The Violet Rebels

Chapter 2

Today was an Outdoors day, which was why they had gone outside. Outdoors days happened for a few days every month, when there was no moon in the sky to guide the king's soldiers to make their rounds around the kingdom, looking for rebels. It was far too dangerous to be outside when the soldiers were out, as anyone without papers would be sent immediately to be questioned by the king's officials. Rarely did anyone escape these vigorous interrogations, whether they were a rebel or not, and they were feared by all of the people in the kingdom.

Outdoors days usually started off in the clearing. The children had found the clearing in the forest when they were younger and it had become the place where the four children and their tutors always started Outdoors Days. It was perfect. It was about a hundred feet into the forest. It was grassy, and filled with flowers, and there was a blackberry bush on one side. A little creek ran through another side of it, and sometimes the four would catch guppies and name them, and then quickly drop them in before they suffocated from lack of water. It was great fun, and the children always treasured these days. The other children got to be outdoors, too, but they were in a different part of the forest. The children had the clearing all to themselves, which was one reason why they liked it so much.

The children walked into the clearing, where their tutors-Cassandra, Aaron, Phoebe, and Lydia- were waiting. Luna was there too. Although she was not a tutor, she was like family to them, and included in teaching all of their classes as well. They all knew the story of Phoebe and Cassandra going to get Rowan to the rebels, and bringing Luna back with them.

The children settled down in the grass in front of their tutors, who were sitting on rocks that they had brought from somewhere to use as chairs. The children loved their lesson, for their tutors always managed to make them both educating and humorous.

"So," said Lydia, twirling one of her long strands of brown hair around her finger, "Today we're starting our unit on survival in the wilderness."

Phoenix bounced excitedly, their almond-shaped violet eyes twinkling with delight. "Whoa, cool! Do I get to eat bears and go RARR and stuff?"

Aaron chuckled. "...not exactly. Today, we're going to learn about fires."

"And how to make fires," Phoebe chimed in.

I already know how to make fires, Asher signed. Aaron taught me in personal tutoring.

Personal tutoring was the only time that each child was alone with their tutor. They worked on skills that the student wanted to learn. For Asher, it was potions and spells, and for Phoenix, it was agility, combat, martial arts, and using weapons. Rowan was extremely intuitive, so she worked on strengthening that, and for Kyra, it was things to do with words, like codes, riddles, and writing stories.

Yes, Aaron signed back, But the others don't.

Lydia said, "You all have your different skills that will help you survive in the wilderness. But you need to have all of the skills."
"So," Luna said. "Back to fires. We'll first teach you how to start a fire."

"I know how to start a fire!" Phoenix said. "Matches."

The other children stifled giggles. "Yes," Cassandra said, smiling, "But when you run out of matches, you can't. So we're teaching you to start a fire without matches."

Right on cue, the other tutors made exaggerated gasping noises, and the children laughed. Cassandra continued. "Making a fire- even without matches- is so very easy. It's so easy that even someone with no brains could do it!"

Aaron stood up and said jokingly, "I is Og. I is having no brains. I is making fire."

He rubbed two sticks together, and behind him, Luna waved paper flames so that it almost looked like fire. Aaron smiled. "Ooh! Preeeeeetty."