In that ambiguous time in Greek history, after the battle of Lapiths, but before their disappearance into the realm of myth, the centaurs were a scattered and divided race. Unable to live in a civilized manner beside humans, they existed in the wilds, largely unseen and nearly forgotten.
As the range of human influence grew, however, farmers and settlers would find themselves in a shadow war with the native dwellers of the land. Sheep and cattle would sometimes disappear, presumed victims of local predators. But even stranger, those who kept horses would find their pens opened, a single animal missing from the herd. Very often, this animal was recovered, wandering not too far from the farm. It was a puzzling development that suggested a more human agent at work.
Determined to discover the source of the disturbance, and to protect his own valued stock, Ilthid told his wife of his plan. He would hide just beyond the fences, keeping watch through the night. His wife plainly told him that such a plan was both too simple to be worthy of the name, and would keep them apart when they should be sharing the same bed.
Despite these protests, Ilthid pursued his vigil. He was no warrior, but was still young and fit, and kept his family's Kopis sword handy should he finally confront the source of these local troubles, man or beast.
After a fortnight, and about ready to give in to the protests of his spouse, his patience bore fruit. Awakened from a shallow slumber, he heard voices coming from the edge of the forest. Sitting up but remaining out of sight, he watched three figures emerge into the pale moonlight.
At first, he thought they were men on horseback. Something was very wrong though, and only as his vision adjusted to the night did he realize how these men's torsos merged with the bodies of their mounts. Incredibly, they were no less than centaurs. Ilthid never thought he'd see such fantastic beings in his lifetime, but there they were, striding boldly towards the pen of his solitary horse.
Ilthid's heart raced, unable to decide what to do. They were impressively large beasts, and even their human halves were quite muscular and imposing. Even if completely human, he doubted he could accost them alone and hope to succeed. Adding the lethal power of hooves at their disposal, Ilthid didn't warrant his chances were good at protecting his home. The saving grace in this circumstance was that the trio were neither interested in the house or the herd –it was only the horse, kindred of their kind, that they focused on.
Having liberated the brown mare from her pen, the centaurs led her away from the farmstead and back into the woods. Following behind, Ilthid watched as the three half-humans herded their equine sister towards a shelter of densely packed trees. All the while they laughed and spoke among themselves in a most lewd way, making Ilthid uneasy as to their intentions. He didn't like the prospect of taking on all three for the sake of saving his horse.
As one of the centaur males gently held and cradled the head of the mare, another stroked and petted her flanks while the last circled around them, watching. After a short while, the attending centaur moved his hands from her sides to the rear, and the bare dark skin of her genitals. The mare shifted disapprovingly, twitching her tail, but was given little room to move as the centaur's fingers rubbed and stroked along the long slit of her vagina.
