Lanterns Between The Starlight

The train stopped and Sophie-Anne looked out the window. She had no idea of what to expect here. The past few weeks had been tiring even with the train travel. Then again, she was just…tired in general. She had taken on too much even for her back in Threadfall. She’d heard Willowmere were a quieter place, but she had her doubts. It was on the outskirts of the Lumenwild as opposed to in the heart of the country. She really had no idea how small-town living would suit her as opposed to Threadfall’s constantly busy lifestyle and business. “Willowmere! Boarding and unboarding for Willowmere!” called someone from the train platform. Sophie-Anne sighed and picked up her suitcase. Not that she really needed it; most in the Lumenwild only had one or two outfits. It had all of her business papers, licenses, books, and other learning materials. Threads could be repaired and things stitched back together. Outfits were easily repaired. Books and such, however, were much more valuable and required care. She didn’t want to leave them behind especially since she had heard of the sorcerer Erol that lived in town. She stepped off the train and looked around. Most of the other plushes bustled around her, not paying her any mind as they had Loomborn they were meeting up with. She was alone. She had expected it, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Nobody knew her here and would likelyneverknow her. She had never had many friends back in Threadfall either. Then again, she was constantly busy, so she supposed it made sense that nobody really befriended her… She just needed some peace and quiet after failing so badly. All she wanted was to help, but she had failed… Shaking the thoughts off, she stepped off of the platform. A gentle trill made her look down. A rough-looking brown-and-black tabby cat with green eyes looked up at her. “Wow. That’s amazing.” Awakened wereincrediblyrare. It was crazy to think one had just shown up out of the blue. Probably just passing by. Nobody here knew who she was, so the cat couldn’t be here to greet her. “What’s your name?” Awakened weresorare… Even in Threadfall, she had only seen a handful. They really were amazing and required respect in a way that no other Loomborn did. Granted, Old Threads also required respect, but theyweren’tAwakened. She wondered if Willowmere had any Old Threads or not. She was pretty certain Erol was one, but she had no way of confirming without meeting him. And she was too tired. She just needed to rest right now… She needed to head to the Ribbon Goose Inn and get a room for a few nights while she figured out what she was going to do with herself here in Willowmere. Luna circled Sophie-Anne and her luggage a few times. A nearby giggle made Sophie-Anne look up. A cream-colored Loomborn moth stood nearby. She wore a shirt with rainbows on it, a multi-colored skirt, and sparkly rainbow shoes with ribbons that neatly tied over her feet. “It’s rare Luna chooses someone so soon,” the moth said. Her wings flapped and she took off, leaving Sophie-Anne alone to contemplate what was going on. Inam, her bat friend that often visited Willowmere, said it would be incredibly different than Threadfall which was definitely already proving to be true. “Where are you going?” the little tabby asked. “Honestly…I’m not sure. At least outside of the Ribbon Goose Inn.” She smiled as best she could, but she couldn’t hide her exhaustion. She wasn’t used to traveling such long distances and the overnight rides had been bumpy and taxing. She couldn’t afford loom-threaded trains which offered soft, smooth, gentle rides. After her failure, she hadn’t been able to find any work. Inam had helped her fund the trip, but it was at a cost to themselves. Loom-threaded trains would have been so much better… She hadn’t slept well in weeks. Luna chirped again and stood up. “Let’s get you where you’re going then. Aleksy will help you. Do you have any reservations?” Sophie-Anne shook her head. “No… I just arrived.” Threadcoms were rare and expensive, so it wasn’t like she could just call ahead. She wasn’t sure a place like Willowmere would evenhavethreadcoms. It was on the very edge of the Lumenwild. Infrastructure like threadcoms required more urban settlements like Threadfall and not more far-flung places like Willowmere. And sending messages ahead of time with as far out as Willowmere was… She didn’t have time to waste. It was best to just come in person and hope that the inn had a place she could stay for a few nights while she found her bearings in the town. She couldn’t really weave her magic anymore, so that would be off the table… She had come toescapeher failure back in Threadfall. “Let’s go then!” The tip of her tail flicked over like a question mark and she started walking. Sophie-Anne followed, looking around warily. Nobody seemed to be paying her any mind which was…good. She didn’twantany attention on her. She’d already had too much attention after her failure in Threadfall. Inam had promised her that Willowmere would welcome her, but she had her doubts. Small towns like this often didn’t welcome strangers. She really had no idea what the Loomborn here would think of her. All she