Time jumps and end

A few weeks later and it was obvious that Bell was pregnant. You did not know how it happened; it must be yours but that was unheard off. But then again before a few weeks ago so had animals being able to talk.

In the last weeks there had been a few news stories of talking animals or people talking to their pets and the pets acting as if they understood what was being said, better than normal. The Governments of the world blamed the quarantine, people stick inside too long. You had also started talking to your cat and she broke the law and talked back but that is a story for another time.

About a year later the virus had been dealt with and things had gone back to normal. You had convinced your Grandad to let you continue looing after the horses in your spare time. Investigations into talking animals had begun as it seemed the lockdown had broken the Millenia of silence. It was the weekend and you had spent all of it down at the stables. Bell was due to give birth and you were there to help.

“It’s coming.” Bell told you as she lay down on her side. For the rest of her labour, she only used horse words, little neighs and whinnies of pain as the baby was pushed out of her vulva. It was encased in a sack, like all foals, bit you could see baby's human arms and equine forefeet come out first encased in the sack. Another few pushes and the whole baby slide out. Bell had just given birth to the first Centaur to have been born since ancient Greece.

She had brown hair on her head, pale skin and blue eyes like you. Her equine body was a dark cream with black legs and tail. This was called Buckskin a mix of Bell’s Palomino and you counted as Bay. You named her Jillamatong or Jilla for short after the character from Silver Brumby's Daughter.