Judging by the speed those three guys were falling and how far they were from the ground, Aoko knew she didn't have much time. So she immediately disabled her optical camouflage and flew over to the trio as they were plummeting.
"Hey, do you need any help?" (in Draconic) Aoko asked with what she thought was a friendly expression, addressing the three who were both screaming and falling.
"Ah ah ah ah ah! Huh?" The human male among them screamed, then looked at Aoko with a confused expression, as if he didn't understand what she was saying.
"I said, do you need help?" (in Infernal) Aoko thought maybe he didn't understand Draconic, so she switched to the more universal Infernal.
This time, they didn't just scream; even the aarakocra (birdman) looked at her in fear, which surprised Aoko a bit.
She snapped her fingers, and a flash of magical light from Tongues spell appeared and faded. Now she could finally hear what they were screaming.
Aarakocra: "Ahh! What the hell are you guys going to do to me? So scary ahhhhh!"
Human male: "Holga! Is this woman a devil in disguise? Why is she speaking Infernal to me, ahhh!"
Human female: "Why are you saying such nonsense at a time like this, ahhh!"
Seeing that they were about to hit the ground, Aoko decided to save them first and ask questions later. Otherwise, if they turned to mush, reviving them would be a problem, and she might even have to find some more people in this godforsaken place.
So she waved her hand, and the magic of Feather Fall enveloped everyone. About five meters above the ground, the trio floated gently down onto the frozen earth, completely unharmed.
"Edgin, are you alright? Are you hurt?!" The strongest of the three, the woman called Holga, was the first to get up and check on her companion.
"I—I think I'm fine," said Edgin. "Jarnathan? Is Jarnathan okay?"
"Jarnathan's under your butt," Holga glanced at Edgin, "if you don't get up, you'll smother him."
"Oh! Sorry..." Edgin quickly climbed off the aarakocra, Jarnathan, who started coughing and gasping for air, looking utterly exhausted.
"Greetings, I'm a mage traveling from another plane. I came here to—" Aoko began introducing herself formally, hoping to get some information, but was immediately interrupted by another voice.
"You—you fugitives!" Jarnathan gasped, "I—I was going to pardon you, but now you'll all be thrown back in prison for life!"
Hearing this, Holga and Edgin exchanged a look, and Holga promptly knocked Jarnathan out with a punch. Then they turned to look at the smiling young woman beside them, who didn't seem interested in arresting or reporting them.
"Listen, mage," Edgin said quickly, "I don't know what someone like you wants here, but whatever you want to know, can we leave this place first?"
"No problem," Aoko thought for a moment and replied, "We can talk as we go."
"Great!" Edgin grinned, patting Holga's shoulder. "Let's head to my home first, and we'll figure everything else out there!"
"Wait, what about Jarnathan?" Holga pointed at the aarakocra. "We can't just leave him here—he'll freeze to death!"
Edgin stopped, hesitating. He just wanted to escape, not kill an innocent man, but the pursuers would probably catch up any moment…
"That's easy." Aoko stepped forward, her black-gloved hand glowing green. With a healing spell, Jarnathan's pained expression quickly eased.
Then she made a simple gesture, and a flash of abjuration magic enveloped Jarnathan—he was now protected with Endure Elements.
"Let's go," Aoko said. "For the next 24 hours, Mr. Jarnathan won't freeze to death here."
"Perfect," Edgin said happily. "I know a path through the Spine of the World, but we'll need mounts and supplies. We can't rely on Fly all the time; got to save spell slots for emergencies!"
"Mounts?" Aoko asked. "How far is the nearest place to get them? I can summon temporary ones."
"That's great!" Edgin said. "Let's set out right away—time waits for no one."
Aoko didn't object. In this unfamiliar land, her only advantage was her level as a Weave-user, so saving spell slots was good.
She tapped her staff on the ground, summoning three thick-furred horses with sturdy legs but not very tall—much like Icelandic horses.
The three mounted up and, amid Edgin and Holga's laughter, rode away from the lonely, black prison tower in the frozen wilds.
"We'll head to Bryn Shander first," Edgin said as they rode. "It's one of the Ten Towns and the only nearby place where we can easily get horses. That way, you don't have to keep summoning."
"I'm Aoko Aozaki," Aoko introduced herself. "Just call me Aozaki. I'm a mage from another world, here to learn new magic and broaden my horizons."
"I'm Edgin—Edgin Darvis," said Edgin, "and that's my old partner, Holga Holga Kilgore."
"But... 'Aozaki?'" Edgin looked puzzled. "That doesn't sound like a woman's name."
"It's my family name," Aoko explained. "Where I'm from, the surname comes first, given name second."
"I see," Holga mused. "That's like those Eastern monks—their surnames come first too."
"Wizards from other worlds are rare, but not unheard of," Edgin said. "I've seen some in Neverwinter and Waterdeep, but they're all reclusive oddballs."
"Wait—this is the continent of Faerûn?" Now it was Aoko's turn to be surprised. Hearing those city names, she immediately asked Edgin.
"Of course!" Edgin replied. "Welcome to the world of Toril!"