NYAZIK Time passed and, despite the rumble of thunder and flash of lightning, Nyazik managed to doze for a short while, her back hoof cocked lazily. Eventually, she awoke as the rain eased and then stopped altogether but left her dark mane and tail soaked and clinging to her shining skin.
Though she had excelled at spying on the dunes herd incognito for the past season, it seemed she was not nearly so adept at spotting intruders and guarding the dunes themselves. How embarrassing.
The growl of thunder overhead cloaked the arrival of another horse in the oasis, but a rustle of the foliage caught her attention just in time to mask her surprise before the mare could emerge not far off. Nyazik had assumed at least one of the dunes herd might return by cloak of night, but she had not expected an upstart to arrive so soon – before she had even had time to plan no less.
In those brief few moments before the mare whinnied and trotted over, Nyazik carefully and quickly sized her up. She was young, though definitely older than Nyazik and at present was still just a little taller the Akhal-teke. There was definitely desert breeding in her and, given the length of her “winter” coat, Nyazik suspected she was a resident of Salem, or other warm territory at the very least. She could not be sure if the mare was from the neighbouring herd or just another wanderer that dodged the band herds like her mother and Wolpertinger – and to a lesser extent herself too. If the mare was a Salem resident with her eye on taking control of the dunes, however, Nyazik would need to formulate a cunning plan to steer her away. It would not be as simple as leading a stranger with no experience of the desert into the heart of the dunes and leaving them without a hope of finding their way out. No this could be a lot trickier.
In the end, though she was beginning to suspect that might not be necessary.
The whinny and the words that left the mare’s lips were friendly, but that did not earn her Nyazik’s trust. There was still a chance that this was a friendly takeover, or even an attempt to lure her into a false sense of security. It hadn’t even occurred to the buckskin filly that the mare could be from her ancestor’s desert – but she still doubted she would ever be any kind of target. Even if they found her mother, Nyazik was confident her existence would remain secret unless she revealed it herself. As the mare continued to speak though, Nyazik found she could relax, if only a little (not that it was perceptive visually, she remained stoic throughout).
The mare, Vita Nova, informed Nyazik that she was looking for a palomino mare named Evaline; the very same mare that had been taken by one of the rude bachelor stallions that had tried to crowd her and Valve. Nyazik bristled internally at the thought but externally stepped forward and extended her nose to the smoky black mare.
“Salam, Vita Nova. I am Nyazik” she greeted, “Unfortunately, some of the herd members have gone on a little excursion off Salem. Evaline was one of them.” Nyazik informed the dark mare, careful not let her know that it was actually the entire herd that was gone. Vita Nova might be from the desert, but that did not mean she would not take advantage of an empty land when the opportunity presented itself (or inform someone else who would). Until she knew more about Evaline’s current situation, she was also careful not to divulge the circumstances surrounding her departure, nor the fact that she’d never even met the palomino.
15.2HH BUCKSKIN AKHAL-TEKE FILLY
MASLAKHAT x KEYIK
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