She has scoured these sands and discovered one truth: Shararat is no longer in the Dunes. This puts a twist in her plans. Not too big of one, but enough that Ak Burun leaves off her searching and returns to the oasis in late afternoon to drink her fill and recline among the shade for some well-deserved rest.
Evening, when it comes, brings its own energy. The stars pinned above seem to vibrate from it, or perhaps it is the ground beneath her black hide which shudders so. Hoofbeats reach her ears, the frantic thud of runners, and the svelte mare swivels her head from where she lays more or less hidden in the wide-leafed undergrowth to bear witness. The statuesque stallion all cloaked in gold is immediately recognizable, sleek hide gleaming despite the weak moonlight, but the delicate mare who runs beside him is dark enough to Shararat. There is a sharp tension in her chest before the sudden flash of a white-capped tail sends relief eddying through Ak Burun, and she rises fluidly as the two competitors come to an abrupt halt beside the pool.
Her eyes are steady on the mare as she strides around the edge of the water without haste, though one ear she tips toward Maslakhat to keep him likewise in her awareness as she draws close enough to join the pair. Ak Burun settles herself beside the gold-dappled stallion. This close she can see that the mare is a rich brown, not black, though the tumble of her mane and latter strands of her tail are like silky coal. Ak Burun smiles and eases the intensity of her stare, flicking her gaze sideways to glance at Maslakhat. "As evidenced by your new companion," she adds at the end of his remark, sliding into the conversation with ease. Her eyes sweep the length of the other mare. "Olağanüstü bir çiçek," Ak Burun all but purrs. "From what end of the world have you been plucked to be added to our bouquet?" |