With Catherine keeping me warm and comforted, the rest of the night passed peacefully for me. And for her too.
At breakfast, everyone else noticed the blissed-out expressions on the faces of Jeremy and Kimberley. All of the other centaurs picked up on their shared scents – and the traces of their mating – straight away. The females queued up to hug the happy Kimberley – whilst the males slapped Jeremy’s shoulder, congratulating him – with Jeremy promising to pass the details onto an inquisitive Tim, in private, later on. Maggie and Jeremy gave each other a smile, before they hugged. Then Darwin told the newly-mated couple to have a wash in the nearest stream, before returning to eat. Which they did.
Both Robyn and I did note that Imogen was now surer hoofed in her movements, as she took to the trail in the morning – trotting and galloping just as confidently as the other centaurs. Most of the time, she was racing alongside Icaro. When I did get to see her face, she was beaming with joy – the total opposite of the despair she had sunk into, during the last few months.
And as I rode with my arms wrapped tightly around Catherine, so that I didn’t fall off, I was glad that Imogen was happy with her new life and her new…mate. In spite of my misgivings, I couldn’t stay angry with either of them.
As for Robyn, she was invited by Cindy to be her mount – encouraging their mother-daughter bonding since their reunion. Then after eating lunch, followed by more archery and weapons practice for us humans and the newest pair of centaurs, Darwin asked my cousin to ride on him. In the meantime, Jade seemed content to run without a rider. She keep pace in our galloping party alongside the younger centaurs – even as they took turns in acting as point and scouts. Whilst Kimberley took turns in acting as our rear-guard.
Then, as we paused to refill our flasks from a stream, with me reading a copy of the scout party’s map of the local land, the terror struck. The howling chilled us all to the core. We froze – before Icaro, Darwin, and Kimberley urged us into action.
“Direwolves!” Icaro whinnied, his eyes flashing with fear. “Get moving, everyone! Have your weapons to hand. If we gallop hard, we might be able to lose those fiends in the swamps just north of here. Once we reach the hill on the other side, we can use our horns to summon help from Hylonome’s Haven, with one long blow. The villagers will be able to hear us from that hill.”
The others acted. Robyn climbing back upon Jade again, to keep her company – whilst Catherine grabbed hold of my hand and urged me to get back upon her. As we packed and got going, we saw the direwolves emerge from the woods behind us. Terror gripped me, as I found myself giving up counting them after the first twenty. They reminded me of the wargs in ‘The Two Towers’ film. Similar size and appearance. Same savage temperament. And with a collective howl, they charged us. And the race was on!
It was difficult to keep track of everything that happened in the chaos of the next few minutes. One of the direwolves managed to catch up with Tim and Cindy, and it leapt at them – causing Cindy to fall over as it snagged her rear leg, as she slowed down to make a turn on the path. But before it could do much more damage, a screaming Robyn got Jade to stop still before the distraught mother fired an arrow at the direwolf, striking it. Then Tim charged in with a dagger to wound it again. Cindy herself, although wounded, was then able from her position on the ground, to use her own dagger to stab the distracted wild canine through the heart…
The rest of the herd, now dogged by the monstrous pack, were desperately fighting off the direwolves with whatever they could – crossbows, bows and arrows, daggers, nets, and even grabbing any appropriately-sized rocks to use as missiles or clubs…
Naturally, I was stricken with terror. Catherine was panicking too, as she paused to rear up and kick one of the fiends with her forehooves – sending it flying sideways as it leapt at us. At her advice I was now holding my arms tightly around her chest, hoping desperately that I wasn’t going to fall and be torn apart by our attackers…
“The direwolves are spreading out to cut us off, Charlie! What do we do? What do we DO!?” she cried out, neighing out of equine reflex as several of the other centaurs bellowed and screamed.
My thoughts were racing, as I tried to control my breathing. Zipping just past us, I spied Maggie racing straight for the swamps just to our north, with two of the direwolves now on her tail. She barely dared to look back, terror etched on her face, holding one of the party’s horns in one hand – whilst the other held a now-empty crossbow. The other centaurs were all busy fighting their own opponents – and even a neighing Jade was rearing up, using her hooves to drive the attackers back from her now-fallen rider, Robyn. But if Maggie could get through the swamp and reach the hill on the far side…
From my position on top of Catherine, I quickly surveyed the landscape. A wide plan began to form in my mind…
“We need to protect Maggie. Go after her!”
