Word Count: 724


There are those in this world who hate waking up early. Luna is not one of them. Without any assistance, she wakes at half past five in the morning, stretching and grinning. It's going to be a good day; she can feel it in her bones.

She climbs out of bed, dressing quickly and leaving her hotel room. The hallways are empty and quiet. Perfect. She's always found that people asking too many questions can make her days all funny. She doesn't know why. It's just one of those strange, unexplainable facts.

It doesn't take long to reach the entrance to the nearby forest. Luna stares up at the lingering stars in the sky, sticking her tongue out as she ponders. It is important that her calculations are precise. The fact that she has always been a few degrees off is why she is still in Belgium. If she had found the proper entrance, she would have already found what she came here for and moved on to the next new adventure.

"Let's see," she mutters, glancing at her journal as she moves carefully over the rocks and roots that litter the ground. "Aha! Here we are!"

It isn't far from where she entered the previous morning, but it's enough of a difference that it had thrown her whole day off. Still, she hadn't minded. Luna loves being out here, searching for significant evidence that her father's creatures are real. So far, she hasn't had much luck, but she has found traces, and that has to mean something.

A breeze picks up, making the already chilly morning a little colder. With a shiver, Luna adjusts her scarf. It doesn't fight the cold, but it helps.

Taking a deep breath, she steps inside, her heart racing with excitement. Yes, this is the right path. She can feel the soft energy of the place vibrate all around, calling out to her like a siren's song. She's absolutely delight as a subtle warmth washes over her.

All she has to do now is walk.

The sun is not yet high in the sky when she finally takes a break. Luna hasn't brought her watch, so she isn't sure exactly what time it is, but she imagines it must be around ten. It's a little late, but she opens the packet of dried fruit and chocolate-covered almonds, nibbling at them as she takes a seat in the lush green grass.

"Oh, hello there," she says when she notices the spider on the rock by her foot. "Have you seen a creature around here, dear friend? He's much bigger than you, covered in feathers? Oh!" The spider scurries away, and Luna watches it, frowning. "Sorry to startle you."

With a shrug, she opens her notebook again, studying the pages on the Grey-Billed Pipslebone. There are notes from one of her father's Belgian contacts, insisting that he's seen one in these very woods. Luna has to believe; this isn't the sort of thing that people just make up. Just because the creature is rare, people assume it doesn't exist.

Luna finishes her breakfast. She is still hungry, and she hopes she will be out before lunch. As delicious as fruit, almonds, and chocolate are, she needs something a little more substantial.

She tucks the empty plastic wrapper in her backpack and climbs to her feet. If her calculations are correct, she should be about an hour or so away from the likely nesting area… Assuming it isn't migration time. She's cut it close, so there may be no hope in the end.

She starts her trek, only to stop a few yards from her previous resting place. Eyes wide, she kneels, a grin on her lips. Most people may not care about feathers, but Luna is drawn in by the color. Olive with streaks of silver, radiant in a way that ordinary feathers could never be. She looks at her notes, though she's already memorized the section on physical appearance from reading it so many times.

This feather matches the description perfect. With a squeal of delight, Luna tucks it safely away in her journal, securing it with a quick charm.

It doesn't matter if she finds the nesting area now. She has the feather, and that is all the proof she needs.

Her father will be so proud.