... je suis... suis Vivian..." Vivian mumbled, her tired brain tripping over itself.

_"Non, non,"_The woman held up her hand and smiled, "I speak English. Your name is Vivian? I am..."

"Madame Maëlle Roche! This is your estate! Oh, excuse me..." Vivian blushed, feeling rather foolish. She was feeling rather intimidated, by both the large horse and the fact that Maëlle Roche was something of a legend; she was an Olympic gold medalist, a polo champion, and a world-class trainer of both horses and riders. Vivian became quite impressed with her after reading about Maëlle Roche during her flight.

Madame Roche nodded with a smile, "Yes, indeed, I am she. You must be the insurance adjuster that Southey's was going to send to evaluate our artwork?"

After eyeing the horse for an awkward moment of fear, Vivian quickly nodded and offered her hand, "Yes, yes, my name is Vivian Lee, European Art Evaluator for Southey's Insurance and Investments."

For a moment Vivian feared she had been too direct, but Madame Roche took her hand and shook it with perfect ladylike elegance,

"You must excuse me, Ms. Lee, I certainly would have greeted you better, had I known the exact time of your arrival," Maëlle said with the utmost courtesy, "We were expecting you yesterday evening. Today, most of our staff are engaged in classes at the moment, but we will help you in any way we can."

"No, no, it's my fault... Well, I'm lucky to be here at all after the way the airlines treated me. One canceled flight and two delayed! But once my luggage is inside I can begin assessing your artwork," Vivian said, though she lacked enthusiasm.

"Non, Mademoiselle!" Maëlle interjected, "You must rest! After such a travel, you must be exhausted. Please come with me, I will make sure your luggage is taken inside. Let us see to Soléne and then we shall see that you are well cared for! Your patience will be rewarded and work can wait until tomorrow."

"Thank you! A bite to eat and a shower would be wonderful... Excuse me but who is Soléne?" Vivian asked, somewhat confused.

Maëlle smiled, "Why this beautiful creature you see before you! Come! We find her groom and you a room!"

* * *

Vivian, relieved that someone else would deal with her weighty luggage followed the lithe Frenchwoman around the side of the house, her head on a swivel. The large mansion, with its outbuildings and the grounds were all exceedingly beautiful, green and lush. All around there was evidence of the estate's equestrian roots, from the fields in the distance, where the mares grazed and their foals frolicked to the very house itself.

Rather than hideous stone gargoyles, Vivian's always alert artistic eye noted, the original architect some 200 plus years ago, had chosen finely carved busts of horses, each one unique. Even viewed from the ground, the detail was exquisite. Maëlle noticed Vivian's curious gaze directed towards the rooftop.

"Beautiful, are they not? They are 7 altogether, the original herd that my Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather began with. The one there is Pierre, one of the founding stallions of our bloodline. The other you can see from here is Aurélie, one of the founding mares and Pierre's favorite mate,'' Maëlle stopped and looked up with Vivian. Soléne snorted, eager to get to her oats.

''You must see Jean-Baptiste, the other founding stallion, and the mares, Evette, Mathilde, Henriette, and Cecile before you go. They are all very beautiful.''

Vivian nodded in agreement then with a raised eyebrow looked at Maëlle, ''Their names... they all sound very human.''

''Yes,'' The older woman smirked as she gave a gentle tug to the reins, ''they do. Come along, Soléne.''

Vivian looked back up at the busts before following Maëlle while keeping more than a respectful distance from Soléne. Vivian knew next to nothing about most animals and even less about horses, but she knew they were large enough to be dangerous. She didn't trust Soléne's powerful backside in particular.

At the rear of the house, they came to the stables, easily as large as the house itself and just as elegant. While Maëlle brought Soléne to a groom, Vivian watched a group of handsomely dressed students working with their mounts in a large pen. She kept her distance as she watched, but still managed to catch a peculiar sight. Looking more closely she saw more that she didn't expect. She shook her head and tried to look once more, but the horse and rider had rounded the corner and were now trotting away from Vivian.

"Mademoiselle? Mademoiselle Lee, are you all right?" Maëlle said as she touched Vivian's shoulder and broke her quiet moment of puzzlement.

