Phantom Hollow And still, as he looked, he lived

Darcy was quick to lunge toward the water vole as he wobbled dangerously on his little raft, but he righted himself soon enough. "Jeez, dude," she said, taking a breath. "Don't drown on me. I just found out water voles can talk. I can't have you dying the same day."

She'd been so freaked out by him almost falling off of his raft that it took a while for his name to register in her brain. "Wait... why are you named Rat if you're a... vole?" she asked, mostly to herself. She shook her head as he asked her if she traveled much. "Well," she said, slowly, "I was born in a tundra far away from here, but the second I was old enough, I got the fuuu...dge outta there." She glanced down at Rat, suddenly feeling self-conscious about cussing in front of him. He seemed so innocent. "Way too cold for me," she finished. "Dunno how my mom can stand living there."

Darcy stopped, then, looking back at where they had come. "I guess this is far enough," she said to Rat. "Now comes the boring part. Gotta just... hold still and wait, and stare at the water for who knows how long. Best not to talk, either. Fish can hear stuff, and they'll stay away if we're too loud." She gave the vole an apologetic smile. "Sorry it's not more interesting. Might wanna get out of the water, too, and take your raft with you." She turned away from him, then, and sat down by the river's edge, staring with deep concentration at the water, searching for the flash of scales below.