Oh, how dangerous, but pretty are the mountains of the of The Highlands! Some tribes here welcome the outsiders, however, other tribes, are not-so kind with them. 

Silanus is there for an easy reason, diplomacy; Since he is the leader of a clan of rebels who plan to take down the Empire of Adeluna. But, for that, allies are required, so an easy way to make some allies to their cause is there. Sadly for Silanus, this was a slow day for him, he only found two tribes of farmers… Why would a farmer ally him? He did not even bother to ask…

Today, he and other two men came to make allies in the Highlands, but they went alone to make it faster… Damn… It is almost night, and the place is surely cold… Seems that the poor man will have to make a tent, and sleep, hoping for the morning to come and warm him…

Now what? A man of hot places, sleeping in this damn place? Oh, Silanus really hoped this night finally finished… The armored man stood up and packed his tent, hoping to find a nearby tribe or someone to help him… After some minutes of walking, he found… A horse? Since when horses travel alone? He looked at the creature… Could it be? A centaur?! If it was really a centaur, the man had a better luck that he expected… Those sacred people bring fortune!!

She walked slowly down the narrow dirt road. She gripped her rough leather bag and shifted it to her other side. She had found it next to a string of clothes next to a barn that were hanging out to dry earlier. She had left a few silver coins in their place. Her hooves clipped quietly over the gravel, drawing the attention of several cows in a nearby field. She looked at them, ears perked and alert. They eyed her lazily, unimpressed, and continued on chewing their cud. Good, they don't seem to mind me around. She thought to herself. She kept walking, a small cloud of dust following in her wake. She flicked her tail, the long free hairs at the end swishing loudly at the pesky flies. It was almost nightfall and they were still out. Filthy blood-suckers. 
She yawned quietly and watched the sky gradually darken into a shade of midnight blue. The clouds floated overhead, changing colors with the sky. She dropped her ears slightly at the sight of them. Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning. The sky was a dark blue, with no hint of red coming from the setting sun. Great. It's going to rain. That will make things difficult. She picked her hooves up and started on a brisk trot. She had to find shelter before it got too dark. And stay out of sight. People didn't take too kindly to her sort. She didn't blame them, her kind was generally rude, loud, and rambunctious. More animal than man, with no sense. Maybe that's why I left? She thought. Because I'm more woman than horse? She gave a short laugh. Hah! She was a 100 lbs human and 1,200lbs horse. She was definitely more beast than anything else.
And yet here she was. Walking down the road. With a bag. With human clothes in it. Wearing a human shirt. What a joke. She smirked to herself. I'm a living paradox. A beast trying to act like a human she's not. 
She felt a quick sharp stab in her forefoot and jerked upright in surprise. She stopped moving and gingerly put her foot back on the ground. The pain came back, straight up her cannon bone. She gritted her teeth and bent over, while lifting up her hoof. Stupid rocks. Her fingers found a large stone between the wall and frog of her hoof. She hooked her nails under it and flicked it out. Almost immediately the pain was gone and she stood back upright again. 
Suddenly she smelled something. Something wasn't right. She flicked her ears back and forth, trying to catch the sound of something unfamiliar. When she heard nothing, she scanned the area very slowly with her eyes. Her nostrils flared and she reached slowly for her bow. Danger! Danger! Screamed a voice in the back of her mind. She pushed it down and continued to look for something that was out of place. She felt a fine line of hackles ripple down her spine and she swished her tail. She took a cautious step forward and then turned to the side. Then she saw him. Standing still as a statue, she almost didn't think he was real. A young man in armor. Staring right at her. Oh. Crap.

What a majestic creature… A centaur with human robes… Those creature usually walk in a larger number, why was this one alone? She is clearly a female one, I wonder if she has a family… Why is she alone? Are the tales my family told me… False? Silanus thought. Alone or not, Silanus considered himself the luckiest person in Canelux… However, if he had to earn this fortune, he had to pray to her, and make a small offering…

Silanus feared that this majestic centaur looked at him as a danger. He unsheated his sword and left it in the ground, then che dropped his spear, his dagger and finally his shield. After that, Silanus removed his helmet and left it with his weapons… He slowly walked toward her, and finally, he did kneel with respect…

Silanus closed his eyes and prayed to her: "Oh, mighty centaur, messenger of the Kelonian gods, bless Silanus with the will to survive those travels, here in this dangerous place! Forgive Silanus, for he carries few with him, just a mere piece of bread, his burden and water! What, oh mighty Centaur, what shall Silanus do for you? For he is a mere human, and you, a goddess, daughter of the kelonian gods!" 

Silanus remained in his praying position, waiting for Her answer. The Kelonians were a culture of people, who perished long ago. It is said that the centaurs were sacred to them. However, the kelonians were not, nor are gods, but Silanus and his kin hold them sacred…

She watched him from the road. He reached for his sword and she took a quick step backwards. She watched him take the sword from the scabbard and place it on the ground. He let his spear drop to the ground as well. She stared at him. Odd. What is he doing? She had never seen a person do this before, normally they would raise them up to fight her. But this was really quite strange. The young man dropped his shield and removed his helmet, revealing a shock of dark hair on his head. He stared at her intently, which she met with the same intensity.

