This is not who I am

Did she believe that? She wasn't sure. She knew he was possessed, but in Phae's mind, a possession could only amplify was was already in ones' soul. And what Phae saw of Leander, was an unstable time bomb. Sure, he acted sure of himself and of his duties and beliefs for the most part, but seeing him like this, made her unsure of whether or not it was all just clever disguise. Other than when he was with Faelene of course. In what might be the most complicated aspect of his life, he seemed sure - his soul seemed to know it's purpose.

As he raised his wing, offering her shelter, she visible stiffened, and retreated several hasty steps. Again, she lowered her head submissively, but no; she would not go to him. Normally, she might have. If Leander felt some obligation towards her, because of his little outburst, that could be used to her advantage. It would be one more stallion among many, who had some sort of desire to keep her safe. The fact that he was a Sultan was even more reason why she would normally go to him, to play on the emotion that he was currently feeling, whether genuine or not. But she would not, something within her deeply distrusted Leander. She had been beaten and injured far worse than the cuts which peppered her wings from his snowstorm, but yet his actions resonated far deeper within her, than previous physical wounds ever had. Maybe it was because she had expected him to be the kind and trustworthy stallion that others made him out to be...and she had believed it. She felt betrayed by a stallion she didn't even know, and frustrated with her poor decision to remain here with him.

Without raising her eyes to look at him, she said softly, "Think on my offer, Leander. You can find us in the Deep Forest: Ask for Ktulu, or Ophelia" She purposefully did two things: the first, was ignoring his pleas for forgiveness. The second, was omitting her name. He could deal with Ktu, or Phi...they were more natural choices anyways. But more than that, she would not give him another piece of her, not even her name. Turning away from him, she grimaced as she realized that she was going to have to walk home, rather than fly. Irritating the wounds on her wings would only lengthen the time it would take them to heal, and she couldn't afford that.