The meadow deer were already wheeling at the dragon's approach, charging in a plume of dust to form their defensive ring. Massive heads and horns were outward, the two calves at the center of the group.

The herd was half-lost in the billowing dust, which began to settle a moment later; the scent of dirty fur and the beasts' aggravated lowing filled the air.

One bull broke the line as Matthieu made the mistake of rushing them, charging with smashing hooves and startling speed as the fairy-creature drew close to the herd. Some seven feet tall at the shoulder, weighing at least a ton, this animal's trample could be deadly from a single charge.

Luckily for the fairy, if they did not avoid this strike, it would be only glancing: a goring with a horn, and not crushed and trampled bones.

The rest milled closer, but kept to their defensive ring, their lowing raising into a bellowing of distress and aggression at the dragon's approach.

The many eyes saw her coming, and in the split second she dove, the smallest--the target--sharply turned. The long, lethally-pointed rhino-like nose horn was what came thrusting up to meet the dragon's dive, instead of unprotected spine--with the force of a rearing Meadow Deer and the muscle of its entire neck shoving hard behind it.

It was a strike that, with their combined momentum, could easily be deadly--a disemboweling, or worse--if it were not dodged--and was liable to leave at least a jagged scratch, even if the worst were avoided.

The herd hesitated. Twenty feet was not far off--the meadow deer themselves were some ten or more feet long--but the dragon looked wounded, and they could smell blood.

For a moment there was hesitation, and Arquia's life likely hung in the balance: on a razor's edge, the herd milled and snorted, eyeing the predator. Did they charge her? Or charge Matthieu? Bluff-charge, and hope to drive both off?

In the end, the lead cow turned, huffing, the bull backing away and tossing his horns threateningly at the predators. The herd, unless pursued, would slowly move away--still mostly in formation, but preferring retreat to further potential injury.