Fabric & Thread: Tale of a Plushie Lupe

      Testing its hold, Hannah prepared to quickly climb up by placing one boot against the vertical ice face. An agile Ice Skeleton, quicker than the rest, gained on her, rearing back with a huge steel axe as its ancient bones creaked in the cold air. Hannah, already completely supported by the rope, used her weight to swing hard to one side to avoid the axe. RRIIP – the steel weapon caught the edge of her long coat and tore a long gash through to the end, as Hannah ripped free. She flattened her fluffy ears against her head with a grimace and pulled hard on the rope to haul herself upward, not looking back until she made it to the top of the icy slope, then used the hook again to gain one more slope upward for extra safety.

      It was like she didn't breathe until she made it to the top and fell in an exhausted heap, now panting hard. On her stomach, she looked carefully over the edge at the large crowd of skeleton enemies that had gathered at the bottom, searching for her blindly. Once recovered, the Usul took stock of her surroundings and made a few notes on her personal map before continuing down the next icy-cold corridor, the torn edges of the coat flapping behind her as she hurried.

      Quite some time passed before Hannah made it out of this particular section of the Ice Caves. After traveling what she sensed was upward for quite some time, the Usual emerged outside, blinking in the sunlight. What the-… Had she made it to the top? She emerged into a section of valley at the top of the mountain. There were remnants of Neopians here – some abandoned shacks, wood planks. That meant help nearby, at least. She continued at a brisk pace, her well-worn boots leaving a singular set of tracks in the freshly fallen snow.

      Hannah the Usul reached the first signs of actual civilization after some time, passing by a sign painted with red paint "Toy Repair Shop". She considered some of her broken rope ends, and her dingy grapple hook. Surely they should have some repair tools there? Maybe some food? It was probably a good idea to stock up again before heading back to the Ice Caves – she knew she would have to continue in that icy place. There was something waiting for her in there. She walked up to the door and loudly knocked.

      Not rushing at all, a serious-looking Red Bori eventually answered the door. "Yes?" he questioned the waiting Usul.

      Hannah smiled with friendliness and walked in without directly answering. "Beautiful shop you've got here, think you could help me out with some climbing gear? Would be glad to pay you for your time," she asked, searching the cabin for useful tools. "Or I could trade you for some detailed maps of the area. I have extensive notes on some of the surrounding mountain ranges."

      Donny scratched his chin gently, "Well, I normally repair toys here but I suppose I could lend my hammer to a few other things." He started pulling his materials together, ready to mend the climbing ropes the Usul had brought in.

      "Thank you!" the Usul continue cheerfully, beginning to unload her very worn gear onto the nearby wooden table. "Got any stores for preserved food nearby? I want to stock up before heading out again," Hannah asked as she was already starting out the door long tail twitching with eagerness.

      Donny was about to give a few recommendations and set down to work when he briefly glanced at the Usul, really looking at her for the first time. As she spun around to reach the door, he noticed the flapping material at her edge – the tail end of her long winter coat had a large tear in it, leaving the tatters flapping in the wind.

      "Wait. Why don't you leave that coat here and I'll repair it as well. Got a big tear in it," Donny started.

      "This old thing?", Hannah looked at her jacket for the first time, feeling the tatters and remembering the Ice Skeleton incident. She hadn't even thought about fixing it.

      "Well..."

      "I've got just the thing for it. I'll sew it up with strong thread and it'll last."

      "Thanks, sir!" Hannah pulled the heavy coat off with a flourish, thankful for this reticent Bori's attention to detail.

      Donny looked through his fabric scraps, looking for a thick canvas to repair it with. It was obviously a garment that got a lot of wear and tear. Whatever this Usual was up to, she was committed to it.

      He took a pair of fine fabric scissors and cut some out the torn part - might as well replace the whole section. The green fabric of Hannah's jacket he set aside, for some reason, instead of throwing it away. He felt it was important. Meanwhile, Donny repaired the heavy coat and repaired the rest of Hannah's gear, polishing her grappling hook to fine points.

      Later, when Hannah picked up her gear and donned her newly repaired heavy coat, Donny was sad to see her go for some reason, although he couldn't elaborate on why. He decided he would keep the worn remnants of the garment he cut, as a reminder of this interesting encounter.

     ******

     It was another holiday in Neopia, and Donny was taking the week off from his well-established toy repair business in Terror Mountain. As usual, he used this time to take stock of his meagre belongings and organize things in the cabin.

      The Bori was carefully looking through some of his family's ancient documents in a worn, cardboard box. Many important papers were stored here, such as his family records. As he flipped through the dusty papers, Donny came across a golden locket necklace on a chain, some old memories coming to surface suddenly.

      The locket was a bit dingy with age, but still had a dull glow to the gold material, as Donny tangled the metal chain around his digging claws. He opened the clasp to an ancient photo of a very old Bori, blue with long hair and wrapped in a shawl. Donny hadn't viewed this photo in a very long time. This was Agatha, Donny's grandmother, and while she was alive, she was very well known as a healer in the region, always tending to local Neopian's ailments. Donny could just barely remember her from when he was a child, but the photo brought to mind warm fireplaces and healing teas. He at least could remember the sense of comfort that Agatha must have brought him.

      Tucked away in the same box was a well-made, thin wooden case. When he popped open the elaborate clasp, there was a piece of fabric inside that he had viewed many times. It was a long length of silky shining yellow fabric, surprisingly sturdy despite its delicate appearance. It seemed to even glow with a faint light as he held it in his hands. Donny thought about the many times that Grandmother Agatha had told him the story about the yellow fabric...

      *** **

     Many, many years ago, before Neopia Central, before the Ice Caves, and before the Darigan War, there had existed the bustling city of Altador, a well-known site for education of young Neopians. During these years, a young Bori was taking a pilgrimage to the large city to take apprenticeship in healing. Agatha hiked along the long way from the then-sparsely population Terror Mountain to the much warmer climate of Altador. She took only the clothing on her back and a well-worn backpack filled with her healing tools – salves, potions, bandages, and wraps.

      Like many other Neopets of her time, Agatha knew Altador was the best place to receive training in many fields, as experts and teachers tended to congregate in that area to share and expand their knowledge. As a resident healer of the remote Terror Mountain, Agatha's small family spent many years saving Neopoints in order to send their daughter for extensive training. In such a remote region, it was extensively important to have well-trained healers.

      After many weeks of travel, catching rides on passing marrow wagons, Agatha arrived in the world-renowned city of Altador, marvelling at its extensive golden architecture. A small Bori, she stood in ragged clothing before a vast, towering city that seemed to be made of gold architecture. For only a moment, she felt a fleeting sense of self-doubt – what was such a small, unimportant Bori doing here? But Agatha tightened her well-worn scarf around her neck and kept her head held high and pointed ears held upward as she walked through the gates of the renowned city. After all, even the highest Altadorian towers weren't as tall as Terror Mountain.

To be continued…