It felt like it took an hour to get the human males to calm down, and the gardener woman to cool off a bit. It probably took a lot less time than that, but that's what it felt like. I'm really glad I brought the lantern- it was more handy than I originally thought it would be. In fact, more than one of the village men had seemed rather transfixed on it. I took the chain off from around my neck and let it dangle in my hand- one or two people watched it sway.

I guess I had heard enough of the language, or something, but I recognized a word they started to say when looking at me, or talking about me. At least I assumed it was about me. Come to think of it, looking around the inside of this... tavern? There was a person providing drinks and food, though I didn't see any money being exchanged. Or anything else, for that matter! I figured it was a trade-and-barter system or centralized currency, but I didn't see any of that going on.

My daughters and I didn't eat anything. We didn't ask, and we weren't offered anything. Something to trade... everyone accepted trade! If we didn't have products, which we didn't... all my experiments failed because of a lack of resources. But there were things I knew. I didn't know their language, so that would be difficult. My children and I could communicate without the need for words, but none of them used to be human, so explaining things to them without showing them would be difficult at the least, if not impossible. Disjointed images and emotional states really weren't effective at explaining engineering schematics.

I spoke my own language. Judging by my inability to understand anyone else, they wouldn't understand what I said. But I could show them. I pointed at an old man's breeches, pulled up around his waist and kept on with the same kind of belt that I had when I was a medieval peasant. "I can make that easier to wear." No one seemed to understand, and the man looked uncomfortable when I pointed at him and spoke.

I tried something else. I noticed a piece of cloth nearby that looked like a rag. It was probably something important judging by the small population and lack of technology or obvious wealth, but it was important. I could possibly replace it later... whatever. I pointed to a hole in it, looked at the gardener woman, then started making hand-sewing hand movements, while maintaining eye contact. She looked curious for a moment, then got up quickly and ran out of the building. More than a few of the old men looked uneasy, but the woman came back and handed me what I had asked for- a sewing needle and thread. Thick thread, similar to what I would have used to repair upholstery in the 2020s.

Instead of repairing the rag, I used my claws to start to rip the cloth, but it was of low quality and was able to be ripped down its short length. I ripped it a few more times, engrossed in my work. I felt Djraine and Sun's curiosity and discomfort in the villagers' gazes. In tiny little bits, I pointed at the old man's breeches again. He covered his crotch with his hands, thinking I meant to... no, I didn't need anyone seeing that. I pointed to my bathrobe's decorative belt loops, and pointed at his clothes again.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I hadn't noticed, but someone had left and brought me a pair of their own breeches that seemed almost too ruined to wear, with a large amount of patches and sewn-up parts. Maybe that was the reason these clothes were so baggy, to plan for them having to be sewn back together over and over, decreasing the leg room each time? That isn't how it worked in my previous life in the medieval period, but maybe that's what happened here. I took the breeches from the man and started to sew belt loops into it. It took me quite awhile, and my daughters that came with me were starting to get hungry and thirsty, but we couldn't do anything about that right now. Hopefully we could finish this up, make a good connection, and find something on the way back as soon as possible. Since I had them anyway I sewed a few areas together that needed to be fixed in order to be worn- I ignored the leg parts. I gave the man his breeches back.

I doubted he'd figure it out, though he might... so I just tugged gently on his belt and showed him my bathrobe and how belt loops worked. He was clearly comfortable with changing his breeches right then and there. His tunic was long enough that it covered him enough so I guess it was fine. Plus, that's their culture, not mine. I held him by the shoulders and moved him back a few inches, and took a step back myself- bumping into something and knocking over what sounded like a pewter mug. Oops. Well, ignoring that, I pointed at his breeches again. His gaze followed where my finger was pointing, and I grabbed a hold of his breeches with the middle knuckles of two of my fingers and pulled gently. I used to wear clothes like that, and if someone had done that to me, it would quite possibly pull them down a little and if it was pulled on hard, it would be very embarrassing. The man noticed the belt's placement in the loops made it stay on easier and resist being pulled.

My stomach growled, and someone noticed it. It was the old man who was behind the bar, who had given out food and drinks earlier. He gave me a big, dry piece of bread. I ripped off a couple pieces and shared it with Sun and Djraine. "Thank you", I told the man. I transmitted a little bit of anger at my daughters and they looked at me. "Say 'thank you' to the man." I said to them. "Thank you" I repeated, while looking at the man who gave me the bread. They repeated my words. I think everyone understood them at that point.

We said our goodbyes- me in English, and the girls in... whatever language that was. It was very past the time to go back home. I heard that word again. That word when the people were talking about me, staring at my lantern. It could quite possibly be a hindrance now, being out in the middle of... the nearby city? It would possibly only really become a danger in the forest on the way home, if something aggressive came after us, seeing my flame flicker in the darkness. "Wayfarer", they seemed to have named me.