"Rebel, I know you can go further than that!" Henrik called from a few yards in front. Attempting to motivate his niece to leave the rock she had sat on ten minutes ago.

And was still sitting on.

"My feet hurt a bit, Hen!" Rebel groaned, looking down at the ground, with her face buried in her hands.

She was trying to push herself to get going, but her limbs were sore from trekking through the woods for hours already. It didn't help that her brain felt fried under the heat of the woods and information it had been overridden with.

It was Saturday, a nature day. A chance to learn more about the Elmhurst woods and its many inhabitants with her uncle.

Rebel and Henrik had been exploring the woods for the past five hours. They'd journaled about the wildlife they had encountered. He had taught her how to track animals, pointed out spots where they could be found, distinguish calls from one another, and what they meant.

Rebel was more than grateful for the knowledge that Henrik was passing on to her. Not to mention, she did find the whole beginning of their adventure to be exciting.

However, that didn't prevent exhaustion from seeping into Rebel's bones over time.

"You okay, kid?" Henrik questioned, slowly making his way back to her.

"Yeah, I'm good." Rebel sighed with a soft smile as she took the hand he extended out to her. His warmth immediately flowed to her hand from the contact. It made her feel a bit more steady, seemingly anchored by her uncle's presence. "Can I have some water, please?" Bright blue eyes looked up at Henrik.

"Of course." He chuckled as he slid his backpack off, opening the zipper in the back to withdraw a water bottle for her. After opening the cap, he handed it to Rebel.

She took a few swings before thanking him and handing him back the water bottle to be put away.

After doing so, he glanced at the watch on his left wrist. It was 2:10 pm. "I think your aunt should be done with lunch by now."

Hand in hand, the two started making their way back to the family's cabin in the middle of the woods. "What's she making?" Rebel questioned, glancing upward at her uncle.

"Some BLT sandwiches and an apple walnut salad."

Momentarily Rebel's eyebrows furrowed as she considered their next meal. But it wasn't long before the young redhead found words to express her consensus.

"Ew, disgusting! I hate apples in my salad." Rebel's expression soured. "Plus, the dressing always makes the spinach and romaine lettuce so soggy!"

Henrik laughed at his young niece's complaints. The sound of his gruff baritone bounced off the tall pine trees around them. "Well, maybe, that's because you don't eat the salad in time, Bel." He chuckled, his ocean eyes sparkling with bemusement. "You're always let it sit in the liquid."

Rebel placed a hand on her mouth, disgusted by his words. Her head shook, red hair bouncing side to side quickly as she shook her head to clear her mind. She got a tummy ache just thinking about it.

"Gross. Don't say another word."

Henrik's brows rose before he lifted his hands up, revealing he meant no harm.

"Good," she settled after a couple of seconds, her eyes sweeping over the forest surroundings.

And almost as soon as the conversation had ended, a long, mossy log had quickly seized her attention. A perfect place to test her balance and opportunity for fun.

Rebel had her arms outstretched on either side of her as she went on a mossy log. One foot in front of the other, while Henrik stayed close by.

"Look, I'm doing it, Hen!" She called, not tearing her sight from what was in front of her.

He laughed again. "Indeed you are, Bel."

She remained focused, remained calm, using some of the balance tricks Selene had taught her before Henrik caught her in his strong arms at the end.

Rebel giggled as Henrik pulled her into a tight bear hug. It was a light and bubbly sound from the five-year-old.

"Let's get you home, munchkin." He gently flicked her nose before making his way through the woods. Rebel laughed again at the ticklish sensation before she pressed her chin against his shoulder. Blue eyes watched as the birds flew by.

"Bye-bye birdie," she waved at a red sparrow that had flown in her line of sight. At the sound of her voice, the sleek, red bird cocked its head to the side, looking at her with its intense coal-black eyes. Like it knew a secret but couldn't or wouldn't be able to tell her.

