The horses had been put to rest, all of them groomed and fed and sent to their stalls to bed down for the night. Knight and the two recent arrivals of a palomino and a buckskin gelding going by the names of Galahad and Gawain were all settled in and it gave Penn time to consider a night to herself without well… responsibility.

She had to laugh at the expression she was likely to see on Galahad and Gawain’s face if they knew she had named two of her horses after them. It was nothing to disregard the strength and capability of either man, more like nostalgia for she had missed them.

The night had grown warm and humid leaving her to peel the work shirt off once more and rolling up the cuffs of her riding breeches. Boots long had been abandoned and she treasured the sensation of the fresh green grass tickling her toes. The suspenders were dropped down to hips as she was left with her hair sweat dappled and unbound to play against the white cotton tank top she wore.

The prior conversation with Icer had given her with a good idea. There was nothing more appealing on a humid evening then a moonlight swim, and lucky for Penn the land she had purchased for Avalon Stables just so happened to have its own private lake.

It still unnerved her of the thought to abandon everything without a guard or protection, but the nostalgia of being far from the water was something she could not ignore.

She made quick work of running to the lake. Upon reaching the shoreline she undressed swiftly with the relic tucked beneath the pile of her abandoned clothes. One whispered word assured of its safety but even then she felt wary.

Penn could hear the water spirits whisper to her in their flowing, rippling greetings as her naked form dove deep into the cool depths of the lake and she reveled in that moment. At that time she felt at peace. At that time she felt something as close to home as she would ever manage from this point forward.

Still the wary edge could not be dismissed as she reluctantly resurfaced with a throw back of shining gold curls left heavy and slick from the weight of the water, lake blue eyes searching her surroundings.

Penn remembered then that no matter how she wished it to be, she was on her own now and would not be blessed with any moments ever again where she could let her guard down.