Machine smiled steadily and peered at the girl through focused, narrow eyes. It was refreshing to meet a young soul with some determination and bravado. That sort of spirit was so often lost on the fillies she knew—though she hardly blamed them. If their mothers were weak, then usually so were they. Black Heart Machine never underestimated the power of leading by example. She had done so with her two young ones and they had grown to be powerful, strong and cunning. Zenith and Valve were pristine offspring and despite Slenderman’s shortcomings, she did not doubt that he was as suitable a breeding partner as she could have asked for. There was a reason she had only taken up with him. Yes, only him, Machine thought, pushing a dark and long forgotten thought from her mind and returning to Geirdriful who stood before her with her eyes all full of hope.

“Well Geirdriful the Valkyrie, you have come to the right place. And you have indeed found one of the warriors you seek.”

Black Heart Machine didn’t necessarily identify as a warrior in the typical sense, while she had fought plenty of physical battles, mental sparring and stealth were more her style. She didn’t bother correcting the dunalino girl over semantics however. She could explain the nuances of their system later.

“If you want to know what you stand for, then you must ask yourself what you truly believe is right,” Machine continued. “Do you believe in equality? That mares have every right to lead herds as stallions do? That we deserve to be treated with respect and not like property that can be owned?”

As Black Heart Machine shared these ideologies with the young mare, she watched her carefully, looking to see how she would react to these realities. There was a chance, given her age, that the girl had not had a chance to see these unfortunate truths in practice. If she seemed lost, then perhaps Machine would suggest a little quest for experience.

BLACK HEART MACHINE