Nyx burst through the last leaves of Yan Forest. She didn't even look around, she wasn't worried about the owners of Shenshi Lake attackng them. She knew she could defend herself against dumb half-fish. She quickened her pace, gaining as much speed as possible. She had started planning her jump at the first scent of the lake and, as she grew nearer and nearer to it with every step, the pieces of her plan just seemed to fall into place.

She knew she was running as fast as, if not faster, than she had ever run in her life. She aimed for a short ledge that hung over the lake and prepared to launch herself off the edge. The ground beneath her began to thin, she felt the edge of the ledge with her toe, her muscles bunched, and she propelled herself forward, pushing off of the ledge as hard as she could. For a split-second she felt as if she was flying, and then...

SPLASH!!!

She opened her eyes underwater and looked around. Fish darted this way and that, surprised by the sudden splash. She paddled her paws (and hoof) and soon had her head above water. She looked at where Raijin had been. "And that's how it's done," she said, holding her chin high as if she was the best diver in Zanzira. She smiled and breathed in the smell of the water. She couldn't remember the last time she had swam. This was like a dream. She enjoyed swimming more than any other activity, even hunting, and this made her happier than she could recall being in a long time.

Nyx breathed in deep and dove down. The water felt cool against her skin as it made its through her fur. Glimmering scales flashed in the darkening sunlight, reflecting around the lake like a disco ball. She paddled up again and breathed in deep, preparing to play her favorite game. She dove back down and flicked her tail playfully, paddling toward a small school of fish.

A clump of seaweed provided camouflage. She paddled closer slowly. She could feel the need to resurface sneaking up on her. Quickly, she rushed out of the weeds and charged at the fish. She didn't kill any of them, just strike them with her paws to stun them. Fish floated around her, paralyzed momentarily. Their scales shimmered more brilliantly, just like she remembered. Just like when she was younger, when she had lived in the lake and learned the tales of her ancestor by heart. She left herself float upwards and took a small breath. Her back end floated upwards until it was level with the front. She floated there, resting on her back, and flicked her gaze back and forth, from the land to the water to the sky.

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Nyx lifted an eyebrow when he called her name. When she heard what he had to say, she stared and him. Her eyes were slits, not legible. Her thoughts then began to rain down on her, just like the rain. The sky darkened even farther and she felt a cold chill run down her spine. Whether it was from her mate's idea or the rain, she did not know.

She looked at him and wondered whether this was the best idea she had ever heard, or a sure death sentence. Surely he's insane! Brownfang is part tiger, for The Core's sake! She avoided the subject, "Let's get out of this rain," she said, looking up at the sky.

She shivered as she swam the the lake's shore. The rain pounded on her back and she picked up the pace to the trees, where the rain would be slowed. She looked up at the canopy and waited for Raijin. She didn't know what she could do to stop him if he'd already made up his mind. But she couldn't see how he could win. Bless his heart, he's too shy for his own good sometimes. And then she knew what she could do if his heart really was set on this.

Nyx watched on as the fighting took place. She dug her claws into the wet grass with every parry, every blow. She held back the urge to jump into the battle and make it a three-way. Blood lust ran cold in her veins and she need not choose sides in a battle. Whichever side won, she wanted to be on it. Loyalties meant nothing to her in a heated battle were Rage filled the brain even more heavily than normal.

And then, it was over. She watched as Brownfang fell, his sides still moving despite the wounds Raijin had inflicted. The urge to deal the fatal blow swelled in her. She felt her paws move toward him, but was awoken from her deep-Rage by a voice. She understood who had said it only after she took her eyes away from the other creature.

Raijin. The name echoed in her mind. He has won.... She looked at him again and replayed what he had said. Come on Nyx. You won't have to worry about 'im anymore. Or should I say, my queen? The thought of how this act had been unnecessary was the only thought echoing in her mind. She had never lived in fear of Brownfang. She hadn't avoided him specifically. She just avoided everyone in general. But then she looked at him. Spitting blood and limping.

She blinked her eyes to hide what she had just been thinking. He never needed to know that she hadn't desired power, just pain. She glanced down at his wounds. Her mind was blank. She hadn't been trained in medicine, just fighting. She inflicted wounds, not cured them. And "bloodmoss"? What in Zanzira is bloodmoss?!

She nodded and convinced herself that she would know it when she saw it. She turned around and began sniffing through the forest. Anything to seal the wounds, she thought. What can seal a bleeding wound? Or stop a stream of rain? She looked around for something that absorbed the rain, or made it stop.

A spider's web hung from a tree branch not far away and Nyx remembered how it stuck in her fur for days. She jumped and wrapped it around her hoof. With a gimp she walked around the tree. Maybe bloodmoss is like normal moss? She found no treasure on the other side. She started to walk back, not wanting to leave him there long.

Nyx bent over Raijin and licked the blood from the deep scratches. Then she pushed the webs down onto the cuts, not too hard to squeeze out any more red. She hoped that cleaning them and sealing them with webs was enough. She didn't know if or how bloodmoss was different than regular moss.