Ashamin felt satisfied when he met his mark for two reasons: firstly, it proved his aim and skill was improving; secondly, it was not an attack so violent that he feared it would harm Caleb. If nothing else, Ashamin wished to shed as little blood as possible that morning, by the lakeshore.

But the haruspex was beginning to grow uncertain as to whether or not Caleb felt the same.

The hybrid soldier did not seem too injured or hindered by Ashamin's kicks, and so the paint landed with comfortable ease. He stood for a moment, breathing in, trying to ignore the biting pain from the cut left by Caleb's horn. And he hoped, too, to offer Caleb a reprieve if he wished for one. This was no battle to the death, after all, merely a casual spar between new herdmates. Shouldn't they take a moment to appreciate the needs of the other?

Apparently, this was not something Caleb had considered. Ashamin watched, bewildered, as Caleb ran towards him as if to charge, and instinctively he stiffened and prepared to rear, to lean against the other stallion. But the maneuver was unnecessary, the instinct quickly dropped, as Caleb extended his broad wings and flapped, soaring swiftly above Ashamin. The haruspex had no time to turn and see Caleb's deft aerial tactics, he could only reposition himself and try to turn back and see where the soldier had gone.

But Caleb was nowhere to be seen, and his skillful use of Ashamin's blind spot was nearly flawless. It was only the haruspex's perception, aided by Lochan's mental warning (a flashing of an image,) that allowed Ashamin to prepare himself in the slightest.

As he heard the shuffling of feathers above him Ashamin bucked, determined and reluctant all at once. He needed to defend himself against the apparently enraged and exceedingly violent fighter that was Caleb, but he didn't wish to hurt him too badly. Though his adorned tail whipped about, perhaps striking and shocking one of Caleb's wings, he still wished the soldier no harm. Even as Ashamin's hind hooves soared through the air, their white points aimed for what he thought might have been Caleb's underbelly, he was filled with regret.

But nothing would help, then, not even if the buck was successful--not with that descent of Caleb's angled wings and that outstretch of strong, Hanoverian limbs headed straight for the haruspex's withers. The buck felt pain run through his neck and spine as Caleb's hooves pressed at the center of Ashamin's withers and mercilessly cut skin.

A small chunk of it flew, then, bit out by Caleb's force and scattering pale white hairs as a part of the flesh beneath Ashamin's mane was torn out. He neighed as he fell, his front knees landing sharply, hard, in the snow and sending shocks up his forelegs that shook him to his core. The front of those white socks would be bruised (faith, maybe even fractured) greatly, to be sure, and the blood that ran from the back of his neck would linger for days.

Slowly the Haruspex rose, trying to steady himself as his head swam and the pain sent shivers down his spine. His movement was slow but he dragged himself up and out of the rest of Caleb's line of descent, somehow managing to turn and face the hybrid.

"Calm yourself, Caleb! I'm not your enemy," Ashamin cried out to the sky before him, hoping, praying, that he could somehow quell this soldier's rage. But would it even be possible to control the anger of one who could rule the skies with such skill--one so out of reach?


 
Word Count: 611
Post Count: 2/3  
Summary: Ashamin lands in his rear and stands still, then bucks when he hears Caleb's wings above him, hoping to kick Caleb's underbelly. His tail whips blindly behind him, perhaps hitting one of Caleb's wings or some part of his front and shocking it. Because he isn't running forward Caleb's attack lands on his withers, the hooves cutting a chunk of the skin at the very base of his neck/mane and pushing him down. He falls on his front knees in the snow and his hind legs land standing after the buck. He stands and moves forward as best as he can, turning back to face Caleb and speak to him.
Notes: Whoo let's keep it going!

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ASHAMIN