The bird chirped before it spread its wings and flew onto another branch, causing a big smile to appear on her face.

What a peculiar bird. Rebel couldn't help but be amused by it.

"What animal did you just see, Bel?"

"A red sparrow." She listened to the sound of the babbling brook nearby. With every one of Henrik's steps, they were closer to the cottage. "It's a funny bird." She added after a couple of seconds.

"But beautiful, eh?" Henrik chuckled. "Red just like a ruby."

"Hmm. It had grey too."

"They usually range in color. Sometimes, the sparrows have more red and black. Sometimes they're a marbled grey with red."

"Why?" Curiosity sparked in Rebel. Being the energetic bookworm she was, she wanted to learn and learn and learn. But she just needed a break to rest and recuperate every so often.

And that's why she pretended that her limbs were sore. Henrik wouldn't say no. Besides, she was hungry.

As Selene had said from time to time, Rebel could be a devious little girl when she wanted to.

"Well, that's the beauty of nature. Living things come in all varieties, and none is more special than the next. We're all equal."

"That's beautiful, Hen."

"Glad you like it, little one." He sent a soft smile down at her, his blue eyes glinting with the sunlight. "Can you push the ivy away for us?"

Rebel nodded and did as she was instructed.

Instantly, the paved walkway leading up to the cottage's entry door was revealed. Although they didn't expect to see Selene picking vegetables from the garden outside.

From the corner of her jade eyes, the brunette saw her husband and niece enter. "You two are finally back," she greeted with a delighted smile as she kept a basket filled with fruits and vegetables against her hip, and sauntered over to the two. "I was starting to worry my husband got eaten by a bear."

"That would never happen, my love." He sat Rebel down on her feet before giving his wife a gentle side hug and quick smooch.

"Mm, you sure?" A teasing smile started making its way onto her lips. "You do get distracted from time to time. Never know when a bear might decide you're its next victim."

"And what would happen to Rebel?"

"Well, she'd be smart enough to race back home, leaving you to fend for yourself." Selene peered down at Rebel, who had wrapped her arms around her mid-thigh in a hug-like fashion. "Ain't that right, Bel?"

"Yep!" Rebel offered the two a grin stretched ear to ear. There was a hole on the left side of her bottom middle teeth. The baby tooth there had fallen out just yesterday.

Henrik crossed his arms and huffed out a breath like, "ha-ha, very funny."

"Oh, relax." Selene let out a low laugh before leaning over to peck his cheek. "I'm just teasing, baby, but I'm sure Bel would tell me to rush over to help you. ." A dimple formed on the brunette's left cheek, "we just hope when we return we aren't greeted by a pile of bones."

"Mhmm." The former warrior hummed in agreement, taking the basket from his wife and setting it aside for now. His eyes narrowed when he realized his niece had abandoned the two in the garden. "Where'd she go?"

That same second, excited squeals came from inside the cottage. "Willow, I missed you!"

Selene scoffed. "Seems like Rebel found her." The brunette shook her head as a smile crept onto her face. "I swear she's going to traumatize that poor kitten."

"Well, maybe, you should've considered that before you got her for Bel as an early birthday present."

Selene shrugged. "We both agreed she deserved it as a present for doing so well with school and the progress she's been making with her training."

"True, but maybe that's because you don't want to admit that you wanted a cat just as bad." Henrik wrapped an arm around Selene's waist, pulling her to his muscular frame.

Humming, he laid a gentle kiss on the back of her head. He loved each of these small moments with his wife. Honestly, he couldn't get enough of her to any sense.

"Rebel gets her love of cats from me." She sighed lovingly, easing into him. "Just runs in the family."

"Mhmm."

The pitter-patter of tiny feet broke out as Rebel ran out to the two. In her arms, she tightly held onto a brown tabby kitten.

Yep, there was no way Willow would be able to escape from the little girl's clutches. Or at least the opportunity wouldn't present itself for a while.

"Look at Willow! She missed me!" She held up the kitten proudly for her aunt and uncle to see.

