The Huntress

[dezdimona]

The sun was setting and a cool breeze began to role across the sands.

 

She made a tentative step into the open. She was glad the heat was abating for now she could hunt.

 

The burning sun would make short work of her if she were caught in its relentless rays. She was hungry, had not eaten in days. Her last attempt at stealth to catch a meal had resulted in the prey sensing her at the last moment and fleeing to safety.

 

Such was her life. Now she was old and not as spry as she once was. The ordeals of hunting, and mating and bearing young, along with the occasional fight had worn her down.

 

She also had to be careful, for there were things that hunted her as well.

 

She stayed in the shadows, creeping along and attuned her senses to the surroundings. Her eyesight was poor and so she relied on air currents and vibration to alert her to food or to danger.

The sand was warm, but the air was cooling rapidly and she felt much better as she moved thru the scrub and sage brush. She lived in a world of kill or be killed, of eat or be eaten and life in the dessert was a harsh and sometimes cruel reality.

 

She sensed vibration in the sand and stopped. Through the grains she located the direction of what she hoped, would soon be a meal. If she didn’t feed tonight her chances of survival were slim. She moved slowly, a few steps at a time, stopping, waiting, drinking in the goings on across the terrain that she now moved in. She sensed the undulations of a dessert rattler, moving in its quest for a meal and knew it posed no threat to her safety.

 

Ever vigilant to the night and its life, she moved again. Her stomach ached for nourishment and the need to eat drove her on.

 

Closer and closer she crept, stopping and starting waiting and taking her time. The creature was of good size, she could tell from the vibration she absorbed thru her feet. If she could catch this one, she could live for days on its life giving sustenance.

 

She was close now, still undetected, her prey busy eating and nourishing itself as well. Night in the desert was the time of living and dying. Few ventured forth in the sun and those that did found shade quickly or perished.

Closer, so very close. The creature was now only scads inches away. She blended well into the shadows and had no scent, except at times of mating.

 

Then she felt it in the hair on her body the vibrating of wings rapidly. She lowered herself down and remained motionless. This was her enemy; this thing would kill her if it located her. She waited, but was not afraid. She knew no fear, only kill or be killed.

The flying creature was overhead, her prey moved off. She unconsciously moved her leg, drawn by the need to eat. And that was her downfall.

 

The winged creature plummeted to the ground alighting only inches away, its wings buzzing and stopping .It moved in short, jumpy, rapid movements, looking at her, knowing she hid in the shadows. It advanced and she reared up, ready to fight. She had faced another such enemy many years earlier and her strength and cunning had won out, but now she was not young, speed was not her friend any longer, and she knew she would be hard pressed to win this battle.

 

Like two gladiators they fought, lunging and moving, each looking for an opening to strike, each hoping the other made a mistake which would end its life. The battle waged on, time stood still as the combatants moved around and took strikes at one another.

 

She was tiring, the lack of food and her age was now telling on her. She was weakening and she knew death was at hand. But still she fought, driven by the will to live.

A bright light suddenly filled her world. Heavy vibrations as if the world were cracking radiated up her legs.

She kept her posture, knowing her enemy had not fled, but was now as motionless as she was.

A strange object came into her limited vision and chased the wasp away.

 

“Hey kids, look at the size of this one, has to be the biggest tarantula I’ve ever seen”

 

“Wow Dad, it’s huge!”

 

“Huge and old, what a life she must have lived and it looked as if it was over till we came along.”

 

She sensed something moving towards her and she again rose up to defend herself.

 

“Easy old girl, I’m not going to hurt you”

 

She sensed that this was no enemy though she knew not what it was, and lowered her two front legs. She felt herself being handled and didn’t move.

 

Wow, dad she’s as big as your hand” said the little boy.

 

“Yep, must be the grand mother of all spiders” then laughed

 

She felt strange warm things caressing her body; they reminded her of the gentle tapings of the mating rituals she had performed many times. She responded by tapping one of her front legs on the warn flesh holding her.

 

“Well, look at that, she likes it” said the boy, amazed at what he was seeing

“Can we keep her dad? Please!!!”

 

The caressing continued and she warmed to the touches on her carapace and body.

“Well, I don’t see why not, she’s got to be as old as the hills and I think we saved her life. She deserves to be at peace and get some regular meals and attention, so sure.”

 

“Yeahhhhhhh, thanks dad, I’ll take real good care of her too. Let’s go show mom.

 

She lay in the warmth, content for now, but still hungry. She had survived again and for now, that’s all that mattered.

[AReaver]

Very nice i had no idea till you actually told me though i didn't know wasps fought spiders

[pedantic]

That was a very nice read dezzi, you're a big softie really (for a goddess) - aren't you! :biggrin:

[dezdimona]

Very nice i had no idea till you actually told me though i didn't know wasps fought spiders

Several species of the wasps known as "tarantula hawks" inhabit the desert lands of the southwest. Pepsis formosa and Pepsis thisbe are probably the two most common. Wasps in the genus Hemipepsis are also known as "tarantula hawks." The species are difficult to distinguish.

 

Description

 

Body lengths measures up to two inches, and the wasps are rather robust, which provides good protection during encounters with tarantulas. The insects are metallic blue-black with wings that are blue-black, orangish or mahogany in color. This is another group of insects which, like velvet ants, have aposematic coloring – that is, conspicuous warning coloring – which warns potential predators that this is a meal that might be more painful that it is worth.

 

pedantic Posted Today, 05:57 PM

That was a very nice read dezzi, you're a big softie really (for a goddess) - aren't you!

 

ok,you found out!!!! :biggrin:

[AReaver]

Very nice i had no idea till you actually told me though i didn't know wasps fought spiders

Several species of the wasps known as "tarantula hawks" inhabit the desert lands of the southwest. Pepsis formosa and Pepsis thisbe are probably the two most common. Wasps in the genus Hemipepsis are also known as "tarantula hawks." The species are difficult to distinguish.

 

Description

 

Body lengths measures up to two inches, and the wasps are rather robust, which provides good protection during encounters with tarantulas. The insects are metallic blue-black with wings that are blue-black, orangish or mahogany in color. This is another group of insects which, like velvet ants, have aposematic coloring – that is, conspicuous warning coloring – which warns potential predators that this is a meal that might be more painful that it is worth.

 

pedantic Posted Today, 05:57 PM

That was a very nice read dezzi, you're a big softie really (for a goddess) - aren't you!

 

ok,you found out!!!! :biggrin:

Oh thats cool thanks :thumbsup:

Learn something new everyday :biggrin:

[XanAlderon]

wow, I liked that story, well done.

[dezdimona]

wow, I liked that story, well done.

Thank you!

[fabulance]

I love that story!

you are quite a poetress

regards

[dezdimona]

Thank you,that was a very nice compliment.

[GenDonuts]

WOW!!! That was really good Dezi... I mean wow. I like how you had it from the point of veiw of the spider and how she reacted to us. I also liked the ending. This deserves a Pixar or Disney movie deal y'know. :banana: