Breathtaking.It’s the only thing going through James’ mind when he leans against the window in the cabin and sees miles and miles of snow-covered plains and mountains popping up every now and again. Absolutely and utterly breathtaking.
It’s the part of the trip he’s looked forward to the most: seeing the northern part of Europe, seeing how different life is in this part of the world and exploring the regional culture. Although the landscape looks mainly empty, it’s not barren. And as a crew member announces they’re arriving in Tromsø for their two-day stay, James can only marvel at the vast beauty of it. Norway. He actually made it to Norway.
The nervous energy crackling underneath his skin has been making him twitchy all morning. He can tell that it’s getting on Gabriel’s nerves, even if he’s doing his best to hide it.
Not wanting to look too eager, he sits back down on thebed and folds his hands in his lap. That way he’s prevented from fidgeting with them too much.
Gabriel’s tying up the snow boots the train attendants brought along earlier in the morning. James’ are a little too big due to his size not being available anymore, but an extra pair of cozy, warm, and most importantly, thermal socks fill up the empty space and make sure that they fit nice and snug.
The pamphlets he found upon entering the carriage, back in Paris, mentioned that the cold is more severe in this part of Norway. Adequate protection and precautions are a must. It does mean that they both end up looking like b-grade Michelin men when they step off the train fifteen minutes later.
James giggles. He can’t help it. The sight of Gabriel’s sharp eyes peeking from in between the layered scarves and hats. It means a lot to James that Gabriel’s even getting off the train, knowing how he is with the cold.
Today, James plans to explore the beautiful city, with its multicolored houses and snow-covered streets. In his notebook there’s an address to see reindeer and huskies. He’s made reservations to go sledding but is still finding the nerve to actually go through with it.
If, and that’s a bigif, he’s lucky, the Aurora Borealis will light up the night sky when the light has fully dwindled and the landscape will be blanketed in total darkness. He knowsit’s down to probability and chance, but secretly it’s the thing that compelled him to start the trip. Seeing the Northern Lights, it’s a thing most people only dream of.
And tonight, he might be ticking it off his list. Not only that, but if they do find themselves underneath the blue and green hues tonight, he promises to finally be brave enough and let himself take a leap of faith. See the lights, kiss Gabriel and confess his feelings.
It’s just three things, he reasons with himself as he hurries after Gabriel, who’s started walking toward the town center. “Why anyone would live here is beyond me.”
James snorts, a happy quirk to his lips. “Not a fan?”
“Of the town? It’s beautiful. The cold? I can already feel it seep underneath my clothes, which I thought wasn’t possible with the amount of layers that I’m wearing.” Gabriel huffs, clearly not happy with the circumstances he’s found himself in. Ever since the mention of his family last night, he’s been out of it. James can sense the difference in him and it’s irksome. If there’s one thing he wants, it’s for Gabriel to enjoy himself on the trip and not to get lost in his head. He hopes that interacting with the animals later on will help. If not that, the sleighride will. James is certain of it. It’s just the kind of thing that Gabriel will enjoy.
As they trek through the snow, the Arctic scenery surrounding them is enough of a marvel to get lost in. It’squiet, oh so very quiet. It’s almost unnerving, but at the same time it’s calming. This feels like a sacred part of the world, where nature has the upper hand and it’s treasured. The rolling hills and mountains on the edge of town feel monumental, but also very welcoming.
He could spend weeks here, he thinks. Just wandering around, discovering new things about nature but about himself as well. In town they find a place to sit and eat something. The food is warm and filling, and makes sure that they’re ready to brave the cold.
It feels like Christmas in the town’s center, but in a completely different kind of way than cities like Venice and Prague did. It’s the same feeling James gets when he watches classic Christmas movies, where everything’s covered in snow and you can just see the holiday spirit lingering around.
Around two in the afternoon, they meet their guide, along with a couple of other people James recognizes as passengers onThe Evergreen. To his utter dismay, Paul and Riley are front and center, making sure that they capture the guide’s attention.
The group is taken to the edge of town, where they find dogs and reindeer. James feels like he should be expecting Santa’s sleigh to appear at any moment. Decked out in red cloaks, with bells and different colored threads, the reindeer look like they were plucked out of a fantasy and planted here.Somehow they look exactly like he pictured Rudolph, only even better.
One by one, the couples are paired off on a sleigh; either led by dogs or by the reindeer. The spirit is joyful, everyone too amazed by the beauty and magnitude of it all to really feel anything else. As Paul and Riley are guided toward a sleigh, Paul – against the words of the guide – reaches out to the animal to pet it. It’s only thanks to his fast reflexes that he’ll be able to leave the city with all his fingers still attached. A disgruntled noise echoes through the group; people clearly aren’t pleased at the blatant disrespect. Next to him, Gabriel snorts with laughter.The smirk on his lips shouldn’t be that attractive, James thinks,and neither should the dark glint in his eyes.
When it’s their turn, James hesitates. Gabriel’s been holding his hand the entire journey. A byproduct of spotting Paul in the crowd, James figures, and when James’ step falters Gabriel squeezes his fingers a little. “It’s just like Venice, isn’t it? Because I know you want to.”
James nods a little. He feels the flush of embarrassment fill his face. Gabriel steps in front of him, blocking the others from view. Another gentle squeeze. Their eyes meet and Gabriel says, “We’ll go slow and steady, just like in Italy. I’m with you. Didn’t let anything happen then either, did I?”
James nods again. This time he feels a little more certain. Even if the danger of it all scares him, he knows that he’llregret it if he doesn’t go through with it. Just like he would have in Venice, just like he does with the unfinished exploration of the markets in Rothenburg. Taking a deep breath, he swallows and squeezes Gabriel’s hand in return. “Okay.”
He’s not sure he’s ever seen a happier grin fall upon Gabriel’s face. It’s almost as blinding as the snow. Gabriel doesn’t allow any time for second guessing, and before he knows it, they’re strapped onto the sled and speeding off. Gabriel’s whooping and laughter echo across the path, accompanied by the panting of the dogs and the sound of the sleigh digging into the snow.
James has never felt more alive. The hand still holding onto his, with a tight and unyielding grip, gives him the anchor he needs to be able to enjoy the experience. It helps him shift his focus onto what’s happening right now. He’s eternally grateful for it, since this is something he’ll never want to forget.
All too soon the ride comes to an end. They meet the others and enjoy something to eat with the guide. “Within two hours,” he tells them, “I’ll take the whole group up the mountain to spot the Aurora Borealis.” James can feel the anticipation rise within the group, but also within himself.
This is it. The moment he’s been dreaming of. The moment he’ll be able to experience a natural phenomenonfirst hand, with his friend by his side.
This time they make the journey into the mountains on snow scooters, making it a shorter trip than he anticipated. They’re dropped off at the desired lookout point, where he finds himself in total darkness. The night sky above him is black, almost unlimitedly so.
He can feel himself holding his breath, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. But as the clouds roll in, he can feel his hope fade. It’s good to always be prepared for things; the Metro system in Paris showed him why. But being overly prepared also means that he knows that the chance of seeing the Northern Lights lessens when there’s cloud built up.
He feels his shoulders drop as, against his will, his eyes well up with tears. Distantly, he can hear the guide gently tell the group that the chance of seeing the lights isn’t optimal tonight. James isn’t sure if he’s more heart-broken about not seeing the lights, or if the heavy feeling in his chest is from not having the opportunity to confess to Gabriel now.
24 [James] Tromsø, Norway
