With Mayard aboard Syrrth eased to the ground. Urra with Rhiann and Shyrra with the Shapechanger-Lennard followed. Three armed centaurs greeted the Cloudmares and their riders. The largest stood centrally and bore the visage of a man’s’ torso attached to the body of a horse at the withers, where the horse’s neck would be; others of his type stood heavily armed a few paces behind the greeting group. The powerful gray male carried a huge halberd. To his left stood a male centaur with a human body and legs joined at the waist with the hindquarters of a horse. This palomino colored male carried a longsword. A third centaur, a beautiful strawberry roan female. had human forelegs terminating in hooves. Her pinkish flowing hair closely matched her hindquarter coloration. She carried a wicked scimitar. Two snow-white winged centaurs hovered above the threesome and carried longbows with nocked arrows. Excepting their beautiful wings, the flying centaurs resembled the large male with the halberd. A blue Pegasus flew between the snow-white winged centaurs. He carried no weapon and looked back toward the walled edifice surrounding the Hanging Gardens.
Mayard Klarje approached the large gray with the halberd and said, “Why the show of force, Chiron? Does an old friend deserve such a greeting?”
The centaur lowered his halberd and addressed the approaching sorcerer, “Oh, it is you, Mayard. Our Cloudmare friends have never borne enemies to our gates, but I wasn’t sure we were seeing Cloudmares approach. Ill winds blow from Thynna. The Three Sisters have tightened the guard to protect the Gardens.”
benjamintowe 