Nestled in the Branches

[Dominic Thatcher]

Dominic had nestled himself in a rather large tree. His back was rested against the trunk and his legs were fully extended outwards, resting on a thick branch. He shuffled around in his position until he reached comfort. It was a nice, cool spring day, with a slight breeze. He felt completely at ease up in the branches. Looking upwards, he saw the sun peeping through the treetops. It was perfect, he wished that time could just freeze. With a lazy flick of his wand, Dom cast a spell that droned out the shrieks of some first years playing by the lake. He closed his eyes, listening to the chirping of the birds. The tree was swaying slightly from side to side, but Dom was still completely stable within the tree. Letting his mind wander, he hoped that he would never be disturbed, that he would be able to stay here forever.

 

[Dover]

Dover edged her way around the forest with such care as not to disturb any more of the native centaurs. She had already one meeting with one and did not want a repeat of it. With her sword out she slowly trotted along, taking great care not to break any twigs under hoof. As she moved stealthily through the forest, the scent of a mortal, a human assailed her and she instantly raised her broadsword to protect herself. Dover was on the run from a tribe that had once been her family, her home. She was weary of everyone and everything and saw all now as enemies who would hurt her at the first chance they had.

Spying a human in a tree she frowned. He was just a boy, perhaps not much young than herself but still only a boy. She was tall at 7foot and easily reached up to tug on the end of the branch he rested on. Jarring it violently.
"Wake up mortal, what are you doing within the forest boundary?"

 

[Dominic Thatcher]

Dom nearly fell out of the tree as he was jarred awake. "Huh?" He said, rubbing his eyes. Before him stood a seven-foot tall centaur. "Uh... Well.. Um," he had no idea what to say. "W.. Well I was napping," he stammered, if he wasn't completely shocked and slightly scared he would have been annoyed. Dom jumped down from the tree, regaining some confidence. "I could ask you the same thing," he said, bravely. If he had a full idea of what centaurs were like he would have been wiser not to say that. "Shouldn't you be with your herd or something?" He questioned, standing up a little straighter.

 

[Spike]

Spike was walking through the forest and he heard the familiar voice of Dover a fellow Centaur who he had seen around and talked to once, he began to walk over towards her trying not to scare her or anything when he saw she was talking to another human, she wasn't angry she just seemed to wonder why he was in here and what he was doing in the forest and in the Centaur territory. " Dover play nice, with the poor kid." He said smiling as his nine foot stature emerged from the thick bush land. He didn't really care what she thought of him, if she thought he was going to back stab her, because he wasn't like that if he said something he stuck to it, even if it meant the death of him. " How come every time I bump into you there is a human in between us?"

 

[Dover]

Dover watched the silly boy as he jumped from the tree, her white body gleaming in the half light through the trees. Her honey toned skin seemed to shimmer as did her brown eyes.
"Do humans not sleep in beds?" she asked of him, this was the second human she had encountered now in the space of a few days. On a few occasions she had seen them from a distance but to have them so close now at such frequent times, piqued her interest greatly. They were so fragile, so helpless looking. She found she was highly intrigued by the creatures. How did they manage to stay balanced on their two spindly legs? She looked at the boys legs now and shook her head. They were indeed an enigma.

A scent she had experienced as recent as the last human, assailed her and she sighed. It would be Spike approaching, again.
"Centaurs belong in the forest human" was all she said on the matter as she moved closer to him, reaching out a hand she touched the boys hair. It felt much like the hair on her own head and perhaps her exploration of the human would have gone further but Spike's voice interrupted her.

"I was playing nice" she pouted removing her hand from his hair and placing both hands on her waist. Dover was well aware of her own beauty, she had never used it to get her own way in anything. In fact had hated the fact that many of the female centaurs in her old tribe did just that. She was too independent for her own good. Looking over at Spike now she flicked her tail and her long mane of hair at the same time.

"Perhaps it is the stars warning you that you are not to be close to me" she told him very matter of factly, though for a moment her eyes appreciated the view of him moving towards them. Spike was extremely appealing and any female centaur would be thrilled to have him she was sure but Dover's forced exile from her own tribe kept her even now on the outskirts of the tribe he belonged too. She figured he had enough female attentions as it was without his seeking her out for more, and twice meeting as they had over the past few days led her to believe this. He could very easily have walked in the other direction after all.