"Oh! Sorry, I-I was just looking at that horse over there... The yellowish one the young woman with a pink helmet is riding," Vivian pointed as she tried to explain. The horses and riders were now on the other side of the pen and she couldn't make out what she had seen earlier.

"Ah, yes, one of our newer mares but I know her well. Her name is Bianka. Her rider is Luna Hadleigh, a very good student who happens to be my Grand-niece," Maëlle now watched the riders as well. Soléne had been taken by the groom and was now happily receiving her rub down while munching a feed bag of oats, "She is a wonderful girl and the mare is very promising. What about them?"

"Well, ah, this will sound crazy, but I could have sworn I saw it wearing earrings... the horse I mean. And...again, crazy, but think I saw a bracelet on one of its front legs? Gold, I think?" Vivian said still wondering just what it was that she saw.

Maëlle frowned briefly before smiling once more, "Mademoiselle! You are exhausted, no? Everyone sees strange things when they are so tired."

Vivian looked doubtful for a moment(that golden glint was quite bright in the afternoon sunlight, after all) before smiling herself, "Yes, I am exhausted, haha. I certainly need some rest."

Maëlle put her strong, lean arm around Vivian's shoulders, "Yes, but before sleep, there must be dinner and wine! Come and your troubles will be healed!"

* * *

The next week was both strange and wonderful for Vivian. That first night, and every other night, dinner was exceptional, the finest of French country cooking. Vivian had never been much of a fan of wine, but with her evenings spent with Maëlle and her odd but friendly family, she on her way to becoming a connoisseur.

These evenings spent in a fine dining room and a magnificent parlor were quite enjoyable. Luna Hadleigh, Maëlle's young niece, was eager to have an English speaking companion that was closer to her own age. The young, energetic woman had grown up in England, the land of her father and was spending a year with her French relations before beginning university. Having an artistic spirit similar to Vivian's, the pair could speak of everything from Rafael to Monet.

Maëlle's grandson Gabriel, was quite different. He was older, a few years older than Vivian, in fact. Vivian learned, that it was he that was in charge of much of the estate's daily operations, a fact that Maëlle was quite proud of. For some time she had been concerned about a competent heir. Gabriel was proving to be a very capable successor.

Gabriel was proving to be an intriguing enigma for Vivian. He was tall and rather handsome. Despite speaking perfect English he was usually quiet, often listening to Vivian's and Luna's discussions for long periods before suddenly having an unlooked-for but insightful comment. Vivian couldn't help but find him very interesting. She was certain there was more beneath that quiet exterior.

The awkward part of the evening and it occurred the first evening and every one thereafter, was the moment, usually just after dinner before retiring to the parlor, Maëlle would expound the importance of Vivian staying away from the east wing of the mansion. Gabriel would nod firmly in agreement and Luna would look away uncomfortably before mumbling about there being no art of interest in that wing.

This, of course, only drove Vivian's curious nature. The first part of the week, the curiosity was only aroused for a few moments in the evening. Vivian's work began in the west wing(the wing in which her own room was), amid a fabulous collection of Baroque and Neoclassical artwork. The mysterious east wing was easily forgotten.

Nearing the end of the week, however, Vivian's inquisitive nature became tested. Slowly she worked herself around the corner and then closer to the heavy oak door that barred the way to the inscrutable east wing. It was much less inviting than the comparable part of the homey, light-filled west wing yet Vivian felt a desire to see what lay beyond that mysterious, massive door.

Why were the Roche family so insistent? She didn't want to believe that they had anything to hide, yet it was the only deduction that could be made. No one kept doors locked because a wing held no artwork.

Vivian knew very well the door was locked. The now very nearby door was driving her mad. It was now just ever her shoulder, weighing heavily on her mind. And she had little to occupy her mind. This last stretch of the hallway had a few obscure works cubism, a form she didn't have much interest in.

Finally, just as she was the day was nearing dinnertime, she placed her paperwork binder on a nearby antique table and made for the door's bulky brass knob, determined to reveal the mysterious secret behind the door. Locked. Firmly.

Her rapidly beating heart jumped into her throat when she heard a familiar, accented voice, "_Mademoiselle!_You have been told to not go past that doorway!"

