"The people here, they are not warriors. Those other hunters I was weeth are barely able to fight off more than wild beasts. And many of them leeve een fear of the Tower Guard. Eet ees just us." She says in response to Zaf's inquiry. Nadya smiles when Jasun offers to give her some help with dinner preparation. You can tell that it's been some time since she's had any help around the house. "Could you help set the table and then wash the deeshes after deener?

The kids are receptive to your efforts to be friendly and are also amazed at how tall Rose and Jirel are.

Jirel would look around on her person to try to find a way to entertain the children to keep them busy. A sigh would involuntarily escape her lips when she'd come up blank. The goliath will absentmindedly place a hand on her stomach.

Forbidden. Unfit.

The blonde will shake the echo in her mind. She'll and look to Rose, taking comfort in her presence. "You have pretty magic..." Jirel will speak almost as softly and timid as Rose herself does, trying her hand at small talk since she was worried she'd be in the way if she tried to help. "I'm glad you're okay from that spider. Zaf took good care of you." She'd nod, her cheeks going about as pink as the firbolgs magic. Jirel wasn't used to conversing or attempting to. "I'm thankful to have your skills with us." She was thankful for everyone's if she was to be 100% honest. It was completely a team effort. But there was something calming to her about how gentle Rose was in contrast to herself.

"Of course!" Jasun agreed. He began to set the table in the best manner he knew how, assuming the customs of these people were similar to people back home.

Rose finds herself smiling in having noticed that the children had no negative reaction to either of their heights or build, but being the social awkward being she was, couldn't think of much else to say to them and hoped that maybe either they would lose interest or find something to talk about. Regardless, upon hearing Jirel speak, the firbolg would turn her attention to the goliath, noting the change in speech and softness in her voice now. A smile tugs at her lips at the compliment of her pink colored magic, her chest growing warm as she continued on, her freckled cheeks also heating up as a result.

"A-ah... Thank you, Jirel," Rose says, lowering her head a bit. "I... I needed to hear that actually. I-I was afraid that I was... unfit to be here after that fall...." The laugh is curt, mirthless, though soon after, she looks up to observe the Aarakocra briefly before her gaze goes to the floor again. "B-but yes, I am very thankful to Zaf for being so swift in picking me right back up..." Her eyes then go to Jirel. "And I-I am also thankful to you too, for your skills in battle... f-for worrying about me, and for saying those kind things when I needed to hear them the most." Again, she adverts her eyes to the ground, her fingers playing at the fringe of her coat, her voice lowering just so that the barbarian could hear her. "I-I know we've only known each other for a few days, b-but I'm finding myself caring about you all more than the ones who raised me... Does that make us... friends?"

An hour later, Nadya has some venison ready for you all, as well as some beet-based soup called borscht. "Eet took a leetle beet longer than usual, seence I had to make a larger portion. I usually do not get thees many guests."

Jasun tried the food. Whether it tasted good or not, she looked up, smiled, and said, "It tastes wonderful, thank you for having us."

Sera nods. "Thank you for sharing your food and home with us," she agrees simply.

Jirel couldn't help but let out a little huff of a chuckle when Rose would whisper the final question. It wasn't because she thought it was silly. Quite the contrary. She had found herself caught in that loop of thought herself. The goliath would catch herself leaning playfully to gently bump her shoulder with Rose's, not enough to knock her over or anything. "I hope so..." Was all she could muster back. Genuine friendship.

It would go without saying that Jirel would accept her portion of the meal with gratitude, enjoying every bit of it. "Thank you Nadya." The challenge came with trying to hold back the amount of food she enjoyed consuming. She'd eat her fill, refusing to help herself to extra, for she would not wish to take food that could be leftover to nourish the children. Besides, she could sneak some bedtime pie.

Nadya is happy that you appreciate your meals and after dinner she shows you some rooms that you can sleep in for the night. The next morning, you wake up and as Nadya goes to prepare breakfast, you all see from the window soldiers going door-to-door in the village, taking certain people out of their houses for some purpose you can't divine. "Blyad." She says. "They're roundeeng up the communeety leaders.  I do not know why they are doing thees, even eef Nazhena weel not geev me back my daughter, her soldiers should not be roundeeng people up." As Nadya wonders what's going on, six guards begin heading to Nadya's house. They will be at her doorstep in less than a minute.

Zaf is, or at least would later be upon thinking back, silently grateful to the others for taking the brunt of any social interactions. While he is not intentionally cold to anyone, neither did he invite much in the way of casual conversation. Though when spoken directly to or made a request of, Zaf assists however he can, before returning again to a semi-distracted state. The glance from Rose is thus ignored, or at least not even acknowledged in a return look until after the fact from seeming momentary paranoia out of the aarakocra. Either way, at meals end Zaf bowed his head in thanks for the meal prior to retiring for the evening...

