??? - California?

[mom_rocks]

It's been a long day of crossing flatlands, but as the end of the day draws near, Beau and Hadana come across the edge of a forest. It's a quick decision to stop there for the night, and after everything is secured, Beau sends her daughter out for firewood while she begins making dinner.

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[cutestadventurer]

Hadana found an appropriate tree, struck by lightning it seemed, that was dry and dead and perfect kindling. She reached up and snapped off the first bit of limb, pausing at the hollow sound it made.

And then staring as, from within the branch she held, something new appeared. Oh! Sweet! The girl smiles, as the bird's head peeks out. But it... has mandibles? And oh. Long, slender little spider legs appear next.

"Mama!" the girl shrieks, dropping the branch as it hops onto her hand and bites. There's an immediate fiery sensation and she swats the thing, sending it into the air.

From the tree comes more of them, and Hadana turns to run back to camp. "Mamaaa!"

[mom_rocks]

It's easy to hear Hadana shrieking from a ways away, and Beau is quickly on her feet and rushing towards the sound of her daughter's terrified voice.

"What is it, what happened?"

[cutestadventurer]

Hadana grabs her mom just as one of the spiderbirds lands on her back, trying to bite through her clothes. They're still following her, however many yards away from the tree, though now seem indiscriminately bent on biting the fuck out of both mother and daughter.

[mom_rocks]

There's some language spouting from Beau as they rush towards the wagon, that probably shouldn't be used in front of a child, but fuck those bites hurt.

She's doing her best to shield her daughter, however, throwing up walls between herself and the creatures as they move, and ultimately shoving Hadana into their home ahead of herself.

[cutestadventurer]

Hadana follows her mama as quick as possible, getting in for a brief second before trying to leap out again.

"What about the dogs!"

[mom_rocks]

Beau catches Hadana around her waist and yanks her back to herself.

"No!" She says sharply, holding her still. "The dogs and horses can look after themselves easily. You know that."

[cutestadventurer]

"...Right, ok," she sighs, turning to her mother. "Are you hurt?" And immediately beginning to look for the bites on Beau.

It seems like they had an anticoagulant agent to their venom, as the bites themselves haven't clotted over and the longer the venom remains the more profusely they bleed. In example, her hand now has a fine stream of blood coming from it.

[mom_rocks]

She takes the time to look over herself for bites.

"I...think I'm okay. They mostly tried to get through my clothes, so you look after yourself, sweetheart."

[cutestadventurer]

Hadana heals the wounds on herself, then wipes whatever blood's left on her clothes.

"So. Spiderbirds. Lets catch one," she remarks immediately afterwards.

[mom_rocks]

Beau groans, her back pressed against the door.

"How about we let them settle down a bit, first?"

[cutestadventurer]

"Well if they're diurnal we can go back at night and grab one while they're asleep. If we're sneaky enough, they'll hardly even know," Hadana continues enthusiastically.

She smiles broadly, like a kid promised candy.

[mom_rocks]

"Which means I'll be doing the grabbing," she finishes. "And you're staying here."

[cutestadventurer]

Dear Xaldin of the Organisation,

We have recently encountered a new species, unnamed yet cutely coined "spiderbirds". Enclosed is a rough sketch and preliminary analysis.

They've been discovered living in the hollow of a dead tree somewhere in California(?) and have proven extremely hostile when threatened. The males will dive-bomb from the air while females attach to the subject and attempt to bite. The bite has an anti-coagulant based venom. Beau has noted that the females are of more muted, earth-tone colors while males have brighter plumage. All genders have crests upon their heads and seem capable of flight (I suspect this due in part to being air aligned).

They have six eyes, the first two that of a typical birds and the other four more similar to a spider. Two wings that, on our specimen, measure at 20cm. From head to back, she is 14 cm and weighed at roughly 28 g. There is both mandibles and a beak, and is suspected an omnivore though testing on food is to come later.

You will be sent a more detailed and accurate analysis when completed.

