Gabbar’s hospitality is not unexpected. In fact, he didn’t need to say anything at all regarding her status in relation to this territory. She did not think the stallion was the type to claim a false authority, and they had indeed won the fight together so it was obvious to her that they would share the spoils of their victory. Nonetheless, it is nice to hear him acknowledge her place in it, and Valve would not undermine him for graciously making their relationship clear. She nodded her appreciation as they shared a moment of comfortable silence.

He closed his eyes and Valve again looked to the horizon, the heat of the desert rippling in the air. Yes, she would go in due time, as soon as her lameness had subsided. The quiet was substantial, and when Gabbar speaks again his thunderous voice splits the silence like a crack of lightning. Maslakhat. A name she had not heard since she left Zenith. Her nose snapped toward the bay Arabian again, her dark eyes glittering with intensity. She did not expect Gabbar to know it.

“Yes. He comes from my herd,” she explained, a hotness in her tone. “I assume this information comes from the other mare.” Valve looked towards A’idah, deciding she would need to speak with her before she set out for the border. If Maslakhat was around, it was possible he could complicate things. He had set out for Yusuf two years before she had, and his delay in eliminating him was cause for concern. If he had become sympathetic toward his half-blooded brother then Valve would have a difficult road ahead. For his sake, she hoped that was not the case. If what A’idah had said was true, perhaps he had somehow become involved with the Arabians Gabbar sought. Valve believed this was the more likely explanation. She knew just how crafty he could be. Perhaps she too could use this to her advantage.

“He shares in my mission to eliminate the half-breed,” she finished. “But I have no knowledge of his involvement with your High Seer.”

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine