Snowbound Eagle- 9

I stood outside with Princess and Jason, amazed at the beauty of the Alps. It was rare for any of us to have the time to stop and marvel at the scenery, and I was glad that Princess enjoyed nature as much as I did.

"It's gorgeous…" She gasped.

I grimaced as "Mr. Hotshot Skier", himself, clad in a leather jacket and shades, smirked and whispered something in her ear that caused her rosy cheeks to become even rosier.

Then, he dashed away toward a trail marker.

Good riddance I thought.

With him gone, she was all mine. She looked so beautiful staring out into the mountains with that self satisfied little smirk on her face.

I allowed my thoughts to drift as I continued to admire the Swan's beauty. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and small puffs of white steam billowed out as she breathed in the crisp mountain air.

Before I realized it, a comment just slipped out.

"Wow…"

"Just what I was thinking." She turned and smiled at me.

I had actually been thinking about her when I said, "Wow," but I allowed her to think I was appreciating the view.

I secretly wondered if she had caught on that I was admiring her more than the scenery.

I grinned as I bent down to lace up my loose ski boot. "I'm glad we were up early to see this, before the crowds of people."

"I'm glad someone sees my point of view." She replied. "You wouldn't believe how much convincing it took to get Jason out of bed this morning."

"Well, it looks like he's off to a roaring start now." I watched the Condor expertly cutting through the snow toward the marker. "Why don't we just take this trail over here and meet him at the bottom?"

"Sounds good to me." Princess giggled as she dashed off for the trail, leaving me behind.

"Hey! Not Fair!" I chuckled, as I raced to catch up to her.
As I passed her I heard a long, slow whistle.

Was she whistling for me? I wondered.

I stopped and waited for her at a plateau on the hill.

"What took you so long?" I grinned.

She winked back at me. "Just admiring the view."

I could feel my face burning. Only, it wasn't from the cold wind on my cheeks this time; I was blushing!

I tried to hide it as best as I could. I hastily decided two could play the flirting game.

"You were looking very good out there. You haven't lost any of your skill."

Her rosy cheeks reddened even more as she grinned and glanced self consciously at the ground.

"Thanks. You weren't looking too bad yourself." She replied quietly.

I reached for her hand and pretended to guide her back to the lifts. It felt so nice to hold her hand, even though there were gloves between us.

My nerves got the best of me as we rode the lift up the mountain. I couldn't think of anything to say. We had already talked about the scenery.

I finally decided that if I couldn't think of anything clever to say, it was best to keep my mouth shut. I was an Eagle of few words, and I knew she liked me that way.

Instead, I just clutched her hand tightly. I didn't ever want to let go.

We managed to get in three more runs before encountering Jason again. He was just joining the lift line as we reached the bottom.

"Where have you guys been?" he hailed us. "I lost you on the first run and have been looking for you ever since."

"We've just been going down the trails." Princess smiled. "Having fun. You know… skiing."

"I see…" Jason replied.

He gave me the "Evil Condor" glare when he noticed her hand in mine, but I didn't care. She was with me; and that was all I cared about.

I knew he'd try to even the score. When we got to the front of the lift line, Jason grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him.

The lift chairs only sat two people, and the jerk purposely left me with the chair behind them.

I grew even more aggravated with my second's antics when I saw him quickly whisk the Swan away in an effort to get her alone.

As much as I hated to admit it, this had become a competition- Condor vs. Eagle- and I was determined to catch up to them and win her back.

I decided to go it alone for a while, and ski solo until I could catch up with my comrades. Damn that Jason, I'd get even!

Later on, I couldn't wipe the grin on my face as I watched Princess and Jason arrive at the top of the lift.

"What are you doing here, Skip?" Jason scowled as they disembarked.

"Waiting for you, of course." I replied. My eyes were glued to the Swan as she glided gracefully up to me. It was as if Jason no longer existed.

"Well, here we are." Jason answered. "Which trail did you want to use?"

