How long had it been since she'd shook in fear? How long since her mind had functioned farther than seeing the horns with blood dripping off of them? How long had it been since she'd spoken? Too long. Too long. The pain hadn't gone away. And now, she could feel the presence of other people in the lands. It was an ominous feeling. A sickening feeling. One like when the Grey had invaded her old home.

Wait? Invaded? Instantly, the mare was on edge. She may not understand how to fight. She may have always been too afraid to get head on into the fray. But, she no longer cared. She had lost her home once. She wasn't about to lose another one. Shuffling closer and closer to a misty area she had already knotted her tail up a little so that it didn't become and object of which to step on - the knot high so it couldn't get stuck in a branch and keep her locked in place.

The mists, over these past couple of days, had become a source of comfort for the shattered mare. They had offered a cloak. They had offered protection. They had shrouded her from the world, as they were mostly doing now, and she could do nothing but thank the mists. They were now as much a part of her as they were the Edge, and with her mind shattered enough to just barely take in what was around her, they were slowly beginning to heal her.

She wasn't afraid, not right now. The grief and shock was still coursing through her veins. Perhaps it was a sign. Perhaps this was how she would die. she deserved it. The stag had been aiming for her. The mechanical one had aimed for her not Rowan. It was only right, now, that if she were to go out she actually got a chance to attempt to help those which she was growing closer to.

Her feet shuffled back and forth, eyes taking in the surroundings completely. The trees were pretty much all behind her, minus one placed about fifty feet to her right, those behind her about thirty, maybe thirty five feet. No trees close on her left. The mists shrouding up to her chest, weakening as it went up her neck, and almost non-existent around her face. The joys of being so tiny, the mists were her metaphorical shield and it somehow offered her a bit more bravery. She had wanted to heal. But, with her home being invaded she would at least attempt to help defend her new home to the best of her abilities.

Her meek voice finally escaped her throat, just below a whisper and barely audible, words whisked off of her maw and disappeared into the mists that shrouded her. "I'll be strong. Your death won't be in vain, Rowan..."

491 words
Word Count = 800
Standard Invasion Rules
Site Wide Plot restricts the magic/companions
4 posts && defense each - invasion time limit.
Setting: More open clearing with a few branches/rocks on the ground. Tree's behind Res and to her right. Mists are radiating along the ground, thicker on the bottom, you can make out her form from her shoulders up from a farther distance, shoulders down you have to be a bit closer to make them out. (much like driving in a heavy fog)

Oh, what was she doing here? She wasn't meant to fight? Her petite frame didn't have the muscles that went with a fighter! Her mind wasn't even completely there! That was the entire reason she was standing here. Uncertainly, she shifted her feet as her body trembled in anticipation. Someone was bound to come and attack her. It wouldn't be an invasion if that wasn't the case. And, after all, what was this? An invasion.

Res had never fought. But, Res had seen fights. She didn't have any magic to back her up. She didn't have a horn to slice into their side like that mechanical being had done. She didn't have wings to fly. She was locked to the ground, with a knotted up tail so she didn't trip and a missing ear. Her golden orbs were searching the sky for a few seconds, and then searching the ground before her, where she assumed the creature would have to be coming from. She still wasn't completely herself, though. Her eyes had a steely glaze over them, as she fought with the images of death and injury circulating her skull. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. If she died it would actually be for a good cause, and karma had so wished it upon her. It was that simple. If she died it was because she hadn't been smart enough to learn how to heal.

Her brain was fogging as she stared blankly around the mists and into the black sky. Shapes of non-existent creatures were forming in the fog and sending her shuffling to the left, then shuffling to the right. Good Gods. I'm stupid, Res thought to herself, still shuffling and peering up at the sky. That last glance upward caused something to catch her eye. So, when she glanced through the fog again it only took her a couple of seconds to place the sound of something being off and the thing that caught her eye to have her stepping back a little and looking up toward where she had sworn she had seen it.

