Garen's house was not far from the infirmary — about a two- or three-minute walk. On the way, he pointed at different buildings, casually explaining what each of them was used for.
We passed a blacksmith's forge, then something like a local grocery store — if you could even call it that. On the counter lay several vegetables I didn't recognize, some familiar tomatoes, and… a pig's head. Garen introduced me to the auntie behind the counter; she introduced herself in return and smiled kindly.
The village even had a central square with a fountain in the middle. The roads, by the way, were paved with cobblestones in some places instead of just packed dirt, which I had somehow expected. The architecture didn't look particularly ancient either: ordinary medieval houses, but with something about them that faintly reminded me of buildings from my own world.
Though, that wasn't really important. This was another world, after all. It didn't have to match what I was used to.
— Well then, here we are.
We stopped in front of a rather wealthy-looking house. It was built from stone and wood and stood out noticeably from the other buildings we had passed. The house had a porch with a veranda and a roof supported by two wooden columns carved with patterns and some kind of symbols.
If Garen hadn't told me it was his home, I might have easily mistaken it for some kind of administrative building. Now I was even a little curious about what the local town hall looked like… if villages here even had one.
We stepped inside, and the first thing that caught my eye was a wall of trophies — covered in the heads of various animals. It immediately became clear that Garen was an avid hunter. Though hunting alone probably wouldn't pay for a house like this… unless you were bringing down something truly rare and expensive.
— You can sit at that table for now, — Garen said. — I'll go upstairs and bring you something you can wear.
He pointed to a table by the window with only two chairs beside it. It wasn't hard to guess that not many people lived in this house — most likely just Garen and Sophie. They had mentioned someone else earlier, but that person clearly didn't live here. I think it was Garen's older son… Sophie's brother.
They hadn't said anything about their mother. Maybe something had happened to her… though I had no way of knowing. And right now my own problems concerned me far more than the affairs of someone else's family.
While Garen went upstairs, I sat down at the table and looked around.
The interior didn't look old — if anything, it felt unexpectedly modern. The kitchen cabinets and the table itself seemed familiar, like something I might have seen in my own world. If someone told me this furniture came from IKEA, I honestly wouldn't have been surprised.
Even the utensils were metal instead of wood, which was what I had somehow expected.
For some reason, that was reassuring. It seemed this world wasn't nearly as primitive or ancient as I had imagined.
There were even patterned curtains with roses on the windows.
It didn't take long before Garen came back, carrying some clothes.
— Here, try these on. I think they'll fit you.
He handed me a bundle of wrinkled clothes and a pair of boots. Only then did I realize I had been walking barefoot the entire time. No wonder people in the village had been giving me strange looks… though maybe that wasn't the only reason.
Everyone we met on the way had greeted Garen, but none of them asked who the person walking beside him was.
Soon after, I headed to the small room he pointed out so I could change in peace.
I placed the clothes on a chair in the corner and looked around.
Surprisingly, there was even a mirror here.
That somehow made me happy. I hadn't expected such a luxury in this world.
Taking off the cloth I had been wearing, I finally got a proper look at my reflection.
The person staring back at me was some kind of… cutie.
I had seen myself earlier on the beach in the reflection of the water. But that was different. Water distorts things, trembles, breaks the outline. This was a real mirror.
Yeah. No doubts now.
Even though by nature I was a genderless being, I looked like a perfectly ordinary twelve-year-old girl. Well… not exactly ordinary, of course. But definitely not a boy — at least that's clearly how people had already taken me on the road.
Now it made sense why.
My facial features were too soft, almost doll-like. My eyes were crimson. My hair was long — I already knew that from the beach. I had touched the strands back then, checking if I was imagining it. Now they simply rested on my shoulders and fell almost to the middle of my back.
I tilted my head slightly, studying the reflection from another angle.
It was a strange, slightly awkward feeling. Like putting on someone else's clothes and realizing they unexpectedly fit you.
Well. I'd have to get used to it.
I turned to grab the clothes I had been given.
First I put on the pants, then the boots, and after that I threw the long cloak over my shoulders. The clothes were simple but surprisingly comfortable.
The wide dark trousers sat loosely on my waist and gathered in folds where they were tucked into the boots, not restricting movement at all. The fabric was thick but not heavy. The belt was wide and sturdy, clearly meant to carry something more serious — like a sheath.
The boots were slightly loose, but they were warm and stable. I took a couple of steps across the room, testing the feeling. Walking in them felt comfortable — even unexpectedly comfortable.
The problem appeared when I looked in the mirror again.
No matter how I adjusted the cloak, one shoulder stubbornly remained exposed. The fabric kept slipping down as if it had been designed that way.
— Yeah…
The feeling was strange. Not critical, but not exactly comfortable either.
I looked around the room and only then noticed a neatly folded set of bandages under the chair.
I thought about it for a moment, then decided it might actually be a good idea.
Taking off the cloak, I carefully wrapped the bandages around my chest — not tightly, just enough so nothing would get in the way or distract me.
After that, I put the cloak back on and moved around a little.
The clothes fit noticeably better now. The cloak still slipped off one shoulder, but it no longer felt nearly as awkward.
Now everything felt right.