Chapter sixteen: Snow Place But Slope! Pt. 2
"Eat snow, pups! I'm way ahead of you!" Brian exclaimed as he kept sledding, now heading for a ski jump covered in snow.
"Oh it's on! Ow-owwwwww!" Everest howled, bending her knees deeper to gain speed. Her snowboard jet flared and pushed her a bit faster till she nearly caught up with him.
"I'm on your tail!" She called excitedly.
"Me too!" Rubble shouted, tailing the huskies.
"Good job!" Brian complimented, before bending his knees to go faster on the toboggan. It seemed to work, and he decided to take the ski jump to get ahead. Upon using the jump, Brian and the black toboggan flew through the air.
Everest took the same jump and flipped through the air and over Brian but wiped out and was left behind. However, Rubble took the jump and landed in line with Brian.
"I've almost gotcha this time!" The bulldog challenged, smiling excitedly.
"Good luck, Rubble!" Brian said, as he bent his knees more to gain speed.
"Thanks.. But I don't think I'll need it! Yah-hoo!" The bulldog thanked him courteously, while speeding ahead to victory!
"Wah-hoo! What a race! Great boarding, Brian." He cheered.
"Thanks Rubble. You won," Brian congratulated as he slowed down his toboggan.
"Yes!" Rubble reeled.
"Hang on, Everest!" Melody commented before turning her toboggan to the side to slow down. Soon, she arrived by Everest's side. "Are you okay?"
"Pff! Hehe, I'm good.. Let's finish the race together.." the mountain husky chuckled, hopping up to flip her snowboard back over and ride it the rest of the way back down the slope with Melody by her side.
"Great race, you guys.." Everest complimented her friends. "If I hadn't wiped out,.. I probably would've beat you both."
"Sure," Melody agreed, sledding down with her.
"Agreed. You know this mountain better than us!" Brian added.
"I guess even the pros get snowed once in a while.." Rubble joked, making everyone including the pups that had just joined them laugh.
xxxx
"You coming, Chase?" Rayla asked, looking back over her shoulder at the German Shepherd slowly tailing her.
"Yeah, yeah coming.." Chase sighed, bracing himself for another step.
"Gangway!" Chester howled, racing past his brother, bumping him forward and startling him just enough for him to step wrong and slide off into a snowbank.
"Ooff.. Chester.." Chase groaned. Pushing out of the snow pile and shaking himself off, he suddenly had to duck as CiCi and Tiny went leaping over him into the same snowbank, creating a hole. Patting parts of it down, the seemingly intentional shape they were creating was so much of a distraction; that he didn't expect to suddenly be pushed over into the hole and swiftly covered in snow.
"Hey! What are you-"
"There, you have your snow blanket.." Rayla told him. "Now lay back and relax.."
Subconsciously complying, snow was then pushed up around his head and molded into place, almost like a helmet.
"Um,.. what are you doing?-"
"Don't move, pretend you have a bad neck injury and you might become paralyzed if you move even an inch." Rayla told him quickly.
"Why?" Chase wondered, still confused but remained still as instructed and only looked for her with his eyes.
"Because it'll do you some good." The golden lab decided. "And we're calling the shots now, remember?.. So stay put or so help me I'll pin you there myself."
"Ok ok,.. I'm not going anywhere." Chase finally surrendered, remaining as he was.
"Good." Rayla nodded her satisfaction, then turned to head toward the slope in a more erect fashion. CiCi and Tiny just rolled their eyes while following her away, which made Chase roll his eyes knowingly, when a shadow fell over him.
"Staying chilly down there?" Ryder joked, smiling.
"Were you in on this too?" Chase asked the boy, who knelt by his side to sit down.
"Not exactly what I had in mind actually.." Ryder admitted. "But I suppose they may be onto something."
"What? Turning me into a snowbank?" Chase humorously mocked. "Right.. A real miracle cure.."
"Maybe in some way.." Ryder hinted objectively. "Maybe she's got a point that you don't quite see?.."
Then thinking on this a moment, he decided he'd close his eyes for a little while and soak in the chilly experience.
Ned sled down, seeing Ryder and Chase on his right.
"Good idea Chase. Just chill and relax!" Ned commented as he sled down past the two friends.
"Not my idea!" Chase informed him, without even opening his eyes.
Within minutes, Snowflake sled over to them and stopped by turning her board to the side.
"You okay Chase? Nice helmet," Snowflake said, wagging her tail.
"I feel ridiculous.." Chase monotoned, still keeping his eyes closed.
"It can't be that bad.." Skye figured, smiling brightly. "Doesn't it feel nice and cool on your sore head?"
Chase's eyes opened with a quizzical frown.
"Ummm, I'm not sure.." he replied, turning his head slightly toward her. "The ice is making it hard to feel anything specifically.. But then again I think that's kind of the point."
"Now do you think it's not that dumb?" Kylie hinted, snickering to herself.
"Maybe?" Chase queried.
"Well at least you're relaxing," Snowflake responded happily.
Chase's eyes closed slightly in a dry manner.
"That wasn't the issue," he monotoned once again.
"Either way.." Skye shrugged, then she and the other pups set off for their run down the mountain.
"So you guys are just gonna leave me here?" He asked, peering down for them. "And how long am I supposed to sit here like this for?!"
"That's up to Rayla, talk to her!.." Kylie called back.
"Ugh,.. of course.." Chase sighed.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she won't forget about you.." Ryder assured him.
"We'll see about that.." The German Shepherd sighed dryly.
"Remember, if you need us, just yelp for help!" Snowflake reminded him happily.
"Right.." Chase sighed, resuming his quiet focus by closing his eyes in a resting position once again.
Snowflake turned her snowboard before sledding away slowly.
"Chase is cool, Chase is cool. Relaxing in the snow..." Snowflake sang to herself as she sled away. Suddenly, she turned back to Kylie and Skye. "You two coming or no?"
"Coming!" The two pups called, both hopping onto the same toboggan. And riding down in a whoop of joy!
Snowflake just smiled before sledding down after Kylie and Skye. "Wait for me!.."
XXXX
"Weeeeee!" The train of pups that were now sliding together were held together only by tethered ropes to each of the five toboggans, which basically spelled chaos for the crash of even just one toboggan. When they popped up out of the snow pile they had created with their crash, they all wore a differently shaped snow cap. Which made them all laugh as they undug themselves and each other.
XXXX
"Heads up! Moguls up ahead!" Rubble called back to the huskies.
"We got this!" Everest figured, howling as the two pros demonstrated the perfect method for boarding over the snowy bumps of the slope.
"Moguls? You mean the bu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-m-m-m-m-mps?" Melody asked before going over the snowy bumps in a jerky motion. It felt like she was bouncing and shaking at the same time.
"Don't worry, You'll get it.. with some more practice.. You'll be boarding like a pro in no time at all.." the bulldog shouted over his shoulder, then skidded to a stop at the bottom of the mountain.
"Oh yeeeeeeessss!" Brian exclaimed as he slid over the bumps with ease.
"Of course you're enjoying this! Waoooahhhh!" Chester started spinning on his snowboard until he veered off and rolled shooting his snowboard onwards down the slope and it came to a smooth stop next to Rubble and Everest.
"Pff! Snowboarding.. Who knew right?" Chester sighed, puffing the snow out of his face and shaking himself off.
"Don't worry. I'm a lot better at this than I'm letting on, I assure you." He was saying as he walked the rest of the way down the hill. "Just jumped in on the wrong lead, I guess."
Brian sledded the rest of the way down, before carefully coming to a stop next to Rubble and Everest.
"Why-y-y-y-y-y-y a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-r-r-re the-e-e-e-e-e-ere so-o-o-o-o-o ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-n-n-n-n-ny bu-u-u-u-u-u-um-m-m-m-m-m-mps?!" Melody asked as she kept bouncing around on the bumpy snow before getting onto the smooth snow.
