The feeling of stillness was a lie. In the dunes, the sands were always moving however subtly. Valve moved too, deliberately and with precise intent—she was never aimless, even when the winds were calm and the skies clear. She frequently patrolled the edges of the dunes, tipping her nose one way or the other, looking for any sign of disarray. Occasionally she would see footprints of some sort, but the nature of these sands never gave away more than they needed, and that was fine.

It had been some time since she had seen another, but she didn’t fully realize this until she saw him walking down a dune nearby. He too moved with purpose, and Valve studied him for a moment, noting the Arabian influence in his shape and the sturdy marks of age he carried with him. He might have been older than her, and that was significant.

“Hello,” she said evenly as she approached him. Valve kept one ear fastened tightly in his direction while the other searched for any signs of accomplices he might have brought along. Satisfied that there were none, she continued.

“You’re alone.”

This was meant less as an obvious statement and more like a curiosity. While it was not unusual for a stallion to be alone in general, it seemed to Valve that living a solitary life was not his preference. She recognized the intent in his gait because she carried the same intent in her own. Yet as good as it was to at last befall another, she remained inwardly wary until she could determined exactly why he had come here.

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine