 His mind connected with the foals' easily; they were scared and hungry, huddling together for warmth. Tristan followed their fractured thoughts back through the trees. The trail was easier to find the second time. He could hear Thoth moving through the undergrowth behind him. He was as glad of his friend's company as he was the gentle glow of Celidon's lantern. The foals shift as they approach, pressing their bodies down into the shrubbery, trying desperately to hide. Tristan crouched down, stepping on a nettle to stop it from stinging the back of his hand and made a low comforting sound. The ears of the darker foal swivelled towards him, listening.
"Hey there," the prince smiled. He glanced up at Thoth and then back at the unicorns, their tiny horns protruding from beneath their forelocks.
"We'll just have to take them back to camp then," Tristan replied. He reached out and took the lantern from Celidon. "Go back to camp, Cel, and fetch my canvas bag." The cu-sith nodded, turning on his heel. He slipped gently past Thoth's legs and disappeared into the darkness.
"I don't think they're hurt," Tristan said to Thoth, "I'm not sensing any pain...just hunger...and well, fear. I guess that's to be expected." He made the comforting sound again, deep and tuneful. "Can you speak to them?" he asked, kneeling in the mud, the soft forest ground pulling him a little further into the earth, "can we tell them we don't mean them any harm? Or are we going to have to do this the old fashioned way?"
The foals didn't move. They lay still where there mother had put them. Their minds shifted. She'd been gone so long, she'd be back soon...she'd never left them alone so long before. Tristan sighed as the pit in his stomach opened up again, that same familiar ache reminding him that something vital had been ripped away.
"We've got something in common you and me," Tristan told the foals in the same comforting voice as before, "but we'll look after each other. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you guys." He smiled ruefully, "I know you don't understand a word I'm saying, but I promise, everything's going to be okay."
Celidon reappeared. Stopping next to Thoth, he deposited the bag in the grass by the smaller boy's feet. Tristan moved away from the foals, letting the grass flick back into place around them. He unfastened the buckle and rummaged around inside. He produced two lengths of rope and set about knotting them. His fingers danced through the loops, tracing a well-practiced paths, until he was able to set two make-shift head collars down in the grass.
"I know they won't like this," Tristan sighed, looking up at his friend, "but we don't want them running off and getting lost, do we?" He shook his head. "What do you reckon? One at a time, or should we try and take one each?"
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