A suspicious ripple out of the corner of her eye alerted Blue; she glanced to the left--nothing. Easing behind the long overhanging root near the bank, she slithered slowly along the high shore, not even breathing as to keep all signs of her presence hidden.

Nothing stirred; even the slight breeze had died. The insects still chirped at the edge of her hearing, the river gurgled on as it had since long before their time. Blue narrowed her eyes. He was hiding somewhere..stalking her...

She abruptly slipped beneath the water, intending to dart across the pool for yet another shadowy hiding place, but the surge of a sudden underwater current had her leaping straight up, throwing molten silver in a splashing arc, and she dove aside with a shrill screech, giving a reflexive kick as she flailed away.

But she came up laughing, the adrenaline which had shot through her easing a little, and Blue fell back on her butt in the shallower water, chortling on the sandy bottom. That had been so fun! Then she called for him, scanning the water and watching for him to emerge.