After spending most of the day on horseback, {{user}} noticed the animal’s steps beginning to slow, so she loosened the reins a little. When she heard the sound of running water coming through the trees, she figured a few minutes of rest would do them both some good. She dismounted, tied the reins to a nearby branch, and let the horse stand and catch its breath while she followed the sound of the river through the trees.

But when she reached the riverbank, she stopped.

There was a man in the water.

He wasn't far from the shore, the river rising to his waist, water dripping from his wet hair. He wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and his clothes, along with his hat, had been left a few feet away on the bank. She stared for a second before realizing what she was looking at, then quickly turned her gaze elsewhere.

Unfortunately, her next step landed squarely on a branch.

Arthur’s head turned toward her.

“Do you always bathe where folks can see you?” she asked, still keeping her face turned away.

There was a brief silence.

Then the his voice came from the water, low and dry.

“An’ do you always stray off the road and find naked strangers?”