[Setting: Heavenly Field, one lamptree near the south edge lighting the area but otherwise flat and free of obstacles; dead and dying grass, cold air and occasional wind but no storm as they are above the cloud level.
Rules: 3 posts each with closing defense, judged]


"I warned you,mare. NOW LET'S SEE JUST HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE WITH SCARS OF YOUR OWN! The stallion's screaming filled the slightly thin air of the Heavenly Field. Her ears went back and she took two fumbling steps to the right as he shoved his shoulder against hers. A collie dog, which she hadn't noticed at all until just now, bit roughly at her right front heel. A sharp sting from the fleeting bite rushed up her leg and she withdrew the hoof quickly. She didn't notice any blood, for now. It all happened so fast she hardly had time to process it. She couldn't believe it. She, of all horses, was being attacked. Her instinct was to run- she was not a fighter. The thought of scars to mar her pretty hide practically made her shudder. Beauty was all she had going for her; there was nothing to be admired about her brains. However, a look to her left and right told her all she needed to know. Where would she run? The field was small. The only path down was small and wrought with danger. She could still hear the storm raging below. To attempt the path with an angry pursuer would be suicide. Even she knew that. That left one option then- to fight.

This was her first fight. Still, the story of life-loving, flirtatious mare cannot always be filled with happy chapters. Knowing what must be done, Kahlua quickly assessed her position relative to the stallion. He was located one pace before her and two paces to her left- a result of her stumbling when he shoved against her. Letting her ears raise off her head, Kahlua took a deep breath. She was scared. Wide eyes showing their whites and pinned ears told a story that words would hardly suffice to tell. “Then we fight, Ricochet.” She laughed, it was a nervous sound. The tones of joy and humor that normally filled her voice and laugh were erased, replaced with obvious fear. Her words came only two to three seconds after his screams but it had seemed like an eternity. She took one step backwards, increasing the distance between them to two paces. Angling her head to the left 45 degrees, she looked at him once more and took a deep breath. She must defend herself, could she find the courage?

She considered shoving her shoulder into his as he had just done to her but a look at her opponent's frame told her that this was likely not a good idea. They were nearly even in height, but his stout build would likely not be affected by a push from a lighter frame such as her own (especially when she was even thinner than normal due to a lack of food). Breaking into a canter, Kahlua had to trust that her body knew what it was doing. If asked, she would not have known what drove her actions. Fear was blinding sometimes, although perhaps a good motivator as well. The path she took was angled the her left, towards the stallion. If he did not move, two strides would put her mouth within distance of the rear end of his rib cage. Lashing out with her mouth, she attempted to tear at the skin on his side. It would likely not do much damage, but it would at least serve as a warning that she was serious about this spar.

As she bit at the stallion, she curved her path to the right 90 degrees. After taking a stride at this new angle, she kicked out with her hind hooves. It was a low kick, intended to hit on the lower portion of his torso near the place where his ribs met his sterum. Two more strides placed her at a distance she deemed safe and she halted abruptly, turning on her forehand to face where he should have been located. As she did this, she lifted her ears up and searched for any hints of the border collie. She knew he couldn't have gone far, but where he was now she could not say. The darkness would make his black coat difficult, if not impossible, to see until he was upon her. Looking to the stallion with her eyes, the painted mare took a deep breath. She had attacked him. She could hardly believe it. This was going to be a long adventure for her.


[Post: 1/3, 741 words; summary: Kahlua runs in arch, coming in to bite the stallion's side then kicks at the sternum/rib junction as she finishes her arching path]