"It's called a snowboarding course." Chester called. "It's supposed to have jumps and obstacles to make it challenging."
"Of course!" Melody said, not amused at all before her snowboard came to a stop.
"Good thing I know how to ride the waves!" Zuma sang, as he surfed his way down the slope towards them. But when he turned his board to halt the snow that coated his friends only fell away at the eyes for them to stare at him in almost a ghostly way.
"Woah.. uhh hehe,.. Sorry dudes." The chocolate lab apologized awkwardly.
"No worries, Zuma," Melody replied, before shaking the snow off herself. Brian did the same.
Meanwhile, Snowflake sled down the mountain, happy that Chase was relaxing.
"Oh no! Marshall, look out!" Zuma called.
However when the Dalmatian skidded his snowboard to a stop, he looked back and saw Snowflake hurtling toward him.
"Woah!" he cried, hopping his feet to get out of the way.
"Oh my.." CiCi groaned, nervously.
"Oh no." Skye cringed.
"Oh boy.." Chester sighed.
"Marshall!" Snowflake exclaimed as she sledded towards him. She would have turned to avoid him, but she was going too fast. And sure enough, both their efforts turned out to be in vain as Marshall was bumped off his feet, laying against Snowflake on his back. Looking at one another then ahead of them, they cried out as they caught sight of the fast approaching snow drift. And once they hit it, Marshall went flying over it, did a flip in the air and landed with the front of the board staked into the snow. The board was still wobbling from the studden stop and once it had stopped, as pups came to check on him, the Dalmatian's paws came loose from the footholds and he fell flat on his back.
"Wow, Marshall, guess you really are Air Marshall, after all." Rubble joked, making everyone laugh.
"I'm sorry, Marshall. Are you okay?" Snowflake asked, as she dug herself out of the snow.
Marshall babbled a goofy sound effect as he shook himself off.
"Heh,.. well I may be Air Marshall.. But.. I guess I'm not Snow Marshall," the fire pup chuckled. "I'm good."
"You ok, Snowflake?" Everest asked.
"Yes I am. Thanks, Everest," Snowflake replied to the lavender and white husky.
Snowflake then looked at her sled and tried to pull it out of the snow.
"Ok, so that was fun,.. What'do you guys wanna do now?" Chester wondered.
"Let's go back up and check on Chase," Ned suggested, as he stopped near the group on his sled.
"Oh yeah, good idea.." Chester shrugged toward the husky. "Let's do that."
Then grabbing their sleds and snowboards, they headed back up the mountain.
xxxx
Seeing Chase in the snow, Ned walked up to him before looking at Ryder and Jake.
"Is Chase doing okay?" he asked.
"No.." Chase groaned, not even opening his eyes. " I feel ridiculous."
"How? You were relaxing not that long ago," Snowflake pointed out.
"Only 'cause I was told to." Chase countered, lifting his head slightly to look at them, but grunted when the shift of some loosened snow fell into his face..
"I am done with this yet?" he asked after a brief silence.
"I don't know. Who put you there?" Marshall asked.
"I did.." Then Rayla somehow appeared next to them. "And not just yet."
"Come on, please, I'm begging you!" Chase groaned, more exasperated than ever.
"Hey it's just a few more minutes, nothing big.." the golden lab informed him.
"I got a timer on it, I promise."
"Ugggghhh!" Chase grumbled.
"You'll thank me later, you'll see." Rayla asserted.
"It sounds like you're punishing Chase to relax against his will," Brian said with a smirk.
"Nope, just making sure he gets the ideal amount of icing." Rayla replied.
"I'm not a frozen treat, I don't care what Snowflake and Ned say!" Chase protested.
Brian and Melody looked at each other in confusion.
"Icing? Why didn't we think of that?!" Snowflake exclaimed with joy.
"But you don't put icing on a Klondike bar. But we could put icing on a brownie!" Ned commented to his sister.
