Winter Blunderland

Part 3: Snowy Shenanigans

THREE: Snowy Shenanigans

Drenched and dripping-and laughing all the way-they sped upstairs and towelled down, then changed into their skiing gear and headed out. Astrid in her sleek baby blue expensive skiing suit and white angora woolly bobble hat and Hiccup in his black BerkMart ski jacket and pants, his green knitted bobble hat on his head. Astrid took his hand and they walked down and then she pulled him to the door at the bottom of the hotel, punching in the code she had been given and clicking the light on in the ski garage. She swiftly went to her equipment and looked over at Hiccup. "You got kit?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Boots," he shrugged, gesturing and she smiled, then sized him up by eye and expertly fitted his boots to the hire skis she had selected from the small selection in the hotel garage, grabbed a pair of sticks and clipped her feet into her boots. "But I'm really not any good...and um...you're apparently so amazing that your rivals have to gang up on you to stop you!" She chuckled and walked across the him, beckoning him to sit down and expertly putting his boots on. And then she paused and patted his left foot. She looked up, her eyes wide.

"Is this...?" she asked and he nodded, his head dipping.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Lost the foot in the accident where my Mom died...but my skiing isn't really much worse since I was hopeless before and..." She snapped the clips closed and stood up.

"For what it's worth, I am very impressed," she said to him, taking his hand. "It's very brave-and I wouldn't have known otherwise." His eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah," she told him with a grin. "Some of those Paralympians are amazing. I mean really amazing. And the fact you're here and willing to have a go just blows me away, Hiccup. I mean-I'm a bit nervous getting back on snow but if you are willing to try, then I know I'm going to be okay."

"You may need to remind me how to ski," he told her. "Haven't been since Dad died..." She beckoned him down and kissed him.

"Maybe it's the large number of champagne cocktails they served us during the meal but I know you're going to be fine," she told him as they walked to the edge of the cleared path and put their skis on, before they slithered over to the little drag lift. Hiccup immediately looked nervous.

"Did I tell you I am horrible on these?" he asked her as a small child almost knocked him over. She came up to his knees and had a huge crash helmet, a bright pink ski-suit and short little skis and was yelling at the top of her voice. Four more tiny children sped through and took the pair of them down. Astrid started giggling again as they clambered up and managed to get onto the lift. Hiccup's lift paid out as far as it could, recoiled and then catapulted him into the snowdrift by a bush. He waved an arm.

"I'm okay!" he called and managed to scramble up. Astrid glided to his side, helped him up and towed him to the bottom of the lift. This time, they made it to the lift and she got him safely up to the top of the slope. Hiccup looked down and his eyes widened in sudden anxiety.

"I think this may be a terrible awful very very very bad move," he told her suddenly but she grinned.

"If you get to the bottom, Hiccup, I will give you a kiss," she told him and side-slipped down a couple of yards. "Bend your knees, toes in, on your edges first and weight forward..." He looked up, very stiff and nervous.

"I bet you say that to all your pupils," he mumbled.

"Only the really cute ones," she giggled and then saw him grin.

"Okay...for a kiss..." he said and slowly flattened his skis slightly. Inching forward, he reached Astrid. She grinned and slid down a bit further. "Hey!"