It pleased Valve in an unusual way to see the red mare lurch forward, reacting to her news in such an impassioned manner. She enjoyed the idea that she could be the hand that struck flint to spark a fire that could set the whole world ablaze. Iftikhar was the perfect accelerant, and the black mare stores this information away for a later day. El Halin however, has a firm hold on the red mare’s fury, Valve observed, and thus was the point of disseminating the information regarding Gabbar’s search for the two of them. She needed to know the nature of their relationship; especially knowing that Maslakhat had apparently decided he should play a part in it as well. It is fortunate that she had run across them here, placed before her under the light of the silver moon as though the Gods had intended it. Valve offered her own tight smile back at El Halin, and nodded sagely.

“He is quite forthcoming,” Valve affirmed coolly, in response to El Halin’s inquiry. She was sure that Gabbar would speak as freely to them as he had to her. She considered the implications of this spoken fact silently for a moment, wondering if perhaps she should have more words with Gabbar before these two mined him of all the information he knew. Ai’dah had told the stallion more than she wished for these two Arabians to learn, at least in this moment, and Valve did not exactly like the idea of him repeating all of it. It was equally important that Valve speak with Maslakhat however, and find out exactly what sort of trifling he had been doing. Valve took a deep breath, at a crossroads.

Maslakhat. She would find him first, even if their meeting was brief, she needed to know what he had said and done and what he was intending to do. She was already privy to the entirety of Gabbar’s information, and thus she could find a way to mitigate whatever trouble came from the Arabians learning about all of it. There was much desert to cover still, and thus plenty of time to think of a plan—just in case.

“I thank both of you for your time and words,” Valve offered politely. “But I must be on my way. I have no doubt we will meet again. O zamana kadar.”

And unless there was anything left to hear, Valve disappeared once more into the night.

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine