41 Changes

The cold and damp of autumn had arrived. I wasn't at my camp as much as I used to be now I worked at the forge, so things were not being aired the way I would have done in the past. My skins have a strong moldy whiff about them and I am being bitten whilst I sleep.

Fleas!

The skins are alive and I hate it. It's not as if I don't know how to deal with it, I just don't have the time.

I knew I had to pack up and change my living arrangements, I couldn't stay in an open camp like this and leave it all day, I was asking for trouble. 

That old house came into my mind and I wondered where it was in relation to where I was now.

I remembered certain things; it was up the hill from the smithy, in open woods and by a stream. I knew I'd recognise the way if I got close enough.

Packing up my belongings I headed to see the Second Master. I needed to find that house after work today. I needed to dry out. I really needed to wash off this horrible smell, and I needed a day to get settled. 

I needed to ask Second Master's permission. 

It took me a few hours and it was almost dark when the roofline of the old house came into view. I had traced my steps from what my memory had retained and I found it. I smiled to myself and sighed with relief. 

'Think this will be home for a while. We'll see, ' I thought, ' at least I will be dry, there's a fire pit and a cooking stove. I can make a cot of sorts and free myself of these fleas. These bites really itch!' 

With that I started scratching. My back, arms and legs, covered in the tell tale red lumps. The more I scratched the more I'd bleed. I stopped myself. Bleeding only invited more bites from different pests as well as the possibility of the wounds going bad. I didn't need that.

'Those skins need sorting. Where are the ants when you need them?'

Second Master had given me a couple of days to get relocated and his wife, Yí Rán, gave me a bag of vegetables to keep me going. I loved Yi Rán, she was a warm, kind and generous lady. No wonder she did so well selling vegetables. 

I entered cautiously, banging the doorframe and then the door itself, after all, anything could have moved in. Looking around it was pretty much as I left it, the only difference was everything was everywhere again. There were no visitors present whicvwwas a relie, but some animal or other had rooted around in search of food probably. 

I hoped it wasn't a bear. 

I'd done well up until now and not encountered one, but I was aware they roamed the mountains, although, as yet, I had failed to see any footprints.

I gave up with the furs and created a bed out of a set of clothes I had and a spare skin I'd just tanned. It had no fur so wouldn't be warm but at least the little critters wouldn't nestle in.

I knew I had a job on my hands with the furs. Stopping for a moment I remembered the trick with laurel leaves - a natural insect killer. Crush the leaves and let the oils do their magic. This was good country for the laurel family. Smiling to myself, I knew I had hit on a good solution.

'Now where have I seen those trees?'

Whilst musing on this I began unpacking the vegetables Yí Rán had given me. Hidden at the bottom, wrapped in waxed paper was a small piece of fatty pork. My mouth watered and the thought, 'thank you Yí Rán, you are a star and a lovely second mum to me.'