Farinka woke to the smell of bacon cooking over the fire. Nemeth was sitting, again cross-legged, close to the fire, using the central flat stone as a griddle, and flipping bacon slices over with a stick. Farinka sat up, running her fingers through her fringe.

Nemeth looked up and grinned at her. "Breakfast in about five minutes," he said. "Have you got any bread left, or did we have the last of it last night?"

"A bit left – not much, and a bit stale, but it won't show once it's toasted."

"Chuck it over," he said, holding a hand out.

Farinka dug the bread out of her pack and threw it. Nemeth caught it left-handed without appearing to make any attempt to see where it was first.

"Flash beggar," said Farinka, smiling at him. He grinned down at the fire.

"Takes years of practice," he answered. "Wake Shiffih, will you? She's still out to the wide."

Farinka gently shook the sleeping Child huddled under the sheepskin. Shiffih mumbled complainingly, then said, "Okay, okay! I'm awake!"

"I'm going for a wash at the stream," said Farinka.

"Fill a waterskin," suggested Nemeth.

Farinka picked up a skin, and departed through the trees, unplaiting her hair as she went, her pack slung over one shoulder.

The stream water was cold – as always – but brought her wide awake in no time flat. She rinsed out her underthings in the stream water, and put on the other set from the pack, hanging the washed ones from a branch which had just begun to catch the sun. A stiff breeze was beginning to blow, and struck very cold on her skin.

"What's keeping you?" Shiffih called.

"On my way," she called back, rapidly tying the laces on the deerskin jacket and pulling a comb through her hair. She walked back, re-braiding her hair as she went, and found Nemeth and Shiffih tucking into bacon sandwiched between crude slices of smoke-flavoured toast.

Nemeth handed her a wedge wordlessly. He had balanced a small handle-less iron pot on the fire, and as it started to simmer added a handful of brownish lumps to it.

"What's that?" asked Farinka through a mouthful of bacon buttie.

"A mixture of chicory and dandelion root," he said.

"Smells almost like coffee."

"Really." The grin was sudden, and charismatic, and lit up his amber eyes. "I've never smelt coffee, but I'll take your word for it. Try some."

She held out her wooden bowl.

"Tastes not unlike coffee, too," she said, sampling it.

– Remember coffee for me? he suggested, catching her eye.

She shut her eyes and thought of coffee, feeling the touch of Nemeth's mind – gentle but surprisingly powerful – as he shared the memory.

– Some day I'd like to try that, he thought. Where did you find it?

– Back where I come from it was pretty common.

– And from where do you come? his Voice was subtly compelling – three shades stronger and it might have been considered coercive.

– Not from this world, she thought, almost to herself.

– I did wonder. There's something – otherworldly – about the touch of your mind. Much that is unfamiliar to me; and that which is familiar to this world has the flavour of freshly-learned about it.

– You see a damn sight too much, Nemeth. Piss off out of my mind, she added with a mental grin.

He chuckled. – You can deny me at any time, Domina. His eyes were laughing.

– Did no-one ever tell you two that whispering is rude? said Shiffih. Nemeth laughed, and relayed the gist of the conversation to her.

By the time Farinka had retrieved her nearly-dry underclothes from the stream area, Nemeth had stamped out what was left of the fire and covered the remains with loose earth and leaf-mould, gathered together everything from the camp-site, checked over Shiffih's feet, and was trying to approach Moondust with the sheepskin. Moondust kept casually walking away from him.

Nemeth gave up in mock-disgust, turning to Farinka as she came back into the small clearing. "Would you like to get this recalcitrant beastie ready?" he enquired politely. "He knows damn' well what I want, but he won't let me near him." He grinned.

– Big fella, stop being a pain and stand still for Nemeth, she suggested.

Moondust snorted and walked to Nemeth, lipping at his face gently. Nemeth rubbed the itchy horn-bud.

"Big fool," he said affectionately, and strapped the sheepskin over the colt's white back. He slipped the soft hide halter onto the readily-offered head, pulling gently at Moondust's ears and carefully sorting out the mane and forelock from under the headstrap.

"You look as though you've done that before," said Farinka, watching him.

