We will not call it stalking, but good fortune, that led the little mare to find her lovely idol on that day. She did not often visit the ocean, for it was vast and salty and the plants that grew there seemed foreign to her simple mind, but today she had become lost as she followed the scent of strange plants, trying to strengthen those most hurt by the sun's anger. She knew nothing of gods and their rivalries, only that the sun made things grow and sometimes die, and so did the rain, and she could not really do anything but still the plants called out greedily for her strength and she felt sad leaving her friends to suffer. Supplementing the energy she lost to the stronger trees by picking flowers that would have died anyway, she had eventually collected a large mouthful of pretty, if mostly dead, plants, and an aching exhaustion that caused her steps to shake and her dark vines to coil and wilt.

It was fortunate, then, that she had seen Lena, and followed her to the beach, keeping away from the water and the great expanse of emptiness. As the graceful mare danced, the little one watched, sitting awkwardly upon hindquarters much as a dog might, poised between standing up and lying down and quite too entranced to really manage either. Creeping vines still resilient against the sun's relentless nature fell dead as she grew strong; crimson rimmed eyes slowly unclouded beneath a shady outcrop of stone and sand. She felt no desire to speak or approach or interrupt, for it was all very lovely and she was still quite tired. It did not occur to the grey girl that her watchful nature might alarm, or intrigue, or irritate. Lena had been nice to her, and all she could think was how good it felt.

The calm was broken so spectacularly that it took her a minute to understand. She had never seen a sea serpent, but this looked like a snake. What a snake was doing in the ocean she could not comprehend, for sometimes they were in the nice water and usually in the grass, but the idea that anything lived in the salty and unpleasant expanse of emptiness that was the sea quite alarmed the little mare. From far away, she could not hear the conversation; she could only watch in horror as the creature flicked its tongue at her idol, with light flashing off gleaming teeth. Despite the nonthreatening nature of Enyo, the small mare was alarmed. In her mind, the serpent bore spines and horns, and wanted to devour her beloved Lena and eat her up.

But what could she do, the poor little plant girl? Puzzled, confused, she burrowed into a ball and then sprang to her feet, torn between action and flight and terror and saving Lena which would make her a hero and then maybe Lena would come home with her! This idea was exciting, and before she could really reflect on the logic of it she was off and running down the beach.

Unfortunately for her and her damsel probably-not-in-distress, as she neared the monster her resolve steadily weakened, until at last she stood some ten feet from the water and felt very small indeed. A glance was cast to Lena, a lump swallowed, and she opened her mouth to speak in a last ditch attempt at bravery. "Not... hurt... please?" It ended in a plea and came out as a squeak as she stared towards the serpent, dark eyes wide and terrified.