Sincerely,

The Caldwells.

Attachment: Charcoal Figure of Specimen A; "Goldie"

A time later...

[mitochondriaaya]

There was a shrieking, equine scream in the night, then a solid, meaty 'BOP' sound as someone slammed a fist between her idiot horse's ears. "'HO THE CAMP!" It was a politer announcement than her horse screaming he could kick their asses?

"UP FOR COMPANY?"

Re: A time later...

[mom_rocks]

The scream is met with frantic barking and all out roaring from the camp before it stops all at once.

There is a hushed argument, and in the gloom of the firelight, a smaller figure is sent scurrying into the wagon.

"HO TRAVELLER!" comes the response. "COME ON IN."

Re: A time later...

[mitochondriaaya]

"Sorry my idiot beast here challenges large rocks..." she admitted, walking said lightning mane into the firelight and staring down at the less-than-sorry thing's ears. "Haven't figured out how to wire his damn mouth shut yet for everyone's peace of mind." And stealth. Stealth would be nice sometimes.

"Long way from town."

Re: A time later...

[mom_rocks]

"Best of luck with that," comes the drawled response. "Good specimen, though."

She offers a slightly guarded smile.

"Travelling. You're far from town as well."

Re: A time later...

[mitochondriaaya]

"Good breeding went into him," was the easy response. "Momma has the herd." Yes, Momma was as much a name as a position!

"It's my job to be out these ways ma'am," she smiled and dismounted, wrapping Lunkhead's reins around her fist as a matter of course. "But it happens I'm headed home not patrolling right now. I'm the Ranger for these parts."

Re: A time later...

[cutestadventurer]

Hadana had taken to the wagon, though one could bet their best pair of shoes she'd been eavesdropping.

At hearing 'Ranger', she creeps out from their home and a bit closer to the stranger. "Where's your home at?"

Re: A time later...

[mom_rocks]

There's a sharp look towards the new voice as the girl creeps out.

"Hadana," she says sharply. "I told you to stay in the wagon."

Re: A time later...

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya, for her part, didn't show the least bit surprise at the girl's emergence. She'd seen the darting shadow, and, well, hard for people to hide from her. "The home I stay at when I'm not patrolling is just west of Ukiah, about the last place settled you'll find before you hit shoreline and stranger things." The West was a hard place to live, the echoes of The Solution still hit often and hard.

"I patrol south as far as San Fran," or what was left of it. "And north at about the Oregon line? Hard to tell these days. As far inland on both sides of that as Arizona, depending on who needs me."

Re: A time later...

[cutestadventurer]

Hadana gives a pleading look to her mother. "No, you said to get in the wagon. And I did, and now I'm out."

Then, to the Ranger she smiles brightly. "You go just about everywhere! Isn't it dangerous to travel by yourself, though? I mean, you have your lightning mane I guess..." But she didn't really consider that protection. It seemed just as likely to eat rock as to charge a bandit.

Re: A time later...

[mom_rocks]

There's a sigh from Beau. Really, sometimes the girl had little to no self-preservation.

"It's what a ranger does, Hadana, they travel everywhere, same as we do. Now go to bed, I let you stay up late enough as is."

Re: A time later...

[mitochondriaaya]

"I have a sister half your age," Aya noted to the youngster. "She doesn't take 'bed time' very well either." It seemed to be a common trait among children as far as she could tell! Especially the brighter ones.

"And yes, it's dangerous. I'm very, very hard to kill it seems. I say this having come out of a few things from the inside before." and it was just as gross as it sounded! "Granted, those things tend to be really, really big."

Re: A time later...

[cutestadventurer]

Another begging look is given to Beau. "But mama, we hardly see anyone out here and almost none of them are even nice! And see? Even the Ranger says it's normal."

Hadana made a face, though, at being told she'd been in very big things. "What ate you, where?" Naturally, she was intrigued at possibly finding more undocumented creatures. It'd be the best to find giant something or others, though transporting them might be tough.