It was Gabriel, she had been caught red-handed. She stopped and he came closer. She could detect his scent, masculine, strong. He had been working outside and smelled of hay and horses with a hint of diesel fuel.

"I-I was..." She groped for a reasonable response, "Is-is this the door you meant? I'm sorry, I wasn't entirely sure which one you meant."

He folded his arms as she smiled innocently, but he spoke without softening, "Yes, Mademoiselle Lee. This is the door. There is nothing behind it that concerns you or your company."

She was certain that he didn't believe her but he stepped aside to allow her to pass, "Dinner is nearly ready, Grand-mèreis expecting you."

"Yes, of course. I'll go freshen up," Vivian replied as she slipped by him while avoiding eye contact, but while doing so, she noticed something very interesting, "I am sorry."

The encounter only further drove her desire to learn what was beyond the door. Perhaps the famous artworks stolen by the Nazis? One or more of the lost Rembrandt paintings? Or perhaps something else from the Gardner Museum Theft? She had to know! They had been so insistent that she, the art expert, not go in there. It had to be huge! Whatever artworks they were hiding, would likely give Vivian her career breakthrough.

She would be leaving soon and would never have another chance of discovering the Roche family secret. If was going to get behind the east wing door, it would have to be tonight. Her brief confrontation with Gabriel, however, had given her an idea of just how to it.

* * *

Vivian smiled and swirled her brandy in the gold-rimmed snifter. She had never tried brandy before but found she quite like it, especially since it was serving her needs perfectly.

Earlier in the evening, when Vivian and the Roche family retired to the parlor (after she heard, once more, that the East wing door was off limits) she made the suggestion that tonight they try Gabriel's favorite drink. The others quickly agreed and Gabriel selected his favorite brandy. Vivian managed to drink less than the others and thanks to the caffeine pills left over from her travels, it would seem she was that last one awake.

Maëlle had been the first to leave, announcing she had plans requiring an early bedtime. Luna and Vivian had their usual conversation about art and university, but eventually, Luna, too, announced she would seek her bed.

That was a few minutes ago. When Vivian turned to ask Gabriel what his plans were, she found the gentleman farmer fast asleep in his favorite parlor chair, his empty snifter still in his hand. Vivian downed the swirling brandy in a gulp and put the final stage of her plan into action.

"Gabriel?" She said, in a normal speaking voice, "Gabriel."

No reaction. She spoke louder, "Gaaaabriel! Gabriel! The peasants are storming the castle!"

Once again, nothing, not even a twitch from his eyelids. Ever so gently she plucked his snifter from a precarious position in his hand and carefully placed on the end table. Again, no reaction.

Next, she began to look for her prize, the keys she had seen clipped to his belt earlier. Unfortunately, the chair made this somewhat difficult, but she could just make out a bit of his key chain sticking out between his trousers and the corduroy of the antique chair. With extreme caution, Vivian managed to pluck it out but was stymied by the spring clip holding the keys to his belt.

_"Fuck!"_She cursed silently, knowing she had tugged harder than she intended. Gabriel grumbled and shifted in his chair, which actually made her task easier! With more finesse than she knew she possessed, Vivian plucked the keys from the clip and slowly made her way to the door, only to realize that she had been holding her breath.

Once outside the parlor and closed its ancient carved door, she heaved a sigh of relief, as loudly as she dared. Thankfully, Maëlle and Luna had left some lights on for the others in the house, but as she neared the quieter eastern side of the home it became progressively darker. Eventually, when she was nearing the forbidden door, Vivian was forced to use her cellphone's flashlight feature to avoid bumping into furniture more expensive than her entire apartment. She began walking faster when she began to see the door in the beam of light.

When she finally got to the door, she began rifling through Gabriel's many keys on the ring, testing anyone that looked likely. The lock was tarnished and looked very old, she figured it would one of the old, skeleton style key, but there were several of those.

When at last, when she inserted an old, intricate key, and her heart jumped when it actually turned. She had done it! As Vivian turned the knob, however, she began to feel some doubts.

Should she really be doing this? The Roche family had been nothing but kind and welcoming. Of course, that be they want the best outcome for their insurance assessment, Vivian concluded, cynically. They would try to woo her for the best return on their investment.

