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Well, I thought I might get through chapter 3 before the night was over.
This chapter is VERY slightly smaller than the previously two chapters, and
finally gives a name to one of San's brothers (I didn't want to have to
name the wolves, but I just got tired of constantly referring to him as
'the wolf,' so I wrote in a small part where I named one).
I'm still looking for a title to this thing- any help would be appreciated.
Chapter 3
Forgot one romanization difference in the last chapter's notes- Akashishi
for Red Elk (Yakul's breed)
-------------------------
Kaya sat down in exhaustion. She'd been travelling for five days, and had
tracked Ashitaka as far as she could. She'd passed through a battlefield,
where tales of a man riding a red elk who routed a marauding group of rogue
samurai several months beforehand were still the talk of the town. She'd
found a nearby village, where she met a rice dealer who had asked her if
she intended to buy any rice with any of those gold nuggets the 'other
stranger' had used (she wasn't- she didn't even have any of the gold her
brother had set off with). There she'd been given some word that he'd gone
to the southwest- where even more tales of a man sounding like her brother
were heard of. Who 'Eboshi' and the 'Lord Asano' were, Kaya didn't know,
but somehow her brother had gotten in the middle of a war between the two.
Unfortunately, she couldn't find where this fortress of 'Tataraba' was, and
she didn't want to have to go back into another village to find out. Last
time she went to a village, some bandits had tried to attack her... she was
lucky to have escaped unharmed, and didn't want to risk it again.
But the few tracks for Yukkaru she'd been able to find had run out at the
edge of a dark and mysterious forest, and it looked like she'd have to seek
out someone who knew the way to Tataraba. Which, of course, meant finding
another village where she'd have to brave more bandits, curiousity-seekers,
and other dangers. She wondered about that- her home-town had always felt
like a refuge from the dangers of the wild, but now the wild seemed a
refuge from the dangers of the village. Were her people the only
reasonably sane ones left in the world?
A rattling from behind her startled Kaya out of her thoughts. She spun
around, hand on her sword in case it was a snake or a bandit, but saw it
was niether. "A Kodama? I haven't seen one since I left home..." She
smiled at it. They were playful creatures, and the people of her village
loved talking to them. Some wondered if they could understand what was
said to them, but most felt that they even if they did, they wouldn't care.
"Hello, little one. You wouldn't happen to know where my brother is,
would you? He came through these parts, I'm sure, riding an unusual mount-
an akashishi."
The kodama clacked, and for some reason Kaya felt as though it had told her
yes.
"You do? Would you be willing to lead me to him?"
The little spirit bowed in reply, and then started running along a path.
When Kaya didn't immediately follow it, the kodama glanced back, and waved
at her to follow.
'He understands me!' Kaya thought, amazed. 'These are strange woods, if a
kodama from it will listen to a human like me.'
* * * * *
Ashitaka was in a deep sleep again. And Shishigami decided, once more, to
make an appearance.
"Welcome back, Ashitaka," the deer-god greeted.
"Shishigami... what is it you desire?"
"First, I want to let you know that you did a good thing by letting the
Moro clan know of my plans. This will not work without their support, and
San cannot know of my plans just yet, for she is not ready."
"I felt it best that they should know. But I have a question..."
"You should know, you are going to have a visitor soon. You will have to
begin a journey after she arrives... you might want to prepare yourself and
your mate for this."
"A visitor? Who?"
Shishigami didn't answer, but instead just smiled. Ashitaka was about to
repeat his question when the Shishigami faded from view. Suddenly, he was
faced with the odd sensation of rising, as if floating out of a pool of
water. His eyes blinked open, and he stared into the face of San.
"Were you dreaming?" she asked tenderly. "You appeared... unsettled."
He smiled. It had been a wonderful five days. Though San was still
uncomfortable around most humans, at least she wasn't claiming to hate all
of them... though she'd had some epic battles of will with Toki, was barely
able to remain polite around Eboshi, and continued to act as though she
were a wolf (which was fine, as long as she didn't say she couldn't like
humans because she was a wolf), it had been a far better visit then he had
feared. With her help he had been able to finish his 'den' in less time
than he had expected, and he was learning much about her he did not know-
little things, but somehow important ones. Things like where her wolf-skin
cloak had come from (it was from a natural daughter of Moro's, killed the
same day that San was abandoned to Moro), the origin of her tattoos (made
by the apes when they and the Moro clan were more peaceful with each other,
done using bamboo needles and floral dyes), and the methods by which she
learned to smell and hear better than most humans.
