"Now?" Salih repeated, arching a brow. A hint of dry amusement touched his lips. "Now, you are free to go. Consider our hospitality concluded. The tundra is vast." It was a clear dismissal wrapped in sarcasm. The hunters watched, waiting to see if the strange woman would take the out.
Serena didn't move. Leaving meant returning to the emptiness, to wandering with no lead on where Antikleia was. This town, with its whispers and shimmering buildings, was the first real place she'd encountered. Arvid had painted a picture of mundane, interconnected life. She wanted to understand this world, and she couldn't do that as a specter on its edges.
She cleared her throat, the sound still awkward. [I want to stay,] she telepathically communicated her intent. [I need to learn. I can work. I can contribute.]
Salih folded his arms. "With what skills?"
"I am... very efficient," Serena began, choosing her mental words carefully. [This body does not fatigue. It requires no food, no water, no sleep to sustain it. I could work through the night. I would not consume your resources.] A silence greeted this announcement, followed by a wave of muttered confusion.
A young hunter—most likely a teenage girl—squinted at her. "No food? No sleep? What are you, some kind of... of golem? Are all trans-migrators like that?"
Arvid's eyes had gone round in pity again. "There's absolutely no need to work through the night. It's not like that here."
Salih's cheeks flushed a sudden, bright red. He sputtered, his scholarly composure cracking. "Woman! You can't just—advertise your physical specifications like that! It's—it's improper! And biologically impossible!"
"..."
"Even for transmigrators, they eat and sleep like anyone else!" He pointed a finger at her. "How? If you're not lying, why is your body like that?"
The real answer—'because it was probably birthed from a dying God-Emperor as a perfect vessel'—was not an option. Guilt twisting in her gut, she looked at the snow, the picture of untainted innocence.
[I don't know,] she sent, layering the thought with a tinge of her own frustration. [I woke up in that place like this. I just am.] She then quickly added, steering the conversation, [But I am not just durable. I have excellent control. My magic is very precise. I could help with hunting or with tasks on the farms.] The plea was sincere. She was, in essence, applying for a job, and the interview panel was armed. [I am not a threat. I want to be an asset.]
The townspeople exchanged uncertain glances.
Salih was studying her, his initial fluster subsiding into deep thought. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. A connection was being made, synapses firing on a track separate from the social unease. "Your journey," he said slowly, the lighter tone gone. "From the coast, across the tundra—you probably saw no one. But did you encounter any bears?"
Serena shook her head. [... No. Not a single one. How did you know? I saw tracks, but no animals at all.] A brief, silver memory flickered. [Well, except for a white fox, once.]
"A fox," Salih murmured, his gaze turning distant, then sharply focused again. He looked at the ring of hunters, his expression shifting to one of pragmatic realization. "She walked from the eastern coast to our doorstep. Through the heart of the winter range. And she didn't see a single bear." A ripple of understanding went through the crowd. The grizzled hunter spat again, this time with excitement.
'Does that woman just have a habit of spitting?'
"... What does that mean?" Serena asked, looking between them.
"It means," Salih said, pinching the bridge of his nose again, but this time in thought, not exasperation, "that they might be avoiding you."
She did figure animals were avoiding her.
"One of my primary purpose here has been to study—and help eliminate—a bear problem. You may have just presented yourself as a potential research variable. Or bait."
"Bait?" Arvid yelped.
"A figure of speech, Arvid," Salih said, though his eyes remained fixed on Serena. "The point is, your unusual nature might be useful."
Serena felt a flicker of satisfaction at being deemed 'useful.' She pushed it down. [You have armed hunters and a mage,] she reasoned. [Why are bears such a problem?]
The townspeople shared a loaded look.
It was Arvid who answered, his voice low. "They aren't... normal bears. Not like the ones my mother previously hunted. Not like anywhere else in the world, probably."
Salih nodded. "You seem like the soft type. I can tell you haven't come across any because you didn't run away. Descriptions fail—it's best you see what we're facing for yourself." He made a decision, turning to address the armed townsfolk. "She should stay. Temporarily. Under my supervision and within the bounds of the town. We can test her claims of control and utility, then see if the bears continue to give her a wide berth."
Murmurs of agreement and circled the square.
He finally looked back at Serena, his expression unreadable. "Welcome, transmigrator. Consider yourself on probationary community service."