"Not for longer than you would imagine, Domina." His eyes went suddenly unfocussed, remembering.

Farinka let her Awareness drift gently over him, and got an impression of a vast span of time.

"Why so long?" she asked quietly, walking over to stand by him. Shiffih came over to join them.

"I have neither touched a unicorn nor seen one close-up since our Elders passed away," said Nemeth. "You see, they'll never let a Child come near them unless an adult is there too. I had thought that perhaps he might – knowing that you were nearby – but he didn't." – Arrant traditionalist, he said to Moondust, patting him on the shoulder. "It must be purely instinctive. We used to think, when we were small, that it was just something that the adults forbade them to do in case Children were accidentally hurt, but it seems to be inherent. Part of what makes him what he is. And, in any event, no-one could actually 'forbid' a unicorn anything."

"Could no-one have trained him?" asked Farinka.

"Hardly." Nemeth grinned down at her. "You really don't know, do you? There have been no Elders on this world for nearly three hundred years. Which is why, as a species, we are endangered. Biologically, it's very simple – Children have been being hunted by men during all that time, and we cannot breed, as we are. There are no replacements for those who are killed – and until yesterday I would have said that it was only a matter of time until there would be none of us left at all. But," he added, "you are here, Domina. How, or why, I have no idea. Our lives and our future are in your hands."

Farinka listened in astonished silence. Then, eventually; "How old are you?" she asked.

"Somewhat over three hundred years," he said. "And Shiffih here is a mere infant of around two hundred and ninety-five. Very strange things happened when the Elders passed away. We were suddenly beset by puzzles that we had no way of working out. Some of which only became apparent very gradually – it must have been nearly ten years before we really noticed that the little ones were getting little bigger as time went on."

"I was only a baby when it happened," said Shiffih. "I don't remember the Elders at all. And I had never seen a unicorn."

"And now you've not only seen one – you've ridden one," said Nemeth. "And, what's more, you're about to do it again." He grinned, then turned to face Farinka again. "You'd better ride as well," he suggested. "I'll be setting a swifter pace than you might be used to."

"I'm not soft," she said indignantly.

"I'm not suggesting you are, Domina. But I've been able to run more than forty miles in a day any time in the last three hundred years, and I doubt if you're quite that fit! Hop up."

"Okay, you win." Farinka vaulted up, and Nemeth lifted Shiffih up behind her. "Hold my tunic," Farinka said. "Trotting's not quite so simple as walking." She took the end of the halter lead from Nemeth.

"Lead on, Macduff," she misquoted.

His eyebrows lifted. – ?

"Never mind."

" 'kay."

***

It was some twenty miles and more than two hours later that Nemeth broke from his steady jog to a walk. They had been passing through heavily wooded country most of the time, sometimes on a fairly clear trail, sometimes ducking and winding between the trees, occasionally dropping into a small valley and jumping or fording the streams with which the area was liberally supplied. As they ascended the woodland changed gradually in character from mostly deciduous to mostly coniferous, and in the few clear spaces Farinka could see that the tops of the surrounding mountains had a light covering of snow. Between the trees there was little wind, but once out of them the wind-chill factor was very noticeable.

"Time to rest," said Nemeth.

"What, you tired already?" asked Farinka as he lifted Shiffih down.

Nemeth laughed. "Not much. But Moondust could do with a break and a bite to eat. This is a good meadow." Farinka slid down and stripped the sheepskin and halter off the unicorn – she still found it difficult to think of him as such, the horn was so embryonic, but already it was more noticeable than it had been the day before. The lump was perhaps an inch high, and very warm to the touch. Once released, Moondust made for the stream and dipped the horn-bud into the cold water before drinking and then trotting off onto the meadow. He got down for a roll, stood straddle-legged and shook, then settled down to graze.

"How good are you at catching trout?" asked Nemeth.

"I've never tried," Farinka answered. "Tell you what, you go fishing and Shiffih and I will go watercressing."

"Good idea. You might see if you can find some woundwort while you're about it – Shiffih's feet would appreciate it, wouldn't they, Little Sister?"

"Definitely," said Shiffih. "They itch."