“B-but…the swamp! We’ll sink…!” Catherine whinnied.
“Maggie’s the nimblest centaur in our group – and I think she already knows the way through the swamp! They’ve mapped it, after all. We need to follow her where she puts her hooves! And we need to get those wolves away from her!” I yelled back.
So, Catherine put herself and me in-between Maggie and the two direwolves – forming a chain as first Maggie, then us pair, were chased by the huge canines. Catherine cantered after the young zebra-taur – who was still galloping, but now also weaving a path through the marshland as she began to leap over the most treacherous stretches of bog. She reached a dry clearing in the middle, and stopped to look back at us. Catherine – to her great credit – followed Maggie’s path, as I directed her.
“What are you planning?” she called out, panting, as we caught up with her.
“We’re going to cover your back, Maggie! Give me your crossbow and any spare bolts,” I urged her. “Then we’ll see if we can draw them away from you. You must reach that hill and…”
“…blow my horn where the note will carry straight across to Hylonome’s Haven! Will do.” Maggie beamed. “Good luck!” Passing me her remaining weapons, she then turned around and scarpered north off the dry clearing and into the remaining stretch of swamp.
“Turn round to face ‘em, Cathy,” I panted, as I tried to load the crossbow with the first bolt – my hands shaking somewhat. “I hope this works…”
She nodded and turned around to face the oncoming canines. “I trust you, Charlie,” she breathed. “We can do this... We can protect the herd. And protect each other…”
“Yes. Protect the herd. And protect each other…” I echoed, taking a deep breath to try to steady myself and focus. Even in that moment, I realised that I was acting as though I was already a centaur, myself.
And as the two direwolves ran out of the long reeds, and leapt for us – I fired the crossbow, striking the first one in the forehead. And as the second one clawed Catherine, I slammed the crossbow into its head, knocking it off-balance. With a scream of fury, Catherine then repeatedly kicked it with her forehooves, trampling it to death, close to the still body of its fellow, as I dropped the emptied crossbow and held onto Catherine for dear life.
As it’s last howl died away, Catherine and I gasped for breath as we heard Maggie repeatedly blow her horn for help.
“We did it! We did… Oh, no…!” Catherine excitement was abruptly curtailed as two more of the direwolves emerged from the reeds from our right, snarling and drooling.
“No time to pick up the crossbow… No weapons left,” I growled. I desperately needed another plan. Then I thought of the map I’d read, and I glanced to our left – to the east, where the swamp gave way to a rising green slope and a clump of trees at the summit. “Head that way!” I directed her.
“Okay!” Catherine turned and started pounding away – the clearing soon changing to mud and bog underneath her. This time, she watched the ground, and made her own choices as to where to gallop and where to leap clear of. For the next minute, the two direwolves chased us east through the swamp. Then there was a howl of anguish behind us. But we didn’t dare pause and glance back until we were out of the swamp and halfway up the hillslope. Catherine panted to a halt.
“I…I am bleeding from those claw marks, Charlie!” she told me. “Can’t go on much longer…”
I cursed, now worried for her. I looked over to where we’d come from. What I saw made me smile.
“We’re in luck, Cathy. Look back at the swamp!”
She half-turned and glanced back. That howl had been more than one of frustration. One of the direwolves had run into a dangerous part of the bog – and even as we watched, it was slowly sinking into its grave. The other fiend stood nearby, howling in despair at the loss of its…mate? Then, as the first one disappeared for ever, the second one turned its focus – and anger – towards us, and it began to run in our direction once more, murder in its eyes…
Catherine whinnied in fear. “I won’t let it kill you, whilst I still have strength, Charlie! But I am still bleeding… And we have no weapons.”
“We’ve got just one. Human cunning...! We stick with my plan. Race for the top of that hill – then quickly stop!”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Charlie…,” she panted.
