A walk, a swim, a cow and what happened

The sun had finished its morning climb and now sat astride the land, proudly surveying the dusty glare beneath. Its warmth had seemed like a heavenly blanket after the naked shivers of the night, but it was now a prickly and sticky weight on those unlucky enough to be without shade. The land beneath was mainly a dirty brown, betraying the inability of crops to grow in land that had been baked solid and had all its liquid burnt out of it. There were patches of green however, in the distance rows of crops could just be seen through the haze, following the straight lines of irrigation channels. A thin strip of green also wound across the landscape, accompanying the bed of a stream as it made its way down towards the valleys where it could meet up with a larger mate.
Crossing the plain at right angles to the strip of trees was a long and meandering road that on its arduous route was almost devoid of any source of cover from the sun. It had turned though, so that for a distance of two miles or so it ran alongside the line of trees, claiming what little shade it could. At harvest time the road was awash with farmers carting all manner of goods to market but for the rest of the year no more than a trickle of wanderers passed this stretch. Sometimes a bride to be on a palanquin would be carried to meet her waiting groom, her dowry in tow, or a troop of cavalry resplendent in their red coats would kick up clouds of dirt on the way to a distant frontier. At other times a humble pilgrim with just a begging bowl for company might use the trees as a natural roof under which to stay the night before advancing, refreshed, the next morning.
At this moment the only person to be seen on the road was a boy who had just about reached the shade, the flat stifling plain behind him. His head and feet were bare and he was so covered in dirt and grime that it was impossible to tell where in the world he could have come from. A light perspiration graced his brow but other than that he showed no ill effect for walking through the heat of noon. Once he had reached the shade there was a slight quickening of his step until he suddenly stopped. In the stillness of the day a quiet had settled over the wood, broken only by the occasional, sluggish birds cry. The boys sharp ears had caught something though, a sound that washed around the trees seeming to play with the ear, sometimes hiding behind the thick trunks and others trickling straight in. There could be no mistaking that the sound of running water, as blessed a sound as can be heard when the sun is directly overhead, was coming from somewhere on the other side of the trees. The boy had briefly cocked his head to one side while listening and was peering intently into the trees, but making up his mind he turned and lightly padded into the wood.
The light amongst the trees had an almost liquid quality itself, concentrated both by the deep greens and tinkling laughter of nearby water. The ground underfoot was softer than the road, a light sponginess that soothed his hot feet while the shade overhead for the first time in several hours sent prickles running across his over-exposed skin. As he walked deeper into the trees he turned and looked back over his shoulder to where the path was receding from view. A brief moment of indecision played across his face, as though he was unsure of leaving his intended route behind, but the bright sunlight reminded him of his thirst and so he turned back to the trees. Now he was moving closer the sound of water was getting ever louder until suddenly the boy came around a large tree and saw the stream before him. It was about as wide as he was tall and looked quite deep, the tinkling and gurgling sounds created by rocks jutting out into the flow. Light was allowed to fall through the canopy above by the narrow slit created by the surrounding trees not quite being able to extend their boughs out to cover the centre of the stream and so the water glittered with diamond light and the occasional rainbow sheen.
Without even pausing the boy slid down the shallow bank at the streams edge and plunged into the water. It came up to his waist while he stood, but he soon allowed himself to fall into the cooling embrace and submerged himself entirely. When he surfaced moments later his black hair was plastered across his face, streaks of dirt ran down his cheeks and a large smile danced across his lips. The water seemed to wash away not just the dirt and grime of the plains but the memory of the hot, tiring walk that had preceded the swim. For a few moments the boy just floated, allowing himself to be carried downstream by the gentle current, before he replaced his feet on the stony bottom and stood up once more. He then cupped his hands and began to lift water to his mouth, drinking most of it down but allowing some to splash over his chin, tasting its refreshing coolness as it slid down inside him. After several mouthfuls he was satisfied and he fell back into the water, giving a few strong swimming strokes before he waded to the bank and collapsed on his back.
For several minutes he lay still, his eyes closed and his breathing gradually slowing until he could have been asleep. His body was relaxed, however, his mind was still alert, and his keen ears registered a quiet approach through the still wood. Opening his eyes he slowly sat up, careful not to make any sudden movements. A short distance away a cow had emerged from the trees and had walked up to the waters edge. Just before it lowered its head to drink it registered the boys presence and looked up. It was large, and even though its ribcage was clearly visible through its underfed stomach its large horns gave the boy reason to be wary. The two looked into each others eyes, both wary of the other, and the gaze lingered. The cows eyes had the sad, mournful look that goes with deep, dark and watery pupils while the boys were glinting in the light of the sun falling through the leaves above. Eventually, the cow broke the gaze and turned back to the water, lowering its head and beginning to drink. The boy remained in his sitting position watching quietly as the great animal used its long tongue to scoop up the water. He could see the muscles in its neck moving as it swallowed great mouthfuls and he remembered how refreshed he had been when he had done the same a few minutes before.
Once the cow had finished drinking it raised its head again, looking across the stream and into the trees before turning back to the boy. Water was dripping from the wispy hair on its chin and its mouth hung open in a satisfied way. Still the boy did not move. He did not feel threatened by the cow, quite the contrary, he was afraid that if he moved the cow would move off and he was enjoying its presence. After his long journey it was comforting to share his refreshment with another creature, especially one so calming. The cows eyes felt searching, as if it was asking something of the boy, and in answer he did not drop his gaze but stared resolutely back, emphasising that he was no threat. The boy was sure that the cow was just as comforted by the momentary companionship as he was, although it made no move to come closer. Before long the cow dropped its head again in a slight nod, and as silently as it had come headed off, walking sedately back through the trees.
Feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to continue on his journey the boy slowly stood up. The clearing by the stream suddenly felt very empty and he was keen to continue with his journey, so turning his back he moved into the trees in the direction of the sunlit road.