She did have her problems- she couldn't stand to be behind the town's walls
when she wasn't trying to sleep. But Ashitaka quickly arranged for the two
of them to be given duties outside of the fortress- having decided to
rebuild Iron Town as a 'good' village, Eboshi had eliminated most of the
iron production from its economy, instead setting up some rice patties
outside the walls that could be sent off for trading. True, there were
still plans to bring some of the iron production back, but now Eboshi would
only allow mining in the already barren areas around the town. The attack
by Moro, it seemed to Ashitaka, had really opened her eyes.
At any rate, planting and cultivating the rice seemed to agree with San.
Or, at least, it didn't disagree with her, like working inside the fortress
working on repairning the buildings did. If he'd had time off before he
found out they were going on a big journey, he could have suggested some
games the wolfish side of her might like to play- a race around the village
from the rooftops, play fights like he'd seen the wolf-cubs of his own
hometown have, and more. But she'd insisted on doing whatever it was he
was doing, while they were here. He had a funny feeling she wanted him to
join her in whatever adventures she and her brothers went on when they
returned to them.
And he was enjoying the sweet torture of having her in his bed at night- it
was getting more and more difficult to ignore the physical urges her
presence inspired (for while they had engaged in some minor physical
intimacies, they had heeded her brother's advice not to take things too
far, just yet). Thankfully, they both slept with most of their clothes on,
or else things might be even more difficult... though that crystal dagger
could really hurt if she accidentally stabbed him with it in her sleep. He
was almost grateful that they'd be leaving soon- it would probably be
easier to avoid those feelings when they were travelling.
Almost. She was also a great comfort after a long day of work, and a very
pleasant thing to wake up to. And, for a girl who was raised by wolves,
who had little if any human contact for most of her life, she was a great
conversationalist.
"Yes," Ashitaka answered her. "I was dreaming. Though I can't really say
what I was dreaming about."
She gave him a few quick licks to the cheek. When she'd first done it,
he'd been a little disturbed- it was quite an unusual sensation, and quite
unexpected, but then he remembered that one way dogs showed affection to
their masters was by licking them. While she was far from a dog (despite
her insistance on being a wolf), and he was far from her master, her
wolf-like upbringing had taught her that this was an appropriate way of
expressing her feeling. She also knew the human custom of kissing, and
would occasionally give him a kiss as well, but she seemed to like this
form of intimacy much better.
"So what do you need to do, today?"
Ashitaka wrapped his arms around her, returning her lick with a kiss. He'd
learned how to (appropriately) give her a wolf-style licking himself, after
some coaching. However, he was much more comfortable with kissing,
himself. Usually, he returned a kiss with a lick (believing that the
effort she made to remember the human tradition deserved to be responded to
in kind with a wolven one) and a lick with a kiss, much to the amusement of
the people of Iron Town. San didn't care much whether they were alone or
not- if she felt like kissing or licking him, she did. Thankfully, no-one
was disgusted by their behavior, but there were plenty of times when one of
the men or women of the village (Toki, especially) would tease him a little
about their relationship. Ashitaka wondered, at times, if San was trying
to embarass him into abandoning humanity and joining her with the wolves.
"Today, we are on our own. We've worked day and night shifts for four days
and five nights, and now we have three days and two nights to relax."
"Oh, really? Well, how were you planning to get us to relax?" she said,
smiling.
"I have a few ideas..."
* * * * *
Kaya was pushed almost to breathlessness, trying to keep pace with the
kodama. It stopped in a clearing, and she put on a little extra speed to
catch up with it... when it faded away.
Kaya blinked. "Where did you go, little friend? I thought you were taking
me to see my brother...."
She went quiet when she realized something was behind her. Something much
larger than the kodama. She put her hand on her sword, ready to draw it in
a second, and turned around.
There stood a very large wolf. Almost as tall as she was, she realized her
sword would be useless if it decided to attack- though it was smaller than
the huge boar-demon she had challenged with her blade several months ago.
This wolf didn't seem to be attacking- at least, not yet- but she could
tell from his eyes that he didn't particularly like her.
"What are you doing in the Moro Clan's forest, human?"
Kaya swallowed her fear. A wolf-god! And it could speak! Perhaps she
could talk it into letting her pass, unharmed.
Bowing, she answered, "I apologize for the intrusion, oh great one. I have
come to this land in search of my brother. A kodama was guiding me through
the forest- I believed that it knew of him and was going to take me to him.