And then, something was plummeting from the sky. Instantly, her eyes widened. What the heck?! she screeched in her head before noticing that the creature was actually pinpointed directly at her frame. Move! Move! God! Don't just stand here! Move! You don't have anyone to take the hit this time! She yelled at herself as she felt her muscles begin to lock up while she started to stumble out of the way. Pinning her audits as she spun on her haunches to face the incoming missal only to realize that she had now put her right shoulder in the line of fire. One. Two. Wait for it. The feeling of wind rustled her mane. NOW! She spun toward her left about ninety degrees, turning on her haunches so her right shoulder started to pull out of the way of the hind legs that had kicked out. The tips of them just barely grazing against her barrel. Three. Plant her fore hooves into the ground and snap out with her haunches, aiming her flints toward the winged mare's own hindquarters.

Wings are weak and hollow... Those words, for some reason, returned to Res's cranium at this moment. They are as soft as a cloud. Kaj! Thank you! Thank you so much! She needed to aim for the wings. If she managed to injure one then they might be on an even playing field. But, did she have the strength or agility to do so? Turning the other ninety degrees, Res rocketed off, the endurance of her Morgan heritage, along with the grace of the gaited breed allowed her to catapult with ease. Speeding up so that she was parallel, her left side up against the winged one's right side. She pulled forward just enough to kick out with her haunches toward the mare's hollow wings in an attempt to see if she could shatter, or at least bruise, the wings which Kaj had told her were more of a hindrance than an aid in battle.

Perhaps then she would be able to actually be worth something...

706 words
[1/4]
magic && companions not applicable to res
@[Phaedra]

She had spun. She had kicked out. All of it was an instinct she didn't know she had truly possessed. The last time her instincts had kicked in, you ask? Well, that had to have been fighting off the wolves that had killed her twins, killed Ciro. Her flints met nothing but air, the mists around her and shrouding her in their protection. But their protection from what? Peering eyes? Well, protection from nothing - except maybe her own mind. She had kicked out again, not realizing yet that the mare had allowed her wings to take her to the air.

Again, the winged mare dropped from the sky, and Res sees it as it happens, allowing her form to rocket from her position after her. She notices a bird - a strange bird - but thinks nothing much of it. It was probably startled from the trees, just like her mind was at this moment. Shattered, broken, torn, shaken. How could she have struck out twice without realizing the enemy had taken to the air? How could she have been so stupid? I'm not meant to fight, that's why.

But, it seems as though her attempt to pull ahead had worked, so with the mare slightly behind and to her right Res kicked out. Hope flooded her veins as she begged her flints locked onto her wings. What she didn't expect, though, was for flints to meet her instead of the wing. It hits her and jars her, stumbling a few inches to her left, a small gasp of air escaping her as she attempts to gather her balance and spin to face the mare. Though, before she can spin her eyes lock upon the same bird as earlier. Res falls back on her haunches and attempts to back up, careful with her hoof placement, the talons scratching against the tip of her shoulder and wither area, breaking the blood vessels. And this time, the life liquid upon her pelt is not that of Rowan's - it is that of her own. But, she's still lacking the feeling of pain - whether it's from the haze of memories of the horned one in her mind or the adrenaline rush from the fear of this skirmish, though, she does not know.

The winged one continues forward as a whine of shock escapes Res's maw, her eyes now locking on the mare who didn't require her to spin as she had thought she would have needed too. The winged one seemed to be at more of an angle than before, starting to cross into her path. So, when she kicks out, with Res backing up - still wearily eyeing the pair of winged things - the flints get within an inch or two of Res's flesh but do not hit their mark.

The bird shoots into the night sky again, and then the winged one was suddenly slapping down her wings. Panic officially sets in as tears start to flood through the Equine's eyes. She was not meant to fight. Before Res can even go to attack or attempt to do anything to retaliate for the pain that was caused the winged one was back in the air. A loud, piercing cry escaped Res's maw, audit pinned against her cranium in annoyance. "What the hell?!" she hissed, moving back a little so that she could eye the winged one in the sky before her.

