Kerga opened her mouth to ask for further explanation, but the door swung open instead and Noxus entered, a bag hanging over his shoulder. She stood from the table and approached her mate, who held out the bag.
"Were they available? I worried they already left in preparation for the cooler months."
Noxus shook his head and smiled. "They were in the middle of gathering their belongings, but were kind enough to share their possessions." Turning to address the three women at the table, he continued, "A family of Lacerta lives nearby. They are close to your size and have four daughters. They have a tendency to clear out their clothing before leaving so they may return with new ones."
Hazel watched as Kerga pulled items from the bag, laying them on the table one by one. Breeches, shirts, vests, and footwear were among the piles of fabric. Creeping closer, Hazel, Jaslyn and Brynn smiled at the ogre.
"Thank you. So, so much." Brynn told Noxus. Hazel could tell she wanted to go in for a pat or a hug or something. But being unaware of the local customs and creature habits, she refrained.
"You didn't have to do this," Jaslyn added, "but we really appreciate it."
Hazel nodded rapidly in agreement. She grabbed a few items off the table: a pair of sturdy brown pants, a breezy cream colored tunic, long vest which would button halfway up her torso, and a pair of boots that looked close to her size. The outfit was fairly mismatched, almost cohesive but not quite there. But it was clean and it would fit.
Brynn and Jaslyn collected their own outfits as well. Brynn ended up with a black pair of pants, a gray hooded tunic, and a leather belt. Her outfit also had boots, seemingly a staple item in this world for human sized people.
Jaslyn's clothes were airy, almost dresslike. A long green tunic was in her hands. It was cut higher in the front and lower in the back, and laced up in the front. She also carried a brown long sleeve blouse, a multi strand belt, and a hooded scarf.
They each selected a cloak with fur lining the inside, a necessity for the cooler months sure to approach. Especially if they were here longer than intended.
"Alright, go get changed and we'll get some food in you. I'd like to hear about why you're in the area, as well," Kerga told them, nodding to herself. "Humans rarely come to our lands, so this is surprising."
She turned, heading to the stove, and the three human women took that as the dismissal it was. They headed back into the bedroom and quickly changed into their new wardrobe. With each piece of clothing removed from their previous life, reality once again hitting Hazel in the face.
The graphic t-shirt and hoodie she wore with skinny jeans was no longer normal. Those were the strange clothes. Now, she just looked like she was off to a festival, a day of playing pretend before returning to reality.
Turning to Brynn and Jaslyn only cemented those thoughts further. A pile of sneakers, tshirts, and jeans covered the floor, and they sort of just…stared.
"What do we do with these?" Jaslyn asked, crossing her arms. "No one in this place is going to want those."
"Not to mention how disgusting they are," Brynn added.
Hazel chewed on the inside of her cheek, brow furrowed. They weren't wrong. There's no way anyone would want those clothes. They were stained, soaked in sweat and dirt, and didn't look right here to boot.
"We can just ask for a bag to stuff them in," she concluded. "We can just wash them as best as we can and then take them along. It wouldn't hurt to keep them as a change of clothing if we need them, you know?"
Brynn and Jaslyn nodded. Jaslyn used her boot to push the pile of clothes out of the way, tucked in the corner before they left the room.
Dramatic as it may have sounded, leaving that room with fresh clothes, with heavy cloaks lined with fur draped over their arms and peasant shirts made from linen, it just felt strange. It felt as though they were truly leaving their life, the life they had not twenty-four hours ago, behind.
It felt surreal.
Entering the kitchen again, Hazel could already smell something delicious and mouth-watering. Or maybe she was just starving. Either way, her steps sped up as the trio made their way to the kitchen. Kerga stood by the stove, arms crossed over her chest as she waited. Everything she did, everything both of them did, seemed to be done with the energy of a warrior.
Hazel wondered if that was an ogre thing or a fantasy world thing. Huffing out a breath of air, she turned her attention to the table.
The table did not yet have food on it. Instead, there were weapons. One sword sat on Noxus' lap as he took a rag to the steel. The scent of food overpowered the cleaner, but Hazel would bet if Kerga were not there making food, the smell of oil would be filling the air.
"I stepped out to the shed and pulled some supplies out. I know we are not the last stop on your journey, after all," he told them, gesturing to the table. At a loss for words, Brynn took the first step towards the table and up the makeshift steps.
For not the first time, Hazel was grateful the two ogres created a step stool to make the chairs and table more accessible. While they were not giants by any means, they were nine and ten feet tall. The furniture matched their height and made it very difficult for a small crew of five foot something humans to use it.
Knives, a couple of swords, a double edged axe and a bow with arrows were among the items laid on the table. Noxus gestured to them. "When our children were young they practiced with these weapons. They should be perfect for your use and about the right size," he explained.
Jaslyn poked around first, casually lifting knives and examining them before placing them back down.
