d'Artagnan spat out the clump of silvery feathers that had plagued his mouth, his satisfaction tinged with revolution of holding something so disgusting. Maybe Psyche would add them to her collection later, as long as they weren't diseased. As his buck reached its pinnacle, the Nightshade felt his annoyance flicker once again when his powerful kick failed to stove her head in and instead scraped her cheek. It seemed whatever he did she always managed to wriggle her way out of it, how many death blows would he have to attempt to get the bitch to stay down. His legs were getting heavier and the ground was becoming more dangerous as the snow patched areas were becoming compact, which made the surface almost like an ice rink in places. It was just another thing d'Artagnan had to worry about and he continued cursing when he heard the flap of wings carry Aryel into the air. He took in a breath and swallowed, wincing at the dull pain from his chest, she may just be a little flea, but she sure packed a punch.

The Moon shone bright in the starry sky and d'Artagnan brought his retreating run to a halt, nostrils were puffing from weariness. He knew he had more stamina since his very first Helovia fight against Kou, but the injuries and the constant running were beginning to get the better of his fit body. Though d'Artagnan dared not think about the state he would have been in if he was not in the fighting condition he was now. Noting the shadows upon the ground with eyes growing wide, d'Artagnan shot a glance skyward in alarm. This was the Mender's first experience at fighting a pegasus and so his retaliation was rather erratic. Crimson ears flicked back and teeth bared through sooty lips as he made the best of another bad situation, legs fumbled over themselves as he dived to the left, shouting a curse as both his chest and shoulder protested. His shout was cut off, however, turning into a sharp intake of breath as he hooves brushed down the left side of his fleshy rump. He had managed to reduce the damage caused if she had hit him full on, but it still hurt like hell on top of his other injuries. Yet, the fight wasn't quite over.

Move you idiot!

The thought triggered his aching bones into action and as Aryel came to land, d'Artagnan went to turn on his inside and aimed his upper glass horn to slice the right side of her neck. Hoping she would be vulnerable to attack and that she hadn't suddenly moved. There was no way he could impale her, not with the set of horns he had been cursed with. His lower horn a reminder of what happens to glass if given enough force.

The Nightshade's mind fell silent then, this was surely the very end of the battle. He knew he wasn't going to die and he was pretty certain he hadn't killed the bitch who dared trespass. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but still, he had drawn blood from her. The Mender just hoped it would be enough to discourage her as one thing was for sure, he wasn't expecting her to have such magical ability. It was disgusting that any race other than the unicorn be allowed it. He remembered the image of her flaming hooves coming towards him and the feeling of fear, what a stupid emotion that he had no need of. d'Artagnan felt a tender touch on his mind then, a feeling of worry projected from his bonded who anxiously awaited his return.

---

[w/c :: 613] [4/4]
[magic/companion use :: 2/2] [Used 1 Moon Amulet of 2] [Battle Buffs :: Bulk]

[ooc commentary :: d'Artagnan dodges the worst of Aryel's attack by side stepping to the left and taking the blow on the left side of his rump. He then turns on his inside to aim his top horn to slice at the right side of her neck.]

(ooc note: Nice fight Fennec! I really enjoyed battling Ayrel <3)