Prodigy

An Agreement

They spoke well into the night. Kate was comfortable talking about the range of her abilities, but she wasn’t comfortable speaking about her siblings, despite the fact that both her father and Danika had felt them in her head. To their credit, neither of them pushed her.

The kitten spent the night in her bed. Kate knew she wouldn’t crush it and it had a special mat for relieving itself. The mat was spelled to cleanse itself instantly. Kate rose before the first sun rose and made her way down to the river.

The morning air was still cool, the first hint of light could be seen in the northwest. She stilled herself and stepped into the rushing water that, even in the summer, was just above freezing. Goosebumps ran up her legs and covered her arms, but she smiled and plunged herself into the water. The current grew in strength almost instantly. She laughed as she forced the river to still around her. She ran her powers through the water as she swam. Using them to warm the water, and to keep her swimming in a straight line. She was halfway across her return trip when the first sun and her father made an appearance.

They had talked until late last night, but like her, her father was an early riser and it seemed that Danika was also. She was wearing a red two-piece swimsuit. Her father wore a pair of trunks. He smiled when his eyes met hers.

She stood in the water. While the river was much deeper than she was tall. She had no problem lifting herself till she was waist deep in the water and waving to them. “Come in, the water is warm, the current is weak here.” She said, before plunging back into the water.

She made it to the shore as they were wading into the water. Her father smiled at her. “How long have you been out here?”

“Long enough to complete a lap,” she replied.

Her father looked at the far bank a kilometer away. He glanced down at the river. “I can’t feel the current.”

“I’ve created a pocket a hundred meters wide and about three meters deep that ignores the current. While I can swim across the river, warming moving water is problematic.” She replied.

Her father shook his head. “Was it punishment to live your life unable to do what you consider the most basic things?” He asked.

She turned back towards the far shore. “I’ll race you and I won’t cheat.”

Danika looked at him. “Go, I’ll be fine. I’m not as strong a swimmer as the two of you.”

Her father nodded. “You’re on.”

Her father pulled ahead of her just before they reached the far shore, but this was the halfway mark. She could feel the fatigue starting to build in his body. While in excellent shape, he was over forty and he didn’t work out the way he did in his younger years. She was nowhere near tired despite this being her second lap. If anything, she was just warming up.

Halfway across the river on the return trip, she inched past him, then broadened her lead until when they reached the shallow water where Danika swam, she was fifty meters ahead of him.

Her father stood in the shallow water and smiled. “Is it fair for you to compete in the world games?” He asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. His majesty may be able to weigh in on the matter. He seems to know something about magua and priestesses.”

Kate looked back at the cabin. “It’s time for breakfast.”

***

They cooked breakfast as a unit. This was a novel experience, since at home the chef made all the meals. He had taught her how to cook, and at times she did make a meal herself. She and her father had never cooked together. He studied her as she flipped an omelet. “No fancy magic or power?” He asked. Then he glanced at Danika. “This is nice, the three of us. I may give chef mornings off.” He said.

Kate shook her head. “I like my meal reaching me as I’m finishing up my morning lap.”

“Very well-what about an occasional lunch?” He asked.

“It would mean you working from home. You never do that.” Kate replied.

Adrian looked at his daughter. “It’s my fault. At your mother’s wake I realized that you were indeed very special, but you would not talk about it. I immersed myself in work and in watching you from afar. We grew comfortable that way.”

“I won’t let you take all the credit, daddy. I pushed you away. I had killed mother…” she raised her hand when the two of them went to object. “I was punishing myself. It was easy for me to get lost in gymnastics, dance, music, or anything that let me escape who and what I am. I wanted to forget,” Kate said.

Adrian nodded. “Okay, let’s change that. We can’t undo the past.” He glanced at her to see if that statement was true.

Kate shrugged. “It would be counter productive,” she concluded, after some thought.

Adrian nodded again. “Let’s build a future as a family. It won’t be easy, but I think it’s worth a shot.