Whether she'd flinched or not, it would have made very little difference had the creature not been interrupted and managed to get its claws on her. But if there was one thing Sylvando was very good at it was being distracting, and, having seen her readying another apple, he did his best to maneuver the feline creature into an optimal throwing angle.

And soon enough the opportunity Mal had been waiting for arrived, the creature lifting is head to just the right position for her next throw.