Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Now that I have these bone sleds attached to my feet and I feel how uncertain my stance is on the ground? The hill looks very large indeed. “The bottoms of my skis feel very slippery,” I confess as Vivi finishes strapping her skis to her feet and stands upright. “Are they supposed to?”
“They’re slippery because they’re greased,” Vivi tells me. “So we can go faster, remember?”
“If you don’t want to try the skis out with us, I can go get Thrand and you can watch Deenie instead.” Nadine’s tone is sweet.
“Bah,” is all I say. I should be the one with the skis on my feet, as it is my mate’s idea. “I will be excellent at skiing. Wait and see.”
“I’m sure you will, babe,” Vivi tells me, and poles her way forward a bit, testing the skis on her feet. “This version seems to be holding. That’s a good sign.”
“They feel sturdy,” Nadine agrees. “Much better than the reed ones. I think the length and width helps, too.”
Vivi makes a hmming noise. “They’re not as long as I want, but maybe that’s a good thing? We’ll just have to take it slow and make sure we don’t topple over as we go downhill. You remember what I told you, Skarr?”
I remember some of it, but I had also been admiring how strong and fine she looked when she was instructing me. “Balance my weight on my knees. Do not lean forward too much. Crouch. Steer with my knees. Turn to the side when I get to the bottom so I can stop.”
“You’ve got it.” Her eyes sparkle and she skis over to me, then puts one of her poles in the wrist loop and pulls a hood over my head, tucking a scarf around my neck. “How’s your tail sock?”
“Warm. I like it.” She made me an attachment that ties to the back of my leggings that covers the majority of my tail and helps me stay much warmer. I do not care for the festive pom-pom she put on the end, but it makes her smile and I like her smile, so it stays.
Vivi beams at me and taps a finger on my nose. “I’ll go first.” She turns to the other woman. “Nadine, you want to go last so you can help Skarr if he gets stuck?”
Nadine nods. “Will do.”
My female flashes a smile at us and then shuffles to the edge of the hill we are upon. She pushes off and crouches low as she glides down the side of the hill, picking up speed as she goes, her poles lifted horizontally under her arms. Near the bottom, she wobbles, almost losing her balance, and my heart leaps into my throat. I start forward to go after her, but she rights herself and I can breathe again.
When she gets to the bottom, she turns her skis and straightens to her full height, waving and giving us a thumbs-up gesture that means she is happy.
“Go for it, Skarr,” Nadine says. “You’re up.”
I bite back a heavy sigh. I will be excellent at this, I am certain. I just…do not want to do it. I like my feet on firm ground. But Vivi is gazing up with an expectant look and I do not want to disappoint her. Gritting my teeth, I move to the edge of the slope and hunch over.
The skis move forward a handspan, nothing more. And they do so agonizingly slow.
“Push off,” Nadine says. “With the poles.”
“I know this. I was just testing.” I try to push myself forward with the poles, but the angle is wrong.
“You want me to give you a nudge—”
“No,” I snarl at her. “I have it.” I shoot Nadine an indignant look and try to push myself forward again. This time I start to slide forward and pick up speed, and the snowy slope begins to rush past me. My heart does not beat as I fly at high speed down to the bottom of the hill, and I laugh in triumph when I make it all the way to the bottom. I knew I would be the best!
But…then I keep going.
I stand up, surprised, and look back over my shoulder at Vivi as my skis keep on carrying me across the snows, the momentum of my speed propelling me way past my mate.
“You have to turn your skis to stop,” Vivi calls after me. “Otherwise you’re going to keep going.”
“I am simply testing them,” I call back to her.
“Of course you are, babe.” Her laughter is sweet on the air, taking the sting out of her words.
I finally figure out how to turn my skis and when I do, I flop over onto the ground. Hmph. I will need to work on that part. I suppose I cannot be amazing at everything right away. Getting back on my feet proves to be a bigger challenge than the hill. By the time I manage to get upright again, Nadine is down the hill and standing with Vivi. I slide my way back to them and I have to admit, it does let me move across the snow quickly.