A Prey Among Predators

Hockey players dressed in white and maroon whip around the perimeter of the glossy ice. In the midst, Clayton raises his free hand up to his mouth and blows into the whistle that is attached to his glove.

TWEET!

He then spins around along with everyone else. They continue going the same direction, only now backward.

Nolan keeps his eyes behind his shoulder as he crosses-over backward around the bend of the boards. He leans left and right, weaving past the other skaters and goalies.

TWEET!

The sharp sounds of the players grinding to a halt fill the air. They follow Clayton, who is drifting to the center of the ice.

Clayton kneels on the ice as his team forms a circle around him and lowers themselves to their knees as well.

Silently, the coach spreads his legs out and leans forward with his stick flat on the ice. The rest of the players copy his motions.

“You’re pretty fast,” Nolan hears Carter breathing out from his left. “The fastest polar bear I’ve ever met.”

Nolan peers at him to his left before extending his legs out behind him and arching his back for the next stretch.

“It’s pretty cool!” Carter cranes his back. “I take it that’s why you chose hockey instead of fishing? All the polar bears I’ve known are big on fishing. Or curling.”

The two follow their coach’s motions, sticking their right foot out and putting pressure on it.

Carter’s eyes light up ahead of him. “Ooo, you know what?” He whirls his head to Nolan. “You got anything to do after practice?”

Nolan blinks at him.

“Because I wanna take you to the aquarium!”

They tuck their right leg in and slide their left leg out along with the rest of their team.

“I think you’ll like it! There’s all of these sea animals and fish!” Through his mask, Carter’s eyes sparkle. “And tons of water too. Thinking about it, it’s a polar bear’s heaven!”

The team extends their right legs again, yet this time pointing their toes up toward the ceiling. Nolan slips down to a side split.

With a look of excited anticipation, Carter asks, “So, whaddya say?”

He glances at him from behind his shoulder and nods.

Carter eyes him. “Is that a...yes?”

They transfer legs, now having Nolan face Carter’s broad back.

“Yes,” Nolan forces out.

Carter chuckles and peers behind his shoulder to shoot him a smile. “Awesome!”

“Hey!” Clayton barks before a glove hits Carter’s head.

Carter whirls his head to the right. The captain has his right leg out in front of him, bent, with his left leg stretched out behind him. He manages to hold angered eyes at him.

Carter glances at the rest of his teammates, who are struggling to maintain the pose their coach is holding. Except for Kale, who is happily holding it.

His eyes land back on the coach. He gives him an embarrassed smile. “Oh, heh heh—”

He sticks his right leg in front of him and attempts to bend it. His bulky leg pad hits the ice before his leg is fully turned, causing him to lose balance and plop onto his bottom.

Sitting with his two large legs sticking out in front of him, Carter takes a look at Nolan.

Nolan gracefully switches his legs and displays the challenging pose.

He lets out a groan. “How…?”

The team then stands up with their coach. Carter and Nolan follow. Clayton rotates his arms in circles, rolls his neck around, and gives his shoulders a shimmy.

“Alright, let’s do two-on-ones.” He breezes away from the circle.

The circle disperses as almost everyone goes to each end of the ice.

Nolan stays in his place, whipping his head to watch everyone choosing either side of the ice for the drill.

He then jolts and perks up as he senses something tap on his padded shoulder.

Carter points to the empty net to the left with his stick. “I’ll be over here!” He then skates off toward it.

Nolan turns away as confusion and trepidation curls into his mind.

The slicing braking of the ice nearby him grabs his attention, causing him to look up again.

Brett holds a warm smile at him, which contrasts his intimidating rusty red ears poking out from his helmet. “I’ll be your partner.” He then faces the net Carter occupies.

Nolan turns to be next to him before the two to glide down the ice and brake at the end of the line.

Brett eyes him. “That bear’s bothering you?” He nods toward the goalie in the net.

He shakes his head.

“Alright, good.” Brett looks ahead. “He’s usually optimistic and upbeat; never like this, though.” He peers down at him again. “Probably because he found a mutual species.”

He nods.

Clayton and Kale, the two players in front of them, take off in front of them.

Brett glances at the open ice for the drill and nudges him. “Ready?”

Nolan holds onto his stick with his hands and lowers himself. He keeps sharp eyes on the open ice from behind Brett.

From behind the line, Clayton blows the whistle.

TWEET!

Brett takes a puck from the pile by the boards and shoots up the ice. Nolan enters the open ice and transitions backward to cross the slot while keeping his vision on Brett.

Brett reaches the blue line and slingshots the puck to his partner.

Nolan follows the zipping puck with his eyes and uses the backhand of his stick to guide it in between the post and Carter’s blocker.

Reaching too far to the right with a burst of speed, Carter, who is in his butterfly position, flops onto his stomach.

He groans and croaks out, “Ohhh, I got mauled!”

Nolan drifts past the net and halts in the back of the line.

Brett glides down to Carter and taps his stick’s blade on the side of his leg pad. “Get up, you lazy bear.”

He then approaches Nolan and brakes. With an amazed grin, he holds his gloved hand out at him. “Great job! You’re sharp!”

Seeing that Nolan is merely gazing at him with burning cheeks of embarrassment, Brett chuckles and gives him a fist bump.

At the crease, Carter peels himself off from the ice and climbs back onto his skates’ blades. “Yup, I’m gonna need some good relaxation after this.”

Notes