Part of Vivian knew that wasn't true, but she chose to ignore it and pushed the heavy inward. She gave an audible gasp at what she saw,

"Huh? You've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Nothing. Or nearly nothing, if you count old brick walls as something. A quick look around revealed an area more akin to a cellar entrance than the secret room filled with lost Rembrandt paintings and Nazi gold. But she wasn't about to give up. It was a hallway after all and hallways went somewhere. Usually.

Guided by the light of her mobile phone, Vivian soon came a left turn. Looking down from the turn, light could be seen spilling in from right turn not far ahead! Not only light, but Vivian could also hear voices, one male and one female, not for a head, though it was difficult to make out the word.

Sneaking forward, she was certain the female voice sounded familiar. The male voice was heavily accented and sounded angry.

"-swine! Bitch! Let me go... Do you... Do you know who I am?!"

"You are Holger Weber, the degenerate son of media mogul Jürgen Weber. I know who you are. Why do you think you are here? Your father has tired of your antics. Your latest escapade with this crack whore will be your last. Quite embarrassing."

The realization slammed into Vivian; it was Maëlle! The female voice was Maëlle! Was she going to kill this man?! The matriarch of the Roche family continued, this time in French and seemingly to someone else. Vivian scurried forward as fast as she could while not making a sound.

"S'il te plaît, tiens-le, Elias. Son beuglement est fatigant."

" __Oui, Madam Roche_ ,"_A third voice answered just as Vivian got her head around the corner to witness the scene. Maëlle wasn't wielding a gun, but rather held a beautifully made, if small leather bridle and reins, but the metal bit shone in the odd lighting, as it was gold.

Stranger yet, a very large, very strong looking farmhand took control of the naked young man with a powerful bear hug. It was the young man that was the earlier male voice and his accent now sounded German. He struggled against the huge, blond haired man as Maëlle began to approach him, but to no avail.

"NO! Stop! I don't know how-how you turned that crack whore bitch into a fucking horse but you can't do it to me!!! Stop! Hör auf!! Nein! Nein! Hilfe! Hilf mir!"

Perplexed, Vivian only just noticed the little brown mare watching the ongoing events nervously. She wore a halter, which was tied to a heavy iron ring pinned to the wall. She huffed, snorted, and stamped her dainty hooves on the straw-littered floor, clearly agitated by the stressful scene.

Maëlle held the bridle up to the nude man's face. Holger twisted and writhed, trying to either escape or keep his face away from the golden bit, but in the end, Elias was too strong, he succeeded in neither.

Vivian wasn't sure what exactly it was that she was watching. When Maëlle managed to forcefully place the golden bit between Holger's clenched teeth there was a flash of brilliant white light that exploded from the golden bit. Vivian barely contained a gasp of shock and pain as she looked away while clamping her eyes shut. She could hear the mare in the room rear, stomp, and snort in a similar, fearful reaction.

Her vision was still blurry when she opened her eyes again but she could see Holger slumped on the floor as both Elias and Maëlle had stepped away. Both watched the trembling Holger expectantly. To Vivian's surprise, the bit and bridle both now fit him perfectly, despite his head being altogether human.

Holger desperately tried to remove the bridle, groaning and swearing past the bit in his mouth, but the latches and straps were securely fastened.

Maëlle turned and went to the frighten mare tied to the wall. She spoke as she stroked mare's muzzle, comforting it, "Finally, we have something that quiets that obnoxious mouth! The bit and its bridle cannot be removed, Holger. Or at least no one has in the 200 years my family has possessed it."

She turned back to the mare, "Such a sweet girl now, that we've removed your humanity. What was your name? Nadia, wasn't it? You will be much happier now. The pain of your past is cleansed."

Maëlle pulled a sweet from her pocket and offered it to the nervous mare, who greedily crunched it up and looked much happier for it.

Vivian, who was still perplexed by the golden bit's shape changing and self-fastening abilities, was now certain Frenchwoman had lost her mind. She was lurking in dark, dank cellars with naked, apparently kidnapped people and a horse whom she believed had once been human. Insanity? A family secret, no doubt, but not the one Vivian had hoped for.

