The braying of the centaur rattled more than a handful of the bowtruckles and their angry, sharp, fingers ceased their attacks briefly enough for a few of the humans to scamper free if they were paying attention.

The two boys [2111jen & Krel Ansell] were successful in unlatching their attackers from their clothes and limbs, but not before each bowtruckle managed a searing swipe of their vicious fingers over the backs of their fleshy palms, easily drawing blood.

Somehow, and remarkably so, as students moved closer to their centaur mentor the bowtruckles' attacks softened and ceased all together as their green twiggy bodies circumnavigated the group. Encompassing them within a circle of bowtruckles.