Grouse Thicket Life in plastic

Saena made contact and reared her head back like a viper moments from striking, but then her opponent's paws caught her in the belly and shoved her away. She tumbled over her own hocks and ended up in a heap on the ground, but sprang back to her feet in an instant when he attempted to pin her. She drove a shoulder forward as she pushed away from him and aimed a snap at his face that never hit. Warding him away was the sole intent of it, and Saena managed a few jerky steps backward. All the while, her ailing muscles protested her quick, choppy movements. She had no energy for them, but what choice did she have? "Sebastian" would kill her if she couldn't kill him, and she had a hell of a lot more to live for in her opinion.

She shoved her hind paws off the ground, bounding toward her opponent again with an ugly snarl rippling her snout, but when "Sebastian" shouted to know who she was, it gave Saena pause. She stopped mid-stride with her back arched and hackles at full flare, but there was a puzzled look on her face. Had he forgotten? It was impossible—she remembered how he'd thrown her off a cliff and chased her down when he learned that she still lived and breathed. It was a ruse.

"You know," Saena snapped at poor Ezekiel, who had never done anything wrong other than be born with blue eyes and grey fur, "I won't fall for any your dirty tricks this time." Bastard, she vehemently swore in her own head. But having hesitated in her charge, Saena chose instead to take a step back, to widen the gap between them in the event "Sebastian" tried to take her face off while she was off her guard.