"Glah!!! 'tahp! NEIGH!!!" Vivian's head spun back to Holger when she heard him try to speak through the bit. She had to duck back behind the wall and clamp a hand over her mouth to contain her shocked gasp and prevent exposing herself.

Did she really just see that? Was it a lack of sleep or perhaps the brandy making her see things? It couldn't be _real,_could it?

Her heart racing, Vivian slowly looked past the edge of the wall once more, telling herself that no matter what, she would control her reaction. Peeking past, her eyes widened as she confirmed what she had seen was indeed true.

Holger was _changing!_He had dropped to his knees when he had been released by the enormous Elias. He was still in that position now, desperately grasping at the headstall strapped to his head. Only, now Holger's head was entirely different than first time Vivian had seen him!

The young man's face had pushed out and broadened into a muzzle about 6 inches long with large, velvety nostrils. His long, mobile ears were pinned back and his eyes were wide in an expression of fear and anger. All the while, the bridle somehow manage to adapt to the young man's changing shape.

Though Holger's head was the first part of him that Vivian noticed, the transformation was not confined to that part of his body alone. His neck was growing longer and thicker with strong muscle. Further down, his shoulders and thighs began to grow, bulging with powerful new muscle. Hidden from Vivian's view, a flaxen tail had sprouted between the twitching bulges of his buttocks.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Vivian's whispers were nearly silent as she continued to watch, unable to look away despite her horror. What should she do?! What _could_she do?! Five minutes ago she didn't even think magic was real! She remained frozen in place watching with wide-eyed fear.

With a loud, beastly snort Holger stopped attempting to remove the harness with his transforming hands (the swelling of his middle fingers took always most of his dexterity anyway) and snorted once more, his large nostrils flaring. With an awkward lunge, he staggered to all fours. As he wobbled in his new, permanent stance, Vivian saw half-human, half-horse flaccid penis swinging below his belly.

As she watched it grew longer and thicker. Most of the skin rapidly turned black, but some small patches became a fleshy shade of pink. All the while, the increasingly bestial member slowly stiffened until the former young man sported an erection fit for the stallion he was becoming. It slapped the thickening peach fuzz of his taught belly three times before the glans flared massively and the spirited young stallion released thick ropes of white cum in rapid cadence, each somewhat smaller than the last.

"Excellent show, young Holger," Maëlle said, taking the dangling reins of the Golden Bit, "You may save yourself from becoming a gelding yet if you can behave."

Stallion tossed his head and shining flaxen mane. Last of his magnificent chestnut coat, complete with white socks above each hoof and a stunning white blaze across his face, was nearly filled in. Vivian couldn't see the slightest remnants of the human Holger.

How could this possibly be real?! Vivian's mind reeled as vacantly watched as Maëlle checked her new acquisition over, examining his joints, hooves and even his teeth. Despite his human origins, he was a truly beautiful animal.

The ramifications of Vivian's discovery went coursing through her mind. This meant, of course, that what Maëlle said earlier wasn't the rantings of a mad woman. The mare tied to the wall had indeed once been human. During her stay at the estate, she had seen dozens and dozens of horses, certainly over a hundred. How many of them were former humans? All of them? No, not all. She had seen several mares with very young foals, even newborns. But the foals only proved that she was breeding them, breeding them like common livestock!

That did it, Vivian's mind was made up. She had to leave immediately! She had to get out of chateaú and away from the estate as soon as possible. She had to get the police and end this before anyone else could be changed.

Vivian had just turned around and was beginning to return the way she had come when a dark figure suddenly came from behind the corner. Just as she was turning on the flashlight, he knocked the phone from her hand. Vivian barely had time to gasp before he had her in his strong, calloused grip.

" __Vous voilà, garce!"_Even in the dark she knew it was Gabriel immediately, _"Emmerdeuse! Voleuse!"

"Let me go, you son of a bitch!" Vivian struggled and screamed, but the farm hardened Frenchman was far too strong, "Let go!"

"We invite you into our home! We give you our food!" In his anger, his accent was extremely thick, Vivian could barely understand him "We treat as a friend! How do you reward us? How? Tu désobéis!"

Vivian redoubled her struggling when she realized he was dragging her to the strange room, back to Maëlle, her henchman, and that cursed bit and bridle. That could only mean one thing and she knew it.

