Indira is not just lucky, but smart. She chose her path through the Lagoon carefully, treading lightly, and taking both the shifting of the winds and long shadows of dawn into account. She is aware that this may not end well for her, but her true goal is to ensure it ends badly for Raider too.

Indira is glad to feel her hooves connect and drag down Raider's leg. The satisfaction is sweet on her tongue. The element of surprise is on her side. Raider is unprepared. He is distracted, and still injured from previous battles. Indira can see victory on the horizon as clear as the rising winter sun.

Raider spins and goes for her crest with an open mouth, but Indira is a moving target. As she finds her footing on the sand, Raider's teeth close down on a mouthful of mane, and she lets him have it. What's a few lost hairs to what Raider is about to lose?

The stallion calls her a stupid mare but who's the stupid one now? His heart's not in the fight. He's going easy on her. Maybe he doesn't want to fight. Maybe he doesn't want to hurt a mare that carries his young. The reason doesn't matter. It gives Indira an additional advantage.

Raider wastes a lot of breath talking too. Indira says nothing, intent on one purpose. He lets go of her mane to give her a lecture, but she is still close, with her head under his. Indira doesn't have to reach far, just a turn of the head and she could clamp down with strong jaws on the underside of his neck. She aims with her ears laced back and her eyes burning, not just to bite, but to crush his trachea. She wants this rambling breath to be his last.