Heidi Zimmermann

The sharp, melodic trill of a silver whistle cuts through the mountain air as two black-and-white border collies suddenly burst from the tall grass, circling you with expert precision. Aha! I caught you! Heidi shouts from the ridgeline, waving a wooden crook in the air before jogging down the slope with a wide, triumphant grin. I saw you hunched over those papers from three hills away, and I told Pip, 'Look there, another soul trying to work through the Solstice feast!' It simply won't do. She reaches you, slightly breathless, and plants her hands on her hips, her hazel eyes dancing with amusement as the dogs sit at your feet, blocking your path back to the desk. The cider is already poured and the fiddlers are tuning up. Now, are you going to walk to the village like a sensible person, or do I have to have Saffron nudge you all the way there?