Her sides weren't heaving, the endurance from her breed serving her well, but her nostrils were flared. Anger radiated in her orbs. Anger that the mare wouldn't join her on the ground - that she felt the desire to fly above her and keep her precious little pelt clean. She might have had a chance if all of her attempts at an attack was not thwarted by the creature taking to the air. Hollow. Hindrance. Those words kept replaying in her mind. Skull. Ribs. Death. That was the only way to get rid of rabid wolves - that was how she had needed to bloody her hooves to try and save her young ones. But she could do nothing when she was earth bound and this creature wouldn't allow her even a chance to prove that maybe she was worthwhile.

No. All this creatures was doing was proving that she should have been in the place of Rowan. That she should have died...

752 words
[2/4]
magic && companion not applicable

They were definitely bonded. The bird and the winged creature were connected spiritually. Tears were beginning to flood through Res's golden orbs. One. Two. Three. Breathe in. The winged creature wasn't attacking, she was simply pulling up in the air and circling around her. So high that there was no way she could reach her. And then, the winged one's sweet voice pulled out into the wind. What did she think would happen? A fight where she would actually get a chance to make a few hits! A fight where she might have actually been able to have something land and hit her mark! But no! The wings were dangerous. But, not dangerous in the way she had thought before Kaj. They were dangerous because they made the entire fight tilted in the one with the wing's favour.

Why doesn't she just give up? Why doesn't she leave the fighting to the big boys? Why doesn't she save herself the scars? Hah! She was already scarred. The tiny mare began to dark around, swirling the mists around her. It should have been disorienting. It should have thrown her off balance. But, with the tears the mists had already started to swim around in her vision so the added movement didn't bother her all too much. "What are you doing here? This is my home! You aren't one of those big boys either - little miss. I have to use my wings so I don't stain my pelt! You say to save myself the scars - but that's all you seem to be doing. I'm already broken and shattered beyond fixing. It's about time my body gained the number of scars my mind has collected over the years." Res hissed, her voice breaking a little as her tears choked her up. But, there was a strength in her words that she herself couldn't place.

For Rowan. For Quil. For Kaj. For Mirage. So that they have something to be PROUD of! Res stumbled back a couple of steps, her hooves instantly knocking up against a few branches. The mists weren't working in the winged one's favor, because the more she swirled it the higher up they went - the more they hid the tiny mare's frame who wasn't graced with the wings. Drop her head, making it look like shame. But the mists were now a sort of comfort. They were hiding her true pain from the world. Four. Grab the branch her feet had kicked. Five. It was thick. It was sturdy. But it wasn't long. Six. Re situate it in her maw so that she could throw it like a boomerang. Seven. Listen as the mare's wing beat harder and focus on the gleaming light of her coat as it remains stationary. She didn't help herself. Eight. Throw her head back. Feel the pull and the searing pain as it yanks on the gash in her shoulder, causing more blood to flow out. Nine. Give it a huge swing, Ten. Let go. Watch as it flies straight up toward the middle of the gleaming light. Instantly, she stepped back again, in the deeper confines of the mist and this time she felt a rock. A larger rock. More energy to throw, but she could pick it up. So, she did the same exact thing, tossing it with no hesitation this time.

What was that? Something about a cliff. Yes, there were cliffs, but not the direction she was moving. They were in front of her and to her right. She was going back and to her left. Another step. Something hard under her footing. The branch she picks up is heavier, but she knows how to carry it. It's much longer than the last one, and she has to balance even more on her fore-end in order to pull herself up. Hollow. Weak. Hell. It no longer matter if she aimed at the wings, the gleaming of her coat was still in her eyes. She rocked back on her haunches, keeping her head low to stay under the mists. And then, she rocketed forward, at the last second throwing her head up and taking a mighty leap into the air, trying to impale the branch into her wing as her eyes lock on the joint of the winged one's right shoulder. Her head was feinted in toward the mare's chest, letting the branch fly true toward her intended target. But, if the winged one managed to switch her weight and position before it reached her then nothing would work. Once her body was starting to fall back to the ground she allowed herself to drop the branch. landing on her forehand, carefully placing herself back into the mists as they acted as a source of comfort. She would fight.