“So do I!” I yelled back, as Catherine summoned up her remaining spirit and sprinted up the gradual grass slope. As I’d hoped, the remaining direwolf was racing directly for us, gradually decreasing the gap between it and us. In the meantime, Maggie’s horn was still blowing…
At the top, next to the clump of trees, Catherine pulled up sharply as she saw what was on the other side of the summit. “Charlie – it’s the…”
“…exactly what I’d hoped for!” I answered as looked back and faced the incoming direwolf, hurtling at us, steeling myself as I tried to gauge the time for the move that would decide between life or death or us…
“When I say now…,” I pre-warned her.
“Ju-jump behind this clump of trees?” she guessed, her voice quivering.
“Right… Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Dang! Too quick! NOW!” I cried out.
And as Catherine jumped behind the trees, the furry ballistic missile that was the last direwolf on our trail gave a howl of anguish as - unable to stop in time - its momentum carried it over the edge of the sea cliff we were stood upon. The fiend bounced off the rocks and splashed into the churning waters. There was a rush of air bubbles. Then it was gone for good – having quickly drowned, cheated of its prey...
Both Catherine and I gasped with relief. My chin rested upon her shoulder as the tension vanished from me. My stead trotted back towards the hillslope where we had a clear sight of the swamp – and the band of charging new arrivals that was the centaur rescue party. Armed with bows and arrows, crossbows, spears, nets, and their hooves.
“We’re still alive…!” Catherine gasped. She then lowered herself to the ground, and allowed me to get off, before she slumped against the tree for support, her body sweating heavily. I could now see the angry-looking slashes and the thin trail of blood on the grass around us.
“Oh no… Catherine! Hold on! Please hold on…!” I waved my arms in the direction of the rescuers, trying not to panic again as I cried out. “We need a medic!”
“Got it! I’m on my way!” a male voice yelled back.
I quickly pulled out my handkerchief. Deciding that it was clean enough, I pressed it to the worse area of Catherine’s injured equine shoulder. She smiled at me.
“You outwitted those direwolves, Charlie. I… I am proud of you…!”
I glanced at her, feeling a lump in my throat. “And I’m proud of you too, Catherine. We’ve…saved each other’s lives. Please be okay… Don’t… Please don’t die on me,” I told her, speaking from my heart, feeling her blood through my now-soaked handkerchief.
Catherine couldn’t find the words to speak. Instead she beamed at me, as she panted. Then the pounding of hooves alerted me to the arrival of the centaur stallion who had heard my cry for help. He was a brown-furred Traknehner with a pleasant-looking, clean-shaven face underneath his short brown hair.
“I’m Ben Miller, a doctor,” he began as he squatted down next to Catherine, and pulled out dressing pads from his first-aid satchel. He glanced at both of us – seeing how muddy, sweaty, and exhausted we were. “Are you injured yourself, Mr…?”
“Just Charlie will do. I’m okay. Just help Catherine, please!” I fell upon my knees, exhaustion catching up with me. “She’s my former horse… And now…I can’t bear to lose her,” I sobbed.
Ben nodded sympathetically and patted my shoulder with his free hand. His friendly, open manner put me at my ease. “I understand. I couldn’t bear to lose my Lucy. Don’t worry, Charlie. Catherine will be alright. Just follow my instructions to help get this bleeding under control whilst I treat her wounds…”
“What about the direwolves? The others in our party?” I blurted.
“My herd-brothers and herd-sisters are putting an end to those canines. We should be all safe now. Let’s get things sorted out here – then we can slowly make our way back down to the others. Does that sound okay?” Ben put to me.
“Yeah.”
Sometime later, Ben escorted the bandaged, tired Catherine, as we slowly headed back to the edge of the swamp. With me now acting as Ben’s rider, since I was whacked out myself. My fears regarding Imogen, Robyn and Jade thankfully turned out to be groundless – as, apart from bruises and some cuts, they were all okay. And Jade gave me a pony’s grin when I saw the dead direwolf near to her, felled by a blow to its forehead.
“You defended Robyn by striking at it with your hooves?” I deduced, asking Jade.
She whinnied, and slowly nodded. “We will soon…all be of the same herd. We must all…protect each other! As I sense you have protected Catherine…and Maggie.”
“Yes I did, Jade. Thank you for keeping Robyn safe.” I lovingly stroked our pony, who in turn playfully rubbed her forehead against mine.
