My hooves left large, saucer like prints as I walked next to a mare, whose prints were much different. With deep, dark eyes I watched as Robin cantered softly down to the shoreline, her eyes wide with a sense of excitement as she stared into the salty sea water. Gesturing for me to come over, I walked, stopping when I got to her side. Look at that shell! My eyes followed her gaze, seeing a different coloured shell, almost like patchwork against its smooth surface. I gave a smile, seeing how much the mare enjoyed the sea. It made me think about the Palm Isles, and how beautiful that beach was.

"You love the beach; don't you?"

I took my eyes from the sea, and looked at her, a smile in my eyes as well as my maw. The slight wind that was always at the cape lifted my mane from my neck, before settling back down on my sleek pelt.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...

I adore it.

The mare said, after nodding with incredible enthusiasm. I gave a soft smile as I watched her canter up and down the shore line, kicking up soft, gritty sand, spraying up water. Here, let me show you something. Stand here, and let the waves wash over your feet, and then you will feel something strange. Try it! I stood where she beckoned, then waited as the waves washed up on top of my hooves, hard, rough surface, feeling a sucking feeling at the bottom of my hooves. I nodded and gave a soft smile.

"You spend too much time here."

I joked, my laugh soft, eyes watched her in a humorous matter.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...

I do not! You don't spend enough time here!

The mare retorted playfully, and I gave a grin, my eyes bright as I gave a chuckling laugh. Suddenly my expression changed. I sniffed the air, my nostrils flaring.. something wasn't right. The air smelt like dried mud, and the metallic smell of way too much blood. Something definitely wasn't right.

I didn't even have the chance to confide in Robin if she sensed the same thing, although I doubt she would. It was as if I had a weird sixth sense. Hungry... A little voice said beneath Robin's feet, the voice shuddered and weak. Holy... Robin looked absolutely too shocked to do anything. I didn't recognize the foal, I wondered if Robin did, but I knew that there really wasn't time to even ask.

I quickly jumped into action, not wasting any time. I bent down, listening to make sure that the foal was still breathing. He was, but his conciousness had been lost. There was blood and mud clumped on his coat, it was difficult to tell where exactly it was coming from. My eyes scanned his body, but it was so hard to tell. Soon I looked up at Robin, not wasting any time.

"Make sure he keeps breathing. I'll be back."

Without a second to spare to look back, I didn't wait for a reply as I shot into a gallop, knowing exactly where I was going. My hooves pounded against the ground as I dodged rock walls and trees in the forest area at the back of the cape. The foal had said he was hungry, but I knew the most important thing was to regain his conciousness. It was most likely he was dehydrated. Soon enough, I reached the small, fresh pond that I had been searching for. My eyes searched frantically for something to carry water in.

Large leaves floated down from the trees, curved at the edges and stiff enough. I grabbed one deep, large leaf, flooded it with water before grabbing it in my mouth and cantering back, doing my best not to slosh any of the water out. Soon enough, I reached Robin and the foal, setting the water down beside him and waiting to see if he would regain conciousness.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...

He's gained consciousness, I think.

I nodded, my nostrils flaring from the urgent gallop to the pond. I watched as she coaxed the young foal to drink. My eyes scanned over his small, nimble body, I knew that he couldn't be very old. Where the hell was his mother? He needed his mother's watchful eye, protectiveness, but most of all, nourishment. Come on, we have to wash that blood and muck off you. Don't be surprised if water splashes on you. My observant eye watched carefully as she began to clean him of dirt and blood. I bent my head to look closer, making sure by cleaning him, we were reopening wounds or tearing skin. So far it looked okay.

Okay, good boy, there's a good boy.

I listened to her soft voice, catching her gaze as she looked up at me, making sure she was doing okay. I nodded softly, giving her a reasuring glance. Once it looked like all the dirt, blood and mud was off, I could get a closer look at his wounds.

My eyes started at his head; there was a minor cut above his eye, although now it looked infected. Thorns covered his body, mostly his mane and tail that looked knotted and uncomfortable. My eyes reached a gash on his hind leg, it was incredibly swollen, and when I gave it a slight touch with my muzzle, infection was clear when a yellowish, off colour liquid trickled out, crimson liquid mixing with it.

"This doesn't look good... the infection, unless stopped, will take over his entire body. Not to mention that he needs his mother's milk, he's still very young. "

This is when I need Illinga. She was an incredible healer, and I only knew so much about it. I searched my mind, thinking of something for an infection. I thought of when Layla was so badly injured, and tried to think of the plant she had used. The picture of what it looked like popped into my mind, and I knew it was it.

"I'll be right back."

I told her hurriedly, then galloped off into the woods. If my memory served me right, it would be growing by the pond. When I spotted the plant, I grabbed it and pulled it right out from its roots, and began to run back to Robin and the foal.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...

I turned the corner, my body leaning as I galloped, hooves kicking up sand and skidding to a half, my nostrils flaring, coat slick with a thin layer of sweat. I glanced at the wounds and saw a sap sealing the wound, sealing the bleeding. My eyes scanned the foal, stopping on his face. I could see that he was in a great deal of pain. I nodded to her, seeing what she was trying to do. However, the wound on his hind leg worried me. If it was sealed, I feared that it would become more infected, and then it could be much more of a problem. This was bad... I knew I may have to do a fairly painful procedure.

"A least the bleeding has stopped. I'm worried about the infection in his hind leg though. "

I shook my head in frustration, I wish the outcome was better, and that I didn't have to do what I thought I had to. But if this foal was going to live, I believe it had to be done. I had put the plants on the ground, and beckoned to them for Robin.

"Try to get him to eat these leaves. It will build up his immune system, help him fight infection. But with that hind leg, that's not going to be enough. Somehow I am going to have to drain the infection from the wound. Do you have any idea of herbs that would make an area numb?"

I asked, my words coming in a jumble because I knew that time was limited.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...

I have a number of herbs. I'll be right back.

I nodded, keeping a careful eye on the foal and making sure that his breathing still came steady and regularly. Stallion... His voice was weak and came out as more of a groan than anything else. "Shh.." I told him, I wasn't really good at this sort of thing. I had a lot of knowledge for other things, but talking to young foals like this just didn't come easily. When Robin arrived back, I watched as she got the foal to eat the herbs, and saw as his eye lids began to droop, his breathing still steady, but more relaxed than before. He is now in one of the deepest sleeps we will ever had. you could drop him off a cliff and he wouldn't notice. Go ahead with the procedure. I nodded and gave her an approving glance.

"Okay, I am going to have to find some supplies. I'll be right back."

I quickly cantered around the rock wall, my hooves clicking on the rock, my eyes searching for a thin piece of slate like rock. My eyes saw a piece, not too big, but sharp enough. I picked it up, avoiding the sharp end from cutting my mouth. I cantered back, but stopped short to drop it at the edge of the shore, leaving it in the salt water to disinfect it as much as possible. When I grabbed it out, it was a good deal cleaner, and I knew that the salt would help sterilize it. I walked back to Robin, not wanting to set the rock down and make it dirty again.

"O..ka..y. I'm.. g-oing ..t..o st..art."

I told her, trying my best to speak through the rock. I knelt down on my knees, giving Robin one nod, before turning my attention back on the wound.

&&enam

This may not last

But this is now...