Patrol the borders.

It had been easier when the borders could all be seen when a horse turned in a slow circle at the oasis, but this Desert was not her old home and there was far more territory for the black mare to call her own. It felt good to stretch her legs, to be free to roam wherever and whenever she liked, and El Aran indulged herself as soon as she reached the shore. The wind that blew in off the ocean was cool and carried the salty sea spray on it, dampening her coat as she cantered above the tideline. I will not give this up, she promised herself. She threw her head back, black mane and tail streaming from the wind of her run, and whinnied her defiance.

It was only one Akhal-Teke. An unknown one at that, one whose face had never been seen in her dreams. Perhaps Orhan had gotten a name from the stallion while he dithered and let the stranger walk almost all the way into their oasis unchallenged. Perhaps in that way her son had been useful to her. Or could be. El Aran slowed down when that thought occurred to her. It was an idea that sent a tendril of apprehension through her gut, and the black mare was considering all of those things when she came upon a body in the sand.

Much like Orhan had returned to the Desert, this horse lay on his side and was soaked from the ocean. His coat was dark, nearly black, but she thought she detected some red under the wetness. Doubtless it would dry to a lighter shade. For a moment she was distracted by the soft opacity of his blue eyes. She exhaled deeply as she stood staring at the blind stallion on her sand. He did not appear to pose much of a threat, prone on the beach and unable to see, but El Aran had not yet lost her wariness. She stuck to her resolve to drive away all intruders and began by being inhospitable, as it would be much more difficult to physically drive the stranger off while he was not standing. "You are not welcome here," she said, ears turned back even though he could not see her body language. El Aran made up for that by putting more venom in her voice as she added, "Get on your hooves and walk on, stranger. This Desert has no room for you."