800 words exactly
[3/4]
magic/companions not applicable

Winning. Hah. That's only because she wanted to keep herself in the air. That was only because she was too afraid of bloodying her pelt. She belonged to the Grey. Instantly Res's muscles tensed. Res was almost near laughter. God. Her mind was broken. Witnessing the death of Rowan had torn her apart into shreds she couldn't even imagine. She was broken and being repaired in ways one wouldn't have imagined before.

It didn't matter. Res's endurance was there. She wasn't weak. She was used to running. She was used to fleeing. She was used to being afraid. It didn't matter that this mare was one of those who had stolen her old home from her. It didn't matter. So, when the branch had made contact with the mare as she grunted. By now, Res had cleared the tears from her eyes. You're weak. You're useless. She had used to be. She wouldn't be anymore. She would learn to be strong. She shifted her weight, and she snagged a rock. She swung her head, eyes glimpsing the oncoming talons just long enough to toss the rock, without paying attention to direction, and to shuffle out of the way, her body lurching forward and to the right, the talons only cutting off a few strands of her tail and leaving them discarded in the mist.

Oh. How she wanted to step on that bird, how she wanted to crush it's skull like she had the wolves who had killed her twins. It was just as badly covered in blood as the wolves, only this time it was metaphorical - not actually drenched in the blood. One would think that the rock missing would have begun to dissuade the mare from continuing to use these branches. But, she didn't care anymore. The mists were covering me well as I got another rock, jumping in the air. But the mare had rose even higher into the air in order to protect herself and the branch missing it's mark. God. Dammit. I'm going to cut you bitch. I really am. Those wings need to learn to stop flapping! That fear of wings, it was starting to become over-ridden when they weren't flapping in her face. In fact, it was beginning to turn into an anger and distaste of them.

And the mare's voice came again, Res instantly using it to lock onto the mare's position and continuing to shroud herself in the mists, moving carefully toward her. The hoofsteps were quite, barely audible as she used her gaited breed to float along the ground. And, when she almost tripped she snagged the branch, noticing it's sharpened edge. It was small, would just barely fit in her mouth - almost like a dagger. She had heard hooves hit the ground with a gentle thud. The winged one was finally earth bound. And, she noticed, that the farther she went the closer to the edge she was getting. But did she care? No. No she didn't care.

This is for you, Rowan. This is for you, Ciro. This is for you, my twins. I will not allow myself to sit idly by and watch as people die around me. So, with majority of the branch in her mouth, hair falling over it and blocking the sight of it protruding from the side of her jowls, she moved forward until she saw the faint outline of wings and the mare's frame. Her head, sticking out from the mists, ears prevalent. Res quietly moved to the side, placing herself so that she as she runs her dagger will be able to touch the flesh and act like a horn. Perhaps I can slice and dice...

Three. Two. One. NOW! She took off, still careful to barely allow her feet to touch the ground. Her golden orbs locked on the mare's chest as the mist started to wrap around Res's path and a bit away from the winged mare. The dagger was aimed for the mare's chest. Full speed. Don't stop. The cliff only ended on her left - she could go forward for a long time. But, that wasn't her plan. She skid to a halt the second she reached where the end of the mare's chest was before spinning toward her left and attempting to stab the dagger into the winged one's right shoulder, near the wing joint. Please let it hit the mark. God. I can't deal with these wings anymore. She pleaded to herself before letting her mouth jerk back and down, as if to cut a piercing line in the flesh before shooting back a few feet, to try and stay away from the flapping of the wings.

She would not be hit by these wings. She would not give in without a fight...

800 words exactly (again)
[4/4]
magic and companions not applicable