"Believe it or not, that's a good sign," said Farinka. "Come on then. You'll have to show me what woundwort looks like – my knowledge of plants is pretty limited. I think I can only recognise the ones that Shelagh grew at the stables. She was quite into herbal remedies." They wandered downstream, leaving Nemeth to find suitable cover for a trout-tickling point.

They sat in a small sun-trap formed by an outcrop of granite, out of the worst of the wind, for perhaps two hours, eating grilled trout stuffed with watercress and wild ramsons which Shiffih had found, drinking dandelion and chicory 'coffee' – danchic. Shiffih made daisy chains from some late daisies and wound them round her neck and wrists, and Nemeth and Farinka smoked a leaf smoke-roll each.

Eventually Nemeth glanced up at the sun.

"Time to be moving," he said. "We should be home before dusk, with luck."

Farinka called Moondust and rigged his tack while Nemeth and Shiffih removed all traces of their makeshift camp. This time she insisted on running with Nemeth for at least some of the way.

"Why?" he asked with one of his grins.

"I don't want to tire Moondust," she answered.

"He wouldn't tire," said Nemeth. "Unicorns aren't packbeasts, you know. And you can't weigh much."

"You'd be surprised," said Farinka.

"Even I could run carrying you," said Nemeth, "and Moondust's a lot stronger than I am."

"If I ever want you to, I'll let you know," said Farinka, laughing, and turning to Shiffih, whose eyes were alight with fun.

"Don't tempt him," said Shiffih. "He'd do it just to prove his point!"

"Enough, Little Sister," said Nemeth. "Up with you." He lifted her up and she twined her fingers into Moondust's mane.

The wind was at their backs as they rounded the buttress of the mountain, and their route wound gradually downwards. The character of the trees slowly changed again, and Nemeth pointed out deer-spoor to Farinka as they jogged along.

It was only about half an hour before she felt herself beginning to tire; her legs began to feel heavy and her breathing was noticeable. Nemeth looked sideways at her as she jogged alongside him.

"It was your idea," he said wickedly. "All right, I admit it. You're better than I expected. But enough is enough." He slowed to a walk, and Moondust drew level with them and pushed at Farinka's shoulder with his muzzle.

"See, he agrees with me," said Nemeth. The sudden wicked grin was there again as he lifted her onto the unicorn's back as easily as he had lifted Shiffih, and she looked down into the amber-hazel eyes that laughed up at her.

"Okay, I give in. If I'd had three hundred years to spend getting fit I'd be able to run all day as well," she said.

"Undoubtedly." He patted Moondust's shoulder. "We'll walk for a while to rest him. There's a roedeer-spot a bit farther down; by your leave I'll wait awhile and get one. They come there to drink late afternoon most days."

As they walked down the hill they joined a noticeable trail. There was deer-spoor in the earth of the trail; Nemeth crouched to look more closely.

"They've not been this way yet today. Might have come up from lower down, though," he said. "If you keep quite still – preferably up a handy tree – I stand more chance of getting one." He stood up.

Farinka turned Moondust towards a tree with a low overhanging branch, and stood on his withers to climb up, giving Shiffih a helping pull after her. Nemeth crossed to the other side of the trail where an ancient horse-chestnut grew, jumped and locked his hands round a branch and pulled himself up. Farinka could see him clearly as he pulled a blow-pipe from his belt and – using a springy V-shaped twig as tweezers – something tiny from a small wooden box in his jerkin pocket.

– What's that? she asked Shiffih.

– A thorn dart.

– How can he kill a deer with a thorn dart?

– The dart won't kill it – it will just make it sleep.

– How come?

– Dozewort juice on the point. Sends them to sleep for a few minutes. If you leave them alone, they just get up and walk away as though nothing's happened. When Louka broke her arm Sherath used a dozewort thorn on her so he could straighten it. You don't feel anything or remember anything that happens when you're asleep.

– Short-acting anaesthetic, thought Farinka. So that's the 'sorcery'.

– I'll have to show you dozewort, if we see any. Never try to pick it with your bare hands – if you fall on top of it you could stay asleep until something came along and ate you, said Shiffih.

– How nice. But at least I wouldn't know anything about it. What would be likely to eat me in these woods?