"Let me go, you bastard!" She beat her fists against his solid chest, but it was no use. A high-heeled shoe went flying in her attempts to kick him.

_"Merde..."_Vivian stopped her fight when she heard Maëlle. The woman looked heartbroken when saw Vivian come through the dark opening.

"Vivian- Mademoiselle Lee! What are you doing here!" She had the Golden Bit in her hands, having just put a plain leather halter on her new stallion. It was the only thing Vivian could look at, the gold glinting in her hands.

"She has stolen my keys!" Gabriel shoved the petite Asian-American woman into the room with such force that Vivian stumbled and fell to the floor, scraping her knees and elbow, "Where are they?!"

Vivian grimaced as she realized she had landed in Holger's rather large and unavoidable puddle of cooling cum. She had little choice but ignore the sticky mess on her arms, blouse, and skirt. She rolled over; bits of hay clung to her, glued by the cum.

Vivian had been clenching the keys in her fist entire time. She threw them at Gabriel and growled, "Take your fucking keys! Let me go!"

Gabriel ignored the keys as they went well wide of their mark and struck the wall behind him before falling to the ground with a _clank!_He turned to his grandmother with a stern face,

"She has seen everything! We cannot let her leave!"

Maëlle's shoulders slumped as she sighed, "Why Vivian? All we asked not to go past that door. You have no business here."

"I was doing my job," Vivian glared then pointed at the nervous stallion and mare, "It was obvious you were hiding something important. And you were! You're... You're monsters!"

Maëlle looked stung, "Monsters! We provide a necessary service! In a crazed world, we provide a source of civility. My family rescues those forgotten by society and makes them into beautiful, peaceful creatures while teaching next generation the benefits of horsemanship. Otherwise, they would be destroyed."

She stopped next Holger and gently held his head while stroking his muzzle, calming him. Nadia nuzzled the woman's shoulder, wishing for attention. Maëlle scratched the mare's chin.

Vivian glared at the scene, "You've taken their humanity! You've essentially killed them! I'd like to hear what the police have to say about that!"

Gabriel and Elias grunted mockingly. Maëlle laughed openly, "Who do you think brings them here? Do you think I can travel all of Europe to collect the likes of Holger Weber? I am on very good terms with the right people in the police. Most of them are relatives in some way. Why, did you know I am the largest provider of police horses in western Europe?"

Vivian scowled but said nothing as Maëlle continued.

"It had always been this way, since my ancestor, ÉmileRoche, received the Golden Bit from an old Gypsy woman. In the dead of a terrible winter, she had been run off by the coldhearted landowners. Her wagon and horses became stuck in the mire."

Maëlle paced, enjoying her monologue,

"Émile, then just a poor hostler, stopped and in the freezing night, managed pulled them free. Grateful for his assistance, she made an offer, an offer to assist her again in the name of justice. She gave him the Golden Bit, saying that if he claimed the cruel landowners, Pierre and Aurélie Moreau as his first stallion and mare, the Golden Bit, it's powers, and eventually, the land, would be his. His family would have great success, for many, many years."

Maëlle stopped with a smile, "I'm sure it took a good deal of convincing, but obviously, Grandfather Émile succeeded. Pierre was the first to transform, the first stallion in Roche bloodline of horses. It was easy enough. Pierre frequented the inn Émile worked at, he had a fondness for one of the serving girls. Émile lured him into the stable, where the noble was transformed into a fine, young stallion. I'm sure you remember his stone bust on our roof?"

Vivian nodded despite herself, she was genuinely interested now, "and Aurélie?"

"She was more difficult, not as drunken or vapid as her rutting husband, Aurélie was very beautiful but also ambitious and conniving, yet she too took the Bit. Family legend says she was the finest mare our family has ever possessed."

"Émile's fortunes improved greatly from there on. Between Pierre's stud fees and the sale of Aurélie's excellent foals, he was able to accrue some wealth. The land the Gypsy woman spoke of? This land, this estate. The very land the Pierre once owned and the land the gypsy woman's wagon became stuck in."

