Not all humans - and at first glimpse, that's all she thinks he is - come so close to the river-water. There are reasons for it, lots of different reasons, but they all mean that people dipping their bodyparts in the water is a little unusual. Enough that Ilde's natural curiosity surpasses her lack of interest in winning friends and influencing people; she swims towards him, knifelike in the water.

She stays under the water, for the moment, but she watches him from beneath it - near enough to be seen - watching to see if he does anything else.