“Fucking hunters.” Thoth snarled under his breath.

He rested his hand on the mare’s cold flank, feeling the muscles quiver. He should say something – comfort her – but he had no idea what language she spoke. He’d never met a unicorn before. Ordinarily he could pick the language up by listening to the animal speak first, but this mare was definitely not in a position to teach him her tongue. Her eyes were shut, eyelashes fluttering occasionally, her breathing slow and shallow. He tried nickering gently in the most common horse language among these parts, hoping it might offer her some comfort at least. It was clear there was no saving her.

He stayed with her while Tristan drifted off, presumably to search the nearby area. Morveren, ever-benevolent, curled up against the mare’s belly and rested her head on her flank. She made a gentle, comforting sound which was a little like a cat’s purr. Toby hung back, an inaudible whine on his face, while Celidon stayed close to Thoth’s side. The unicorn’s last breath was louder than its predecessors; the death rattle seemed to echo through the clearing.

Thoth gritted his teeth and counted to ten in his head. There was no need for fairies to hunt anyway, but to slay a unicorn… she was so pure. As her lungs emptied for the final time, it felt like the light in the clearing had grown dimmer. Another spirit of the wild lost to the bleak, colourless realm beyond this one.

Tristan moved quietly, but his approach was still hailed by the snapping of twigs and rustle of fallen leaves. Thoth only glanced up at the last minute when his friend was standing over him, his face half-illuminated by the light from Celidon’s lantern. The shadows cast ugly lines across the prince’s face, ageing him ten years and making him look startlingly like Arthur had after a long, tense day. Thoth just nodded once at the enquiry and, without questioning, stood up to follow his friend when instructed. He’d’ve followed Tristan into Tartarus if the latter had made a silent beckoning gesture.

The forest felt eerily quiet without the unicorn’s laboured breathing. Thoth followed close behind Tristan, stepping carefully, while Celidon followed behind with the lantern. Morveren stayed behind but Toby stuck so close to Thoth that his side might have been glued to the latter’s leg. The swinging light created an odd rocking impression, making the woodland seem as though it had been grown on a ship.

Tristan came to a slow, quiet stop. Thoth glanced at him, not immediately noticing why they had pulled up here, before following his line of vision. He sucked in his breath. Two foals – one golden-brown, one darker, lay huddled together beneath a patch of brambles.

Thoth swore again under his breath, very softly.

“They won’t survive out here alone.” He breathed. “Unicorns are loners, not herd animals like horses. There won’t be any other adults around here to take care of them.”

MASTER OF THE ORBIS . MASTER OF THE WATER ELEMENT . SON OF AURA