The spotted mare’s shrill call roused an already burgeoning sense of annoyance within the Akhal-Teke. Valve’s arrival upon the Dunes had been met with a stunning lack of interest. She had expected at least one curious herd member to approach her and yet not a single soul bothered. This rudeness, be it intentional or not, was a truth that would prove unfortunate for these lackadaisical beasts. And now there was this mare, standing in the middle of the oasis with her belly swollen from the weight of a stallion upon her back, and demanding the attention of everyone within earshot. Valve watched from a distance with an icy stare as the others heeded her call.

She scrutinized each mare as they approached. She found it unusual that nearly all of them were loudly marked, perhaps collected by their respective stallions for this exact reason. Some of them were pregnant, some were not; most were thick-boned and in no way acclimated to such harsh conditions as the desert, save for one shape she knew—an Arabian. Valve studied the red mare an extra moment, combing her memory for a spark of recognition, but none came.

Valve flicked her dark tail back and forth like a black cat, weighing her choices. She noticed the same stallion who she conversed with briefly at the Commons was also among the group. She did agree to come here specifically for the purposes of questioning these women, and despite the black mare’s ire at their discourtesy, she would not come away from these Dunes without answers.

She lifted her svelte frame into a floating trot and made her way to the edge of the group. Standing opposite the bossy mare, she left several lengths between her and the nearest member of the herd—far enough away to anticipate any of them having an unsavory reaction to her encroachment.

“I have something to say,” Valve announced, lifting her head with prominence. “If any of you have seen a blind stud in your travels, it would behoove you to share this information with me at once.”

Valve looked across their faces, ready to see which of them would prove them most useful to her, if at all.

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine