She heard the splash of water and the muffled drubbing of hooves but didn't register the meaning of the sounds until it was already too late. Sensing the presence of another in the nick of time, Shadow jerked her head up from the smooth surface of the egg only to stagger sideways as something big and hard and thick-headed barreled into her right shoulder, the impact more jolting than painful, more surprising than harmful. Not to mention annoying!

Short, sturdy legs designed to find footing on rock and black volcanic sand splayed wide and sent cascades of sand spraying ever which way while inky wings released from their folds to aid her balance. Shadow dug her hooves deep into the dry, loose sand, clearly displaced - about half a stride back and to the left of her original position - yet somehow still standing up, firm on her feet. Discomfort rattled through her emaciated body, aches and sores from a long flight making themselves reminded. She definitely was not in any shape to battle, and with a sharp "Hey! What the...!" she snapped her eyes onto the assailant, ears all but disappeared within the thick mass of black hair. Who was this merciless fiend who didn't even stop to look before bringing violence upon his kin?

Little more than a colt, the horse was already a full hand taller than herself and considerably more well off. Lean and fit the youth's midnight coat was shiny and even, healthy muscle rippling like elastic cords beneath the skin. Yet for all that she approved of his majestic wings and fierce temperament, there just wasn't anything intelligent in attacking people at random, without neither warning nor cause.

Snorting in angry disdain the diminutive mare shifted her weight back onto the rear, and, mustering what little strength she had left in her skinny body she stepped backwards before thrusting herself into a half rear, flapping the wings as hard as she could after the idiotic boy in the hope that the shifting sands would blind him and deter any further attacks.

"What was that about, why do you attack me? Speak, or I will give you a thorough spanking, boy!"

Her voice was deep, naturally hoarse, fierce like the jagged mountains to the north and furious as the fires burning at the Heart of the world. So what if the pegasus was a shadow of her former self, unlikely to last more than a few minutes if a battle truly was commencing; she was not going to let this milk-drinking, overgrown foal of a stallion tread all over her!


____________________

@[Artorius]

PC: 1/3
WC: 433

Summary: Shadow takes the attack full on in the right shoulder and skids back and to the left from the force, remaining on her feet. Annoyed she backs off a bit further and lifts her front legs off the ground, using the wings to try and blind Artorius with sand.