She didn't say aloud what she was thinking.
Carrying the pistol didn't save her, so what good would it do me? She knew how to avoid or scare off any wild animal that wasn't rabid, but a gun wouldn't do shit against any vaesen unless they just so happened to be vulnerable to lead.
It would work against a human, a voice in the back of her head said. She frowned and waved a hand in front of her face as if waving that voice away, even though she knew it wasn't an external thought, just one she didn't like. She really didn't like the idea of killing a person. It was much harder to disable someone without killing them with a gun.

The sound of crickets and the pain in her knees made her realize she'd been in her awkward crouch of shame for too long. The chickens were all staring at her. The nisse had disappeared.
Freya climbed to her feet with a groan and stretched her back. It was really late, now. After making sure the chicken pen was firmly locked, she went over to the cow pasture, grabbing one of the lanterns from its hanging spot on the way. She found the cows clustered together by the fence, and easily did a quick headcount. She saw something small moving around the perimeter of the herd, and realized the nisse had brought the cows to the fence to make it easier on her since it was late.

Freya hung the lantern back up on her way to the house, debating on the walk whether she wanted dinner or not. Ultimately, she decided she was more tired than hungry. So she went inside, made sure both doors were locked, then went upstairs to her bedroom. She stripped off her outer clothes, pausing to look at the denim work pants. She couldn't imagine doing her chores or wandering around the wilderness in skirts, but she knew other women did. She never wore pants into town. The people of El Paso were too scandalized by it, and it wasn't worth the whispers and stares.
She didn't bother putting on a nightgown, she just tossed her clothes on the floor to worry about tomorrow, and collapsed onto the bed in her smallclothes.

Freya fell asleep quickly that night, but her sleep was plagued with restless dreams.
Eyes in the dark; green, no... gold, no! Green, glowing, slitted pupils like a cat. Now they were gold, definitely gold, and shining bright like a full moon in the black sky above, bathing her in a golden glow like torchlight. From the darkness, hands reached out for her. It should have been frightening, but it wasn't. Their movement was tentative, gentle. Dark fingers brushed her unbound hair from her face, trailed down the side of her throat, and explored her bare body. What happened to her clothes? Had she been wearing anything before? She shivered, but bot from cold. She felt warm, almost hot, her breath coming in panting gasps as the shadow hands touched her in places she had never even dared touch herself, aside from bathing. It wasn't the same.