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“Sophie, slow down.”
Jamie laughed as his sister dragged him to the edge of the iced over lake and sat down to remove her shoes. The girl was talking nonstop about getting to 'skate with the big kids' and 'best Christmas ever'. Her brother helped tighten the laces, talking her through how to do it and to wait for him to do his own. Twice she tried to get up and head to the ice only for her to slip on nothing and land in a snowdrift, giggling both times as stray flakes swirled around her.
“OK, let's go.” Jamie took Sophie's hand and led her to the ice, keeping her upright, “Now, push off like this,” he demonstrated, pulling her along slowly. The girl took a little while to coordinate the push-slide, continuing to step instead but the laughter from both echoed in the clearing. Every now and then a gust seemed to come from nowhere and almost push them along, Sophie shrieked with glee and tried to jump to catch a flake only to pull Jamie to the ice in a heap. Both started laughing as Jamie tried to tell her that 'jumping is later.'
“But the pretty girls on TV skate and jump all the time.”
“Yes, but they've skated for years.” Sophie pouted a second before turning doe-eyes to him. Jamie sighed. “Yes, we'll come here more.”
“Every day!” The little girl yelled, tugging on her brother's sleeve as he regained his footing.
“Only when the ice is strong.”
Hovering over the ice behind a tree limb, a figure touched the ice again with a wooden staff, sending a rush of chill wind out along with a fortifying freeze to the ice. He'd intended to join but watching the young boy teaching his little sister to ice skate brought back memories to Jack and while most were pleasant, one was forefront in that moment and as long as he could last, he'd make certain the ice on this lake was always strong, at least from Fall to Spring. He might not be able to keep up with every lake or pond, but this one would never crack under skaters. Never again.