"I think Chase is more of a blondie than a brownie, since he does have a light creamy fur color," Snowflake mentioned, pointing to Chase's fur.
"True. Shall I get the icing? I think the blondie has been in the refrigerator long enough," Ned replied jokingly with a smile.
Chase just moaned in his frustration.
Suddenly a flash of the army lab's pup tag and a steady blip sound followed.
"Ok, now you can get out.." She said.
"Oh finally!" Chase sighed, but trying to move soon proved more difficult than he thought..
"Um.. ok but.. A little help?" he asked, kinda confused.
"Why?" Marshall asked.
"Everything ok?" Rayla asked.
"Yes, but one, you sealed in a capsule of snow, and two.. I can't feel anything very well because of the cold!" Chase replied calmly. "It's numbed everything out to the point that I can't move as good.. That's what the cold does!"
"Ok ok, we got you. No worries. We can help dig you out. Just relax." Rayla assured him.
"Yeah like that'll happen.." Chase sighed, plopping his head back, which made him grunt and regret this act.
"Anyone volunteering to help?" Rayla offered, looking among the group.
"Rubble could get his rig and dig Chase out," Snowflake suggested.
"Uhhh, I think it might be safer if we do it by hand.. Or I guess by paw.." Chester figured.
"I'll volunteer!" Skyler piped up.
"Me too!" Rubble agreed.
"Ugh, I don't care who does it, just get me out, please!" Chase begged.
"Chill bro, we're working on it.. Or I guess thaw since you're already chilled.." Chester deadpanned, looking down on his brother directly.
"Not funny, Chess!" Chase complained, unburying part of his forepaws.
"See you've already started to get free." Rayla mentioned, gesturing a paw toward Chase.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Chase replied, shifted back and forth in place to try and wriggle free.
"Your paw, Chase. It's already free!" Melody said before going over and pulling on Chase's free paw.
"Come on,.. Let's get you out of there.." Rayla said as she, Rubble and a couple of the PUP Pals took up spots around him and started to dig. Once they'd gotten to a certain point, they'd found that the snow around him had somewhat solidified, likely from his body heat. But once they got past that, they were able to push a large chunk of it off him, opening up the entire top.
"Ok, come on, bro. Time to rise from the chilly grave.." Big brother Chess commented, straddling himself up at the edge of the hole and giving him a paw.
"Chester.." Chase sighed dryly, but winced when Chester took his paw and pulled him up, even though he didn't feel any pain at all.
"So, should we go to Jake's cabin to warm up?" Snowflake asked the group.
"Actually, I was thinking it's time to head back to the Lookout.." Ryder replied. "Get a quick lunch, before we go check things out in town?"
"Sure!" Melody replied happily.
"Lunch sounds like a good idea!" Brian agreed.
"Yes please! I'm starving!" Ned exclaimed slightly desperate.
"I second that. All the shoveling and toboggan riding has made me hungry!" Snowflake responded politely.
"Awesome idea, Ryder! I'm starved!" Zuma exclaimed.
"Lunch?! Yes!" Rubble cheered.
"Let's go!" Ryder decided.
"Thanks again, PAW Patrol!" Jake and Everest called after them.
"No problem!" Was among several responses from the extensive group of pups as they ran up into the PAW Patroller. Ryder took a moment to help Chase by lifting him up into Rocky's passenger seat, then hopped onto his ATV. And revving the engine, he sped off with the PAW Patroller and Rocky's ultimate vehicle right behind him.
What is up, you guys?! What we have here is another chapter, which just happens to be the second half of our Snow Place But Slope arc!
And with that, it sets us at the perfect time for a posting break.. We have been falling behind on writing and have been struggling to keep up.. So for the next two weeks, we will not be posting in hopes of catching back up again in the writing. If we need to postpone any further we will post a comment on this chapter to inform you so stay tuned.
So with all that said, this chapter was quite fun like always. I have several lines and character interactions that were hilarious! Let us know which one was your favorite! Until next time, friends! Thx!
