We arrived at the apartment building before the silence became too awkward and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Sarah had water on for pasta, and the radio was playing loudly in the background, blaring Madonna’s Like a Prayer. Sarah was singing along at the top of her voice and briskly stirring a pot of Alfredo sauce that she was semi-famous for among our friends. She looked up when we came in, and stopped singing but continued to mix the sauce. Nothing was going to daunt her from her cooking, and since she was one of us who could cook, I was not going to spoil a good meal.

The lack of discussion continued as Sam and I got the dishware and set the table while the music continued in the background. We didn’t look at each other.

Dinner was also a fairly quiet affair, with polite discussion and long pauses in between. Towards the end of the meal, Sarah got up, went into the kitchen, and returned with three glasses and a large carafe of White Zinfandel. This she set down with a thud of finality. She looked pointedly at both of us, and poured us each a generous amount of wine.

“I don’t know about you,” she said, “but I need to get a little more relaxed at this point. I don’t think we have ever been so quiet around each other.”

“Sarah, you know I don’t drink,” said Sam.

“Why? Are you afraid you are going to let something slip?” Sarah shook her head, “At this point, I think you need to unwind a little. I was thinking about what you said, about how you never told anyone. This is a bigger deal for you than maybe we can know. So drink. What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

“You have a point, but the fact is I am not sure what might happen to my control. I still haven’t spent enough time in my other form to…satisfy the horse, I guess you might say.” Sam looked at me, and I shrugged.

“If it happens, it happens,” I said. “There is no reason to fear you in that form, is there?”

“No. I am still myself at all times. I worry more about your furniture.”

“We’ll deal,” I said.

Sarah picked up her glass and the carafe, filling her glass. We did the same and retired to the living room. Sarah took the big, overstuffed chair, and Sam and I book-ended the couch. I took my first sip of Zin and tried not to think too hard on everything. Sam also took a sip, a small, tentative one and grimaced.

“Wine is not my usual preference,” he said. “We tend to drink very good beer that one of the family members makes during our gatherings.”

“Do your family members ever lose their control over changing?” I asked, taking another sip.

“It happens once in a while,” he said, and chuckled. “My uncle Ted went on a business trip to Chicago for a few months, and when he returned, it happened to correspond to one of our parties…no one is around for miles to hear, so they tend to get pretty loud. Anyway, he got rip-roaring drunk and lost control. Everyone thought it was hilarious, and they still kid him about it at reunions. Funny thing is, no one cared. That is what is great about the clan. They are supportive, but can laugh at each other. Now, if they knew about my plight, they would be horrified. No amount of arguing would convince them that I didn’t need to come home, and the fact that this is a small town wouldn’t matter. We are sticklers for our freedom, but very close knit. Only the men seem to have the urge to roam…we are rather horse-like in that way. The women head up the clan meets, but the men tend to keep the peace. A lot of the younger men go off for a while, but they always return home. I think they are expecting me to do so as well.”

“Sam, do men ever find wives outside of the clan? What happens if they find someone?” Sarah looked at him hard, and glanced at me.

“It…ah…usually doesn’t work. We have a lot of confirmed bachelors in our clan. Sometimes, someone does come in, but it takes a really special person to live with the clans. Oh, we all date and have romances, but usually, when it comes to telling this part of it…well, it fails.” Sam took a large drink before continuing. “Usually it comes out after the relationship starts. I mean, really, how do you tell someone ‘Gee, by the way, before we start dating, you might want to know that I can change into a horse.’ That would be the kiss of death to most potential relationships. They think you are kidding or crazy, and then if they do find out…well, it is better not to go there. So, usually, the bachelor herd stays single. None of us want to interbreed too closely, and the rare outsider who does accept us is how we get outside blood.”

He peered at his now-empty wine glass, and held it out to Sarah.

“Tomorrow is Saturday. I am not going in until noon and the techs can feed the cats we have boarding. Fill it up.”

Sarah complied and we all sat and sipped momentarily.

“So how do you normally deal with your needs?” I asked, and blushed, stammering with the realization of how that could be taken, “I mean, about changing here in town.”

“Normally, I drive out to the state park and take one of the less-used trails. We have been so busy at the clinic lately that I have not had time, and it is hard for me to hide if I get seen. Hunting season provides another problem, since there are poachers. I found that the rec park down by Pomp’s Pond is another avenue of escape, but I have to dodge more people. The Girl Scout camp nearby is better – less traveled. It would definitely help to have a human with me. Riding is a little too intimate, I’m afraid. I am not comfortable with the idea of wearing a saddle and a bridle, and neither of you are good enough to ride bareback. If this works out, I might think about teaching you in the future, but…”

“…But the only one of us who you’d let ride you would be Laura, right?” chuckled Sarah.

“Sarah!” I said, blushing furiously.

