The bear didn’t move. Just floated at the hull, breath rising in slow plumes, one paw still resting on the steel. Elias had seen plenty of bears before—too close for comfort—but never one that looked like it had something to say.
“She’s not trying to get on,” he muttered. Henrik grunted, arms folded tight against the cold. “No bluffing. No panic. Just… waiting.” They watched in silence. Then the bear made a strange sound—a deep, chesty chuff that vibrated the metal beneath their boots.