Field Note 001 - Rumors

Date: 14 September

The accounts come from people who appear to have no connection with one another, yet the details are remarkably consistent.

None claim to have actually seen the creature.

Most describe only an odd feeling of being watched.

No confirmed sightings exist.

Tomorrow, I'll go and have a look.

Field note 002 - Footprints

Date: 12th September

Conditions: overcast, cool southerly wind

The road through Whare Flat winds gently into the hills before giving way to a small remnant of native bush. According to the reports, this is where the sightings—or rather, the absence of sightings—seem to center.

The birdsong was extraordinary. Bellbirds, tūī and fantails seemed to follow me along the track, making it difficult to imagine that anything larger than a kererū could remain hidden here for long.

While crossing a small stream, I noticed what appeared to be a series of tiny wet footprints on a rock near the water's edge. They were unlike any bird prints I recognised, although they were probably left by some small forest creature I simply couldn't identify.

I looked around for a few minutes but found nothing else of interest.

Still... I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't entirely alone.

Field Note 002 - Strange rustlings

Date: 13th September

I followed the stream further upstream, ducking beneath moss-covered logs and weaving through ferns still dripping from the night's rain.

Some distance ahead, I heard a rustling in the undergrowth. My first thought was that it was a bird, although whatever made the sound seemed considerably larger.

By the time I reached the spot, there was nothing to be seen.

Only the last few fronds were still gently swaying, as though something had passed through them moments before.

I waited for several minutes, listening.

Nothing.

Field Note 003 - Rose Quartz

Date: 14th September

Specimens collected: Two pieces of Rose Quartz

I returned to the same spot today. There was a nagging feeling that I'd overlooked something, so I continued further upstream from where I'd heard the rustling yesterday.

The going became increasingly difficult. The stream narrowed into a steep little gorge, and every step meant negotiating mud, slippery rocks and tangled roots.

As I crossed the stream, something caught the light.

Nestled between two rocks were a pair of small pieces of rose quartz.

I picked them up for a closer look. They were smooth, clean, and completely out of place. As far as I'm aware, rose quartz doesn't occur naturally in this area.

There is, of course, a perfectly reasonable explanation. Someone may have carried them in and dropped them.

Still...

Old stories often mention dragons collecting crystals.

I slipped the quartz into my pocket for safekeeping and continued on, trying not to let my imagination get ahead of the evidence.