Operation: Pointed Spear

The epilogue

Alik's pov
I reached for the next hand hold and locked in my safety line before pulling myself up and placing my foot on the foot hold. I looked up and saw Monika looking down holding laxly on to the rock outcropping "you good?" I breathed heavily and nodded "just a bit sore, I can keep going" she smiled and spoke "we're almost to the top, just another 20 meters" I closed my eyes and breathed before reaching for the next grip point Monika had marks just for the small ledge to give out under my grip, my arm slipped and dangled below me as I looked down watching the stone disappear into the German wilderness beneath us. I looked back up and scanned the rock wall for any other hand hold I could reach before gripping it and pulling myself up, my arms were screaming in pain and my ribs were still crushing my core strength as I gritted my teeth and tried making some progress. I pulled my safety line from its anchor clipping it in to the next anchor point as my hand tentatively poked at my ribs trying to find the source of the pain.
I reached up and gripped the next ledge before using my feet and pushing myself up, I hissed when my fingers slipped into a small hole and a mouse bit me causing me to pull it from the hole and toss it from the cliff in my anger, as I checked my hand before continuing on my journey to the top. I looked up and saw Monika waiting at the top smiling down at me as I reached the 10 meter mark I asked "is it always this hard?" She nodded and replied "ja, that's what makes it so fun" I sighed and muttered "fucking Christ, this is gonna be the death of me" as I gripped the inside of a crack pushing it my feet before clipping into the next anchor, I asked as I climbed "so who put these anchor points here?" Monika replied "mein Großvater(my grandfather)" I nodded and replied "he sounds like he enjoyed risks" she replied "well he fought on the eastern front in a Tiger so I guess" I chuckled before I reached her and she climbed over the edge to the top of the plateau. I groaned as I pulled myself over.
I rolled on my back as my hands rested splayed out to either side of me and panted while staring at the bright blue sky above me, I saw Monika come into view leaning over me as she asked "how're you feeling?" I replied "like I just took a sledgehammer to the ribs" I heard laughs and Gunther ask "finally make it up? Mon, you're slowing" she replied simply "I couldn't leave Alik out there alone" I chipped in "that would be most unpleasant" as Zara and Bird asked in unison "how's your ribs?" I laughed before groaning and sitting up looking at the two muttering "they're whining but holding firm" I saw Anna had set up a small picnic area as Monika walked over and I followed dying for any of Anna's amazing food. We sat down and she began handing out plates, Gunther got his first like always followed by the different couples, Monika and I got ours first since we're older, Reinhard and his new girlfriend got theirs next followed by Bird and Zara. I listened carefully as Anna explained what she put in the sandwiches before the chorus of "thank you" and "Danke"s rang out.
We sat and talked for hours until I found myself sitting on the edge of the rock plateau watching the bird fly thinking, I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Monika's rock climbing pants in my peripherals. She asked worriedly "are you okay?" I nodded and replied "just thinking" she asked interested "what were you thinking about?" I smiled before looking over and replying "how I'm gonna make you my wife" she chuckled before leaning into me and speaking "we have to head out of here soon" I nodded against her head and asked "can we just sit here for a bit?" She answered "ja natürlich(yes of course)" we sat there humming the tunes to some of her favorite country songs before she pulled herself up and spoke "come on, let's go home." I stood and looked at her and her family behind her before smiling to myself as we all began the descent back to the ground.