Alpine Lake Tokyo night train.

She didn’t catch his expression, nor his laugh, but she felt the flick of Rodyn’s head seconds before he darted away. Towhee stood still, orange eyes watching as he plunged into the stream. Then she galloped after him, leaping into the swelling current and trading one wall of water for another.

It was hard to catch her breath when she surfaced, as heavy rain pelted her face. She sucked in a few deep, wet breaths as she spun, searching for Rodyn. She saw his face bobbing off to her left and paddled closer, squinting against the absolute onslaught.

Whose idea was this?! she bellowed, laughing despite herself. Because it was a bad one, a very bad one!

Nevertheless, Towhee made no bid for shore. Instead, she held her breath and pressed her face underwater. The stream wasn’t very deep here, though she dove for the creek bed and then twisted to look up toward the surface. She could see the raindrops striking it like shifting glass.

After marveling a few seconds, she turned her head, blowing out bubbles as she spotted one of Rodyn’s legs. Towhee swam toward him, giving the limb a playful pinch before she found purchase on the river bottom and thrust upward, her head breaking through right next to his.