Taking a tumble off your mount while midair was never out of the equation period, whether it be a joy-flight, simple practice, routine patrols, or the heat of a battle; it was something every knight that climbed upon a flying mount's back would be forced to come to terms with eventually, because it would happen some day and there was nothing you could do about it. All you could do was hope you were low to the ground, another flyer was able to catch you, or your mount was able to circle back as you dropped in a freefall, likely not even realizing until after your feet hit the ground, granted they did so in a way that meant you lived.
It had happened to Merri numerous times, it a given with how often she was sent on duty or training in her off time, though not always on Skull Crusher of course, the winged horse needing rest of his own that Merri didn't often allow herself to have the luxary of. Though today it was her and her beloved pegasus, her and Tsubasa tasked with dispatching a small group of thieves that had been harassing caravans a short ways off to the east. It was supposed to be an easy job, and it had been, it taking no time between the two skilled knights to take the lot down, but not before a dodge of an arrow into a wayward windstream sent poor Crusher unsteady in his flight, Merri simply being unlucky enough to fall in the process from where she'd been high in the sky in an effort to get behind the remaining bandits. Luckily though, Crusher was able to circle back and catch her a mere moment later, Merri not even getting that close to the ground before she was back on her mount, flanking the bandits, and clearing out the lot. It never crossed her mind that watching her fall like that would be terrifying to watch from the ground, Merri simply landing and dismounting her pegasus with a parting pat to his neck as she made her way over to her companion, body still shaking with adrenaline as she grinned up at him, but the joy of a mission well done was cut short with a look of confusion when she hadn't been met wtih the same from Basa.
"What's wrong? Were you injured?"
While Tsubasa had the means of and a rather appropriate name for taking on flying, he found himself content on the back of a regular mount. Llamrei might not be as flashy as a pegasus, but it was far easier to contend with falling a few feet versus out of the sky, and that was far better than just the points for style that a pegasus would get him. Though, he couldn’t say the skies didn’t suit Merrigold quite well. His fellow knight, despite the numerous times he had seen her fall off her mount, was a force when she was able to keep her balance, destroying foes sometimes before they were even able to raise their weapons against her.
That was exactly why he was excited to go on this mission with her. Basa always found easy missions like this, ones that wouldn’t require him repairing his lance or sword after, to be fun light work, especially when someone as skilled as Merri was by his side. But even the greatest of knights fell to the mercy of the elements, and it took everything the second he noticed Crusher’s sudden shift to not rush over to her to ensure a better landing, and when she fell, the only sign he had that his heart didn’t stop was his weapon going through another bandit and cutting them down. Hand tightening around his lance to keep himself steady as he looked back at her grin with a tight expression that did nothing to hide his fear… fear that only subsided a little after hearing her ask if he, of all people, was injured.
Scoffing, Basa shakes his head and dismounts, hand still tight around his weapon. “You don’t have to worry for me, Merri. Believe me, this lot couldn’t have injured me at my worst, nevermind now.” As far as bandits went, this was sort of a pathetic lot, but he didn’t lower his guard, not while more could still be around. “More importantly,” he says as he gets closer, other hand reaching out for her’s. “What about you?! I know you fall out of the sky at least once a week, but that was…” Horrifying. “Not ideal, to say the least. You’re not hurt, are you?”