"And how do you know that, Rebel?" Selene hummed cheerily.

"Well, her green eyes got wide when she saw me, and she skittered over to me. Then she nuzzled against my legs. . ." Rebel babbled, getting distracted as Willow rubbed her head against her arm, which caused her to release a delighted giggle. "I swear she loves me!"

"I wouldn't disagree," Henrik crooned his agreement before a loud rumble broke out that made the other two raise their brows before laughter of realization broke out. "Shall we eat?"

"We shall!" Rebel cheered, following after her aunt and uncle inside the cottage.

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽

"Well, there you are, Bel." Henrik smiled kindly at the little girl currently inside a tent outside. On the front yard. A salmon-colored blanket engulfed her tiny frame, covering her legs and torso. She was all cozy reading a new book. "Can I join you inside?"

Rebel nodded, putting her book aside, and scooted over to make space for her uncle.

"Is Selene almost done with the popcorn? Done getting the snacks?" Rebel inquired, curious.

"She should be out in just a minute, little one. You know she loves nights like these."

"I do too."

He inhaled deeply, placing an arm under his head to use it as a pillow. "Did you learn any new words while reading?"

"A few."

"Hm, what's one of them?" He quirked a brow, intrigued. It seemed like with each new day, her vocabulary was expanding more and more. For such a young girl, he couldn't help but believe that his niece was well on her way to becoming either a great writer or poet.

"Atrocious!" Rebel said, a proud grin on her face.

Henrik chuckled. "Can you use it in a sentence? What does it mean?"

"It means horrifyingly wicked or extremely bad or unpleasant." She shrugged, "Depends."

"Henrik," Her uncle cocked his head to the side, wondering what she needed, "your morning breath smells atrocious." It only took a couple of seconds for Rebel to burst into a fit of laughter. Naturally, as a five-year-old, she got amused to be the tiniest things.

Henrik rolled his eyes, feigning anger. "Such tough talk for someone who can't even reach the top shelves by themselves." With a wicked grin, he pulled off the blanket. And attacked her with an onslaught of tickles.

Rebel's squeals and giggles joined the noises of the night. "Stop it, Hen. I-I can't breathe," she declared between tickles as she tried to push his strong hands off of her. Stop them from making her laugh so silly.

Henrik ended the tickles, replying gruffly, "that's what you get, princess. You need me to get your snacks down, and I have no complaints, even when it's early in the morning; and all you want is Cocoa Puffs."

"And I appreciate that. Thank you." She softened, pressing a tiny hand to his face. Peering into his dark blue eyes, with her bright blue ones.

He could never stay mad at her for long. His niece had made it a habit of learning how to best pull on his heartstrings.

But it wasn't like that mattered anyway. As long as Selene and Rebel were safe and happy, his girls, he was a content man. He didn't mind being the butt or their jokes or taunts, because, at the end of the day, he would give anything to spend time laughing beside them. He enjoyed the quiet, but happy life they had made.

"You guys started stargazing without me?"

They both brightened at the sight of Selene's face as the brunette peeked her head through the opening flap to the tent. She was carrying a rolled-up picnic blanket, M&Ms, and popcorn. It was honestly a miracle that she managed not to drop anything.

Seeing his wife with so much in her arms, Henrik practically jumped to his to help her set up.

Every Saturday night of each month, the family of three watched the night sky up and talked. Since the Elmhurst woods was a few hours away from the city and the town was a simple village, there was a lack of light pollution. It allowed them to see hundreds of stars with dazzling clarity. In fact, it was one of the main reasons why Selene and Henrik chose to make their home in the woodland area.

During star-gazing nights like these, the three of them talked until the first rays of daylight made an appearance. Until the sky burned brightly with pinks and orange.

Sometimes (and by sometimes, I meant all the time), Rebel fell asleep well before then. But the little girl always tried to stay up for longer. Tonight, her heart was set on staying up. She would prove to them that she could do it.

