Forgiveness
Fandom: HP
Genre: General, vignette
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: none
Warning: OotP. My beta thinks I was thirsty that day… She may be right.
Author's note: Because I needed to get into their head. What went through the centaurs' mind at the end? From an unnamed centaur's perspective.
Horses are associated with Poseidon. I'm assuming centaurs are too. If I'm wrong, feel free to tell me so.
####
There are intruders in our forest, a human witch and two youths at the edge of adulthood. The young ones are of little importance but the witch... The witch embodies the arrogance of her people. She insults us and seeks to command us as her forefathers did.
"Near-human intelligence?"
We roar and snarl in response. Behold us and heed our warning! Us? Being associated with honourless humans? Magorian speaks for us. We are above the humans, like the stars are above all. We are the centaurs, beloved of the gods, free and proud and terrible. We have nothing in common with the traitorous humans. And we do not bow to them.
We do not forget.
Once upon a time, our people were allied with theirs. We trusted them, these two-legged and frail creatures. We lived together in our ancestral homes at the foot of the mountains of rock. They betrayed us.
They tried to enslave and then they tried to slaughter us when we resisted. We fought and killed in return until the rivers ran red, until Ares laughed in pleasure and our lord's wrath abated in the depths of the Seas, sated by our gift.
They do not think we remember. Most of them certainly don't. Ashamed, their survivors erased all traces of their acts and smothered the tale before it could spread. Ours left our old lands and scattered throughout the world. And under the red moon, our foals learn the price of trusting humans.
They learn the bitter taste of betrayal and the copper-scent of our blood. Hagrid has said our laws were harsh. They are. We cannot afford to be weak and trusting. And how right we were… Hagrid has betrayed our friendship to save the traitor. They will no longer be welcome in our forest and their names will no longer be spoken of warmly.
We do not forgive.
There is blood between the humans and us. But our hand is not to decide their fate. Their destruction or salvation will come from within. It is written in the stars.
But this arrogant witch came to us. Her name matters little. She has woken the sleeping hunger for vengeance burning in our veins. She will feel our wrath.
Tonight, Mars is bright and Ares will receive his due. Revenge calls to us. It tastes sweet as ambrosia and shines red as blood.
Fin.