Mama always say, "Curiosity don' just kill cats—it get hamsters in trouble too."
Well.
I was about to prove her right.
*****
Mama, Grim, Grit, an' Gale disappeared into da tunnels with Chop.
Didn' say goodbye.
Didn' even glance back.
Dat was da part dat bothered me.
Da Silent Three wasn' dumb.
Dey knew when sumthin' wasn' right.
An' if dey knew, why didn' dey hesitate?
Why didn' Mama?
I couldn' let 'em go alone.
Didn' matter if it was a bad idea.
Didn' matter if my paws was still sore from yesterday.
Didn' even matter dat I was already breakin' Mama's number one rule.
I had to know.
So I went after 'em silently an' sneaky.
Da tunnels stretched on, weavin' in an' out like tangled roots.
I kept my steps light.
Didn' breathe too heavy.
Didn' make a sound.
Didn' wanna get caught before I knew where dey was goin'.
Chop was leadin' 'em deep.
Deeper den da market tunnels.
Deeper den da fightin' pits.
Even deeper den where da meanest rodents lived.
I almost turned back.
Almost.
Til I heard Mama's voice.
"Squeak." ("Dis a private meetin', or we gettin' thrown in da Pits?")
Chop let out a deep ch-ch-ch from his teeth.
"THWACK." His tail slammed against da dirt. ("Naw. Capybara wanna talk. Dat's all.")
Mama wasn' convinced.
"Squeak." ("Yeah? Cuz last time sumone 'just wanted to talk,' I lost a home.")
I pressed closer to da wall.
Didn' wanna miss nuffin'.
Chop grunted.
"THWACK."
Den—silence.
Da tunnel opened up into a huge cavern.
I almost gasped out loud.
I seen big rooms in da Burrow before.
Da fight pit.
Da market.
Even da sleep chambers.
But dis?
Dis was sumthin' else.
Glowing mushrooms lined da walls.
Pools of still water reflected da ceiling, makin' da space look endless.
In da middle—
A raised stone slab.
An' on it, sittin' like a king on a throne—
Was da Capybara.
He watched Mama an' da Silent Three.
Den—
He tilted his head.
Slow.
Real slow.
An' finally spoke.
"Kweek." ("Da three of ya… ain't normal.")
I held my breath.
Mama's fur bristled.
But Grim, Grit, an' Gale?
Didn' even react.
"Kweek." ("I watched ya in da fight pit.")
His heavy paws shifted against da stone.
"Kweek." ("Didn' lift a paw. Didn' say a word. Jus'… looked.")
"Hup." His tail twitched. ("An' da rats walked away.")
Mama narrowed her eyes.
"Squeak." ("Ya got a point?")
Da Capybara didn' answer.
Instead, he leaned forward just slightly.
Eyes never leavin' da Silent Three.
"Kweek." ("What are ya?")
Mama's tail flicked, sharp an' deliberate. A warning.
She didn't move from her spot, but her fur bristled, ears twitchin' just enough to show she wasn't likin' where this was goin'.
Didn't matter.
Dis conversation was happenin' anyway.
Squeak ("Dey're my kits.")
Her voice was firm, almost bored, like she thought dis whole discussion was pointless.
But da Capybara wasn't lookin' at her.
His focus stayed on Grim, Grit, an' Gale.
Like Mama wasn't da one answerin'.
Kweek ("Dey ain't like ya.")
Mama's whiskers twitched, but she kept her posture steady.
Squeak ("Dey're smart. Observant.")
Da Capybara hummed a low, thoughtful Hup.
His head tilted slightly, slow an' deliberate.
Kweek ("Dey ain't scared of nuffin' but cats.")
I swallowed hard, sneakin' a glance at da Silent Three.
Dey hadn't moved, still locked on da Capybara, studyin' him as much as he was studyin' dem.
Kweek ("Dey got sumthin' different. Sumthin' powerful.")
His voice carried weight, each word steady, like a fact he'd already decided on.
Mama, still unreadable, gave a short reply.
Squeak ("Dey're hamsters.")
