A/N Thank you guys! We just reached 338 views!!! I am very happy with all your guys support and love and I hope that I will be able to complete this book :) But I can only do it if you all keep commenting, voting, and sharing this book with your friends and family! <3 Thanks again guys!

Constantine landed, legs shaking, on the lush grass.

"Co! Come on!" The out of breath cervitaur looked up at his sister, who was waving her hand to the forest, where Mathew was already trotting into. Constantine smiled and galloped over, casting a glance behind him back at a very angry looking Caleb.

He reached his older brother and twin as they began to walk into the woods. 

The high canopy shielded them from the powerful rays of the sun, keeping their hides cool. The dead and dying leaves crunched under-hoof and echoed through the quiet forest. The three reached a path of berry bushes a few moments later. Constantine found a raspberry bush, which he delightfully began to harvest and eat. Savannah stayed near a blackberry bush with Mathew. They talked and joked for a bit, until the sun was quite low in the sky. 

Constantine reached for another bunch of the red berries, when he suddenly stopped. Something was off. The forest was never this quiet. He pricked long, dark gray ears, listening, hoping to hear something. No birdsong, no animal calls, no breeze to rustle the leaves. Nothing. 

"M-Mathew?" Constantine stuttered, looking up at the older cervitaur. He saw that the boy was also still. His dark brown ears pricked, bow in hand. Constantine glanced at Savannah, frightened from her concerned look. He trotted over to the white fawn, brushing up against her, slightly comforted from her presence. (A/N I swear, if you guys start shipping siblings, I will cry!) Mathew stepped forward hesitantly. Snap! A twig.

The sound of pounding hooves and snapping branches made flattening all of their ears in terror. From the bushes burst tens of figures. Human on top, horse on the bottom, their thundering hooves ate up the ground towards the three.

Constantine felt like his legs had tuned to stone. He was frozen as he saw the centaurs pounding towards him. 

"Run!" Mathew grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the centaurs' path. His frozen trance broken, the gray cervitaur fawn ran beside his older brother. He looked behind him, a second of relief came when he saw his sister was right on their heels. They bolted out of the way, plunging into the bushes. Sharp thorns pricked and stabbed at his hide and arms, but Constantine didn't care. 

The cervitaurs could only watch in a mixture of terror and wonder as the centaurs raced past. Constantine was amazed at the assortment of colours, builds, heights, and weights. Black and white, brown bay, silver, dark gray, dun, and even blue-gray. He saw stocky ones, with thick legs and wide shoulders, and lightweight ones, with thin, yet strong legs and long tails. 

The centaurs charged with the sound of thundering steps, echoing through the trees. The grass was soon flattened, the leaves nothing but dust. As soon as they'd come, they were gone.

Constantine let out his breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. He heard the panting of his brother and sister. He looked at Savannah, who's eyes were wide in fear and amazement, her chest heaving in deep breaths. Mathew on the other hand, was trying to reconstruct his composure of the "older brother", but his eyes were also wider than moons. 

"What was that?" Savannah uttered under her breath between pants. Constantine shook his head in bewilderment. The twins both looked at Mathew simultaneously.

"The centaurs," Was all that Mathew said.

"Well no duh!" Constantine said, throwing up his hands as best he could in the cramped space of the bushes, "What are they doing here?! I thought they grazed and sheltered in the Northern Plains!"

"They do."

***

Mathew raced through the autumn coloured forest, ducking under branches and leaping over logs as fluid as ever. Constantine and Savannah labored, having not done the Rowan training that their older brother had.

Tripping over a tree root for the hundredth time, Constantine yelled after the young brown stag, "Where are we going in such a hurry?!" Savannah helped him up again, rolling her eyes as she did so. 

The older boy halted in his tracks, and turned around, "Look, those centaurs were heading right for the herd! We need to get there in time to warn them! Now, let's go!" And with that, Mathew was off again, bounding through the trees. Constantine groaned, and with his sister, galloped after him.

***

With a slight sense of urgency, Constantine was getting better at maneuvering the forest, Before long, they approached the her's glade. The sound of yelling made them all gallop even faster, if that was possible.

Mathew slowed his pace to a walk as they came to the trees that surrounded the meadow. The three could see the centaurs had already reached the herd before them. Constantine started to walk into the meadow, but his older brother pulled him back.

"Watch," The older boy whispered, pointing to where the centaurs were talking with the cervitaur herd.

The lead horseman was an older man, but he was still very strong and very angry. He had a midnight black hide, with a white tail that swished in frustration. His brown eyes were narrowed under a very proud brow, short raven black hair covered his head. In his hand was a long bow, quiver resting on his back. He was nose to nose with the herd's leader, Frayan. Frayan was a large stag cervitaur with a darker bay coat and a large rack to adorn his light brown hair. 

"I don't care if your land has died!" Frayan was yelling, "You are not welcome in our territory, Agravaine!" 

The black centaur, Agravaine, stomped a large hoof, "Our grass and crops are black with death! We have no food to feed our foals!" His eyes narrowed more, "I didn't take you for a foal killer, Frayan."

Frayan's gaze flickered for a moment, a flash of sympathy. He raised his head, "I will consult with my Rowans." The great cervitaur stag turned to walk away, then turned back to Agravaine, "Until then, you and your herd must stay in the woods." The black centaur stallion opened his mouth to argue, but seemed to think better of it and just nodded. 

The stallion turned to his herd, "You heard him! We will stay in the woods tonight!" He then pointed to two younger stallion centaurs; one brown and white and the other black and gray, "Haven, Wraith, go take three others and try to find a place for the mares and foals to bed down. Then find anything we can eat. Go!" The centaurs nodded and merged into the crowd.

Agravaine turned back to Frayan and the cervitaur herd. With gritted teeth, he spoke, "Thank you, Frayan, for giving us shelter in the woods, you have been most gracious." Frayan only nodded, turning to his own people.

The centaurs quickly departed, melting into the trees. The cervitaurs stood behind their leader, waiting for commands. Frayan raised his head, "Okay, we still have patrols to do and food to find. Rowans," The group of stags looked up, "when you are out to patrolling, if you scent any centaurs, give a wide berth. We do not want to provoke them." The Rowans nodded, dipping their head in respect, and then continued to converse among themselves.  

A/N: So, what'd ya think? Ya or nay? I would also be very happy to see your guys' theories and thoughts on the story. Grammar or spelling errors? Don't be afraid to comment any you see! It would really help me out! It would also help me by sharing and voting on this book! Thanks again guys!!