wanted was to rest. She was so tired. The weeks of travel by train hadn’t helped either. Overnight trains were awful and she hoped toneverhave to travel by them again unless it was a loom-threaded train. But those cost an arm and a leg and she didn’t want to deal with that… She had so little money in reserve right now… The fact Inam had helped herat allspoke volumes to her best friend’s character. Everyone else in Threadfall scorned her the moment she had failed and become unreliable. They headed off the train platform into what looked like a village square. Loomborn bustled about, not one face bereft of a smile. How could that be…? She had no idea. So many Loomborn in Threadfall looked absolutely miserable… How could the Loomborn here be so different? Had Inam not been lying? Were things really better here in Willowmere…? Inam always seemed refreshed when they returned despite the long trip. Sophie-Anne had always turned down the offer for the sake of work. Plus, getting time off hadn’t been easy. Now…she had nowhere else to turn. Willowmere was apparently a place of new beginnings and Loomborn being able to find happiness… It had sounded too good to be true, but seeing the smiling faces… They came up to a small wooden building that had a faded sign with a goose on it. Luna rapped on the door, making Sophie-Anne flinch. A moment later a light brown bear with fur in numerous swirls, a plaid shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots answered. He looked at Luna, then at Sophie-Anne, and back again several times. “Luna, who’s this?” he asked. “I dunno! But she needs a place to stay. She told me she was looking for the inn.” Luna continued to smile, her tail still flicked over. The bear looked at Sophie-Anne and then nodded. “Well, come on in then. I’m Aleksy. I run the Ribbon Goose Inn.” He looked at Luna and smiled. “Thanks.” He motioned for them to follow and so they did. The inn seemed to be a quiet place without too many Loomborn hanging around. Aleksy was the only one inside barring Luna. “Do you get travelers often?” Sophie-Anne asked, hesitantly looking around. If she was the only one here…it would feel lonely. “And…how much does it cost?” She looked down at her little coinpurse that had precious few Weavemarks in it. She wouldn’t be able to stay here long term, but she also didn’t know anybody. She would have to find a placeand fastso she could support herself. Aleksy went behind the counter and motioned Sophie-Anne over. She sat down in one of the chairs—worn but comfortable. “How much you got?” “Not much unfortunately… The train journey cost me a lot.” And Inam had helped a lot too. With her rent due as well as other expenses, her Weavemarks hadn’t gone far. Her small savings had rapidly dwindled to the point where she either had to try to force her magic to work again, or she left Threadfall entirely. She really didn’t have much left. “One-way trip or two way?” Aleksy started cleaning some glasses. Sophie-Anne frowned. “One way. I don’t plan on returning to Threadfall anytime soon.” “You’ve come a long way then. What’s your name?” “Sophie-Anne.” He nodded. “Nice to meet you. Don’t worry too much about Weavemarks if that was a one-way trip. We keep the thread here.” “Keep the thread…?” She had never heard of such a thing before. Aleksy nodded. “We believe acts are what matter most. We deal in Weavemarks for travelers, but if you plan on staying here for quite a while, you’ll need to learn to adapt. Keeping the Thread is important. We believe the Loom will keep us in balance with each other. Willowmere is small but welcoming. However, if someone becomes a loose thread, they aren’t treated so well.” “So how does Keeping the Thread work…?” This all sounded absolutely bizarre to her. These Loomborn wereweird.No Weavemarks? No currency? Only dealing in Weavemarks for travelers? Currency waseverythingin Threadfall. Time was money, so they said. Anything that wasted time wasted money. Inam had said that Willowmere was different, but she hadn’t expected it to bethisdifferent. “Basically we trade in goods and services for those of us who live here. You do something for one person or give them something, you get another thing in return. Make sense?” She nodded, but it felt…wrong. Just…freely giving? That didn’t sound like a good way to run a town. Granted, Willowmere was small especially compared to Threadfall. It was the heart of the Lumenwild while Willowmere sat on thecompleteoutskirts of the country. “That…does make sense but it’s no way to run a town.” He shrugged as he looked down. “If you’re here to stay for a while, folks here won’t accept your Weavemarks. Plus, sounds like they won’t last long.” Sophie-Anne sighed at that. He was right. She had no idea how much goods would cost out here. Her small supply had dwindled during the long journey to Willowmere. She’d had to skip a lot of meals so she’d at least havesomethingto keep her going in the small town. “You can stay here as long as you want as long as you Keep the Thread. We don’t get a lot of travelers, but I can use help keeping the inn clean. If you can help at least an hour a day, you can stay here. Amara and Alaric at the bakery could use their own help. They’ll