Tilia’s Field Notes: Return to the Necromancer’s Lair

Returning to the Necromancer’s Lair was in order, as we had unfinished business, so we took the same route back through the forest.

Observations in the forest:

• Wynlynn and I briefly spotted an animal traveling the mountainside above us, clearly a member of the Felidae. While there’s no matching entry in my field guide, I’ve seen these big mountain cats before. The features, closely resembling a blonde panther, are characteristic of the Puma genus.
• A flying creature with an enormous wingspan around 40′, clearly feathered and non-draconian, as its primaries were quite distinct, but not seen clearly enough to identify with certainty.
• During my overnight watch, the giant raptor made another pass in the moonlight. Again, its features weren’t quite clear but unquestionably avian, with size and shape indicating a gigantic bird of prey. I could see its bill, the number and curve of its primaries, proportions of its body, and movement – it seemed to soar effortlessly despite the downslope winds coming off the mountains. Although the lighting and distance makes it hard to be entirely certain of species, it must be among the Accipitridae rather than the Strigidae. After all, one cannot see the bill of an owl in flight, even if it’s a giant owl.