Stargazing was one of their favorite things to do and was a welcomed rest from the eventful week. On nights like these time had seemingly slowed and left them to appreciate nature's beauty.

Henrik tossed the large black and white checkered picnic blanket onto the grass. It was wide enough to fit the three of them comfortably. A look passed between him and Selene passed. "Do you want me to get some pillows, my love?"

"If you can." Henrik went inside to fetch some pillows.

While he was away, Selene handed Rebel the popcorn bowl, allowing the little girl to take her seat in the middle of the blanket. With some careful maneuvering, she joined her.

A small smile formed on the brunette's face, her jade eyes appearing brighter. "I have you all to myself now, little bird." She pulled Rebel close to her, pecking her forehead.

A few minutes later, Henrik came back with three pillows. One for each of them.

"Thank you, Hen." Selene smiled before Henrik took his place to the right of Rebel. The little girl was in the middle while her aunt and uncle were situated on both sides of her.

The three passed around the bag of peanut M&Ms and popcorn, chatting about the day's events and the week ahead. When they finished their snacks, they all fell back on their pillows, stuffed but happily full from dinner and the snacks.

"You see, that's Ursa Major." Selene rose her right hand, her pointer finger tracing along with stars in the northernmost part of the sky. "The Great Bear. And right next to that constellation," her finger moved the diagonally to the right, "is Ursa Minor. The Lesser Bear."

"What is the story behind them?" Rebel asked with a soft voice.

"Well, supposedly, Zeus turned one of his lovers and their child into bears, fearing Hera's rage. He then threw them into the sky, making them those constellations." After another second, Selene glanced over at her niece. "What do you think of the story, Bel?"

"That's crazy." Rebel confessed. "How'd Zeus get away with it?"

"He's a God, remember?" Selene chuckled lightly. "But tales are just tales, I suppose, and I've seen stranger things anyway."

"Mhm, yea," Rebel agreed before shuffling closer to her aunt. She pressed her chin next to her collarbones, her favorite spot, enjoying the lulling noise of her heartbeat and calming scent of her perfume. Lilies and vanilla. All of Selene's warmth wrapped into an unmissable scent.

She felt her uncle come closer behind them, wrapping an arm around them. Henrik wanted to share in the love too.

"I prefer to call Ursa Minor, The Little Bear." She gently peered down at her, fingers stroking through her red locks. "But it's cute how the son and mother stayed close together. How family bonds are unbreakable, just as the one that the three of us have."

"Yeah, it is," Rebel's face lightened up, tilting her chin up to look into her jade eyes. "But, I just don't wanna get trapped in the sky!"

"Oh, trust me, you won't. Not while you have Henrik and me." The adults laughed, amused by their niece, who had grown to become more of a daughter.

Rebel was so intelligent, bright, sweet, and lovely. She had her stubborn moments, and ones that she could be a bit sassy, maybe even a little fierce, but her personality made her who she was. In all, she was a wonderful kid.

Selene's heart ached a little at the thought that Rebel's parents couldn't spend more time with their daughter. She cherished every moment she had with the little girl a little more for them. Yvaine and Ludis.

Henrik's deep voice chimed in, "And just remember that even the brightest stars can't rival the love family members have for one another. Familial love is undying even in the darkest moments."

"Well said, my love." Selene sighed.

From above Rebel's head, the two shared a loving gaze, enamored with each other and the life they had made from themselves.

Rebel hummed, allowing her eyes to shut close. She never felt as safe or loved as when she was between Henrik and Selene. In their arms.

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽

as you can tell these past three chapters have been filled with family moments filled with humor and a little bit of angst. this was to establish rebel's start of her journey and will be relevant to later moments.

however, that will soon be coming to an end and the main story will start!

. . . but just don't be surprised if anything tragic happens. oops!

but trust me, you all will love rebel (and silas) once he appears. y'all are in for a treat.

please vote if you can! <3