The forest and stones came alive for me, and the ambiguity of the geography was a great pointer for the emotional state.

The double emphasis of quiet of the footsteps in the first sentence seemed a bit redundant though.

I see what you mean, but note how it encompasses the sensory perspective: not just sound, but also how it feels.

Yep, you’re right, I missed the double meaning. I just read it as being synonyms for quiet.