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Today’s character Interview is by Fantasy author Tabitha Darling. Tabitha is the author of multiple works of fiction and nonfiction. (To be released ongoing) She is wife to a robot builder and mom to a toddler. By day, she is a barefoot farrier, horse trainer, and riding instructor. She lives in Texas, with her husband, toddler, three horses, three hens, three geese, and three doves.
In the book Trust (Children of Chiron Series Vol 1) Ieang (Eeng) is a main character caught up in a war between humans and his people the centaur. He struggles to save an infant centaur and in the process needs a human, Brenda to help with the baby. They begin to understand and respect each other over time.
History teaches that centaurs are aggressive, how do you feel about this? It bothers me. We are taught to respect the power the Gods give only to women. I have seen humans be good and mean.
What do you look like? I am a centaur. My body is horse, man and unicorn. My hair is brown, my skin is brown, my eyes are brown.
What do you like to wear? We do not need clothes like humans.
How do you keep your hooves worn down? We walk. If we can not, we use a hard stone to do it.
What is the horn on your head? It is what separates the people from the Gods and the animals. It reminds us of our origin, the unicorn.
What is telepathy like? I learned from my human wife that humans think in sounds. We do not, but we can. What you feel, see, touch, feelings, all is given, in telepathy. Not just sounds, all. It joins the people, into one. It is the gift from unicorn.
What do centaurs eat? We eat as you do, plant, meat. Why?
What do you think of humans? Your people are gifted by the Gods with great power and knowledge.
If someone wanted to learn the language and culture, your beliefs, would that be ok? Yes, I will help teach.
How do you feel about videos and photographs? I will not talk about this.
What do you think of horses? They are more intelligent than humans know. They should be respected.
If a human child wanted a ride, would that bug you? No, I would be happy to play with them.
How do you like to socialize? I enjoy watching my children, to sing with them after a meal. Or spending time with the men on a hunt.
What was your role in your family growing up? My role was to obey the elders, and my father, to respect the Gods and spirits. To listen and learn.
What were you most proud of as a kid? I was glad to become a man. It meant the Gods and spirits thought I was worthy. I try to be.
What did you find terribly embarrassing as a kid? I was humiliated for my dishonor once when I did not give an offering on a hunt. I learned to after the punishment. I had angered the spirits, I was wrong.
What was your first best friend like? We do not have one friend. All the men hunt and work together. That is our way.
What ‘group’ were you in during your high school years? We do not learn in one house, we learn with our fathers who raise us. The shaman may teach us, but usually it is our father. If one father and one child is a group, then that was my group.
What did you want to be when you grew up–and what did you end up becoming? I only hoped to be accepted by the God of life to the temple, to do well by our ancestors, the ones who came before. To not disgrace any of them. I passed my run, I am a man, adult. That is all I am.
What are your hobbies? I enjoy speaking with the God of tools, to ask the spirits to give their power to what I make so that a hunt goes well. If I honor them, the power is there, and the animals are happy to give us meat.
What music do you listen to? Brady, brother to my human wife says that humans enjoy music all the time, that the human Gods allow it. We do not, it speaks to the ancestors, the spirits and Gods. It is sacred.
What annoys you? I am angered if the people begin to disrespect the elders, the shaman, the spirits, ancestors or the Gods.
What makes you laugh? To watch my children.
Are you a dog or a cat person? I do not like to eat dog but I have, it seems to be a friendly spirit to humans. I do not know what cat is.
What season do you enjoy most? I look forward to the dry season when the hunting is good.
What makes you embarrassed as an adult? I have answered this before.
Do you drink alcohol? What is this drink? We have many drinks and some are sacred. We usually drink water.
What do you feel most passionately about? I hope that my people will live, have many children, if the Gods allow. And to continue living in the marriage house with my wife.
What trait do you find most admirable in others? To be an elder, a shaman, to speak with the Gods, ancestors and spirits. It is the best any can become until we join them in their home when we die.
Do you want a job that helps people or a job that makes money? Money, is how humans hunt, to bring food yes? If we live on Earth, I would like to learn in human school to get a job, yes. I always like to help! The people rely on each other to bring meat, to build a house. We do not live alone like humans.
Are you a leader or a follower? I am only a man, a hunter. I was not called to be a leader.
What scares you? To see the last of my people, no more children. That we so angered the Gods.
What are your long term goals? I have answered this before! To see my people live.
What are your short term goals? To hunt well.
What are your bad habits? Bad habits make the spirits angry.
What do you think happens after we die? If we please the Gods we live in their home by their fire and eat with them when the hunt is good.
If you were to come into money what would you do with it? Money is how humans get food, they do not hunt? If we have more than we need, I would give it to others who need more so that they have food.
Who was the love of your life? I love my human wife Brenda, she taught me love.
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Please be sure to discover more about Tabitha and her writing through her social links:
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