Sabel Ch. 04-06

I put my left foot on a bench to dry it up and my eyes fell on the circlet on my ankle. Suddenly it dawned on me that what I was feeling was – FEAR. Yes, I was afraid! I had so much wanted to leave my job and Station and ascend to a better status, and now that only a few steps separated me from success I was feeling frightened.

But what was I afraid of? Of Miss Cathy? No: I like her a lot. Her self-assurance, the flashy clothing she dons while teaching, those powerful blue eyes, all that fascinates me. And the way she pierces me with her eyes during classes! I think that she feels some sexual attraction for me and it does not bother me - rather the opposite. The way she touched me after the third class was so different from the cold efficiency she showed when teasing Jenny! I am not much schooled, but I can tell when someone is aroused and when not.

After getting dressed I looked on the mirror again. My regulation top has a kind of V coming down from the neck and so the collar was perfectly visible, even if I arranged my hair in such a way that it covered the lock on its back. But I knew that it was there and what it meant – the first step into becoming Miss Cathy's property. And I could not conceal from myself that I had mixed feelings about that.

As I scrubbed the floors that afternoon, my mind was so absorbed with these questions that I must have done some sloppy work. Luckily my boss was occupied with other things and didn't notice. I froze at the idea of having to stay three more years kneeling behind a brush: screwing up that unique opportunity to leave my dull job was out of question! Why was I so confused? I had to overcome that awful feeling.

I went through everything that Miss Cathy had told us about being a ponygirl. I have no problems with going half-naked, and found my outfit quite nice. At first, that strap rubbing on my pussy enervated me, but as I marched and trotted it became less conspicuous. So it my fears didn't come from that, nor were they connected with the bit – I had adapted quite easily to it.

The pill, perhaps? But what could be wrong with having intense sexual feelings at the lightest touch? I like to be touched, I value pleasure, and actually am very curious to know more about that pill's effect. Perhaps I should ask a pony how she feels – there are so many at the taxi stations, waiting for passengers. Their drivers will not object to such a simple request – or will they?

I remembered the uneasiness among the girls when Miss Cathy told us that ponies are considered property of the persons they are assigned to. I spent my childhood in Ms. Stevenson's farm and was familiar with this law. Seeing Jenny attached had scared me, no doubt. She was lucky that Miss Cathy decided to tease her - she could have swatted her ass or left her there for the whole day.

But that pale girl had deserved it, I had to agree. Maybe she acted so foolishly because she comes from the Third Station and is ashamed to be turned into a ponygirl. I would never upset my owner, whoever that was, like she had done. I am sure that Miss Cathy will take good care of me and will never act in a mean or indifferent way towards me. At least nothing in her behavior has suggested that she will.

What else had scared my colleagues? Robin had barked at the way Miss Cathy referred to "delivery animals", and I have to agree that it is not a courteous designation. But if I become Miss Cathy's pony, I will not be a delivery animal: I will serve a prestigious lady and everybody who reads the plate under my collar will know to whom I belong.

As I went out from the building, I saw Charra coming along. I became friends with her soon after I came to Charissa and she knows me very well. She noticed at once that something was worrying me:

" Sabel, you look awful! What is burdening you?" she asked.

"Let's have a cup of coffee and I will tell you."

We entered a cafeteria and I told her everything, including what had happened the previous day and how Miss Cathy had asked me to help her to tease Jenny.

"I don't understand", I said as I finished my narrative. "I still want to be a ponygirl and am quite happy that Miss Cathy has chosen me – if I pass my midterm, that is. I loved when she caressed me yesterday. And I am not going to wrest my bit from my mouth as Jenny did, or be as stupid as Karen and pull my thong up when she tells me to pull it down. So what am I afraid of? Can you tell me, Charra?"

She remained silent for a few moments.

"Sabel", she finally said. "You are not ashamed of wearing a collar, are you?"

"Of course not. In a few weeks, all of us will have one, I hope."

"Then your fear doesn't come from having it permanently on your neck. This wouldn't make sense after all you have told me. By the way, everyone in the class is talking about you. It is so obvious that you are Miss Cathy's favorite! Nobody has stayed after class with her except you. She has not told us anything about tush pushes or about the Friday position. And nobody has got a gift from her except you."

"A gift?"

"Yes, the padlock! Isn't that a gift?"

I had to agree that it was. She went on:

"You must be afraid because of what she said after that – until I decide otherwise. What do you think this means?"

"That only she can remove it?" I said in a hesitant voice.

"Of course. And why would she do that?"

"Well, she has said that ponies can be transferred from one owner to another. This I didn't know. Ms. Stevenson's male ponies were always the same, except when two of them died, and Teresa, her private ponygirl, was already pulling her when I was born."

Charra looked surprised at what I had just said.

"Wait! Are you telling me that you are afraid of that? I mean, of Miss Cathy getting tired of you and sending you to another owner?"

"Yes!" I looked anxiously at her. "Do you think she will do that?"

"The law says that she can, but I think that it will depend on how you behave."

I sighed. She was right, of course.

"The trouble is that we ponies cannot choose whom we belong to."

Charra has not Robin's quick tongue, but her voice was quite ironic as she snapped:

"We ponies, Sabel? You are not one yet!"

I was so startled by what I had just said that I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent more silliness from coming out of it. She winked at me:

"You want so much to become her pony, don't you, Sabel? This explains your fear, I think. Listen: as long as Miss Cathy wants to own you, this collar is safe on your neck. But if she transfers you to somebody else it will have to be removed, because this person will give you a new one. It seems that you got her words as meaning that she could send you to another owner, and that frightened you like hell. Do you follow me?"

I nodded. I sure want to stay with Miss Cathy and pull her wherever she has to go. I want to feel her hands on my body and jerk and shake as she touches me.

"But this is not – by far – the only reason for her removing your collar, Sabel! She could want to change it for a new one, or have it cleaned when your sweat has made it brown instead of red. Or the padlock might get rusted."

It is incredible how chatting with another person can make you see things differently! Since leaving that yard, I had turned that sentence in every sense to understand what it meant, but hadn't thought of what Charra was suggesting now. But now it sounded so obvious! I exclaimed:

"Charra! You are right! Do you remember when we were kneeling and holding our hair over our heads? When Miss Cathy clasped the padlock, she said the same thing, only with other words: "you are mine, pretty Sabel, for as long as I choose to own you."

"See? This shows that she wants to keep you. You are pretty, you have these long legs, perfect for running without getting tired, and you do everything she asks you to. Why would she not want to keep you? Don't tell me that you were the only one in that classroom not to have noticed how fond of you she is!"

"Of course I did. And as her ponygirl, I will do my best to please her."

"So, Sabel, she is already considering herself as your owner. And therefore it is she, and nobody else, who decides about your collar. This is what she wanted you to know."

I was so happy at her words that I rose up and hugged her.

"Charra, you are such a good friend! Thank you! Why don't you come over for dinner? Today it is my turn to cook and I can make something special for you."

As we walked to my home, I was happy as a bird. How silly I had been! Our laws in Auronia are so simple and wise. A lock on a pony's collar means that he or she belongs to somebody, and Miss Cathy had put one on mine! Her words sounded so obvious after Charra's explanation: unless I make some serious blunder, in a few more weeks I will have become her property until she decides otherwise.

Upon arriving home, I always take off my sandals and walk around barefoot. That day I was so excited that I forgot to do that and went directly into the bathroom to look on the mirror: I wanted to see Miss Cathy's gift again. The padlock is small, but it means so much! I hope that it will stay on the back of my neck for a long, long time.