Nova throws the decent size rock as hard as she could at the hawk. The rock goes flying out of her hand at a high speed and goes sailing past the bird. The rock hits a tree behind it and the rock ricochets off the back and comes flying back at Nova, somehow even faster than it was before.
Before Nova can react the rock hits her square in the center of her forehead. Nova is the knocked unconcious. Nova wakes up much later, she figures this because the forest is even darker and there is no more chirping from the birds. She looks around as she rubs her sore head and there are no sign that the feathered pests were there at all except, of course the now dried mess in her hair.
Nova can hardly see the path now and considers what she should do now.