It took almost more strength than Ziv had not to yelp when Malcoda's tail ran a deep scratch on the sensitive skin on her wing. Instead of crying out, though, she clamped her teeth harder, tearing at the skin in her mouth. He was stronger than she was, that she knew, but she was faster. He could shove her off easily enough, the knock to her skull dizzying her for just a moment. Tucking her wings she rolled, letting herself fall away from him, though within seconds she was back on her feet. She would tire out quickly if she wasn't careful. And looking at Malcoda's face, in his eyes, she could see that he knew it. He wasn't underestimating her, and he wasn't simply toying with her. He wasn't nervous, but he wasn't cocky either. He knew she would not be defeated so easily.
Snorting, blasts of smoke puffing out from her nostrils, Ziv bared her teeth, Malcoda's blood dripping from them. "Vy chuť mäsa kŕmi mláďatá," she sneered. "Ako príslušné." Crouching, Ziv prepared to pounce again, her body aimed at Malcoda's chest. But when she sprang forth, it was high into the air, her wings spread and carrying her above his head. He had a higher center of balance, so he would be easy to knock over, and a hound on his back was far more vulnerable. The trees were doing her no favors, branches scratching at her wings as she flapped them, but she paid them no mind. Lowering her head, she dove at him from the sky, body contained and sleek as a torpedo as she shot through the air, her wings collapsing at her sides to keep the elder's claws from shredding them.