"Do…you even know what it is you're for in those weapons?" Hazel asked dubiously, watching her sift through the weapons.
"No, not even a little."
She shrugged. "Fair enough."
Jaslyn stopped, gripping the rough wood handle of a double-axe. "This, though," she grunted with the effort of picking it up, her face twisting into a comical expression as she fought for balance. "This is just fun." Her voice was strained and Hazel held back a snicker.
"You can barely pick it up," Brynn added dryly. She too went for the knives and the sword. "I like these. These are pretty. How hard can throwing a knife be? You just…pew!" She made the motion of throwing a knife, nearly knocking forward as she did.
Hazel made a face. "I mean, I would think it's pretty difficult." She walked around the table to the bow propped up against the chair, arrows sitting in a quiver beside it. With hesitant fingers, she picked up the bow. The wood was smooth and cool to the touch, and while Hazel knew absolutely nothing about bows, she could appreciate how pretty it was. Wordlessly, she claimed the weapons, pulling the quiver over her shoulder and gripping the bow in her hand.
Instead of making Hazel feel unstoppable and powerful, however, it just made her feel like a little kid playing dress-up. It felt like she was just cosplaying. Looking at her clothes and the weapon in her hand made her feel small and silly.
What would she do with that weapon, anyway? It wasn't as though she had training. Glancing at her friends, she found them looking over their weapons as well. They seemed to be more enthusiastic than she felt, though.
With a sigh, Hazel closed her eyes and leaned back.
"I've prepared food," Kerga announced, pulling her from the negative thoughts. The smell in the air, of spices and meat, practically made Hazel drool. She followed Brynn and Jaslyn to the table and they got comfortable.
Seeing the surprise on their faces at the fairly normal sized cups and plates, Kerga reiterated, "We haven't cleaned out all the things our children used. Though, I suppose right now, that's a good thing." She gave them a smile and Hazel was thankful she had been given a few hours to acclimate to the sight. The small tusks gave an otherwise human looking smile some sort of edge. It was nothing on the long curled tusks Noxus had, but all the same, the sight proved to be a bit unsettling.
Kerga distributed food, a delicious smelling meat and some sort of root vegetable in a creamy white sauce.
It was, Hazel admitted, the best food she'd tasted in a long time.
As the dishes were being gathered and washed up, the time for questions came.
"I don't believe you ever really answered my question," Noxus said calmly. Hazel realized he didn't want to spook them, so speaking in quiet, calm tones probably negated the anxiety that came from meeting someone far larger than you were.
The women shifted in the spots, a bit uncomfortably. "It…it's weird to say."
Kerga nodded encouragingly.
Jaslyn sighed, tipping her head back with closed eyes before speaking. "Hazel was poking around a bookstore in our world, picked up a book, and we think it transported us here, to this world." She made eye contact with Noxus and Kerga both, flicking her gaze between them. "That's the shortest version possible."
"We honestly have no idea what we're doing, where we're going, or where we are," Brynn confessed, slumping in her spot. "I have a family back home. And I don't even know if I'm going to see them again." Her voice strained a little toward the end and Hazel watched as she clenched her jaw. Whatever emotions Brynn felt clawing up her throat, she was choking on the force with which she shoved them back down.
Kerga had a frown on her face, fingers steepled in front of her. "A book with transportation magic? That is very much something Fae would do." The way she spoke was so factual, so casual that Hazel nearly fell over. Once again, she was reminded of how absurd this was. "We can direct you on where to go for answers."
Standing up, Kerga motioned for Noxus to collect something. "We have an extra map after we misplaced the family one," she explained, opening a drawer and pulling out a folded piece of parchment. Kerga unfolded the flaps and kneeled down, laying the map out on the floor where Jaslyn, Brynn, and Hazel could see.
She gestured to a forest on the map. "This is our part of the forest," she explained. Gesturing to the outer rim of the trees, Kerga continued, "This is where Noxus found you. If you take this path, the one closest to the river, you will make it to Viorlag. From there, you only need to find transportation to Ordjall. Ordjall is the largest city in the country. Someone should have the answers for your questions."
Kerga folded the map up and stood. "It will be two days journey, perhaps three, for you to reach Viorlag." Opening a cupboard, Kerga pulled two sacks out and laid them on the counter. Turning back to see the three women, she gave them a soft look. "You will rest here tonight. Tomorrow, you will start your journey home."
"Why do this?" Hazel asked, waving her hand out. "You don't even know us. Why be this kind? Why help us this much? What do you get out of this?"
Pain flashed across Kerga's face and Noxus made his way to her, settling a steady hand on her shoulder. It steadied her, and she gave him a subtle look of gratitude. "Because I know what it's like to want to return to your family's side," she said, shoulders back and determination in her eyes. "I know the feeling. And I don't want anyone else to feel the same."