21 A new camp

Making my way down the side of the hillside, I hugged the edge of the stream as it cascaded along its course. We passed a few waterfalls and rapids and with every step, the water's speed slowed. New streams joined and slowly the whole water course widened.
It wasn't easy walking. Sometimes where the waters dropped over a water fall, I had to scale down the slippery rocks. Carrying my bundles made it hard work. Sometimes they would catch on a rock or be hooked by an overhead branch pulling me back.
I could have become discouraged and given up, but the prospect of that still water and the possibility of lotus plants too, kept my mind focused on the task at hand. I swallowed the frustrations I was feeling and kept moving down with the water.
We turned a bend and another river joined the stream. It opened up in front of me and became something of size; navigable even. It was flatter here and the waters were less turbulent. 
I started hoping I was reaching a destination and continued walking for the majority of the day. It had wound its way round the mountain and I was far from the village I had been working in. I had no clear reference back to the forge. I had no clear idea where I was.
As the daylight began to fade I cleared one more bend only to be greated by more water running into this now wide river. 
I sat down.
As yet, I hadn't seen anything to pick or eat. I'd found no-where to camp. I was tired, wet and wanted to stop. Fate was pushing me but where?
I stood still and looked around.
The tree canopy was dense, the only sunlight penetrating at the water's edge. I found a rock and sat down.
"What am I doing? I was perfectly safe where I was and yet, now, I have nothing, not even food." I felt very disgruntled. Laying the bundles down, I afforded myself a short breather before continuing. "I can't even make a fire," I said to myself, "its all too wet."
Looking around I knew this was not a good place to camp, so lifting myself and my belongings up once more, I ventured further along the water's edge.
The sun was almost setting when I reached the lake, the surface glowing red in the fading sunlight. Lotus plants filled the shallows and I knew I had found somewhere I could camp.
Laying my bundles onto the ground, I removed my boots and outer garments and walked into the flaming waters, lowering myself into its coolness.
I reached down into the mud and scrubbing around with my knife I pulled up a lotus root, plucked some young shoots and leaves and took them to the shore. I returned to the water with a piece of muslin I had kept for fishing, and looking around, saw some large fish amicably idling in the water. Carefully reaching under one, I grabbed it and wrapping it in the muslin, took it to the bank and killed it.
Now all I had to do was set a fire and get cooking. 
My mouth watered at the prospect of lotus soup with baked fish.
Whilst that was cooking, I set up camp for the night and settled down for a bit of warmth, food and well earned sleep.

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