“Uhh….” The first of many questions directed at him came from a strange, striped mare standing a little ways away from the crowd directly around him. “Away, I think.” Others chimed in with ideas and the calf learned that ‘away from the sun’ meant that it was west. The one who spoke into his mind offered to stay with him while the others look but this caused another rise of panic in him. While he may later come to appreciate this kindness from the purple mare (much later, when he is calm and safe) for the moment it just made him more uncertain. How would they know what his mother looked like??

The antlered, grey mare offered some suggestion on where the rock might be and it is discussed by some of the others as well.

More comfort came from a blue mare (how odd these colours were!) as she reassured him with a touch to the shoulder and from the fawn-foal as she questioned what he wanted to do. “Let’s all go.” He answered the questions, both inside and outside of his mind. He felt stronger for the memories that she shared with him into his mind and they made him more determined not to stand still - he needed to find his mom and feel that love first-hand once more. Although he did not know his directions, the idea of caves and rocks and arches seemed to fit the idea that he had in his head.

“I’m okay… thank you.” He appreciated the offer from the pouched, strange stallion but he did not think he was quite small enough to comfortably fit into the offered pouch. Still, he gave the creature a smile, watery as it was through the ever-present tears. If he was going to be lost, he was glad that he was lost among kind animals. He was getting over his initial fear of them, an effect caused by the collective ease with which they were treating him - foal and adult alike. One of them, suggested retracing his steps. “But I’ve been wandering forever!” Came the despairing answer to that idea. Forever indeed! Anything longer than a few minutes felt like forever to the young calf.

At the initiative of one of the foals, the group began to move - or, theoretically at least. The calf decided to follow the colt, anyway, hoping that the rest would come along.

Over the Steppe he travelled, comforted by the presence of the horses (if they came along) and the little pieces of help that most of them had offered him. Before too long, they arrived at the strange stone structures and with some careful searching, a rough goose-shaped stone was found.

And there was a moose near the goose!!

Only, it had a set of antlers on its head. “That’s not my mama.” The little moose wailed as his knobby knees trembled in fear.

It was a bull, full grown at two metres (6.6 feet) at the shoulder, and it was angry. It snorted at the sight of the motley group of creatures, pawing at the ground and brandishing its antlers as it released a low, loud guttural call as a challenge to the group. Clearly, it did not appreciate being disturbed.