"It is likely they are aware of presence, or perhaps even heard somehow of our intent? Either which way, it would perhaps be best if us outsiders are not visible, but able to at least observe proceedings. If you permit it, and they are coming for you, pick me up. I would accompany you." Before it can be asked what he meant, Zaf's form dissolves into a shapeless, starry mass that shrinks and reforms into that of a normal mouse.

Sera grits her teeth and forces back her automatic terror. I'm not a little girl, and those soldiers don't spell death anymore, she reminded herself silently. The white haired woman takes a slow, deep breath. "Would you like the rest of us to either hide or slip out the back, to minimize chances of you being associated with us?"

"You can hide een the closet eef you weesh. Do not go too far in case me and your mouse friend need your help."

Jasun looked around and found a closet. He opened it and dragged the closest person he was next to into it, as well.

"Oh." he smiled to Sera. "Hello. Fancy meeting you here. Hide in closets often?" he joked.

"More than you'd think - or I'd like," Sera replies dryly.

Jirel’s reply was enough for a soft smile to form of the firbolg’s lips. She thanks Nadya for the food and takes her time with it, wanting to enjoy the meal. She can’t help but feel a little bad for the barbarian though, noting her restraint, the cleric having known the goliath just enough to know that one bowl simply wouldn’t be enough to fill her belly. As to why she didn’t ask for seconds, she wouldn’t be sure, but she is sure to get her fill and pass her bowl over to Jirel to finish. “I have a small stomach, and I would hate for this to go to waste.” Would be her excuse had Jirel asked.

When morning came and the soldiers were brought to their attention, slight panic had ran through the firbolgs mind. She had a way to disappear, but it didn’t last too long, and she wasn’t sure if they had a closet big enough for her, or even Jirel to fit. They had to try though, even if it was a little tight. Once Zaf turned himself into a cute little mouse and Jasun pulled Sera into a closet themselves, Rose was quick to take Jirel by the wrist and pull her with whatever strength she had into another closet, which looked to be just enough for the two to fit. Once inside, Rose would simply murmur an apology for the rudeness in pulling her with.

You all shove yourselves into closets, with the exception of Zaf, who turns himself into a mouse that Nadya quickly stuffs in her pocket. Moments later, you all hear the door fly open as the guards enter her house. "Ees there a problem, offeecers? I hef brought another load of supplies for deleevery." she asks. " Do you know anytheeng about the whereabouts of the Black Rider?" "The Black Rider ees the herald of Baba Yaga, what would breeng heem here?" "The Black Rider ees an enemy of Queen Elvanna and Nazhena Vasiliovna. Hiding heem or weethholding eenformation on hees whereabouts ees treason." "I just told you, I do not know where the Black Rider ees." "Take her away to be weeth the others. The sergeant knows how to get them to talk. Perhaps we might come back to take another one of your cheeldren. Maybe then you'll talk." 

You hear them pulling Nadya out of the room, with Zaf still in her pocket.

Jirel would open her mouth a couple of times to try to find the words to refuse the rest of Rose's helpings, but couldn't find anything after she'd convince her she was full. The goliath would hesitate, but her stomach would garble, giving her away. She'd accept the helpings and eat slower like the firbolg did. Once done her meal, she would gather everyone's dirty dishes for the Sun of Halifax to tend too as he promised.

Although Rose's kindness left warmth in her heart and in her belly, sleep didn't come easy for the giant that night. She grumbled as she'd toss and turn. Her body was anxious. Restless. Jirel felt terrible for whoever was around her. On her own, she'd normally take the time to complete her daily training, especially before bed to exert herself. Has she been slacking? Could that be it? Eventually, Jirel would settle, running through her training routine in her mind and falling asleep with the resolve to get back to her regimen. You're getting soft Jirel.

 Jirel wakes up in a start, something gripping her wrist, strong enough to tug her. Blinking away the cobwebs in a panic, the goliath with growl and snarl, covering her stomach with her free arm and twists her arm to grab hold of the powerful being that's pulled her into a dark, cave? Feeling soft fur and a waft of cinnamon, the goliath's growl will cut off. She'll sniff. To her realization it was Rose. Jirel's primal protective instincts will pause in shock, terrified she lashed out on her friend. Her chest would rise and fall as her heart tries to calm. She'll look to the firbolg apologetically and very confused, but would at least remain silent as she'd try to get her bearings on the situation.

Jasun’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and had an amused look on his face. ”Well, now, THAT is not what I expected to hear. What exactly do you m-“

And then they took Nadya away. Jasun slowly opened the door, peeking. “We should probably follow her as well.”

"Yeah, I'll tell you the story after we deal with them," Sera agrees, slipping out of the closet.

"An interesting tale I am greatly looking forward to." Jasun admit, being careful to exit the closet, and helping Sera out, even though she probably didn't need it.