feed you there. Others around town could use help as well.” He smiled at her. “You can earn your keep without too much issue.” She nodded a bit. “All right.” It felt…wrong. Threadfall had taught her everythinghadto be transactional. Money was the heart that kept the city moving. How could these Loomborn live, knowing they didn’t have currency? How could things not be transactional? Inam had failed to explain justhowdifferent Willowmere was. All they had said was it was different in great ways. She had no idea how to handle any of this. She was so tired… “Hey, you wanna rest?” he asked. “You look pretty rough.” Sophie-Anne sighed again. There was no real point in denying that she was exhausted. “Yes.” “Follow me then.” Aleksy slipped out from behind the counter and motioned for her to follow. She picked up her suitcase and did so, going up the stairs behind him. The stairs creaked under their weight to the point she worried they would give out. But nothing happened and they made it without incident. Five rooms sat in a neat row. “Choose which one you want. No other guests right now.” She frowned. “What about keys?” It was basic protection. He shook his head. “No need for them here in Willowmere.” She wanted to scream at how different things were, but she knew that would probably offend Aleksy. She needed somewhere to stay, so she just gave a small nod and excused herself to one of the rooms. It was small and utilitarian, but it would serve her for now. A small bookshelf and bench for tools stood against the wall opposite of the bed. She sat her suitcase on the workbench. The sun remained above the horizon quite a bit, but she was pretty sure she would sleep well into the night. She stretched and laid down on the bed. Nowhere near as comfortable as what she had back in Threadfall, but for now, it would more than do. So she fell asleep, curled up underneath the covers. But it felt like only a moment later when a knock came on the door. The sun sat much lower on the horizon, casting long shadows in the room. She sat up and rubbed her paw over her eyes. With a sigh, she stretched and stood up, going to the door. She instinctively grabbed for her keys, but didn’t find them. She frowned. Right. No keys in Willowmere. So she opened the door to see Aleksy standing there with a plate of food for her. He smiled at her. “What should I do to Keep the Thread?” she asked. She knew she needed to do that in exchange for everything. He would expect something from her. What could she do in return? He mind flipped over and over in an attempt to figure out what she needed to do, but she didn’t understand the town’s culture enough in order to do that. He shook his head. “Relax, Sophie-Anne. No need to Keep the Thread for this meal. You’ve had some long, hard travel. The Loom will help us find balance. And, right now, what you need is some good food and alotof rest. Keeping the Threadisimportant, but noteveryaction requires immediate repayment.” He smiled. “The Loom will help you find out where you need to go and what to do.” She had never heard of the Loom spoken in such a way before… Itwasthe reason for everything existing, the reason for all living beings. How could the Loom offer balance? It was just another system to be managed. It gave structure and meaning to everything, notbalance.What nonsense was this…? “Are you sure? I can—” “What you can do is take this meal and enjoy it.” Aleksy’s tone was firm but warm as he held the plate out for her. She hesitated before taking it with shaking hands. How could anybody be so at ease without knowing they’d get something in return? He didn’t wait around either, and just left her standing there, alone, with meal in hand. She closed the door behind her and sat it on the workbench. She knew she had lost weight thanks to missing meals which didn’t help… One couldactuallysee her seams due to the Starweaving burnout that plagued her. Seeing seams like this… It wasn’tnormal.She was surprised that Aleksy hadn’t commented on it. It wasn’tcivil.It marked her as a failure and made other Loomborn pass judgement on her when they saw her. How had he and Luna not said anything about seeing her seams? It wassowrong… Had she been able to afford it, she would’ve gotten something that covered more. As it was, her side seams under her arms and along the top and sides of her head could be seen. She needed a hat or hood or something. But she would need to Keep the Thread somehow in order to get one. She didn’t know who she’d approach about getting a hood or something. Her twisted, fuzzy, purple top showed off her side seams in an awful way. She really wished she could’ve afforded a hoodie or something, but she needed every bit for the train journey. Despite how hungry she was, she poked at her food and pushed it around her plate. She had skipped so many meals. She knew it wasn’t good, but it was hard when her Weavemarks had been so restricted. She’d hadjustenough in the budget for one meal and one snack a day. Spending anything outside of that woulddefinitelymake her unable to afford anything in Willowmere…but now, she hadn’t needed to quite be so frugal. She wished she had known that ahead of time. Inam hadn’t been malicious; they just hadn’t