“N...n...no,” he said, and Mauja arched a 'brow coolly despite the fact he thought the colt couldn't see it. So, he was not alone, but there was no one with him. And what was Mauja supposed to make of that? A smile made the corner of his mouth twitch, threatening to turn lopsided. No one in their right mind would want to betray weakness, and a malnourished foal traveling alone was certainly weak. Did claiming that he wasn't alone make him stronger? Had it turned other horses away in the past? But the spotted stallion would not be so easily deterred, especially not after having made the colt reveal that there was, in fact, no one. Silent, patient, he waited, his breathing punctuating the relative quiet of the forest. The foal's little muzzle had tilted out again, nostrils quivering as he drank in the air, and Mauja didn't want to startle him. Better give him some space, though he searched his mind for things to say, sensing the time slipping away. If Druid did not elaborate soon, Mauja would pick up the reins of conversation again and try to ease the foal's mind.. ease him into trusting, and coming home.

But, as he tucked his head closer again, more words spilled out, in that same hesitant, uncertain voice. It quivered with a stammer, punctuating the beginning of each thing he spoke, but the rest of the longer sentence was unshaken. “Th...There is no one.” Again, Mauja felt one 'brow arch up, as if to say, still sure you're not alone?. “W...w...w...whoops.” And then he drifted backwards a step, bony hip resting against a tree, and Mauja felt something in his chest ache. Did he truly wish to turn help away? Was that why he'd tried to claim he wasn't alone? "It's alright," he said lightly, his voice warm, meant to comfort and soothe. Desperately he wished to draw closer, to take another step forward, reclaim the distance he'd put between them.. but he needed Druid to come to him, and not the other way around. He didn't want him to turn and flee, disappear among the trees. And even though he thought the child couldn't see, a faint smile played upon his face, all the warmth of sun-warmed snow within him, and in his eyes. Even if he could not see, perhaps he could sense it? That he meant no harm?

"I'm not going to hurt you, son. My name is Mauja." He paused for a moment, to let the words sink in; a breath, two, thinking that even if he said he wouldn't, why would the child trust him? Pointedly he avoided the other's milky eyes, not wishing a single trace of the uneasiness to creep into his body and reflect back onto Druid. He needed to be genuine, whole, trustworthy. "What's yours?" One ear rotated back, listening to the forest around them. The largest threat here wasn't predators, it was horses of other herds coming to steal his targets away. He could well imagine some Edge horse barging in and scaring Druid witless and shouting that Mauja was an ice demon come to eat his soul. He wanted to get the colt out of here before someone else had the time to show up, but he didn't want to press, to rush.. the ear came forward again, listening, waiting, for the sound of his shaky voice to come again.