A Rhyme Royal Riddle

'Fireya the White had a fondness for riddles,

If wrought with a cunning and guile.

Rixosa, her fool, held many in store,

That ever could make the Queen smile.'

                                                                               The Annals of Old Moon

Swift as a spear thrust and soft as a sigh,

I'm stranger to crow's eye, a mystery to lark.

A gleam in the night's vault gives glint to my eye.

With gloves of fine leather I delve through the dark.

I scream and I listen and hunt to the hark.

I laugh at the feather, pour scorn 'pon the beak.

A dusty-backed damsel at dusken I seek.

Riddle-me-ree!

What could it be?

If you think you know the answer, 
(clue: it's a real animal)

leave it in the comments below.

We'll put all the correct answers in a hat, 

and the winner will receive

a rather lovely (and utterly exclusive!) 

Annals of Old Moon button badge.

This weekend Russ will post a beautiful illustration of the riddle's solution.

So get guessing!