Well, our trials, as we found out, had just begun. The water kept on rising steadily, and our weary band continued to make our way further and further inland, and into the higher reaches.
The little kids bawled, and whimpered. The women had their hands full, let me tell ya. We had to let our livestock take their chances. We followed the streams, because we found that the great water had turned from sweet to salt. "From the tears of the people" said the Old Dragon."Maybe the Sky Father Dyaus Pitr will see fit to end the water's rising once we have cried enough tears."

We ate on the march, whatever we had gathered as we walked, berries, tender greens, roots and tubers, birds we had shot, snails. A group of men, hunters all, formed the van, and the rear. The center was formed by the mass of women and children, and old ones. Those of us deemed too old to be children and yet not old enough to be among the men, were told to behave ourselves and be useful wherever required. Bhrigu and I, of course, took that order as seriously as we possibly could, meaning we ran off as soon as the opportunity arose. As far as we could get from any chores as possible.