The centaur scouts were all still alive too – and Maggie was soon doing her part, by providing her nursing skills to the wounded. A centaur stallion with dark, curly hair, and the lower body of a Percheron horse was fiercely hugging Jeremy – who was bleeding slightly in places. As well as having a fractured leg, it seemed.
“I’m okay, dad. Really!” he mumbled.
“Glad to hear it, Jeremy,” Jeremy’s father replied, pulling away. He looked at Kimberley, who standing next to them.
“He fought well, Steve,” she told him. “He defended both me and the rest of the scouting herd, like a good mate should…”
“Kimberley!” Jeremy’s face reddened. “That’s not the way I wanted to let dad know about…,” he trailed off.
Steve stiffened, and scrutinised both Kimberly and his son. “I see…,” he declared.
The Chinese-ethnic centaur gave a sheepish smile. “Whoops…”
We continued on. Ben had asked about the whereabouts of his adopted daughter. And so, having already picked up upon the stated surname, I led him to Cindy – who had her wounds being treated by a pretty grey Lipizzaner centauress with shoulder-length blonde-brown hair. Robyn and Tim were with them.
“Lucy?” Ben trailed off, having just seen Robyn and the smiling Lipizzaner embrace.
“Hi Ben. Cindy’s just introduced me to Robyn. Her birth mom!”
Ben’s mouth dropped open. “Then…the powers-that-be have decided to reunite mother and daughter?”
“Yes… Me and my cousin here will be joining the herd too, I guess.” Robyn stood up and embraced Ben. “You and Lucy… Thank you both for joining after Cindy!”
“Er, wow… Lucy and I are proud of her, Robyn. She’s grown into a wonderful young centaur mare. We’re glad to be of help,” Ben declared, hugging Robyn back.
Robyn glanced back at Cindy, then Tim. “Still… She’s ready to become an adult herself – and….”
Lucy nodded. “We know. Tim has our joint permission. And Tim has it from his foster parents. I take it… Cindy and Tim have asked for yours?”
“We have,” Cindy confirmed. Both she and Tim stood up and nervously pawed the ground with their forehooves. “Mom was mulling it over.”
Robyn gave a sad smile. She rested one hand on Tim’s shoulder, whilst the other was on Cindy’s. “Be good to my daughter - and love and protect her. Understood? Because I’ll soon have my own hooves, if you don’t…”
Tim gulped. “I will. I promise to you all that I’ll be worthy of her love, ma’am,” he solemnly declared.
A nod and a smirk from Robyn followed. “Then your kids have my permission to mate. Just don’t turn me into a grandmother just yet, okay? I’m still getting used to all of the other life changes being thrusted upon me, as it is.”
Cindy beamed, hugging her. “Okay, mom. It’s a deal! Just…don’t be too quick to give me a half-sibling.” She snickered.
Robyn turned red in her face, as she facepalmed herself, groaning at Cindy’s retort. “I could do with a hot bath,” she muttered. “Do centaurs hav…?”
There was a shake of the head from Cindy. “We’re the wrong body shape for baths, mom! We have nice hot showers instead.”
And as this unfolded, I saw that Darwin was watching the scene with a smile on his lips. Icaro was checking up upon Imogen – who was now proudly telling me of the direwolf she had impaled. And Catherine, having recovered a little, had one hand resting upon my shoulder, smirking at me. Darwin limped as he stepped over to address us.
“You two did well in the fight, I hear. And you, Charlie… You are still a two-leg, but you fought for the scouting party as though you were already part of our herd,” he said to us.
“Yes. Heat of the moment…” I swallowed. “But in defending my family, Jade, and Catherine, it seems right for me to help fight for you all…”
Darwin held eye-contact with me for several moments. Then he heartily patted my shoulder, and grinned. “You are loyal and intelligent. You will be a worthy addition to our herd, Charlie!” He then turned and limped away, to be treated for his injuries.
Moments later, the centaurs who had led the rescue party walked up to greet the one horse and two humans amongst the small crowd just outside the swamp. “Greetings to you, our new friends! You are all safe now. The direwolves have all been wiped out. I am Daisy, and my mate here is Bolt,” the female of the pair announced with a smile.
Bolt then spoke up, nodding. “We are the head mare and head stallion here. Let us take care of your needs. Welcome to Hylonome’s Haven!”