Nyx is many things, and most of them aren't good.

She's vulgar, rash, reckless. Rude, sarcastic, judgemental. Opinionated, uncouth, stubborn, blunt, sometimes unintentionally cruel, overly war-minded, and prone to being a bit of a bitch when things don't go her way.

One thing she definitely is not, though, is a coward. One thing she is is a fucking mother bear. And her baby-senses are tingling.

She charges into the newfound marsh in time to see Oizys galloping towards the gigantic bone-creature, with revenge clearly on her mind. Nyx is not the sort of woman to back down from any sort of fight, but she knows better than to just attack something so big, so powerful, so probably-immortal and so capable of squashing her daughter like a twig. Things seem to move in slow motion; Oizys is charging, and Nyx is charging too, her jaws agape in a silent scream as she doesn't think, she just does. It is instinctive, a mother's drive to protect her offspring at all costs. Oizys has rarely shown her any affection, rarely acts like she's her mother at all, and if Nyx could pick one of her offspring to not want to save, it would probably be the obnoxious grey yearling. But she can't think like that. Oizys is still her daughter, will always be her daughter, and she's in danger.

This is what drives the ironheart's movements as she gallops, her face twisted into concentration, her pupils dilated with fear and her ears laced backwards. "No, no, no," she breathes as she runs, her legs devouring the ground and bringing her close to Oizys, approaching from the side.

THUD. That's her shoulder slamming into her daughter, sending the filly sprawling off course and out of harm's way. Oizys stumbles, trips and falls, landing prone on the ground with a startled yowl. Nyx skids to a halt, standing in front of the fallen yearling with a savage war-cry ripping from her throat, then lunges forwards to try and plunge her horn deep into the creature's bony leg. She hadn't intended to attack the beast, of course she hadn't, but attack is the best form of defence now - Oizys is laying stunned on the floor, and the only way to protect her is to attack.

So she does. Despite the terror inside, despite her knowledge that this is a very stupid thing to do, despite the fact that her recent depression has wasted away her muscles and left her a frail shadow of her former great warrioress self, Nyx fights. She fights to save her child, she fights for her land, she fights for her herd. She fights because it is her duty to live by the sword.

And die by the sword.