Hour of Mercy || Hermitcraft AU

~• Seven •~

"Woah, this room is so- obscure!" Zedaph exclaimed, when he walked in, supported by both Tango and Impulse. He said this with such honest admiration, Tango was taken aback.

The way back to the cabin was a lot slower, since they had to help Zedaph walk the whole way. It was generally easy, say for the steep incline, which they were able to carefully slide down. They talked a little on the way back. Zedaph had asked Impulse why his clothes were smeared in dried mud, which Tango had been wondering about too, but he brushed it off as "an embarrassing little incident".

By the time they finally got to Tango's cabin, the sky was completely dark. He and Impulse helped Zedaph into his amber colored armchair.

"You guys can camp on the rug. I'll get some blankets or whatever I can find." He didn't have much to offer, but he mustered up what little he could.

He tossed a few blankets out on the rug, still searching under his bed for more. When he couldn't find anything else he tried another spot they might be.

"Woah, did you make these?" Impulse asked.

Tango walked back, one more blanket in his arms, "What?"

Impulse held up the purplish-red blanket he'd been inspecting, curiosity written across his face, "This isn't knitted or crocheted."

"Oh, yeah!" Tango smiled. A brief flash from his childhood flooded his mind.

~~~

He and his friend had been playing in a crimson forest, messing around with the weeping vines that hung gracefully down from the trees. Tango was about six or seven at the time, with his friend, who'd been sixteen.

He'd pulled down the vines and started twisting them into intricate loops and spirals, until it formed into little hoglins and striders. Tango had been awestruck.

"Teach me, Torchy, pleeeeaase!"

He begged for at least another five minutes before Torchy finally gave in with an exaggerated sigh, "Alright, alright, you little twerp!"

He showed Tango how to position his fingers and loop the vines through in patterns, and how to tie different knots.

"And there you go, your first creation." He declared.

Tango just stared down at the messy, two-dimensional square he'd made.

"This doesn't look like a hoglin." He said bluntly.

"You have to learn the basics before you're ready for more advanced things." Torchy tsked.

Tango pouted, not wanting to wait.

"Here, while you wait for that, you can have mine." Torchy handed him his own little red hoglin.

Tango took it, eyes wide with excitement, "Really?!"

"Uh, yeah, who else in the clan would take such good care of it? You're the only one fit for the job."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He squealed, wrapping his arms tightly around his older friend.

~~~

The blanket was made from sheep wool, but he'd used the same method Torchy had shown him.

Tango finished helping Impulse and Zedaph set up their beds, and made a quick meal, since apparently they hadn't had food in nearly a week.

Finally after what felt like the longest day of his life, they were all able to go to sleep. Impulse and Zedaph immediately broke out into snores, but for whatever reason, Tango couldn't sleep.