 

[Spike]

" I could smell you from a mile away, you smell so appealing." He said as he walked around her and looked at the human boy. Smiling to himself, he thought it was funny, how a boy could sleep on a branch, but he had seen some people do it before and most of them ended up falling out. Walking around the two of them a few times he smiled, it was gunny even though she was exile no one seemed to mention her name, or even talk about her family, it was like none of this had ever happened, maybe Spike would be forever scarred with the memory or seeing such things happen to innocents. " Dover after this boy leaves, I really do need to speak with you, it is important."

 

[Dominic Thatcher]

Dom gave the centaur a quizzical look. "Of course we sleep in beds!" He said. How could anyone not know that people sleep in beds? He had never even glimpsed a centaur before, he had seen pictures of course but the sheer size of them was far larger than he even imagined. He wondered what it would be like to be a centaur, they looked rather awkward but when you actually saw one for yourself they appeared very graceful.


Dom began to feel extremely uncomfortable as the centaur touched his hair. "Uh. What are you doing?" He said, a little freaked out and annoyed. Another centaur approached, this one at least two feet taller than the other. "Oh and by the way, I don't really like being called 'human'. Dom would be just fine." It was probably not the wisest thing to insult a centaur, but Dom felt that if it chased, he would be able to climb a tree and escape the centaur.

Dom shifted in his position, there were two very large centaurs in front of him chatting away and this did not make him feel comfortable. "Oh, I'm sorry. Don't mind me here disturbing you while you guys are doing your own thing." He folded his arms, annoyed. "I guess you two were busy until I disturbed you? Well I hate to be rude." He wondered briefly whether the centaurs would be familiar with sarcasm.

 

[Dover]

Dover looked down upon the boy and smiled at him, as if he were nothing more than a toddler she were highly entertained by.
"Then refrain from sleeping in trees human, it is most dangerous" she warned him. Humans were indeed silly creatures at best, rash and violent for their own means and ends. She could not help but laugh when he asked her what it was she was doing but Dover did not bother to explain that she was simply intrigued by the puny human.
"Dom" she repeated when he had told her his name, "Dom" again she said it as if sounding it out properly, "Dom I am Dover."

It was then she turned to speak a few words with Spike or speak too him at least. He was quite exasperating to say the least so when the human spoke again, she turned her head to view him more closely. With careful steps she circled him before laughing heartily. Her laugh was infectious, it brightened up her entire visage.
"You are amusing little one. I like you. There are not many who amuse me these days, so I thank you for that" she inclined her head slightly in his direction, then indicating with her arm towards his legs she figured she had to know, "How do you manage to stay upright on those?"

 

[Spike]

Spike had been wondering the same question his whole entire life, how humans could stand up on there feet, it looked like such a challenge, but Spike could stand on two feet as well. " Well its good to know that I am appreciated." Turning to the boy know his face got serious. " You need to leave, you don't know half of the dangers in this forest, so if you would politely go away, it would be appreciated."

 

[Dover]

At his words Dover snapped her head around to face him, glowering at him with malevolence.
"Why should he leave? You did not hurry the female human the other day. Is it because I said I liked him Spike? Are you jealous?" she laughed tossing her long hair back over her shoulders as she moved along side the puny human again. There was nothing attractive about these creatures at all. They were much smaller, with two ridiculous legs instead of four. They wore too much clothing and dwelt in monstrosity of buildings, having long ago left the pleasures of the earth behind. Now they just took and took from it but never gave anything back. They were a curious species but a dangerous one, even to themselves.

"There is no need to be jealous" she looked at him over the head of the boy, a small smile nestled there on her rosebud mouth. Glancing down at the boy called Dom she continued to smile.
"He has no manners little one but I cannot invite you to stay here, I am a stranger as well."

 

[Spike]

" Don't be stupid." He said sincerely, he would give anything to have Dover, but he wasn't jealous because she said she liked this human, it was ridiculous. He stamped his feet softly on the ground, not making to much of a thud, before he looked at the both of them. " I'll just talk to you another time Dover, it was nice meeting you Dom." He said with a bow, before turning to Dover and bowing. Taking off into the forest you could hear his feet thud for miles away.