'Walk with me,' the lady said pleasantly, before turning around to lead Arin away.
As he hurried to follow, Arin heard one of the old men cheerfully observe, 'It appears that our young Alma has decided to step forward and stake her claim first!' The rumbling of his friend's laughter followed them as they strode deeper into the village.
Ears burning, Arin stole a glance at her. The lady – Alma – still wore a pretty smile. He might have even believed in her façade of composure in the face of such teasing, if not for the fact that her cheeks had become even redder somehow. She turned to look at him, and their eyes met. After a few seconds of silence, she bit her lip and looked away, mumbling, 'Like I said earlier, they are bored. They don't mean any offense.'
'Oh no, of course! I don't mind at all!' Arin hurried to respond. His voice cracked slightly, and he cringed a little. He had no idea why he was acting so strange. Growing up with an older sister had ensured that he, even when he'd been in the throes of adolescence, would never see women as otherworldly beings of mystery and beauty. As such, he'd had perfectly ordinary relationships with female friends and colleagues in his own world. He had no idea why meeting an attractive woman and facing a few teasing remarks had suddenly left him awkward and stumbling over his words.
It certainly wasn't him, so… it must be because he was in Rin's body now. That guy had probably been awkward as hell!
Arin nodded to himself.
Muscle memory. Not his fault.
They had been walking in silence for a few seconds, when Alma suddenly gave a resigned sigh. She turned her head to face him again.
'That wasn't how I would've chosen to introduce myself,' she said with a small shrug, 'but you've already heard my name now. So, traveler, I think it's only fair that you tell me yours too.'
Arin had collected himself, and was able to remain calm as he responded with a smile, 'I'm Arin. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Alma.'
'Likewise, Arin!'
Just like that, the strange atmosphere from earlier was dispelled. Walking with a noticeably lighter step, Alma began to show Arin around the village. Nodding towards a cluster of houses, she said, 'Most sons in our village choose to remain with their families after being wed. And due to intermarriages between the families over the years, a majority of our farmland is shared.'
Pointing to the right, she continued, 'Besides farming and rearing livestock, we also maintain a flourishing orchard to the north and,' she turned to gesture to their left, 'have the gentle Lullwater River flowing to our south. Our village was named Lullwater after it.'
'We have been blessed with easy access to fruit, fish and fowl, and land enough to feed both ourselves and the livestock we rear.' Raising her chin slightly, Alma continued proudly, 'So, you can see why we choose to remain here, in our secluded little settlement. And why I could confidently assure you of a pleasant stay here.'
'It sounds wonderful!' Arin agreed, and they kept walking. Inwardly, he thought he might go mad if he had to live like this. Spending year after year with the same few people, gazing across the same empty pastures, with only trees and a slow-moving river to break the monotony – it all sounded like a special sort of hell to him.
However, he also knew that the stress and unpredictability of his life in the city might sound just as, if not more, unappealing to Alma. It's not like he'd ever been a fan of that either. He just preferred it because that was what he was used to. Ultimately, that's probably what made all the difference.
Still. These people didn't even have WiFi to keep themselves entertained!
Arin carelessly kicked a small rock that had been lying in the middle of the dirt road. It skittered to one side, startling a few hens that had been foraging by the bushes. The birds squawked as they angrily fluttered away. The door to a nearby house quietly opened, possibly to investigate the source of disturbance.
'Oh, Alma! It's you!' exclaimed the middle-aged lady who stood inside. 'I was wondering what had frightened those chickens…' she trailed off as her gaze landed on Arin. 'And who is this young man?'
'A traveler,' Alma responded, 'looking to spend the night.'
'Is that so…' The woman continued staring at Arin, who smiled and nodded at her. She nodded back, saying, 'I have sons your age. I'm sure they wouldn't mind sharing their space with you.'
'There's no need for that, Alvona,' Alma interrupted, before Arin could respond himself. 'We wouldn't want to inconvenience him. My house has a spare room that I'm sure will suffice.'
'But…'
'We appreciate the offer nonetheless,' Alma said in a firm yet polite voice. Grabbing hold of Arin's hand, she tugged him away from the house, calling out, 'I wish you a pleasant evening, Alvona!'
Arin also offered a brief, polite nod before letting himself be dragged away. After they'd walked far away enough to not be overheard, Alma pulled back her hand and groaned. 'I'm sorry, but please believe that I only have your best interests in mind. I doubt you would enjoy spending the whole night being hassled about marriage.'
'To… one of her sons?' Arin raised an eyebrow incredulously. Were they that open-minded here?
'To the daughter she conveniently failed to mention.'
'Oh.'
Arin looked around. Evening was beginning to settle over the landscape, softening the view. A cool breeze blew past, making grass sway and leaves rustle all across the empty fields.
'Alma, can you tell me why there aren't too many people who are out and about? Most seem to be keeping to their homes. Even when I first got here, earlier in the day, I didn't see anyone out in the fields.'
'It's because we are in our rest period,' Alma explained, the dimple reappearing on her cheek. 'We grow grain and graze livestock, and draw freely upon this land for our needs. Since long ago, perhaps even since Lullwater was first established by our ancestors, we have acknowledged this blessing.'
'But, one mustn't be too greedy. After each season of harvest, we give the land some respite. We don't farm. We don't fish. We sustain ourselves entirely on what we have stored. This is to thank the land that keeps us.'
Ok. Sustainable agricultural practices. Got it.
'With no work to do, most people simply keep to their own homes, or visit friends and family during the day,' Alma said. 'We do hold celebrations and have regular gatherings, of course. You, unfortunately, just happen to be visiting on one of the duller days.'
She looked up at the darkening sky. 'It's getting quite late.'
With a snap of her fingers, a small, bright flame appeared in her palm. Arin stared at it dumbly. He couldn't be blamed for his surprise. He had, after all, only spent a single day in this world. He hadn't expected that even the simplest of people in the remotest of villages would be well-versed with the ways of magic.
Alma held the flame in her hand aloft, lighting up the path before them.
'Come,' she smiled. 'We should head home now.'