“She’s right,” said Sam, draining his glass again, and refilling it from the quickly emptying carafe. “It would have to be someone I trust, and who I am close to. Sarah, no offense, but being afraid of horses kind of lets you out of the picture. While I do retain my sense of self, I do react more like a horse in stressful situations. Horses really don’t like things on their backs. It is instinct, and your fear of horses would enhance that instinct. Sorry.”

“No problems, Sam. I am not going to take offense to something that makes perfect sense to me!”

Sarah rose and went into the kitchen, returning with some tortilla chips and a small bowl of salsa. She also took a look at the carafe, and left again, returning with another, full one. She caught our looks at her, and said,

“I think we are going to need this.”

“So, how can we best help you?” I said, trying to steer things back on course. I felt my brain starting to fog and found that I really didn’t care. Somehow, everything seemed less traumatic after a couple of drinks. I thought briefly of how little it was going to take to put me under the table that night since I normally had little more than one beer or a glass of wine. I found that I was almost relieved.

“Well, I’m thinkin’ that a couple of explorations a week would be best,” he said, his accent more pronounced than ever as the drink took effect. “Sundays, when the office is closed, I wouldn’t mind a long trip through the woods down by the pond. It is really quiet there and havin’ one of you with me would definitely make it easier. No one would be trying t’catch the loose horse in the woods, y’know?”

“They might look at you funny if you weren’t wearing at least a halter and lead,” said Sarah. “Most people don’t walk their horses loose.”

“I could prob’ly handle that,” said Sam. “I can pick one up tomorrow.”

“What I want to know is why you didn’t just buy a farm or something?” I asked, leaning my head against my hand and propping my elbow on the couch. “Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

“Vet school costs money, and Andover is not cheap,” smiled Sam. “My little house does not have much in the way of land.”

“So why here?” asked Sarah. “I mean, if it is so expensive…”

“A colleague of mine was selling his practice, and he agreed to take part down and part over time,” smiled Sam. “He is, well, family. He decided to go home.”

“That makes sense,” I nodded, “Do many of your family members go into veterinary medicine?”

“Quite a few, yes,” said Sam, leaning back into the couch, “We figure that it does not hurt to have people who understand animals working with them. Makes us feel like we are contributing something back, you know?”

We sat in amiable silence for a few minutes, each of us thinking our own thoughts.

“So, who is going to go on Sunday,” said Sam, hesitantly, looking at Sarah and I in turn.

“I have to go to my grandmother’s seventy-fifth birthday down in Quincy,” said Sarah, “otherwise, I might volunteer.”

“How convenient,” I said with a touch of sarcasm, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were setting me up!”

“Who, me?” giggled Sarah. “Not that it didn’t cross my mind…”

“Sarah!”

“Laura!”

I stuck my tongue out at her, and took another sip of wine. My knees had no feeling left in them and a warm lassitude had stolen over my body. I snagged a couple of chips with clumsy-feeling fingers and crunched merrily. Nothing seemed so serious anymore.

Sam put down the glass and sank back with a sigh. He looked from one of us to the other.

“Can I really trust you two with my secret? I mean, you have no idea what kinds of things could fall out from this, not just for me, but for my whole clan?”

“Sam, do you really think either of us would say anything to anyone?” said Sarah. “I mean, Laura likes you, and I’m her roommate…”

“Sarah!” I sputtered.

“Like he couldn’t tell!” shot back Sarah.

“I think we already clarified that earlier,” said Sam, shooting me a meaningful glance, “however, let’s get back to the pos’ble problems that face us. If this all goes well, this will alleviate most of my problem. But I do have that small worry, ladies. It isn’t that I think either of you would do it on purpose, but a slip up could cost me a lot.”

“Sam,” said Sarah, “who would believe us?”

“Believe it or not, there are people who look for such things, and not just conspiracy nuts. Animal human magic crossings have been a huge part of hist’ry. You’d be amazed.”

Sarah and I looked at each other, and then turned to Sam.

“Sam,” said Sarah, “we won’t even refer to you by name in that context between ourselves, if that helps.”

Sam finished off the rest of his wine, and put the glass on the coffee table.

“Ladies, I don’t know about you, but I am not going anywhere tonight. I am not sure that I can walk, and I am not in the mood to be by myself. Is it ok if I crash on the couch?”

“Sam, I would be very annoyed if you tried to drive home, and I doubt that either of us could walk even back to your office tonight,” I said, rising and wobbling over to the entertainment center. “How about a movie?”

“Certainly,” he said, “just not a werewolf flick, ok?”

“A little too familiar?” Sarah jibbed.

“No, a little too real,” said Sam, “My clan isn’t the only type of shape shifter in Montana. We have had run-ins with wolf and bear clans before, and it brings back bad memories. Remember when I said the men keep the peace? That is what we have to keep the peace with.”

“Gotcha. No Wolf. How about The Mummy?”