John chattered at me, almost like a growl. "Beta here long long time. Seasons change, change, cool, wet, hot hot, cool."
Definitely John then, he'd been a hamster the longest. 
I turned to the others. "All well? Eat much? Long here?"
John answered. "Find small female first, when hot hot, she barkbark, chase chase barkbark."
I sat back. Why was john answering for them? Surely the others could speak, I'd heard Larry talk. I shook my head. The barkbarks? A dog? Sue had gone after the dog stuff. So the female of John's size had to be Sue, which made the curly haired female, Jessa. Mentally I winced. Jessa had always kept her hair short like a guys. She'd hated long hair, and now, she had to deal with it as a hamster.
John continued his litany when I stayed quiet.
"Quick, quick next come in heat hot, Big male big female few suns apart storm wet soon ago.~
I nodded, I could follow that, though as a fish I had no idea about what the weather conditions were like, I got an idea of the timeline. Larry, Billy, and finally Jessa had come, and if they were talking about the storm I thought they were, they'd been together for at least a month before I'd been shifted.
"Good good, Happy all together. Soon home, soon fine good. You all speak yes? Good?" Nobody spoke up and my ears wilted. I looked to Billy first, then the others. "Bad Alpha, Bad gathering. Not again. No. Ears hear better now. You good?"
John nodded again speaking for the group. "Good soon yes." 
As one they moved forward, surrounding me and pressing in. At first I thought they were giving me some sort of group hug, but then I felt the first bite.  

#Henry