For a moment she was afraid that she would have to drive the invader all the way back to the border before she gave up. Both her attacks missed to the great displeasure of the raven, and she found herself snorting in irritation at the retreating words of the mutt once it finally turned tail and ran off. Pet? Who was the pet of whom, anyway? She wasn't the one who turned to a dog in a pinch, it wasn't Skuggi who barged into another herd land spouting nonsense only to get her butt kicked.

Suspicious and concerned about the intentions of the jackal the informant followed behind the enemy until it was clear beyond doubt that she indeed had left the Throat. Then, and only then did she finally allow herself to relax, the stride turning slow and sore as she turned and began the long walk home. She had to find out how the rest of the battle had fared, how her herd-mates had managed. The raven felt a desperate need to see Hector again, hear his voice and lean into his side... Silly thoughts, of course. She hadn't seen him in forever, not since she was stolen. It worried her; not even her own informants could find him, which meant that he either had left Helovia or were trapped in such a place that he couldn't be found. At least... At least that was what she hoped. The thought of him lying dead somewhere like a feast for the predators was painful, and the mare quickly pushed it aside.

With the horn of her enemy between the teeth she kept padding back, feeling how adrenaline and euphoria slowly dissipated from the system. At one point she was forced to stop; the pain in the leg was too great, and as she tried to keep going she stumbled over something on the ground, feeling her hooves become tangled in something long, cold, that glittered faintly in the moonlight. Puzzled she reached down and nuzzled it, realizing that it was a small gemstone attached to a fine lacing of metal string. Even in the dark she could see the stone gleam in yellow and red, and transfixed she picked it up, nuzzling the chain around the horn. Perhaps it was fluke, or maybe a sign; this was a good day for Shadow, and a very, very bad day for the poor idiot who had gaped over more than she could chew.