[OOC: I'm going to make it ambiguous as to whether Phae and Faelene recognize each other from the Basin thread..you can decide :)]

Faelene.

Phae would recognize her anywhere, and knew her by many titles; Tolio's friend, Leander's love...Both caused conflicting and aching pains to well deep inside her. She had heard Tolio speak so highly and so respectfully of this mare. Had heard of her strength and resilience. It was an arena that Phae, the flighty, couldn't possibly hope to compete in. She remembered having expressed to Tolio that she wanted to share the skies with him...was there some bond between Unicorns, that in a similar way, she could not experience? But she loved him. More than her loved her and...there might be something else as well. But as Phae had never been IN love before, she couldn't really tell. This frustration gave way to a feeling of being defeated, as her green gaze spied Faelene. Faelene, who was her better in so many ways, and who caused her physical and emotional pains without even knowing her name.

As Phae hid in a rocky crevice, she considered her wings carefully. Once tawny and spotted like the rest of her, they were now pristine and white. She assumed it had to do with pegasi, for she had seen others who had suddenly grown similar plumage. But there was also an odd golden halo which shimmered just above her ears. It was not her odd feathering which caught her attention, but the blood stains which marred the perfect whiteness. There were a multitude of incisions on her wings, caused by the great Sultan Leander. A snarl formed silently on her lips as she thought of that moment. And now here she was, watching the mare who Tolio loved more than she, and the love of the one who broke her.

But she was learning. She was learning to move silently, even on this barren landscape, she had gone unseen. She was learning something else as well; to mask her emotions. Although flying would surely set the healing of her wings back by days, she was confident enough that should trouble arise, she could very easily distance herself from the two unicorns, who were necessarily ground bound. Stepping out, she held her wings delicately to her sides to try and protect her lithe frame from the cold; but not so hard as to disturb her healing flesh. Her sandy mane was wavy caused by the humidity that BirdSong had brought, and too much time spent near the ocean. As she trudged towards the two, her head was lowered somewhat, and as she finally neared, her eyes never raised to meet either of their gazes.

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah