Maslakhat stood atop a large sand dune, flicking his dark tail nonchalantly as his deep golden-bay coat gleamed brightly in the desert sun. The winds had already masked the marred sand where he and the half-breed intruder had crossed hooves and teeth, as if it never happened. He snorted, displeased that he could still smell the other stallion’s scent on the wind.

One of his ears twisted backward as more hoof-beats approached. Valve.

She said nothing as she drew to a halt alongside him, pressing her slender jet-black frame tightly against his. This proximity, Maslakhat knew, was a commendation for successfully defending these sands against the intruder. She snorted softly as well, and he knew she could also still smell the other.

Dunes littered the landscape ahead of them, some tall and some small—throwing shade to the east as the sun fell lower in the sky. The two Akhal-Tekes kept their stern gazes fastened upon them, searching with for any sign of movement with critical eyes. The eerie calm that lingered between them and the sands was never meant to last.

“Cıkmak!” Valve suddenly shouted, her firm voice carrying across the land. Maslakhat tossed his head, both startled and invigorated by her outburst.

“You cannot hide,” he added to the air. It would be unwise for the intruder to remain within the borders of these dunes for much longer.

VALVE & MASLAKHAT