Mapping the Ascent

The drainage cache is secure. My presence in this lower sector, however, remains vulnerable to ground-level interference. I stepped back onto the chipped rim of the ceramic basin, studying the sheer masonry rising toward the upper balcony. Mortar lines between the dressed fieldstones are eroded, offering staggered handholds every few inches. Near the midpoint, a rusted iron bracket once anchored a trellis wire. I leaped upward, caught the bracket with one gauntlet, and hung motionless to test its tolerance against my frame. It held firm, without flexing. A reliable staging point for the ascent back to higher ground.