The Ursa winds were fierce and cold as Tectus began her descent, some branches of tough winter leaves clutched in her jaws. She had thought to perhaps hide her bright colors before stepping into the cave, but in moments she realized she wouldn't need to. Snow was easily collecting in the divets of her scales, clinging onto her spikes and chilling her to the bone. She would be covered in it before she reached the peak. A good disguise for her intended ambush.
Her business here was collection. She had been considering this for a while during Eridanus's final days with the hive. Had Vargas ever constructed a beast to monitor Ursa properly? They knew the Hive was here, after all, even if an assault wouldn't happen again soon, it might be good to have a gembound to keep an eye on it.
She'd considered a few of the Lessers already there, but decided the Ghostbird might be the best - it could soar far above and keep an eye on everything. Hopefully, it would have her strength as well, to fight if it needed.
Once she'd reached the peak of the smaller mountain, Tectus roamed, looking for a good spot. Even for Gembound that could fly, the bird would prove elusive. She needed to ambush it. She eventually found a good dip in the stones that was covered in snow. It was large enough to just cover her as she crouched. Cringing at its icy touch, she began to worm her way into the snowdrift, pressing herself deeper and using her tail to kick the snow back over herself. Hopefully, that would be enough.
She didn't notice how much of her was peaking out, unfortunately - purple and blue blatantly obvious against the harsh white. But, regardless, she stuck the plants above the snow in front of her, shaking them a bit to get the snow off. Wouldn't want them, too, to get buried and go unseen.
It took about 10 minutes, 10 freezing cold, endless minutes, before she heard a distant cry. She tensed, waiting.
She had one chance - it wouldn't land, she would have to grab it out of the air.
As soon as it was within a few feet, Tectus lunged. Bursting out of the snow, she found herself face to face with a ghost bird that had swooped lower to grab at the plants she'd set as bait. But it was already veering out of the way, having seen her scales peering out of the snow. She felt her claws snag in a single feather and tear it out, but she missed the rest.
The bird screeched and fluttered a bit in its terror as she landed, whirling around.
The bird's terror had halted it for just a moment and Tectus did her best to follow up on it. She grabbed forward to try and hook on a wing, to pull it down to the ground, but only managed to grab into its tail. The ghostbird beat its wings furiously against her strength, dislodging some of the feathers as it fluttered out of her grip, careening towards the mountain as its flight was destabilized.
She raced after it, before it properly took off again. She was buying herself time, but it could still get away.
She was slowed by the cold, her muscles aching and protesting as she pushed herself forward to try and grab the bird. She was almost too late - again - to tear it out of the sky, but this time she managed to grab one of the legs in her jaws as it tried to take off. Still, it could get away. It was strong and fighting for its life, as she dragged it down down to the ground, trying to get a better grip on it.
She fought with the large bird for a bit before her hook-like claws at last snagged into its wings and ripped, severing tendons and breaking through fragile bones. The bird screeched as she finally let go of its mangled legs, knowing that it had been successfully grounded.
As it lay there, dying, she began to look the creature over for a stone, but found nothing on its body. She sighed. All that work for a gemless lesser. Perhaps she would have better luck looking for the lost stones of the dead, although she didn't exactly know how. Well...she wouldn't let this meal go to waste.
It was a lot of meat to eat and Tectus took a moment to devour the Ghostbird. Unfortunately, their brief fight most definitely would have scared away the others. Once she confirmed that there was, indeed, no stone in this one, she made to descend the mountain. Perhaps she would have better luck on Ursa Major.
After a while, she arrived at the base of Ursa Major, having grabbed another mouthful of foliage, finding a spot that was relatively safer to begin her ascent. It was not an easy climb. The mountain was steeper, more rugged, and there were times when she thought she would fall. But no, she continued onwards, up and up, her long claws digging into stone and anchoring her as she climbed.
There were more birds up here - not on the mountain, exactly, but soaring overhead, she could just barely see them above the snowfall.
She did the same as on the other mountain - Found a place to hide, this time a small tunnel near the peaks, and set the leaves standing in the snow just outside as she hid in the shadow of the cave.
This wait was easier - she wasn't buried in snow and blind to the world, but the small tunnel was a bit claustrophobic, barely large enough for her to fit in. Still, she waited a while, chilled by the air, until a bird at last flew close enough to grab for the leaves.
Tectus saw it just a moment too late and made to lunge out, but her scales got caught on the tunnel ceiling and she halted as it soared back, snagging one of the branches and ripping it straight out of the snow as it passed by.
She re-situated herself, moving so that one arm was facing the tunnel opening. It might be easier to do it like this, lunge with an arm instead of her whole body. Awkward, perhaps, but given the circumstances...
She waited, patiently - there were a few branches left of the vegetation. And this time, it didn't take much longer as the bird that had flew by before came back for seconds. And this time, as it soared by, Tectus lashed out with her claws and snagged them right into its wing, ripping it out of the sky and right into her mouth.
It barely had time to screech before teeth clamped down and crushed the sound out of it. It went limp and she released her hold.
But checking it over, frusteration burned at her as she realized this one, too, bore no stone! She didn't have the stomach to eat it, so she simply pushed it into the tunnel and thrust her way out.
Picking up the last few sprigs of her bait, Tectus moved away from the spot and to a different part of the peak of the mountain. Like the first time, she found a snowbank large enough to hide her. She did the same setup as the first time - branches sticking out of the snow just above where she was hiding, wait for bird, attack.