Erthë wishes that she could be as carefree as the ocean and the crying gulls that floated on suspended wings above her head. There was a certain reckless allure in their indifference that appealed to her, a dare-devil come-what-may attitude she longed to emulate. But though she might look casual and relaxed as she picked her way through the brine and sand, the small mare felt as though she might choke on the tight knot of fear and worry that had lodged itself in her throat. Everything had gone wrong. All she had thought of as true and unchangeable had been thrust into motion, leaving her without anything solid to hang on to as the ground beneath her feet fell away.

Kisamoa had lied. The Lady had left the World's Edge. The Hidden Falls were gone and neither Ascended nor God-born knew more about what was going on than anyone else. If they did, they certainly weren't sharing that information with anyone she knew.

Being worried was probably the most sensible reaction, all things considered, but Erthë disliked the feeling of constantly being on edge. Futile though it might be she made a conscious effort to push dark and gloomy thoughts aside as she strolled along the coastline, savoring the fresh scent of salt and sea with deep, greedy breaths. With her nose into the wind and eyes filled with pale sunlight, she could almost pretend that nothing had happened, that it was just another day, another dawn, another fierce wind combing its invisible fingers through her tousled locks...

Almost.

Something bright caught the light and sent playful sun-cats dancing across her eyelids. Curious, the young mare tripped over and bowed to take a closer look. A small metal trinket lay half buried in the sand, polished by wind and water until it gleamed with a soft sheen. A half smile played across her mouth as she regarded it, somehow amused to find something so seemingly precious washed up alongside the driftwood, as though to mark some quiet statement about the transience of things... Looking up, she noticed that the object was far from alone. All across the beach lay a treasure trove of trinkets, weapons and protective gear, rare and costly, curious and common.

The things would no doubt be gone before long. Helovians were a greedy lot, fond of items and decoration; she only had to look to herself to realize that. But looking down on herself, from the gruesome ivory bow to the enchanted seaweed, the magic bracelet and the numerous trinkets and amulets, Erthë had to admit that she already had more finery than she really needed.

Shrugging slightly she continued on, carefully stepping over and between the treasured items without succumbing to the temptation they provided. She would prefer to get a ways away from this place before the inevitable crowd gathered; it was a nice, quiet morning, and she was not really in the mood for chatting.

Big girls cry when their hearts are breaking