The Button-Thread Bond

I | Part Seven | Getting To Know You

Days passed, and the rain barely relented. On one hand, they had plenty of fresh water and Nella even managed to get the girls clean, relatively speaking. During one particularly heavy downpour, Nella brought the girls out to a nearby branch and had them stand in the rain, scrubbing with clumps of moss and running some jagged bark through their hair in an attempt to comb through it. With marginal success, the three retreated back into the hollow where Nella began her training with the girls.

First things first was building a fire in all circumstances. They had plenty of tinder and time while the rain continued to pour outside. There were a few different methods that she decided to teach the girls, seeing that fire was one of the most important components to survival. It helped cook food. It provided light. It provided heat. It could be used as a weapon, though that would be the last resort as humans tended to notice fire from a great distance and, if you lost control of it, it was very dangerous and could burn down the entire forest.

The first technique was the most labor intensive, but usually most reliable, was the matchstick twirl. The basic principle was simple. Little bit of thread or twine on either side of the stick, tightly secured, wrapped around a relatively straight stick. Twist the thread around the top once, making a loop, and placing it on the wood piece you want to set on fire. Use an acorn cap to keep it secure and have dandelion fluff, fur, or some kind of dried grass or bits of yarn to really get the spark going.

"There's this thing called friction, or something like that, which creates heat. That heat, when hot enough, makes fire," explained Nella. She removed her hand from the place she'd been working on and held the back of her hand to it. "Feel the heat? Don't touch. Just hover over." The girls obeyed, eyes widening as they felt the temperature of the wood.

"It feels like it was on fire," stated Rue.

"That's the point. Feels like isn't quite 'fire' quality. We need to work harder and faster to get this thing going," Nella replied before sitting up on her knees for a better vantage point and getting to work.

The rhythm of pressing the makeshift bow back and forth on the piece of wood, making the stick spin, was a familiar one. She pressed faster and faster, focusing her breathing on maintaining her momentum, when there was a thin trail of smoke. Both Rue and Cerin's eyes lit up as they leaned in and watched Nella kindle the fire, leaning forward and blowing on the smoke and pressing some squirrel fur to the hole she'd frictioned into existence.

There was a spark, a smolder, and then a small flame that burned through the fur quickly. The girls clapped and reached for the device.

"Me next!"

"No, I wanna do it!"

"You'll both get to do it soon enough. Here, Cerin, you start since you're probably a bit stronger and we'll go on from there. Remember to keep firm pressure on the top, but not enough to keep you from moving the bow. Got it?"

"Yes, Nella," Cerin grinned in a somewhat smug manner as she took the bow and placed it on the plank as Nella did. Back and forth, she worked the bow. Nella watched the child wobble back and forth. It was clear she was having a hard time finding the right rhythm or didn't have enough upper arm strength to sustain the movement necessary to create that initial spark; and, quickly, she was noticing it too.

Out of breath. Beginning to take more frequent breaks. Brow furrowed in frustration. Cerin had obviously underestimated the amount of work necessary to make fire the way Nella had done so easily. There was a mote of satisfaction in Nella's stifled smile as she watched Cerin turn over the device to Rue, who began with the same intensity and vigor as her sister.

Good. Maybe they'll have an appreciation for all that goes into making a camp.

Try as they might, the girls could only warm the wood before they tired and needed to take a break. They went back and forth for a while before they relented and slumped defeated. She'd been watching all the while and curiosity got the better of her. Surely the girls have managed more than just to wear themselves out. Nella leaned forward and rested the back of her hand on the wood, but only for a moment as her fingers began to burn. They were close to success - so close - but not enough; and, out here, so close wasn't going to be enough. They couldn't give up when they were on the verge of success.