been able to quite convey howdifferentWillowmere was to Threadfall. Keeping the Thread would be of the utmost importance here and she wouldneedto keep track of what she did for other Loomborn so she could return their favors. After a good while, she only managed to get about a quarter of the meal down and shook her head. Yeah, the stress was getting to her big time. It would probably be a little while until she managed to get anything substantial down. She knew she needed to eat in order to survive, but it was going to be hard. She’d been on the train for weeks at this point and her stomach had probably shrunken from the lack of ability to eat three meals a day. At least, before her failure, she’d been able to afford three squares a day. Now…she was used to one meal a day and the stress would prevent her from eating. She picked up the plate and headed downstairs with it. A multicolored rabbit with a pretty multicolored gingham dress, white underfluff, and a purple flower over her heart stood and chatted with Aleksy. However, they quieted when Sophie-Anne approached. She hesitated a bit. “Did I do something wrong?” She knew she needed to Keep the Thread, but she wasn’t trying to interrupt a conversation. She hoped she hadn’t done anything that would stop them from talking… She just…needed to get rid of the remnants of her meal. She didn’t want it to go to waste, of course, as she understood how bad food wastewas. She had seen the waste in Threadfall and how poorer Loomborn suffered from malnutrition while the wealthier ones ate all sorts of things that they really didn’t need. The rabbit shook her head, ears flopping. “Not at all. I was just talking to Aleksy. Word got around fast a new traveler is in town and this is the most logical place they’d come after arrival.” Sophie-Anne frowned at that. Seriously? Then again, with a small town like this… People could come and go from Threadfall all day and nobody would be the wiser.Of courseshe’d be noticed in a small town like this. The rabbit smiled. “I’m Linnea, one of the five Pawlette sisters who run the Five Petals & Thread shop. Youngest of the four related sisters though we adopted Maiwenn when she needed a place to go.” Linnea’s smile didn’t falter. It was strange to see such a smile in her opinion. Almost nobody smiled like that in Threadfall. “What’s your name?” “Sophie-Anne.” “Where are you from?” Sophie-Anne frowned at that. She didn’t want to talk about her past failures. “I’d rather not say if that’s okay.” She didn’t want to come across as standoffish, but it was hard when everything would just remind her of her failure. It’d send her spiraling again when that was what she wanted toavoidif at all possible. Linnea nodded, ears twitching a bit. “All right! That’s fine. Feel free to drop by the shop at any point. It’s getting late. If you want, you can come to the shop tomorrow and introduce you to everyone!” She continued to smile. “I-I guess…” She knew she’d need to learn to get along with the townsfolk here, but it was hard. Why were Aleksy and Linnea so…nice? It didn’t make any sense to her. Everyone in Threadfall was there for themselves. The fact she’d hadanyfriends at all (though only one) spoke to the fact that Inam had been different. Inam had come from another area entirely and not grown up in Threadfall… How they reacted to everything and everyone was so starklydifferentfrom those that had been woven in Threadfall. Yet they didn’t talk about their past. Why they chose to stay in Threadfall when the city’s philosophies seemed so diametrically opposed to their own made no sense. Sophie-Anne looked at Aleksy, then the plate. “Um. It was good. I’m just…not very hungry.” It wasn’t fully a lie. She was hungry but not at the same time. She was trying, but it was hard. “What should I do in return for you?” He had said nothing, but she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. Keeping the Thread was going to be important here. She justneededto be able to repay people for their actions. She looked at Linnea. “And what about you showing me around tomorrow? What should I do in return for that?” Her own ears twitched a bit. Linnea and Aleksy looked at each other, then back at Sophie-Anne. “I think you’re taking Keeping the Thread a little too seriously. You don’t need to transacteveryaction of kindness,” Aleksy said, then smiled. “We can talk about it more in the morning. You’re tired still, though, right?” Sophie-Anne nodded. He walked over and took her plate. “Rest up. No need to push yourself unnecessarily when you’re still exhausted. Please.” A slight note of worry and pleading entered his tone on the last word. “O-Okay…” Sophie-Anne’s tail twitched and she bowed, then headed up the stairs to the room. She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Not everything had to be transactional…? She literally couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea. Why and how could actions of some sort not be transactional? And not to mention their take on the Loom… She justcould notimagine anywhere thinking so differently from Threadfall. Her mind continued to run, but her physical exhaustion eventually overtook her, causing her to drift off into an uneasy sleep.