Valve listened intently as Avangeline answered, watching her face as she explained why they were here. This stallion clearly meant something to her—something intimate that she could not (or did not want to) admit in front of him. Her eyes flicked to Al-Hattaal to assess his interpretation of her greeting, watching as he kept his head respectfully low, not daring to make eye contact with either one of the mares. He looked as though he was subservient to her, perhaps even ashamed of himself. Something heavy weighed on his mind and Valve was intrigued as to what it had to do with her.

It seemed that the answer was forthcoming.

“Gabbar disappeared shortly around the time you did,” Valve said plainly. While she was disappointed that they had both left for a time, the black mare was hardly the sort who demanded that anyone remain here against their wishes—unless of course they were being punished.

“But anything you need to ask him, you can ask me,” she finished. “Especially if it concerns Iftikhar.”

Iftikhar was a blight upon these lands, and she was certainly not welcome to walk upon the dunes of Salem as long as Valve presided over them. She only presented problems for the black mare—both her and El Halin—and thus Valve needed to make sure they both did not return. Her dark eyes flicked back to the Arabian, addressing him directly.

“You, Al-Hattaal,” she began. “What is your relation to the red mare?”

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine