This is an entertaining extended simile of progress up a hill as bureaucratic negotiation. A contract signed with the terrain.
I wasn’t quite sure who was doing the “ceding”, the landscape giving in to the walker or the walker leaving the landscape behind as they continued on. (Both maybe). I can see where Alexandra is coming from in that the “ceding easily” and “without encumbrance “are followed by a list of obstacles to be surmounted. And hillwalking is not often “easy”. I wonder if there is a better way of describing the satisfying progress of putting one foot in front of another.
I like the legalistic jargon. It reminded me of the wording in UK passports requesting and requiring “the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance.”
Your breaking (scrambling even) of the 4th wall was a typical bit of Callin levity. And the sheep’s thoughtful musings were delightful.
Dropping the last line would work for me. The sky washing its face in the tarn was brilliant.
Joe
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