Common

While much of the act that Vanya put on was fake, the hind leg she held aloft was entirely real. Titania's teeth had found their mark and then some, drawing a furrow in her flank that steadily leaked crimson. Unlike Vanya's own scuffles with Rougaru in the heat of passion, she found no enjoyment in this pain and took no pleasure in the realization that she was outmatched. If this grullo stranger hadn't inserted himself at just the right time, she'd probably already be drawing in her last breath, if the speckled mare was even patient enough to allow her the time to gasp.

The painted mare stifled a smile at the venom the comet mare lobbed her way, and pressed more tightly to her vaguely-familiar but nameless savior. There wasn't much in this scenario that was going in her favor, but at least she had the attention of one stallion to protect her. More would be better, but she'd take what she could get.

You know exactly what I want, the dark mare snarled, and Vanya glared out from behind the protection of the stallion, rotating with him to keep his strong body between herself and her opponent. The truth was, what Vanya thought Titania wanted turned out to not be the right answer after all and her head jerked up in surprise.

She had to mean Loki, but the thought was incredulous to the roan mare. They'd been over this a hundred, thousand times in Paradise. The boy was hers. How else could Vanya explain Auryn's pitiful health and size? It wasn't Vanya's fault that Titania had lost her child and never found the body. Loki belonged to her.

But honestly? If sacrificing the little rat would get this witch off her tail? She'd do it now and a hundred times more. She could take all of them, really. Vanya had no need for the horde of willful and defiant children she'd birthed for Rougaru now that their father was absent from the isles.

She barked out a laugh, but her answer got caught in her throat as the black mare dove in again. She squealed and dodged out of the way, skirting around Romulus' far side and out of the line of fire. He turned on her then too, dropping his head to drive her away and while everything in her bristled at the insult to her dignity and the rank she'd only recently lost, she obeyed. Each step felt like fire from the wound that Titania had managed to score against her flank, but she persisted until a few horse lengths separated her from the battle.

It would probably be smarter to keep running, perhaps to the Peak, although Vanya doubted they would be glad to see her again. The Lagoon might be a smarter choice, given that there were bound to be at least a few stallions there she could bend to her will.

But she didn't.

"He's in Paradise," Vanya called back instead, with eyes glittering with malice. As much as she wanted to needle the other mare and remind her that Loki was hers, that he had grown up calling her momma, sleeping at her side, she did not. Her survival was more important than her feelings, and if she could just divert Titania away, she had a chance at escaping. Still, she can't help but dig just a little at the ebony mare. "Where you left him."

And then, because she wasn't entirely stupid, Vanya turned and began to run as fast as her wound would allow to the South, where she hoped she might find someone else to save her from the bed she'd made for herself.