 "No one told me as such," Tristan said adopting a more serious tone in the face of Thoth's solemnity. He had expected a slightly warmer welcome. "Thing was, I went to see Grandmother last night and there was this huge cake on the worktop with Happy Birthday, Thoth! written on it. I mean, I know I'm not a genius like you or anything, but even I managed to work that one out." He grinned, trying to prompt a smile from his friend...or at the very least a slightly smaller frown. Tristan had been both surprised and a little hurt when he'd found out. He thought if Thoth was going to tell anyone about his birthday it would have been his best friend. The prince felt guilty too because he hadn't pressed the matter before. He should have asked...he must owe his friend a backlog of at least ten presents. Tristan also knew Thoth well enough to know that there was probably another reason why he'd kept his birthday quiet, and that offered some comfort. It was also enough to change his question from why didn't you tell me? to: "why didn't you want me to know?"
"I won't," Tristan agreed as Thoth's words confirmed his suspicions, "but I'm going to tell you happy birthday anyway." One of the many things the prince liked about spending time with Thoth was that it gave him the chance to forget who he was. Thoth didn't treat him like the prince of Shaman, he just treated him like Tristan. He could be sure that if Thoth didn't like him he wouldn't hang around him and that was nice too. Sometimes however things happened that reminded Tristan (usually with a rather nasty bump) how different they, and their lives, were. When it was Tristan's birthday there was a large ball with courtiers, dignitaries, subjects, food, musicians and last time even an ice rink. Tristan loved all of it. When it was Thoth's birthday he kept it from everyone and rode off on his own to spend the day with ponies on the moor. The prince sighed as his stomach gave an uncomfortable squirm.
"I wasn't going anywhere" he admitted honestly, glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye, "I was with the other guys playing bucket ball and I spotted you." The other court kids could wait, being with his best friend on his birthday was far more important. Tristan just had no idea how to tell Thoth that.
Slowing his horse down so that its larger strides didn't out-pace Junebell, Tristan tried another smile.
"Do you mind if I tag along?" he asked, wishing he had his magic so he'd be more use around a herd of wild horses. He found the silence of the horses in the stables more upsetting than he'd let anyone know, and not being able to talk to Cafall and Hodain was even worse.
"I'll do my best not to get in the way," Tristan pressed, "or...well...you could tell me to piss off and I'll ride back to the castle...on my own...probably in the rain...soaking wet..."
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