Patrolling Ⅳ

The wind rushes through Rowan's ears as she clutches to Firenze's waist. Firenze's slim, but firm waist feels cool to the touch with traces of warmth that can be felt beneath the skin. Under any other circumstance, she might have appreciated the physique of Firenze, but she could not help but recall the words of the young centaur and the worrisome actions of Hagrid.

The path became increasingly overgrown and the trees grew closely together, but despite the difficulty of the terrain somehow Firenze managed to maintain a swift pace, and surefooted despite the terrain. Abruptly, they emerge from the tangled bushes into a clearing full of Thestral's. The Thestral's intently eye Firenze and Rowan on his back, but they do not attack merely watch with their blank eyes as they rush past the Thestral Herd. The white eyes of the Thestral herd knowingly watch them as they plunge into thickets of branches and thorns Branches and thorns reach out to scratch them, but Firenze manages somehow to escape unscathed even with extra weight on his back.

Still, Firenze did not slow his pace and weaved nimbly through the cluttered forest. The roars and screeches grow louder as they approach their destination. Unexpectedly, they burst into a valley and Rowan's eyes go wide as saucers as she openly gapes at the incredulous scene before her. A small army of Acromantulas can be seen attacking an armed group of centaurs retreating into the forest. The spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy; and gigantic as they drag off the captured centaurs and ensnare them in a cocoon to drag back to their lair.

However, the Acromantulas were the least of Rowan's concerns as there existed an even more alarming sight that of three giant mounds blocking out the dim moonlight, and who which stood on the other side of the vale behind Hagrid. Giants!

The smallest giant was about fourteen feet tall not yet fully grown, (and would only reach a full height of sixteen feet tall). The almost perfectly round head is covered in tightly curling, close-growing hair the color of bracken. There is little to no neck, large ears, and he is wearing what looked like a dirty brownish smock comprised of animal skins sewn roughly together and was very broad. The smaller and younger giant had filthy, bare feet, nearly the sizes of sledges.

The nose was tubby and shapeless, the mouth lopsided and at present muddy, yellowish teeth were biting his lip anxiously as he hid behind two taller giants. But even still, Rowan recognized the giant as Grawp. Hagrid was a half-giant, and his dad was a human, and long dead. Then who were the other two-?

Rowan's eyes widen further as she flickers her gaze between the three Giants. The taller male giant nineteen feet tall and looks almost like a clone of Grawp only sturdier. And standing next to him is a female giant little over twenty feet tall. Her thick salt-peppered hair was pulled back into a long braid down her back and tied with a deer leather string. And this could only be one person, Fridwulfa, Hagrid's mother.

A shout pulls Rowan from her stupor as she hears from across the clearing, "Hagrid, how dare you call the foreign poisonous spiders to aid you?! You and your kin were warned to depart from the forest!" Shouted, Magorian, the Chief of the centaur's, who had a proud, high-cheekboned face, long black hair, and a chestnut horse's body.

Hagrid without fear roars back as he uses a large wooden staff to clear his path. "Now, you listen ter me. I'll have less of 'our' forest if it's all the same ter you. It's not up ter you who comes an' goes in here-. And dis here is my family!"

The giant and father no doubt of Grawp with a loud grunt picked up a large tree about ten feet tall and lets out a roar as he stomps forwarding brandishing the tree branch as a giant sword. The earth trembles as the Acromantulas scatter from underfoot lest they be squashed like a bug, while the centaur's retreat into the forest.

"Wait," Firenze cried out as the centaur's glance around to spot a young centaur carrying a human on their back.

"Traitor!" Shrieked, the black-haired, muscled, and very wild-looking figure of Bane.

"Firenze, foolish colt, what have you done?" Said Ronan, a centaur with vibrant red hair and beard, a gleaming chestnut horse half that had a long, reddish horsetail.

The battle briefly comes to a halt as Hagrid cries out, "No stop, I know 'er. She's a student from Hogwarts, Rowan Prince!"

The spider's beady eyes all turn to gaze at Rowan and clack their pincers together as Rowan suppresses the urge to violently shiver. She had never fully recovered after her second year, and even now, she always had the urge to stop and crush a spider upon spotting them. It was a compulsion at this point that she could not and would not break.

Hearing her human child, Fridwulfa reaches out and easily pulls back her husband with a firm tug. Filfor furrows his brow but remains still as he was no match for his wife's strength. His Fridwulfa had once been a Gurg, and she was still just as strong. And as to why his mate had not entered the battle, his mate was watching and learning. His mate was a cunning hunter and had defeated many giants in such a manner.

Firenze trots to a halt amid the clearing, and Rowan slides off his back nodding her head in gratitude. Though her legs and thighs were terribly sore, and she knew she would regret the wild ride the following day. The centaurs, who had ceased to retreat emerge to the edge of the trees surrounding the gorge and are led by their chief, Magorian.

"Firenze, what have you done?" Chided, Magorian, the armed centaur chieftain with a quiverful of arrows and a longbow that was held in his hand with an arrow notched ready to attack.

"He has allowed a human onto his back like a slave!" Hissed Bane with a nasty inflection. "He must be punished."

"Our tribes need not go to battle," Firenze steadfastly replied. "The stars are silent on this matter."

A gray centaur with a hard, deeply lined face glances up at the sky. The hard, deep lines on Konstuka's face deepen, before turning to face the centaur Chieftain. "The colt speaks the truth. The stars are silent on this matter,"

Magorian furrows his brows and says, "Be as that may be, Konstuka, the forest is ours, and has been since the beginning." Pausing to send a glance at the witch, he firmly adds, "And no witch or wizard will tell us otherwise."

"And what if the guardian speaks otherwise," Rowan coolly replied with a cold expression. "Do not forget yourself, Chieftain of the Centaurs. A pact was made that day long ago with the First Headmaster, and the centaurs must abide by the pact. No more, no less."

There is a heavy air until Hagrid breaks the silence. "Blimey, Rowan what are ya' doing 'ere? Ye best be heading back to Hogwarts. I'll take care of things 'ere."

"Quiet, Hagrid," Rowan snapped without giving Hagrid time to speak. A hurtful expression appears on Hagrid's face causing Rowan's gaze to soften. In a softer, but firm voice, she adds, "I will explain everything in due time."

Hagrid opens his mouth to speak, before closing his mouth again and thinking better of it. He'd best just remain silent of the time being. And well, er, he needed the help. If he wanted to stay with his mum and younger half-brother, and his mum's mate.

Despite his mum not being the best, she was still his mum. And Hagrid still cared for her. And after his da had died, he had been all alone. But now, he had a family. And that was he had yearned for most and above all these years!