It’s morning now, a clean, cool Tallsun morning in the Basin. The pair, raven and unicorn, are returning from a several day trip to the south and can feel the air shift as they enter the northern region of Helovia. Though they did not venture very far down, the difference is still quite dramatic once you cross the ice bridge. With the ice bridge behind them they now travel across lichen and tundra meadows, squishy with moisture from freshly melted snows travelling down from the ice streaked Steppes. Caribou, creatures she feels very akin to, graze on either side of her as she moves slowly toward her home. The fellow mammals spread peacefully to make way for her, the eagle sized raven soaring steadily just above as she saunters proudly between the gathered grazers.

She stops somewhere a mile or so from the sentinels, she’s spotted patches of purple flowers. She knows this flower. ‘Lunar Eyes’ or ‘Moon Petals’ – from afar they appear like little purple ‘forget-me-nots’ but upon closer inspection their small petals are sharp half-moons with a bright full moon middle. The centers are frosted with yellow pollen, it’s tiny mercury colored tentacles reaching out with an offering of eager pollen. Honey-bees are busily landing on each silvery middle and collecting what they can of its offerings, Tangere watches them and picks at a few buds they’ve just harvested from. “Just a few.” She tells herself, never making a sound with her mouth. The raven lands and plucks a few from himself, hopping up on her shoulders and tucking his bounty along the base of her mane. He ties the sprigs carefully along, nine of them from the back of her ears to her withers. There. Her raven’s voice is firm, but affectionate in its own way. Phrixus takes wing and flies ahead some, toward the sentinels, toward home with a feeling of relief. They share this relieved feeling. Her wide cloven feet pick up to walk home.

A black figure smudges her thoughts, Phrixus sees this figure. This Pegasus, she recognizes this body type but surely never sees them here nowadays. Once and a while the Basin will allow others in, by others they mean anyone not of the Unis Cornus Equus category – something Tangere has never been down with, or participated in, but also never rebelled against said regulation. She liked Deimos, for whatever reason, way too much to ever speak out over such a thing. This figure is in the air and Phrixus maneuvers around it, diving and circling, calling out with a classic raven croak and many taunting clicks.

“Don’t scare. Tangere’s words resonate in the bird’s mind, but he is hesitant. The Basin is his home too, something he’s willing to protect, wants to protect. He shrieks and swiftly dives once more, purposely missing the charcoal mare. He falls from the sky like a weighted stone, his wings folded to his sides and parachute him just before he lands on the peak of a sentinel. He ruffles and croaks aggressively, feeling the urgency of his partner to stop his defensive behavior. When the mare lands Tangere lets out a loud, echoing whinny, hoping to grab her attention.

“Hey!” She calls out, a shy smile across her lips; she’s unsure if this girl is simply confused or acting aggressively. She looks over to the pale raven, “He won’t hurt you….” If the mare was worried, she tries to soothe it, glaring at her companion momentarily (warning him to stay put). “Do you know where you are?” Her chocolate eyes squint against the sun, following the inky little mare’s silhouette as it moves.