Fiddler caught up with his camera-rat just as he was going into the lift. The mouse eyed the lift doors as they shut. “Huh, this ol’ thing’s workin’ again then.”

Delta continued to polish the lens quietly. He worked at it for a few minutes more before Fiddler decided that the silence was unbearable.

“Humans Delta!” he said, not able to contain his excitement. “Humans!” He almost shook Delta but decided against it when the large rat gave him a stern look. “We’ll be loved, revered even. Worshiped like TV Gods!”

Delta sighed. “I won’t be because I’ll be behind the camera. Doing all the difficult stuff.”

Fiddler grinned. “Where do we go to find humans? I hadn’t thought of that.”

“None in the wood that’s for sure,” said Delta. “We’ll have to venture out to the human dwellings.”

“We’ll go into their very homes if it means getting first rate footage,” declared Fiddler ambitiously. “Doesn’t this lift go any faster?”

The lift soon came to rest and Fiddler dashed out into the reception area. Delta followed calmly, placing the spare lens back into his camera-case and shouldering the hefty bag.

Fiddler turned to his friend impatiently. “Come on, Delta. Humans here we come!”

#

Fiddler and Delta were at the edge of the wood now, looking out at the dusty lane they knew the humans traipsed along to get to their homes. A mucky ditch ran along either side of the lane and great swathes of hedge and cow parsley swayed gently over their heads, making them feel safer.

“Our work begins,” whispered Fiddler dramatically. He stepped out into the lane and looked back at Delta. “Get your camera out, mate, I want a shot of the lane, maybe we could even get a footprint, eh?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Delta set about with his task as Fiddler mumbled ideas about this and that to himself. Once the camera-rat was happy with his equipment he tossed a microphone to Fiddler. “Here, you take this now.”

Fiddler tapped the microphone. “Ahem, testing, testing.” The mouse held the microphone up to his ears and listened intently, he could hear pounding. The ground beneath his paws trembled slightly. Looking up, he saw two human children charging towards him.

With an alarmed cry, he threw himself flat on his belly and lay still as death as the human youngsters ran past him, his heart pounded madly in his chest as he gulped and clutched his microphone tighter.

“Fiddler!”

Fiddler dared look up.

“Psst! Fiddler, in here quick!”

Checking to see that the way ahead was clear and no more children were going to run past, Fiddler, brave mouse reporter from Channel 1.5, jumped up like a frightened babe and hurled himself into the ditch alongside Delta.

He peered cautiously out into the lane again, but quickly fell back and covered his ears as two more youngsters came hurtling past on their bikes.

“Well?” he asked his camera-rat excitedly, quickly recovering himself when the humans had gone. “Did you get the footage?”

Delta grinned and nodded, patting his trusty camera. “Yep, first rate footage of a human child.”

Fiddler grinned and clambered out of the ditch. He spread his arms wide and sauntered confidently down the lane, making up some words for his film as he went.

“And here we have a human child at play. Human children need to play at least six times a day or their pudgy legs begin to seize…”

Delta followed, checking his camera and smiling to himself as he listened to Fiddler’s wild rambling.

“See, Delta,” Fiddler called back to him. “I told you filming humans would be easy!”

“Not very easy,” said the rat jogging up to join him. “You didn’t exactly stay calm and observe the humans did you? How will we find out anything about their behaviour if we don’t pay attention? We’re meant to be making a wildlife documentary.”

“Stay calm? Course I was calm, it was you who hid in a ditch,” Fiddler chided him.

Delta grinned and shrugged. “Well maybe, but it didn’t take long for you to join me, eh?”

Fiddler twirled his microphone cheerfully. Despite the close encounter with the children he couldn’t help but feel exhilarated and ready for anything. Surely humans weren’t as bad as everyone made out?