He flicked a single ear back toward Ak Burun at mention of her sister, the only tidbit of information she offered that intrigued him. He wondered silently if she meant in a literal or figurative sense, but in either case he was glad to hear she was not alone. The existence of another who might be close to her meant there was another way inside her mind, and he knew that if she was anything like Valve, this path would be the easier one to take. One does not march straight through the doors of a castle with such heavily fortified defenses, and the white-nosed mare seemed exactly the type to keep her guard consistently strong.

Maslakhat returned his gaze to her, combing over her unwavering expression with one of his own as he contemplated her question. “I can tell you this is not the first time I serve as sentry of this land.”

A morsel of truth for a taste of something interesting. It was a familiar pattern of exchange between his kind, and he knew the arrangement as well as she. He offered her more than perhaps she had earned only to draw her in closer and begin building her trust. He wanted Ak Burun to feel she was benefitting from this budding relationship, otherwise it would be over before it began.

He and Valve had broken the mould, watching over this place together under the circumstances they did. It was not uncommon for in their family line to accomplish as much, and now that Kiral’s injustices had been corrected, he very much looked forward to continuing this progress. But he could not do it alone.

“And that I look forward to all that we might accomplish,” he added, acknowledging his intentions toward collaboration.


MASLAKHAT

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