The air in the Great Chamber was thick, vibrating with the collective squeaks and rustles of thousands of Mouselings. In the center, the Matriarch sat perched on her feathered throne. She was tiny, her fur white as milk and her eyes like two sharp, black beads that flicked incessantly, calculating the value of everything she saw.
"You must be the Rose-Tiger." She said and my brow tilted up.
"Rose what?"
When did I get a nickna like that?
Was it because I had such a soft scent from the berries?
But Rose tiger? I didn’t think I’d ever get a nickna to begin with.
I like it though.
While I happily danced in this nickna, the matriarch looked at the troller in the rabbit’s possession.
She didn’t even glance at the rabbits.
It was then that I noticed the kind of gaze she had.
I know anyone who saw the troller would be marveled by the invention, so I didn’t think much of it, until I saw her whiskers twitch with pure, unadulterated greed.
She recognized the efficiency of the wheel imdiately—a way to move more grain with less labor.
Ah... She was definitely a businesswoman, not wanting to pass on sothing wonderful.
I guess I can give her the blueprint if she gives reasonable compensation. That way, this idea can circulate more.
I thought it was just that—and that she was strictly for business—not until her gaze slid to Fenric and Damar. She didn’t look at them with fear; she looked at them like high-end muscle, licking her lips as her eyes lingered on their powerful fras with a possessive, comrcial glint that made my blood start to simr.
I frowned right away, sensing a threat I would very much like to get rid of.
The heck!?
Why was she looking at my n with those beedy disgusting eyes?
Finally, she sniffed the air, her nose wrinkling as she caught the scent of my berry-infused soap.
Ah, even my soap?
Now she’s going too far with her greed.
"The Rabbit-Kin have brought a marvel," the Matriarch squeaked, her voice like grinding stones. "The rolling platform... the large beasts... and you, Rose-Tiger. You carry a scent that would fetch a king’s ransom in the deep markets. We shall take the platform, the secret of the scent, and perhaps we can discuss a... lease... for your guards."
My guards? My GUARDS?!
My jaw tightened. The nerve of this woman—this ’rodent’.
She wasn’t even talking about a trade; she was talking about a monopoly at this point. She wanted to strip us of our innovations and our autonomy just because we were under her roof. She had that insufferable ’Queen Bee’ ntality, thinking she could manipulate n and markets with a twitch of her tail.
And worse... She had her eyes on my N! My HUSBANDS! That’s going too far, and even if she’s a queen, matriarch, or whatever, I will not let it slide.
I let out a slow, rhythmic clap. The sound echoed sharply against the clay walls, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.
"Bravo," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Truly. You’ve built a wonderful little market here, Matriarch. You’re very smart. A real titan of industry."
I stopped clapping, my face flattening into a mask of cold indifference.
"But I’m not interested. The rabbits are here to give you your herbs, vegetables, and listone in exchange for other things. A fair trade. We, on the other hand, are just passing through to the exit. We aren’t for sale," my voice sliced through the air as I glared at her. "...and neither is my ’scent’."
The Matriarch’s eyes narrowed into slits. The friendly comrce facade dropped instantly.
"You are in the Heart of the Warren, Big-Walker. There are ten thousand spears between you and the Eastern Exit."
Is she really bragging about those tiny spears that can’t even prick like a needle can? Pathetic.
"You do not leave until I say you leave. You do not carry secrets out of my tunnels that I have not bought. It might have been your choice to step in here, but leaving is not up to you."
Her tiny voice carried authority and firmness, I’ll give her that, but that’s all there is to it. At the end of the day, we’re up against rats, my arch enemies.
Is she really going to give a reason to stomp on her?
The rabbits behind whimpered, shrinking into a ball. The Mouseling guards leveled their obsidian spears, ready to attack on orders.
"If you finally know your place, then surrender your ideas." Her whiskers twitched, and her face brimd like she had already won.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then, I started to laugh.
It wasn’t a giggle or a nervous titter. It was a loud, manic, chest-deep laugh that rang through the massive chamber like a bell. I threw my head back, the sound echoing off the pillars until the Matriarch actually recoiled, her ears twitching with visible nervousness. She looked at like I’d finally gone crazy.
Yeah, yeah, I did go crazy.
The laughter died abruptly.
The warmth left my face, replaced by a gaze so cold and murderous it felt like the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
I felt Fenric shift beside , his growl vibrating in the floorboards, while Damar’s eyes turned into twin pools of silver death.
"Who do you think you’re talking to?" I asked, my voice a low, dangerous growl.
I took a slow, deliberate step forward. The guards flinched, their tiny spears trembling.
"Did running a big comrcial land make you forget that you’re just a rat, and I’m a predator?" I hissed, leaning down until I was eye-level with her feathered throne. "If I so wish it, my mates and I will wipe out your entire tribe, mouse queen. We will tear these pillars down and bury you in the dirt you’re so proud of. And do you know who will hold us accountable? No one. Because there won’t be anyone left to tell the story."
I let my golden eyes flare with the full intensity of the tiger spirit.
"So, do you still think you have the right to speak about ’leasing’ my husbands or ’buying’ my secrets?" I leaned in even closer, the scent of the berries on my skin clashing with the scent of her fear. I hissed at her. "Go look for soone your own size to ss with, you thieving bitch!"
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