"This one wants to hunt with friend Rremuss."

   "You can't, Healer-friend," Dr. Shepherd said, stuffing equipment into
the trunk of the Altima.

   "Why not?," Chit asked, watching from the roof of the car. "They're good
trackers, aren't they?"

   "Microbunnies flee from ferrotti, almost instinctually." 

   Rrrrt-Thss-Tksss put her forepaws on the car roof, twitching her nose as
she loomed over Chit.  "I can't imagine why," he flicked.

   Finished with the gear that had been piled on the ground, Remus started
pulling small devices from the pockets of his thick winter coat.  "It could
be their scent, or that they've learned ferrotti are dangerous, or maybe it's
just the presence of a large carnivore that scares them off."

   Chit slooowly tip-clawed backwards out from under the ferrotti's nose,
watching her the whole time. She looked amused.

   "Well, anyway, if she's with us, we'll never see a microbunny.  Without
her, we have a chance.  Especially since we're bringing bait!"

   Chit meeped. "Bait?"

   "Oh -- no, not you, Chit," Remus smiled.  "I brought some Snapple they
might like.  Oh, and, well...I'm wearing clean socks."

   "I'll... take your word for it."

   Remus closed the trunk and hugged Rrrrt-Thss-Tksss, and then proceeded
to open the passenger door.  "Okay, it's time to go.  We want to get back
before dark."

   Chit looked up at the giant ferret blocking his way, her nose pointing
sharply between his eyes.  "That one will protect him," said the ferrotti
ominously.

   "I will? [blink]"

   "Yesss," her translator hissed in reply.  Then, turning, she snaked off
towards the research building.

   Chit jumped down onto the armrest, and then onto the seat as the door
closed.  Something resembling a squirrel-sized seat belt was safety pinned
to the seat; after a quick examination, he decided to ignore it.  "Did you
fill up with gas?" he asked as Remus entered the driver's side door.

   "Chit, if I'm going to run out of gas with someone, it'll be a fuddette
a lot friendlier than you."

   "I just don't want to be stranded," the squirrel chittered.

   "Relax," said Remus, putting the Altima in gear.  "Of course I got gas.
Look on the dashboard if you don't trust me."

   "Of course I trust you. It's not something you'd *lie* about." Chit
ruffled, and leaped onto the back of the drivers side seat on the way to the
back, glancing at the dash -- rather, right into Remus' face.

   "ANYWAY," Chit said, leaping into the back seat.  "Wake me when we get
there.  And don't get lost."

   "There.  Right," said Dr. Shepherd, with one hand holding a Cuton
Geometer and the other on the wheel, "Where ever 'there' is, I'll let you
know."

   Rolling his eyes, Chit dropped his gear onto the floor, and curled up in
the warmest spot he could find. He almost offered to navigate, but decided
it'd be a bad idea. Remus might accept. [yawn]

...                                                                ...
Remus Shepherd (remus@netcom.com) & Chit.