Misty

'Why are we sitting at the bottom of Bucks tree?'

'Because he's asking Scarlet a very serious question right now.'

'And we need to be here because...'

'And we need to be here because Buck is going to need some support, whether good or bad I don't know.'

'So, where's the support coming from?'

' We are sitting at the bottom of his tree. Where do you think?'

'The tree?'

"Us, idiot, us! The support is us!"

Did I say that a bit too loud?

Scarlet

"What was that?"

"It's okay, that's just Misty."

"Misty! I thought Misty was a, a, a rock or some sort of imaginary friend. Not a real person!"

I can't believe he's just telling me this now. I'm going to be his wife. I thought..., I thought..., I don't know what I thought. He's a one eyed weasel with a passion for flying pterodactyls. How could I have thought anything else?

"Course she's a person. And who said she was a rock? Was it Max?"

"Max is a rock, and you know it."

"No he ain't, he's a skull."

I throw my head in my paw. I just hope I like her.

Buck

Probably a good time to introduce Misty.

"Hey Misty, you down there!"

"No I'm over here."

She has to appear the other side of Scarlet. I told her not to use the window.

"Well, I better leave you two to get to know each other... Bye."

Neither of them looked happy about my leaving.

Misty

"Hi, I'm Misty."

I look over my left shoulder.

"No you're not I am!"

I look over my right then back to the front looking down.

"If you two don't shut up I'm going to have to strap my mouth shut, then you'll see how we get on!"

"What about me?"

"You too limpet."

"Sorry about that, I really am Misty. I think you just met Limpet, Shut it and Shout."

My face has been plastered with a nervous cringe while my hand is beginning to twitch uncontrollably. I'm standing as still as a statue with my right hand out waiting for it to be joined by Scarlet's. The main reason I'm standing this way is because Scarlet is staring at me in shock. This only seems to happen with other polecats, minks and weasels. Never with sabers, oddly, or other animals.

"Hi, I'm Scarlet, it's nice to finally meet you."

I finally stop being a statue and relax.

"Do you do that a lot?"

"What? Oh, uh, only when I'm nervous. I study things for weeks before I'm sure their safe" Except you. "But there are some things you can't read the minds of." Like you. "That's why I never stay on the path, too visible."

"Then why do you go out with Buck, flying and things?"

"I've learnt to trust Buck. I followed him for over a year before he even knew I existed. Anyway, I learnt the right ways to do things, things to avoid. I guess I've known Buck that long I know all his reactions beforehand. He's predictable, for me. Except with you, you've changed all that..."

"Me?"

I slide down onto the floor, something I would never normally do so soon after meeting someone. These changes in Buck are so abnormal she's got me thinking. I'm so far into my reverie I almost didn't hear her.

"Ye, you." Is my automatic answer.

"Y'know, I thought that if, and seeing as you are, a real person that because Bucks out so often you two must be, you know, together."

I freeze at Scarlet's words, which were so shocking they were strong enough to bring me out of my reverie.

"You thought he might have been cheating on you? With me?"

"Well no, but I was beginning to suspect something was..."

"Me and Buck," I laugh. "No, never. We're just good friends. You're free to have him, trust me there is no way it could possibly work out between us."

"Buck, it's rude to listen in on your girls conversations, and I thought you were a gentleman."