A high noon sun blazed in the heavens, dragging shimmering waves of heat to curl and dance above the dunes. There was hardly a breath of wind in the summer heat, save for the occasional errant gust from the ocean as a draft of cool air met the simmering heat of the desert. The day had quickly taken on an eternal quality, with the sun creeping lazily over the horizon that morning and inching onward through the sky as the heat of the day increased.

The pair stood in the shallows just off the beach, their pale, golden hides reflecting a burnished bronze before they quickly began to dry in the oppressive heat. The dark manes and tails dripped and dribbled cool, salt water down their fevered skin, causing the leather-tight hides to twitch and tingle at the alien, but pleasant sensation. As they caught their breath from their swim across the channel, they spoke quietly, quickly, foreign words tangling and twisting around their tongues in nearly identical tones.

They had been amongst these sands before.

It had been a brief stay, their previous visit, but nearly as soon as they had left, the strange chain of islands had been calling them back. So here they were, stepping regally from the ocean into what they still referred to as their desert, exchanging soft sighs and gentle brushes of muzzle to shoulder as they welcomed one another home. The smaller of the pair lead the way, sliding into an easy, floating jog as soon as the dark, chipped hooves met dry, solid land, and they made their way inland to the Dunes. The taller, paler version of the not-twins kept a sharp, cautious eye on their surroundings as his companion plotted their course inland. They had quickly become aware of the heavy scent of strangers that had taken up residence in their absence. Neither of the pair was pleased with sharing their home, but momentarily shrugged off the inconvenience with the priority of finding shelter and sustenance after their long journey.

After some time, the pair came to find their temporary shelter in the shade of one of the larger dunes, halting side by side, heated flesh pressing into one another as they heaved matching sighs of relief. Immediately, the darker, smaller of the two swung sideways as her companion lowered his muzzle to rest across her ribs, dark lips nuzzling the shining flesh gently as she turned her handsome face and caressed him similarly across his shoulder.

“Dinlenme , benim evcil hayvan , eve geldik .”
“Evet , metres , ev .”

---

sekhet & sutekh
mare. akhal-teke. buckskin. fifteen-three. seven.
stallion. akhal-teke. buckskin. sixteen-zero. six.
html by russell for goblin's use only.