Chapter 389 Wherever He Is, I Must Find Him
On the third day in the little town of Isertwald, Teresa and Gabriel went skiing together.
Gabriel was an expert skier. During the three years he studied in Jena, Teresa had skied a few times in Switzerland, but she didn't remember it. She only recalls the trip she took with Patrick and Sophia when she was sixteen.
However, Gabriel secretly hoped she wouldn't remember how to ski so he could teach her hands-on.
But the moment Teresa stepped onto the skis and stood on the slope, the feeling came back to her immediately.
Gabriel had only explained the basics of skiing once, and after propping herself with the ski poles, she pushed off and began to glide downward.
At first, she was cautious, but as she skied down a stretch, she realized she was quite familiar with the sensation of being light as a feather, and she grew bolder. Halfway down the slope, she turned back excitedly to Gabriel and shouted, "Honey, look, I'm..." "Ahh!"
Her cry of excitement had not even faded when Teresa let out a sharp scream and tumbled forward.
Gabriel watched her, heart contracting sharply as she lost her balance and let out a shriek. Without hesitation, he strapped on his snowboard and leaped onto the slope, racing down as fast as he could. With a swift "whoosh" of his board, he braked sharply, coming to a stop in front of Teresa, who had already taken a tumble. He quickly reached down to help her up.
"Are you okay? Where did you get hurt?" Gabriel asked urgently, helping Teresa sit up in the snow while checking her for any injuries.
Even though she was fully geared up for protection, Gabriel couldn't shake off his concern.
Teresa frowned at first, but after Gabriel lifted her and moved her limbs around, she realized she was actually fine. She shook her head as she used his support to stand, "I'm alright. It doesn't hurt at all."
Gabriel shook his head with a mix of indulgence and helplessness, took off his gloves, and adjusted her goggles before playfully pinching her nose. "That's for getting cocky!"
Teresa pouted, "Cocky? I just wanted to show you how capable your sweetheart is."
"Right, my sweetheart is capable. No one is more capable than my sweetheart," Gabriel agreed, slipping his gloves back on and taking her hand. "Can you still ski?"
"Yeah, of course!" Teresa responded.
"I'll lead you for a couple of runs until you get the hang of it," he suggested.
"Do we have to?" Teresa shook her head. "Even if I fall, it won't hurt."
"It's necessary," Gabriel insisted. "Let's go."
"Okay, then." Teresa agreed and took the lead, gliding away, with Gabriel quickly following. He kept pace with her, staying protectively by her side.
Initially, due to concerns about Teresa's familiarity and skill, Gabriel led her down the beginner slopes.
After a few rounds, when Teresa felt the beginner slopes were too easy, Gabriel took her to the intermediate slopes.
These slopes had a steeper gradient, typically ranging between 25% to 40%, often groomed and the most commonly found and populated slopes in the resort.
To Gabriel's surprise, Teresa skied remarkably well and stable, without a single mishap. His worries hung heavy as he followed her, but her performance was nothing short of perfect; she skied with joy and exhilaration.
The pair skied for nearly four hours, and by twelve-thirty, Teresa finally said she was tired and ready for lunch.
After eating, they headed straight back to rest.
Having not skied for a long time, and after four hours on the slopes, Teresa wasn't just exhausted; her legs were feeling wobbly. Shortly after getting into the car, she fell asleep.
Gabriel drove steadily to their cozy cabin, parked, and gently lifted Teresa from the passenger seat, carrying her back to the bedroom and laying her down on the large bed.
Teresa was still wearing her ski gear, so Gabriel first removed his own and then hers.
Once they were both free of their bulky attire, he leaned over her and began making love.
"Honey, stop fooling around!" Teresa murmured sleepily, attempting to push him away.
But how could she push Gabriel away? He was immovable, like a mountain. Regardless of Teresa's efforts to shove him, he stood firm.
Just as Teresa tried to kick him, he caught her ankle, leaned in, and sealed her lips with a kiss...
...
On the fourth day of their honeymoon, Gabriel took Teresa out for a day of local sightseeing. The next day, they hit the slopes again.
This time, they ventured onto the expert runs.
For a seasoned skier like Gabriel, these runs were his playground. Yet, he was concerned for Teresa because these trails had inclines over 40%, bumps, ruts from previous skiers, and potential obstacles like rocks. He was worried she might fall and get hurt.
So, at first, he stayed close to her, accompanying her down the slopes.
Teresa was cautious on these more difficult runs, having never attempted them before. She stumbled only once on her first try, avoiding injury, and after that, she skied smoothly.
"Darling, you go have fun. You don't need to keep an eye on me. Look, I'm skiing just fine. Even if I take a spill, I've got my goggles, knee pads, elbow guards – I won't get hurt," Teresa suggested after a few runs when they were riding the lift back to the top of the mountain, noticing how Gabriel had been carefully watching over her and not fully enjoying his time on the slopes.
Gabriel turned to her and brushed a stray lock of hair from her lips, shaking his head. "But what if you get hurt? What then?"
"Jinx!" Teresa scoffed, "If you're that worried, why not hire a coach to follow me?"
"That would worry me even more."
Teresa rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I mean a female coach."
Gabriel hadn't considered the prospect of a "female coach," but upon reflection, he nodded in agreement. He immediately called and arranged for two female instructors.
With the professional guard of two female ski coaches, Gabriel felt much more at ease.
After giving the instructors specific instructions and watching Teresa ski away with their company, Gabriel felt content and allowed a slight smile to curve his lips.
Teresa had a natural talent for skiing. She glided down the slopes with poise and control, impressively managing both speed and direction. With two female instructors trailing closely behind her, Gabriel felt at ease.
As Teresa's figure dwindled to a speck before disappearing from his view, Gabriel strapped on his snowboard, ready to embrace the thrill of gliding freely down the mountain.
However, just as he was about to drop into the run, a rumbling vibration surged from beneath his board, followed by a thunderous crashing sound.
Drawing on his professional instincts, Gabriel realized the gravity of the situation and immediately turned to look back...
"Avalanche, run for it!"
The scream came from a fellow skier not far from Gabriel at the very moment he turned to look. Witnessing the avalanche roaring down the mountain like a massive tidal wave, Gabriel didn't hesitate. Springing to his feet, he leaped onto the run and frantically picked up speed.
Avalanches can reach speeds between 200-300 miles per hour, and the most severe ones can even exceed 400 miles per hour. The force equivalent to 40-50 tons could smash into a person for several seconds—an impact nearly impossible to survive.
From that one glance, Gabriel assessed that this was no minor avalanche; it must be hurtling down at over 300 miles per hour.
His only option was to escape.
What if he couldn't outrun it? What if he got buried under the snow? He couldn't die; he absolutely could not die!
Teresa was waiting for him; how could he possibly die?
In the event of being buried, the first thing to do was to try to save himself. There's precious little oxygen under the snow. If he didn't dig himself out quickly, death was certain.
Back in school, an outdoor survival instructor had taught him that if he was trapped under the snow, he could spit to find out which way was up. If saliva dripped towards his chin, he was head-up—clawing upwards desperately. If it ran towards his eyes, his head was down, and he needed to change direction.
While speeding away, Gabriel tried to stay calm and plan, just in case he ended up under the snow.
