As his hooves connected onto her rump, Gaucho felt the satisfying drop as her knee hit the ground. As his forelegs straightened with her movement, and the muscles in his chest stretched out again, he felt a tightness flare through, etching painfully through his muscles. Exhaling sharply, he grunted with pain as his front hooves squished into the mud. Had Aryel's hind hooves not struck him only moments ago, he may have had time to rear again, and this time, would likely connect right on her spine. Given the bruising which was sure to colour his dark chest later, as well as the thick mud suction-cupping his large hooves to the ground, he was unable to propel himself into the air for another attack. Still, he had kept his eyes locked onto her feminine rump, and as she dropped before him, he took the opportunity to lunge forward, aiming a bite on the soft flesh just to the left and down of her tail bone, where her thighs met. Ears pinned, he opened his jaw wide to bite the lean flesh there - his primitive mind calculating that even if she should manage to buck from this angle, the distance between them was far too small to cause any great damage.

As he predicted, she did buck again, and as he knew it would, she had little time to create any real momentum. His hulking form was far too close, and her legs could not fully extend as she must have intended. Instead her hocks knocked the underside of his belly, between his front legs. Given their positions, Gaucho's primal narrative considered the possibility of mounting her, at that moment. As she danced away*, he grunted with a lusty and aggressive sound, his steely gaze never leaving her elegant form, even as the rain fell heavily around them. As her hoof dug into the loose mud, he focused more on the movement of the earth, than her taunts. Gaucho didn't comprehend language at the best of times, and words like "nags" and "expect" didn't mean too much to him, yet her pawing gave him an idea.

Pivoting neatly on his front legs, using the mud to his advantage by sliding his hind legs around, he spun his rear quickly and efficiently to face her. Next, Gaucho did two things very quickly: He extended his wings to their full length, moving them back towards her as far as they were able while still remaining open, and began to crow-hop as he moved back towards her. Each time he bucked, he dug his hooves deep into the mud, flinging them back towards Aryel. As the mud flung, hopefully hitting her in the face and disorienting her, he moved closer keeping his head low and his chin tucked in, protecting the vital veins hidden in his thick neck. Ears pinned back, he let his steely gaze relax, focusing on nothing. If he kept his gaze loose, he would be able to more quickly pick up movements on either side of his shoulders. By holding his wings as he was, he had effectively created a funnel - Aryel couldn't attack from behind, lest she be kicked by his thundering hooves, and his wings protected his sides. He calculated that loosing a few feathers or a bite or kick would be a better option than risking leaving his flanks open for an attack, for the wound from her bite previously was still open and tender.
Storming backwards, flinging mud and bucking, he waited to see her presence on either his left or right, and prepared.



[*Given that she bucked (hind end facing him), and then you said she "Backed up several more paces and turned to face her opponent..." that would literally put her right next to him. But since in your summary you seem to indicate that she's standing "back several paces", I'm just going to assume you mis-typed in the thread ^^
Summary: Bites at her left thigh as she drops to a knee, and takes her buck in between his front legs with little damage given their proximity. As she taunts him, he spins around in the mud, bucking at her to kick mud in her direction, and moving backwards aiming to kick her.
Attack: Bite to the thigh and bucking in her direction.
Defense: Creates a "funnel" using his wings, and tucks his chin to his chest, watching for her attach on either side.
Okay I believe that this is your defensive post now, before we're done? Thanks again for practicing with me!

Also....It says I edited my previous posts. I forgot this was a sparring thread - I didn't change anything, I just realized that my tables are all messed up. I just got a new computer and on my old one, things always looked correct, and now i'm noticed the words/spacing at weird. Sorry! I didn't change any of the content :P]