Da Capybara exhaled a deep, rumblin' Hup.
Not quite a laugh.
Not quite a growl.
Hup ("Nah. Dey more den dat.")
Across da room, Chop adjusted his stance, tail twitchin' just slightly.
He didn't say a word, but dat tiny movement was enough.
He agreed.
Mama noticed too.
She didn't look at Chop. Didn't acknowledge it.
But her whiskers gave the faintest tremor, her shoulders tensed ever so slightly.
She wasn't likin' dis one bit.
Neither was I.
I was too focused on listenin' to realize I was movin'.
A single step forward.
Barely even a shift in weight.
Didn't seem important.
Til my paw landed on somethin' loose.
A small rock, nestled just right to be a problem.
My fur prickled.
Ears twitched.
I froze, hopin' I hadn't actually—
CRACK.
A tiny piece of stone snapped off da tunnel wall, bouncin' forward across da dirt.
Skipped once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Right at Chop's feet.
Da room fell still.
Not da kinda stillness when creatures are sleepin'.
Da kinda stillness before a predator strikes.
Chop's head snapped up.
His big yellow teeth clattered together, a sharp, rhythmic Ch-ch-ch.
His tail lifted, hoverin' in da air like an axe about to fall.
Then—
THWACK!
I stumbled back, heart hammerin', tryin' not to let another sound slip out.
Didn't matter.
Mama had already turned, her fur bristlin', eyes burnin' holes straight through me.
Squeak ("NIBBLES?!")
I thought about playin' dumb.
Pretendin' I wasn't sneakin' around where I wasn't s'posed to be.
But dat glare?
Nah. No chance.
Chop took a step forward, dirt crunchin' under his heavy paws.
His teeth clicked again, slow an' steady.
Ch-ch-ch.
A deep, disapprovin' sound, like he was decidin' whether he should kick me out or eat me.
Ch-ch-ch ("Ya ain't s'posed to be here, kid.")
I gulped, tryna keep my paws still, my breath even.
Didn't wanna look scared.
Didn't wanna give him a reason.
Before I could even try to talk my way out of it, da Capybara lifted a paw.
His voice cut through da tension like a blade.
Kweek ("Let him stay.")
Chop hesitated. His teeth clattered one last time before he slowly lowered his tail back to da ground.
Didn't look at me. Didn't argue.
But da way he exhaled, slow an' heavy, made it clear—he didn't like dis.
Mama wasn't likin' it either.
Her fur stayed puffed up, her paws planted firm.
She wasn't sittin'. Wasn't relaxin'.
Her tail flicked once.
Not a nervous twitch.
A warning.
Squeak ("Why?")
Da Capybara finally pulled his gaze from da Silent Three.
Now, he was lookin' at me.
An' da way he did it made my fur prickle.
Didn't feel like he was seein' a curious hamster who got caught.
Didn't even feel like he was seein' a burrow outsider.
Felt like he was analyzin' a puzzle.
Like I was a piece of somethin' bigger.
Somethin' he hadn't figured out yet.
His voice was calm. Measured.
Kweek ("Cuz da more I watch ya family… da more questions I get.")
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Didn't like da way he said dat.
Didn't like how Chop was still shiftin' his weight, like he was holdin' back words.
Didn't like how da Silent Three hadn't moved, hadn't even blinked.
Like dey already knew sumthin' da rest of us didn't.
Da Capybara leaned back against his rock, stretchin' his paws out like dis was just another conversation.
But I wasn't fooled.
His ears twitched, his claws flexed, his tail rested just slightly lifted—like he was still waitin'.
Still calculatin'.
Kweek ("Sit, little one.")
He flicked his tail in a slow, deliberate motion.
Not a command.
Not a request.
Just a statement, one he expected to be followed.
Hup ("Listen close.")
I glanced at Mama.
She didn't argue.
Didn't tell me to run.
Didn't break eye contact with da Capybara.
Cuz she knew—
We was already trapped in dis conversation.
So I sat.
An' I listened.
An' I prayed to whatever hamster god was out there—
Dat I wasn't about to regret it.