Valve kept her attention fastened on Orhan as the dark sky rumbled like a hungry beast above them. She nodded as the stallion explained that he had not seen El Halin, nor would she be a welcome guest in the desert. Good, she thought to herself, somewhat pleased that her interests were aligning with his own at the moment.

The silence that hung momentarily between them was anything but. She flicked her dark tail and waited, waiting for him to speak. As she suspected, the subject of his families’ disappearance wasn’t the only item he wished to discuss. Ah yes, common ground. The good of the island. Valve smiled pleasantly as he explained his desire for unity. His altruism was amusing.

“As far as I am aware, we have always stood on common ground,” she replied matter-of-factly. "But I am more than happy to offer you more support if that’s something you want.”

Orhan had never been Valve’s enemy, even if he seemed to think their relationship was unsteady. If the two of them hadn’t already been standing on his so-called “common ground” the buckskin stallion would have far more problems than he did now. After all, it was El Aran that had been trifling in her affairs. Now that she was gone, Valve was more than willing to work with him. Of course, this accord would come at a cost.

“And for this arrangement to succeed, I would require you to share pertinent information with me at my request. I will do the same for you of course. Equal footing,” she continued, making sure the terms of their alliance were expressly clear. Valve was exceedingly good at protecting those who gave her what she needed, and as long as Orhan followed through there would be no issues. Withholding or dishonesty on his part would be considered treasonous and punishable as she saw fit.

“Fair?” She finished, as the storm grew distant.

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine