His daughter planted her hands in the wet sand, and pale roots came bursting out around her. They broadened into smooth wooden boards, each one parting from its stem with a crack before another grew in its place.
Quinlan drew them out to his wives on the water. Ayame grabbed the first and laid herself across it, her bare feet kicking behind her as it carried her over a swell.
"What are we doing with these?"
"Surfing. I'll make you a wave, and you see how long you can stay on top of it."
"Oh, that sounds fun!" Serika snatched up a board and hugged it against her chest. "Make mine a big one, Quin!"
"On our feet?" Vex asked, pushing herself up on her board. She studied the wood beneath her, then the waves farther out. "I have to try this~"
"Let me guess." Ayame's eyes narrowed, though the edge of her lips refused to fall into line. The delicate samurai was grinning hopelessly as she said, "You'll come with us and show off."
