Hera had been to the village once before, so she had found the island with great ease. The village, however, was not her intended stop, and she landed her elaborate, swan-driven carriage by the shore where no one, especially Thetis, would be able to see it. The only living things nearby that she could see were a flock of sea gulls resting on some rocks and contentedly squawking.

All she had come to do was to dispose of something… but where…

She let the swans loose from their reins, and they began to wander around the beach.

Hera had always found it difficult to imagine Hephaestus living in a place like this. She had become so accustomed to seeing him covered in leather, soot, and sweat that she could not even picture him relaxing, let alone doing so by the sea.

The squawking stopping for a moment as the swans approached the rocks. The sea gulls had never seen any swans before, and they did not know what to make of their new guests.

Hera watched as a few gulls nervously hopped toward the swans. Yes, she thought, as the watched the birds interact with each other, her son had married the wrong woman. "Mother will fix it," she whispered under her breath, as if her son were standing right beside her.

She pulled a sackcloth bag out of the carriage and cocked her head to the wind. At first she heard nothing, but then…

"Aaah, there she is," she proclaimed with a smile, and she began to stroll along the beach toward the village.

Soon, she was within sight of a lone nymph, lost in prayer by the water. Hera straightened her posture and waited for the nymph to finish.

"My child," she finally said in the most regal voice she could muster.

Startled, the nymph jumped to her feet. "Hera! I… what… you…"

Hera stifled a laugh. "Do not be afraid. I have come to reward you for your faithfulness, most pious…" She paused, trying to remember her name "... nymph."

"You have brought me a husband?" The nymph could hardly contain her joy.

"No, I have left that decision up to you. Instead, I have brought you the means by which you may obtain any man you desire." She held out the sackcloth bag for the nymph to take. "Here, my child. It is yours."

The nymph stared at the plain bag in the goddess's hands, confused by its meager presentation. 'What is it?"

"Inside this bag is gift that was given to me by Aphrodite. It helped me… capture the attentions of my own husband," she lied, "and now it will help you capture the attentions of whomever you wish to marry. Find a time where you may be alone with your intended, and before you meet with him, slip this on underneath your clothes. I promise you, no matter who this man is, he will be unable to resist you."

The nymph hesitantly took the bag from Hera's hand. She wished Hera had simply brought her a husband instead, but if this is the will of the gods… "Thank you, Hera. I will make a worthy sacrifice in your honor."

"That will not be necessary. Your happiness alone will be enough for me." At that, she bowed her head slightly toward the nymph and turned away.

When she arrived back at the spot she had left her carriage, she found her swans interspersed among the sea gulls, resting on the rocks and nestled against each other like old friends.

"Get back over here!" she shouted to them, and they all anxiously hurried back to their places by the reins, to the dismay of the sea gulls.

"I can't take you anywhere," she sighed, and she ordered them to take her back to Mount Olympus.