An opened maw would have done better, she realized in hindsight, as the broad head swung forward in the midst of his turn and caught her right under the chin. Having followed his movements to the best of her limited range, she had only just responded to his swing with a (slow) part of her jaws, only to have them slammed shut and hard. Perhaps with an open maw prepared, she would have been able to grasp him or perhaps deflect his swing with a bite for the eye ridge- but it was too late in the act to ponder it now. Her only benefit was to react and devise how the pain might be avoided in the future.
Pain, merciless and sharp charged through her, rising both a startled yelp and effectively breaking her concentration upon the stone. The force knocked her back, inching her hind legs from the stone til they slid out from her pulling the heavy body into a fall. It was near instantaneous had it not been for the scramble of her forepaws to remain on her rock. But in the end, she toppled, falling hard on her rump with tail crushed beneath her. Again, she yelp, this time in genuine pain. |