Maëlle once again stopped, this time looking at the Golden Bit in her hands, rubbing the perfect gold with her thumb. When she looked up once more at directly Vivian, Vivian knew exactly what was going through her mind.

"What of the others?" Vivian blurted out, stalling her captor, "the other busts on the roof. You said they were the family's founding horses. Émile transformed them to?"

"Yes, and once again in the name of justice! With a promising career, Émile married the daughter of a wealthy farmer. Evette was very beautiful but unfaithful. When Grandfather Émile learned of her cheating ways, she too wore the bit, but only after watching the transformation of her secret lover, Jean-Baptiste, who became the second founding stallion. Evette was, of course, his favorite mate. The two made many fine foals.

"Afterwards, Émile married the old gypsy woman's daughter of all people! Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother was a gypsy, which only further enhanced the magic of the Bit. Quite romantic, don't you think?"

Vivian watched nervously as Maëlle fidgeted with the bit and bridle, which Vivian suddenly noticed, had remarkably shrunk to its small previous size before accommodating Holger's large equine head.

Maëlle suddenly continued, "The stories of Henriette and Cecile, both fine mares, are not so dramatic. They were prostitutes, street women who would not be missed and Émile needed mares to grow his business. I assure you they lived better lives once they began walking on four hooves."

"And Mathilde?" Vivian said anxiously. She knew the stories would soon be ending and the Maëlle would turn her attention back to Vivian.

"Yes, Mathilde. Remember Pierre's serving girl at the inn? She was rather fond of him for some reason. His money perhaps. At any rate, for years after Pierre's disappearance, Mathilde accused Émile of killing him. These accusations became more prevalent as Émile's success grew. Attempts to convince her otherwise failed. She made herself a rather large thorn in the Roche Family's side. Eventually, Grandfather decided to reunite Mathilde with her lover. I like to believe she was glad to be beneath him once more. At any rate, I'm afraid story time must come to an end. I'm an old woman, I need rest and this is becoming a very long night."

Vivian was so focused on Maëlle she was caught totally by surprise when Gabriel and Elias picked her up by the arms. The strength of each was incredible as they lifted the petite woman up.

"Let go! Let me go, you bastards!" She screeched, struggling to break their hold, "You're murderers! Nothing more than murderers! You destroy people! You turn them into mindless animals!"

"NO!" Maëlle snapped. It seemed Vivian had struck a nerve, "No! No animal is mindless! Particularly horses! As horses, these beings achieve their true selves, free from their past pain and the destructive behaviors from the failure of human society. We are their saviors! Not everyone can be saved. A truly evil soul will be evil, no matter they are human or horse... And fortunately, Vivian, I believe you can be saved."

The woman lifted the Golden Bit when Vivian came to the terrifying conclusion of what she meant, "No! Get away from me! Please! Just let me go! I'll tell no one! Please!"

"Despite your treacherous ways, I've grown fond of you, Vivian, but you've only proven that you can not be trusted. Yet I believe you will make a fine addition to the estate as a mare."

"No! Please, no! I don't want to be a mare!" Vivian pleaded though it burned her ego and her dignity, it was for both that she pleaded.

"Do not worry, mon cher_,_you will be very well taken care of, all our animals are," Maëlle said as she raised the Bit and it's bridle to Vivian's tear-streaked face, "Be free of your human pains."

"No! Stop! Let go ommmphh!!!" Vivian choked as the Bit slid between her teeth and over her tongue, silencing her. Her screaming had only offered an open mouth to the bit.

Just as she had witnessed with Holger, there was a brilliant flash of pure, white light, only this time it not only filled the room with light but it also Vivian's mind. Energy bolted from powerful Bit into Vivian's body, through her limbs and back, vibrating through her body, jolting along her nerves and searing through her veins.

Vivian's struggling stopped immediately and the two men carefully lowered her to the ground. Already, her beautiful Asian features were beginning to distort, her nose widening, her jaw lengthening. The sounds of straining fabric could be heard, the splitting of the seams in her panties, stockings, and blouse. The growth of new muscle and bone had begun.

Her eyes opened and Vivian struggled against the inexorable changes, her widening shoulders against the floor, her back arched up. She could feel every part of her growing body, her bones and joints creaking and popping, to the swelling of new muscle.

