As I'm preparing to depart, my palico tells me he's exhausted from the fight with the Brachydios, and he wishes to stay at Astera to rest. I grant him this wish, and he grants me luck. Egg gathering isn't without its dangers, as there is usually a mother and a father watching over them. Fortunately, I've set up a camp near the nest, only around 30 meters away, allowing me to quickly deposit the egg and return to collect the next within minutes.

As my wingdrake drops me off at the camp, I notice that something sounds… off. I make my way to the nest, ducking under the branch that allows me to access it, and I see her; the mother of the clutch, the queen of the land, the Rathian. I've fought many Rathian before, and I am quite familiar with their biology, but this one looked different. She appeared haggard, and her breathing was shallow and slow. It is my personal belief that monsters are much more intelligent than they are often given credit for, understanding the difference between mercy and ruthlessness. This particular Rathian seemed extremely weak, so I dared to crawl out of my cover, and slowly approach her, making myself known. She barely lifted her head at my presence, as if it was all she had the strength to do. As I made my way toward her, I felt sympathy for this monster. She managed a low growl, and I stepped away, knowing she will protect her eggs to the death.

I realized, maybe that's why she had been so weak? Rathian and Rathalos often take turns protecting their clutch from intruders such as myself, while the other goes out and hunts for food, and this Rathian looks as if she hadn't moved from her nest in days, if not weeks. I start back towards her direction, but this time near her head, to which she responded with only closing her eyes. I search my pouch for my canteen, which I always refill with fresh water before and after every hunt, and slowly pour it into her mouth, and she drinks. I keep pouring, and she keeps drinking. Eventually, my canteen runs out, and she rests her head again. Hardly enough water for this beast, I head back to the dam right behind the nest and refill it, then return with even more water. I do this four times until she tries to get her feet under her, but her legs tremble as she does, and she falls back down. If she has stayed here for days, it is unlikely she was able to go out to hunt while a Rathalos protected the clutch.

Out of ideas on how to help her, I return to camp, and notice a Mosswine sniffing for mushrooms, and an idea strikes me. This is hardly a meal fit for a queen, but this queen has been reduced to the status of a beggar, and by now I'm sure she'd eat anything made of meat, including myself. I quickly kill the Mosswine, and lift it over my shoulders as I return to the nest once again. I shave the moss off it's back and offer it to her, and she starts to eat. She needs more. Luckily and conveniently, a herd of Jagras picked up the scent of blood and followed it to the nest, searching for an easy meal. They notice and attack me, but my shield easily blocks their gaping fangs, and one by one I easily take them all down.

7 Jagras are a relatively grand meal compared to one Mosswine, and each one I offer to the Rathian to eat. She does so, and after the feast, she stands slowly, and turns her head towards me, but makes no move to attack me. Instead, she turns toward the edge of the nest, and looks around. I think to myself she's looking for a heard of Aptonoth. She spots one, turns to me once again, then flaps her wings once to take to the skies, then slowly glides towards the herd. This Rathian has just left me alone with her clutch as she goes to hunt, an action that I know can only mean one thing; She trusts me to guard her eggs. Two parts of me conflict on whether I should return to Astera immediately to report this, or stay with her eggs until she returns. I decide the latter option, because I know that the guild master would want me to uphold the preservation of nature.