The man walked towards her, slowly and calmly. She felt her hindquarters tense, ready to fight or flee if needed. She had seen him drop his gear, but still wondered if this was a trap of some sort. She briefly looked around to see if there were anymore men around. She only smelled the one, but she'd been tricked before. She saw no one else, so she returned to stare at this strange man. He was closer than before, gradually getting closer to the ground. She tipped the hoof of one of her forelegs to the side, in case he planned to jump up at her last minute. She was ready to rear if he tried anything, she could squish him easily, he left his armor by the side of the road. 

He stopped just before his forelegs and crouched down.  He started speaking to her, in a strange tongue that was similar to her own. Human speak. He prayed to her, called her a goddess, worshipped her like a god. Her ears flicked back and forth, unsure. She didn't know what to make of this man, as he sat quietly, waiting for an answer. 

"Rise Man," she said, looking down upon him. "Get to your feet so that we may be equals. I am not the goddess you speak of, only a mortal like yourself. Neither is any of my kind a god. I view you and all men as equals, even though I am myself a beast. I have no desire to be worshipped or admired. I just ask that you let me go and continue my wanderings in peace." 

Now… That is clearly something new. The tales Silanus heard as a child did not mention this… Perhaps she did not know that her ancestors were the companions of the legendary kelonian, which Silanus holds sacred. However, if she wants to be Silanus' equal, so be it.

Silanus stood up, staring at the centaur; he had so many things to ask! The armored man was trembling, the Highlands are too damn cold! He was hungry and thirsty, also tired… Silanus tols her: "As you wish… B-but before you go, would it be too much if Silanus asks if you, wonderful creature, would give Silanus a place to rest this night? For Silanus has no place sleep, nor to go…"

She watched the man stand up and continue to stare at her. She turned her head to the side and lowered her forehoof to the ground. She wouldn't attack him, not yet anyway. She flicked an ear as she heard his armor rustle against itself. He was shivering, she realized. Why? It wasn't that cold out. She looked up at sky, it was darkening quickly and she could feel through her hooves the roar of distant thunder. She didn't have much time before she would be soaked in the rain. She looked at the man at her feet, his head barely coming up to her rib cage.

He asked her a question, almost pleading. She stared at him, her ear flicked thoughtfully. She needed to get to shelter as well. A small voice in her head told her she couldn't leave this man out by himself in the rain, with the minimal gear he had. He'd probably freeze. Another voice in her head said to leave him alone, she didn't trust humans very much. She didn't really trust anything for that matter. She glared at him and stepped around him, careful to avoid stepping on his unprotected feet. Hooves were so much more practical than fragile paws.

After a few steps, she paused and sighed to herself. She turned her head to the side and called to the man. "I do not know where I am going myself." She said, flatly. "But if you can keep up, you are welcome to join me." She turned back and started walking back down the road. She walked for a while before seeing an old barn a ways off the road. She hesitated, looking around for any sign of human activity. Seeing none, she vaulted over a tall fence and stood in the field. The cows were all lying down under the tree cover, yet another sign that the was rain to be coming. She went quickly across the field to the old barn and stopped in front of the double doors. She wouldn't bother trying to get into the windows, she couldn't have managed that when she was a foal. 

She looked up at the old structure. It would suffice for a night or two. Now, how to get in…She thought to herself. She tried the handles on the doors, and they resisted strongly. She dropped her hands back to her sides and glared at them. She wheeled around and kicked out her back hindlegs. Her strong hooves collided with the old beams and they broke in. The doors fell to the ground in a crash, old wooden planks and splinters flew everywhere. She faced the door again and nudged some larger pieces out of her way with a forefoot. She ducked under the jagged remains and entered the barn, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. 

Oh, how great, how kind! Those were good news! But, she doesn't know where she is going? Odd… Usually centaurs travel short distances, and in larger numbers… But this did not matter, perhaps, if he sticks around with rhis centaur, he would recieve a little blessing…

Silanus saw how the strong centaur kicked and destroyed the wooden doors… Damn… I wonder what would happen if she kicks a person… How many bones  would destroy? Hehe… Silanus thought. The armored man picked his helmet, his shield and his weapons, and walked to the abandoned barn; the cows looked at him, what are this creatures doing here, without people? They are just trapped there! How cruel, if a cow is going to serve as your lunch, atleast give it some good last days, not just leaving them there! Silanus un-sheathed his sword and with a swift, violent movement, he slashed the old fence and broke it… After that, he said: "Be free, cows! And thank you for blessing us with your milk and, some times, meat. There, cows, be free!" 

The cows had very few water left, perhaps for some more days… Silanus released just them just in time; the lazy creatures stood up and slowly left the abandoned barn… A cow even licked the man's arm! Hah, what a noble creature.. 

Silanus sheated his short sword and walked inside the barn, besides where the centaur stood; the place had hundreds of cobwebs, spiders, lots of dust and some rats… He coughted for a while, perhaps he got sick or something, or maybe it was just the dust… The armored man said: "This place is really spooky, hah! Look at all the mice, Silanus hopes that we don't encounter a giant rat, he once saw a dead one, what an awful thing…"

She looked around the old barn. It sure was dark inside. She saw several large cobwebs hang from the beams and several holes in the floor of the hay loft. She watched a piece of straw fall gently to the ground as the dust settled around her. She picked her way carefully around the broken planks from the doors, the last thing she needed was to get a splinter in one of her frogs. Once she was inside, she stopped and closed her eyes for a second. She sniffed the air, making sure there was no danger. Old wood, hay, dirt, manure, and cattle were the only things inside here. Maybe an occasional mouse, but that would be all. It was safe here. She would stay here until the rain stopped.

She heard a loud clunking and banging and slowly turned her head to face the doors. The armored man sauntered into the barn and looked around. She flicked her ears back. This was going to be a long night…He sounds like he just dropped a whole line of pots and pans. At once. She snorted, slightly annoyed. And I thought centaurs were loud…This man even puts them to shame. The man stopped moving for a second, and she relished the sudden quiet. And the span of silence was cut too short. He pulled out his sword and proceeded to break the old wooden fence. And started yelling after them. This man was insane.

She reeled around and strode up to the man, her ears pinned to her skull. "What was the point of that?" She hissed, glaring down at him. "Those cows were tamed, they would not survive a day out there by themselves. Not only that, but they now pose a hazard to anyone out on the road. " She shook her mane and walked back into the barn, slightly more aggravated than before. The only reason she picked this barn to sleep was because it was out of the way. That she would not draw unnecessary attention to herself. Yes she broke the door, but she could never make it through one of the tiny barn windows. But now this crazy son of Adam is making noise and releasing cattle. She would have to leave in the morning now, whether it was still raining or not. She didn't have much choice now.

She found a mound of old straw in the corner of the barn and used her forehooves to spread it out. She turned and stood over it, before collapsing first her hind legs and then her fore legs. She tucked a hoof under her chest and unslung her bag from her side. She glanced at the man as he spoke again, her anger already starting to subside. "What kind of a soldier are you, if you are scared of dark buildings and large rodents," she asked, her voice skeptical. 

Silanus? Scared? Well, not scared, just disturbed, humans do not have an ability to smell and know what is and is not there… He licked licked his lips before talking, and said: "Well, a rat bigger than you, that eats orcs and even trolls, is no joke, noble centaur… The rats that live inside the land of orcs are bigger than one would think…." Silanus was a little confused… Was this really centaur really one of the mighty creatures that the tales of old described? The bringers of luck? Was she actually a centaur…?

Silanus continued talking: "And, Silanus is not scared of the darkness… He is scared of what lurks inside it, stalking you, waiting for you to lower your guard, and then… A-and then murder you, SLAY you! Just like what happened to poor Silanus' friend, Levius… They got him, you know, noble centaur??? GOT HIM!"

Silanus began to accelerate his breathing, shaken and now, afraid… He reached for his backpack and lit a torch… It was full of rusty iron nails, the wooden floor in it a long worm was dead, being eaten by ants… It all seemed normal for Silanus, except for a big gatedoor that led to a underground room…

She laid on the ground, her head on her arms as she listened to him speak. He was so loud, it was bordering on obnoxious. He continued ranting on and on about giant rats and orcs. She had never seen a rat larger than a cat, and was quite doubtful of his story. If he was trying to scare her it wasn't working. She looked at him when he paused for a breath. He had a slightly confused look on his face and she lifted herself back up, so that her human half was upright. Casually, she reached up and started braiding her hair.

She tried to look interested when he started talking again. This time it was about darkness. Oh, and back to the bloody yelling again. She pinned her ears back and ground her teeth. He was really starting to pick at her nerves. Once he was done yelling, he appeared to calm down. Finally, some quiet.  She thought to herself. She was done braiding her hair and reached for her bag at her side. The man moved suddenly then. Reaching swiftly for his pack for something. She quickly found out what it was as a bright orange light lit up the barn from his torch. 

Fire! She lunged upright, standing on all four feet immediately. She rushed over to the man and reared up, her front hooves knocking the torch from his hand. A loud animal screams escaped from her mouth and she pounded her hooves into the fire. She twisted and pitched, her hooves snapping into the fire like twin snakes. At last the flames died, and the coals were extinguished. Her forelegs were burned and the hairs on them singed black, the smell of burnt fur clung to her like a cloud. 

Her nostrils flared as she turned to the man. Her breathing was fast and she felt her hackles rise. Her ears pinned back and her lips rolled back into a snarl, exposing her white teeth. She lunged at the man, a hoof knocking him down to the ground. She stood on his forearms, leaning her weight back so as not to completely crush his bones. She leaned over to stare him in the face, her mane falling to the side like a stream of fire. "What. Were. You. Thinking!" She screeched at him, more animal than man. "This is a barn! Not a military encampment. This building will go up like a matchbox. The wood is dry and seasoned and there is hay and straw everywhere." She took her hand and slammed his head into the ground. "You will either start using that brain in your skull, or I will make it leak out your ears." She glared at him, letting her sharp hooves cut into his arms.