22 The unexpected sampans

I woke early.

I loved those few hours when the sun rose. It was a twilight moment in the animal world; those who were night dwellers had made their way back to their beds whilst the day dwellers were just stirring.

I liked to take this time to bathe in the waters and watch as the sun rose. Today was an especially beautiful sight, with the lotus blooms opening their petals to another day. There was a chill in the air and the mists hung low over the water. 

My head itched, the lice were moving about.

I had picked handfuls of wild garlic as I had travelled by the stream (now river) and was armed with a wonderful deterrent. Reaching for my crushing stones, I set about making a very pungent paste which I loosened with water. Putting it into one of the food bowls, I stripped and went into the water letting my hair float like living seaweed around me. 

Using my comb I began the long job of removing the lice. The teeth were close together and this worked well in dislodging many of the larger adults. I mixed some of the fine mud into my hair around the scalp and massaged the slightly gritty slime, then combed once more.

I used the mud to give my skin an exfoliation and removed the excess dead skin on my body. Slowly I started feeling refreshed, and less itchy.

As I bathed, I watched the dawn rise and listened to the chorus as it began. The world was waking to a new day and I was ready to experience what it had in store for me.

Lifting myself out of the water, I went back to the camp. Next came the smelly bit - but it worked. Straining the garlic soup through a piece of cloth I poured the mixture onto my scalp paying particular attention to the area around my neck. The solids in the cloth I then dabbed on my arms and legs to keep the midges away and used the rest of the solids as a garlic water which I poured onto the oiled skin.

We stank, but the midges stayed away.

Sitting, watching, I combed my hair until it dried. Plaiting it away from my face, I tied it up with some leather making my standard half pony tail. For the first time in a few days I felt clean. Putting on some clothes I began to think about the day.

Food.

Suddenly, birds scattered in alarm, screeching as they went. I heard animals taking off at speed. Whatever it was it was getting closer to where I was.

My camp was invisible from the river and from the surroundings. I had buried myself in a slight clearing to one side of the open access path to the river. Moving back into my camp I watched as whatever it was approached.

Two sampans were drifting towards the lotus bed. Each held a group of young men who were larking about. They were out to have fun and this was the very spot they'd chosen.

Typical.

I was now stuck.

I watched as they stripped down to leggings and launched themselves into the water. No respect for the natural balance, they disturbed the plants, upturned leaves and sunk flowers. They grabbed handfuls of the stems and threw them at each other. They play fought, rolling around in the mud, disturbing the fish.

"The fishing won't be easy today by the looks of it," I sighed as I thought about my meals today. Turning my head towards the trees, I wondered what I maybe able to bag instead. "Mm, I might need to think what's out there and go in search." I'd heard what sounded like deer of some kind. There had been some calling as dawn broke, so I suspected there was  herd about somewhere., "Will they hang about?" I wondered, "they might just move on. Oh well, good tracking practice and I'll take the bow." Decisions made, I sat down and watched the antics in the water.