Maslakhat nodded as she confirmed his offer with polite surprise in her voice.

“Of course,” he said again. “But I’ll need a favor from you in return.” Nothing he offered was free, even for Keyik. As much as the golden bay stallion admired her, he needed certain assurances before any blood could be spilled. Certainly the perlino girl could understand that—she was a rational creature, albeit slightly conceited. And Maslakhat was no fool.

There was also the possibility, however unlikely, that Keyik would not need his help. If she managed to convince her neighbor to relinquish her hold over this island, he would be impressed. He silently hoped she would succeed, just so he could say he had some degree of influence over it—to share in victory was one of the better feelings in life. He and Keyik had shared plenty already, but Maslakhat was always looking for one more. One more challenge, one more adventure, one more battle. One was never enough. He always wanted more. He supposed they both had that in common as well.

“But let’s see if it comes to that,” he finished with a sly smile on his face, challenging her to prove herself and dazzle him—if she could.



MASLAKHAT
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