Under the circumstances, Ilde isn't overly bothered by that reaction; it's more or less sensible, she supposes, since she's still assessing whether or not Steph is a threat. (To her, to the river-- the difference between the two sometimes becomes ambiguous, and she rarely feels the need to differentiate when she's here and it goes through her as surely as she goes through it.)

There's a change in the water; then it's easier to float, like the water itself is pushing and carrying, with a buoyancy that seems almost playful. Do a barrel roll, Steph! Disclaimer: the river does not expect Steph to do a barrel roll.

(Ilde is grinning.)