The Earth and Storm

1

Years down the line, when the little Aerwyna had grown from a baby to a child, Lina and Rhea had stopped keeping track of how many strange things had happened around their child. The girl was drawn to the water, as was to be expected with a child gifted from the sea god, but it didn't stop at that.

Rhea had been bathing her once, at the age of three, when Winni had decided she was done. It suddenly became that she could no longer get wet, and no matter what Rhea tried she could not get a drop of water to stay on the girl. Eventually she'd given up, showing the bone-dry child to Lina before letting her down to run about the cottage.

Then, only a few months later, just before Winni's fourth birthday, the family had been outside enjoying the afternoon sun when a sudden fog rolled in. It had come from nowhere, and just barely reached the women's shoulders, but it was enough for Winni to completely disappear. Lina crawled on the ground while Rhea shouted for their child, and it was several minutes before they finally found her. She was sitting at the edge of their cliff, feet hanging over the edge. The water raged below, crashing into the rock even though the day was fairly still.

They never would have found her through the thick fog, but they'd both heard a strange voice in the air. It didn't say any words, but somehow they both understood.

They had grabbed Winni and brought her inside, and it was then that Lina and Rhea spoke in the same instant.

"Why would you wander away like that when we couldn't see you?" Rhea was gentle with her question, but the worry in her eyes was obvious. Lina did not have Rhea's same ability to stay calm.

"What if you had gotten hurt?" Not quite shouting, but definitely not speaking, she continued. "And what if we hadn't found you? Gods forbid, what if you'd fallen off the cliff?"

Tears started to pool in Winni's eyes, and Lina scooped the girl into her arms. Rhea put her hand on her wife's back, making gentle circles.

The girl's tears brought Lina's fear to a halt. "I'm sorry my love, but you must understand why we're worried. It can be dangerous to wander the way you did today. Promise not to do it again without asking?"

Winni nodded. She didn't understand every word her mother had said, but she understood the meaning. She didn't really know what she had done today, either. She'd simply wanted to go out to the cliff's edge, yet knew her mothers would not want her to. Then the fog had come in, a perfect cover, and she'd walked over. That was all. She didn't know why what she had done was bad, but their reactions meant that she probably shouldn't do it again.

The three went to bed early that night, which was not an intended punishment. The women were simply unsure of what to do. It was obvious the fog had been related to Winni, but whether she had created it or the gods had answered her prayer, they were unsure. If it was simply the gods doing, they had less to worry about. The gods had their chosen favorites, and it was obvious that Winni had been one since the beginning. If she'd somehow called the fog to her, though, that would be an entirely new set of problems.

Raising a child was hard enough, especially because they had to stay isolated, but raising a child who could control water and fog? It made things that much harder. But their child was a blessing granted to very few, and they loved her with all their hearts. If the challenge grew, so be it. They would figure it out.

The answer to their questions came two years later, when Winni was six. They'd taken the well worn path down the cliffside, which was the shortest path to the beach below. It was a lovely spot, the cliffs going around the water in a huge semicircle that protected it from any bigger waves.

Winni ran straight for the water, going straight in until her head was under. Rhea and Lina had only been a couple steps behind, and both of them leaped forward to grab her. Rhea managed to get her arm, and quickly dragged the girl towards herself.

"Mama, what was that for?" Winni didn't seem angry. More confused than anything.

"Winni, you can't breathe under the water. You've learned this lesson before, so why would you jump in like that?"