"Whee!"_Snort!_With shifting hands Vivian grasped at her slowly barreling chest. Her bra was biting painfully into her chest.

"Gabriel," Maëlle's face was full of concern, "Aidez-la, s'il te plaît."

Gabriel nodded and pulled out a small pocket knife, intent on cutting her free of her clothing, "Oui bien sûr."

Vivian, snorting and writhing on the straw-covered floor as her body grew and changed, she fought the Bit's power as pulsed through her body but it was too powerful. Its magic was old and strong. She saw the knife, panicked and without thought reacted like an animal, the struggle for her humanity forgotten.

_"WHHIINNNY!!!"_She cried out, not even attempting to form words, limbs thrashing. Gabriel stood back as the strange amalgamation of woman and horse, righted herself to all fours, though she was an awkward and ungainly sight. Trapped in her ripping and tearing clothes, her arms were still too short to make proper fore-limbs. There was still no indication of what color coat she would grow, but a black mane made it scraggly appearance along her lengthening neck. Her poor tail, trapped inside her torn, tight leggings, was not visible.

The perceptive horseman Elias felt the mare-woman might bolt and took the reins of the bridle. Snorting, Vivian reared, flailing her hoof like hands. Had she still cared about such things she would be shocked to find on her rear proto-hooves, she now stood a great deal taller than Elias. But her altered mind was filled only with thoughts of fear and escape.

"Easy girl!" Maëlle dashed to Elias' side and took the reins, "Such will! Such spirit! She is fighting the Bit more than any horse I've seen in years! She is a fantastic mare! Easy girl!"

When Vivian dropped to all fours with an angry snort, she had become somewhat more proportionate with her front legs now longer and stronger. Her hands and feet were much more hoof-like now and better able to support her increasing weight.

Dark fuzz began appearing around the end of her muzzle. Black fur could now be seen in the gap of her blouse and skirt. Her tail had freed itself as her underwear had slid down with rearing. Vivian's blackening anus and vulva could be seen through the light fabric of her panties.

"Easy, easy girl," Maëlle crept closer to the very agitated Vivian, who pulled against the reins, her ears pinned back and the whites of her eyes shone in the dim light, "That's it, easy, I know there's a lot going on in there. Stop fighting it, let the Bit do its work and find peace."

Gabriel also crept closer, more carefully this time, with his small Opinel knife. The mare-woman was calming down somewhat and the painfully tight clothing had to be removed. As his Grandmother gently stroked the former woman's lengthening muzzle, he deftly cut the fabric here and there, taking advantage of the tears in the cloth. First Vivian's skirt and panties fell in clump her black rear hooves.

Vivian snorted and stomped. She didn't like having the man so close to her flank; Vivian wanted to kick him but could reach. Maëlle carefully yet lovingly held her still growing head, being sure to stay clear of Vivian's redesigned and powerful teeth.

"That's it, easy girl," Maëlle spoke softly, "Once that bra is off you will feel much better. The rest of your growth will be much more comfortable."

There wasn't much left of Vivian's blouse, with few quick cuts and tugs, it was in two halves, each crumpled around a fore-hoof. The bra was indeed extremely tight, Gabriel took great care not to harm the mare-woman where it bit into her skin. Vivian gave an audible sigh of relief as the undergarment let go with a_snap!_

"Excellent!" Said Maëlle as looked over the mare. Her chest filled out quickly once free of the bra and the sleek black fur now covered her back, from tail to the poll between her ears. It was slowly creeping its way around her belly as it rounded out. Her breasts, never particularly large to begin with, had nearly settled into their new position between her legs. In the coming years, they would have foals feed.

"My this has turned into a very long night!" Maëlle said in her native tongue as she stroked Vivian's long graceful neck. She looked nearly as exhausted as the mare, "But very much worth it, some fine animals tonight."

"Go to bed, Grandméré," Gabriel answered, "Elias and I can finish tonight. Do not worry yourself."

Maëlle smiled, "Not until I see these horses to their stalls. Holger's and Nadia's new owner will pick them up tomorrow, but this one," Maëlle's smile broadened as she gave Vivian's withers a firm pat while looking at the mare's bright eye, "We are keeping."

The End