Kiss the Sky by MK Schiller

Author:MK Schiller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2017-07-20T13:44:12+00:00

Chapter 17

They woke early, before the sun even made an appearance. Today was going to be a good day, Tristan thought.

They would stand upon one of the highest places on earth. Tristan described himself as a spiritual cynic, a man who meditated but never prayed, but he thought he might just be close enough to heaven that he could catch a glimpse of Drew and his mother.

They would have to be quick and efficient to make the journey from Camp Four to the apex and back before dark. Once the sun faded, it would be difficult to find their way in the dark, cold night. He hoped all the weeks of preparation had paid off.

“Weather?” he asked Malcolm, who was in charge of getting the reports from their forecasting company.

“It’s clear.”

Edelweiss clapped his hands, the sound echoing across the serene landscape. “Well then, gentlemen…” He turned to Farah. “And lady, let us depart.”

“You’re in good spirits,” Tristan said as they geared up.

“I’ve done my duty to my bloodline.”

Tristan frowned. He’d kept his distance from the Edelweiss fiasco. He would not let the man ruin this day.

“I wasn’t planning to summit today,” Edelweiss said. “But I’m feeling quite well and Malcolm convinced me. I’m so close it would be a shame to stop now.”

“You shouldn’t come if you have doubts,” Tristan said.

Edelweiss fixed him with a steely gaze. “I have no doubts.”

Edelweiss had seemed to get a second wind during this leg of the trip. He wasn’t even relying on the oxygen that much. Tristan decided not to waste his breath or energy on the man.

Farah smiled at him. “Safe travels. I’ll see you at the top,” she said, adjusting her goggles.

“Same to you.”

He focused on the climb. Uphill climbing was the most difficult and labor intensive. The thin atmosphere made it difficult to draw in deep breaths. Energy was at a premium, and they could not waste it with idle chitchat. They focused on their task, each lost in their own thoughts. He scaled it, one step at a time, each rise growing more difficult, his limbs getting heavier as the air grew thinner.

They had decided the night before they would place the most skilled climbers in the front and back to keep the line moving at a decent pace. Being the fastest, Ahmed led them with Farah behind him. Malcolm, Lino, Bjorn, and Edelweiss followed. Being the strongest, Tristan anchored them. It gave him the unique vantage to spot trouble up ahead and call an audible if needed. On the way back, they decided they would change up the order, letting Malcolm lead and Rana anchor. They used the fixed ropes Tristan and Farah had anchored into the ice to guide them.

He thought about Bjorn’s advice and his wise words earlier in the trip. The man was right. It wasn’t the summit. It was all the beauty that surrounded him and the moments he spent with a passionate girl that he would hold in his heart. Now that he was close, though, he had to fulfill his promise to Drew.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.