"Actually, I thought it might be time to grab some lunch." I pointed toward the snack bar. "I know Princess and I had a pretty exhausting morning."

I couldn't resist giving Prin a playful wink.

We had a connection. I knew it. She knew it. Even Jason knew it… and no Condor was going to ruin my day.

She smiled shyly back at me. "I'm so sorry we left without you, before, Mark. Going down the mountain wasn't the same without you."

Ahhhhh…yes! I hoped the Condor heard that.

"That's okay, Princess." I replied.

I gleefully smirked at the Condor. I could tell he was clenching his teeth.

"It gave me a chance to enjoy the scenery." I grabbed her hand yet again, and we headed in for lunch.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that we had somehow avoided the lunch rush.

"Where is everyone?" Princess asked.

"I don't know." replied Jason, with a concerned look.

A passing busboy heard Princess.

"It's the weather." He offered. "There's a big storm coming up, and they're recommending that everyone go back to the lodge."

Hmmmm. So much for skiing. I figured my chances of being alone with my Swan might be better if we stayed indoors, and Jason knew it.

"So, do you think we should go back?" Jason asked Princess.

She appeared to be in a daze. "Huh?"

Evidently, she was getting really tired.

"Go back. Or do you want to stay out?" Jason repeated.

Jason paid no attention to how she was feeling. Sometimes he could be so selfish.

I was beginning to worry about her. I knew she was just as strong and capable as the rest of us, but I couldn't help my protective feelings over her. She wasn't the kind to admit if she was feeling sick or tired.

I was pleased to hear her suggest, "I think we can grab a quick lunch, and then go back."

"Alright." Jason agreed.

We hastily ate some space burgers and fries, and then made our way outside. It looked bright and sunny. The news of an impending storm almost seemed like a joke.

However, we were all aware of the unpredictable weather on Frozatica.

"Let's just go back this way." I suggested we take the blue trail, just in case the weather changed unexpectedly.

"Are you nuts?" Jason scoffed. "If this is the last run of the day, we should make the most of it. Let's head over to the Double Diamond run."

"That's pretty difficult terrain, Jason." I retorted. "And there's no marked trail."

"So? Too difficult for you, Commander?" Jason taunted. He was trying to make me look bad.

Remarkably, I kept my composure. "No. I just think we should get back to the lodge as quickly as possible."

"Let's just get back. Who knows when this storm will hit?" She added. I was happy to hear Princess agree with me.

Jason looked disappointed, but with two against one, he acquiesced.

We started off down the blue trail, easily taking the few twists and turns it offered. At one point, it got close to a forested area.

It wasn't long before the Condor was up to his old tricks again. He suddenly grabbed Princess and led her into the forest.

There was no way I was going to let them lose me again. I followed close behind.

The sound of thunder began to echo throughout the valley. A nagging feeling inside me warned of impending danger, and I rushed toward my comrades.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snapped at Jason.

"Shh!" Jason replied angrily. "Don't you hear that?"

We all stood in silence for a moment, listening. The muted rumble was getting louder.

Princess and I simultaneously recognized the source of the sound.

"Avalanche!" I shouted.

I stared into my teammates' eyes as I slipped effortlessly into "Commander Mode". "Listen to me, Princess. We are all going to link arms, and get out of here as quickly as possible. Don't let go. We don't want to become separated."

She nodded quickly, and Jason and I each took one of her arms as we moved off again down the mountain.

We found our way back to the blue trail, which was devoid of life.

We were the only people still out here.

No matter how swiftly we retreated, it wasn't fast enough.

The rumble surged to a deafening roar, and before we knew it, the snow had overtaken us, knocking us to the ground.

The last thing I heard was her panicked cry. "Mark!"

It broke my heart. I was unable to come to her aid. Helpless.

White waves tossed my body around as I frantically grabbed for Princess' hand.

She was depending on me, and there was no way I'd let her down.