– Wolverine, cougar, bear, big lynx; maybe wolves if they were very, very hungry. Or a stoat pack, in the winter. Stoats kill more people in the mountains in a hard winter than wolves do. A stoat pack can kill a full-grown packbeast.

Nemeth looked across at them. – Good timing. Here they come. He looked up the trail, lifting the blow-pipe to his lips.

– What if he misses? Farinka asked Shiffih in a mental whisper.

– We never miss, Shiffih answered in a slightly shocked tone.

– Could you do that, then?

– I could stun and kill a roedeer – but it would be pretty pointless if I were on my own.

– Why?

– I'd never be able to carry it home!

– Why didn't you use a dart on the rabbits?

– Waste of dozewort. And darts. Rabbits are easy to kill with a catapult. You only use a dart on something that you can't kill cleanly with a stone. Hush now – they might Hear you.

Four roedeer came walking down the trail – an old doe with a fawn close beside her, a young doe, and a yearling buck at the rear of the line. Nemeth dropped the buck; the others bolted. Nemeth swung down from the branch as lightly as a young jaguar and pulled the buck off the path before opening its throat with one belt knife to bleed it. He lifted it one-handed by the hind legs to let the blood flow out faster.

Farinka jumped to the ground, holding her arms up to Shiffih.

"I'll catch you," she said. Shiffih dropped down into her arms, and by the time they reached Nemeth the carcase was fully bled.

"Good hunting," said Farinka, trying not to look at the severed throat.

Nemeth caught her eye. "Do you like venison?" he asked.

"I've never tried it," she replied.

"It's a good meat." He laid the deer down, looking at her.

"It was a beautiful animal," she said softly.

He put one arm round her shoulders. "You have to kill them to eat them," he said quietly. "He knew nothing about it. No fear, no pain – nothing. When men hunt them, they chase them, sometimes one man after another, sometimes with packs of dogs; sometimes they try to kill them with arrows – and it's a rare man that can kill a roedeer with one arrow. Sometimes they leave them wounded and they can take days to die if the men don't find them and finish them off. Sometimes men build deadfall traps or deer-snares – they don't usually kill cleanly, either. This way is better – the best. Personally, I can't think of a better way to go. He had a good life, wild, free, untouched. A dart is kinder than a lynx or a wolf pack, Domina."

"I'd rather go in my sleep," she said.

"He did," said Nemeth, tightening the arm around her fractionally. "How do they kill meat animals on your world?"

She gave him a brief mental picture of an abattoir. Under the tan, Nemeth went momentarily pale.

– Ye gods, ... and THIS upsets you?

– I know. Silly. But I'd never been in one of those places.

– Then this is the closest you've been to death?

– No. She shut off her thoughts, remembering Hammy and Shaka.

Nemeth was aware of the anguish in the brief instant before her mental shields went up.

– Domina, forgive me for asking... how old are you?

"Seventeen."

Shiffih and Nemeth held her in a three-way hug.

"I remember seventeen," he said. "Just."

"Me too," said Shiffih.

"It wasn't the same for you, Little Sister," said Nemeth. "You were much the same as you are now." He sighed, and let them both go. "Call Moondust back, Domina. I'll carry supper home."

Farinka vaulted onto Moondust, and Nemeth hoisted Shiffih up behind her, then lifted the deer fireman-fashion and settled it over his shoulders, the head and forelegs hanging down on the left and hindlegs on the right. He caught hold of the legs, shrugged the deer into a comfortable position, glanced up at Farinka.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Lead on."

He set off down the trail at the same steady jog that he had been using all day.

That must be fifty kilos of deer he's carrying there, thought Farinka. He wasn't joking, was he.

– I told you so, said Shiffih.

– You're not supposed to eavesdrop, little one, said Farinka.

– Your thoughts were open, replied Shiffih with a mental smile. And Nemeth Heard you as clearly as I did, Domina.

– This is true, said Nemeth. Farinka could feel the extent of the mental grin.

– All right, sunshine. But I can do things that you can't do, she said.

– Also true. Catching unicorns is one of them.

Moondust snorted – almost derisively. Farinka laughed.

– He Hears you, Nemeth.

– I know. But I don't know when we will Hear him.

----