However, just as you appeared, he faded away."
"Kodama are unreliable guides, human," the wolf warned. "They usually take
you where they want you to go, not where you ask them to take you."
"I am sorry, sir," Kaya answered. "I thought it was trying to help me."
"This forest and the humans have been at war for some time, human. Were
you aware of this?"
"No," Kaya admitted. She had heard nothing about such a conflict in her
travels. However, this wolf seemed reasonable, and she was not a part of
that war. "I come from far away, and know nothing about this forest save
that my brother travelled through here some months ago."
The wolf padded up to her slowly. "You are lucky we have a truce, at this
moment," he said. He sniffed her a few times, and looked puzzled. "You
smell familiar, human. Who is this brother you are searching for? What is
his name?"
"My brother?" She smelled familiar? That could be bad news- if her
brother had gotten involved in the war between the humans and the wolves as
well as the war between this 'Eboshi' and 'Lord Asano,' then perhaps he had
been eaten by this wolf. Then again, her brother was a resourceful man...
it was also just as possible that he had killed a great many of these
wolves, as well. Especially if the curse of hatred that the tatarigami had
placed on him had not been removed. In that case, then perhaps the wolf
would be looking for vengeance, which would be bad for her.
"Yes, human, your brother! Don't make me repeat myself- wolves like myself
are known for our short temper."
Kaya swallowed. She didn't have near the courage nor the strength of her
brother- he might have been able to face down this monster, but she
couldn't do it. However, she had to answer him. "My brother's name, sir,
is Ashitaka. He was a prince of my people, before a tatarigami curse
claimed him."
The wolf sniffed her once more. "Hmm... so that's why you smell familiar.
What is your name, girl?"
"Kaya, sir."
"Well, Kaya, you certainly have leave to travel through here. As you are
Ashitaka's sister, you are the Moro clan's sister, as well. Come, follow
me. I will take you to him."
'As Ashitaka's sister, I'm this wolf's sister? Brother, what does this
mean?' Kaya thought as she followed the wolf. She had trouble keeping up
with it, and finally he slowed down to a stop.
"Are you sure that you are the sister of Ashitaka? He ran alongside us
wolves in battle without trouble, and you are barely able to run at all."
Kaya glared at the wolf. "I was running for several hours before I ran
into you, and I haven't slept much in the past five days. I'm exhausted.
Besides, Ashitaka is- was- the best of us. He was trained to run faster
and farther than anyone, to be stronger then the strongest man of our
village, and to fight better than the greatest samurai. That, and while we
have the same mother, I had a different father. His died before I was
born."
The wolf almost sighed. Sitting itself, he growled, "Climb on. You can
ride me part of the way."
Kaya blinked. She had never even heard of a human riding a wolf, and she
didn't know if it was truly possible. "That is very gracious, but... I've
never ridden anything before, much less a wolf."
The wolf snorted in frustration. "Just sit on me, grip with your knees,
and hang on. I won't go too fast."
She was still hesitant, but Kaya decided to do as he said. Besides, her
legs were so tired that she might not last if she tried to run with him.
Taking her place on his back, she waited, somewhat scared, for the trip to
start.
"Relax, human- I've never dropped a passenger before, I won't start now,"
the wolf growled softly as it stood- an almost comforting sound. "I'll
start off walking. When I start speeding up, lean forward unless you want
to be blown off."
"Uh, yes, sir," Kaya said, leaning forward before he even started walking.
As he sped up, though, she began to enjoy the sensation- the wind ripping
around them as they sped through the trees. She buried her face in the
wolf's fur, enjoying the warmth.
After a few minutes, she raised her head as they slowed down. They
appeared to be about to ford a river, and the wolf was trying to be
careful. "Say, what is your name?"
"What?" the wolf growled in surprise.
"You DO have a name, right?"
"Yes, but you would not be able to pronounce it."
Kaya frowned. "Well, then, what do I call you if I want to talk to you?"
"I don't know- it's never come up before... what do you want to call me?"
he asked.
"Hmm... well, when you were moving fast there, it felt like we were riding
the wind, so how about I call you Windrider?"
"If you want. I don't care," the wolf said tolerantly.
Kaya nodded. "So, Windrider, just why did you call me your sister? What
does Ashitaka have to do with all of this?"
"I called you my sister because, in the traditions of the Moro clan, you
are. Your brother is mated to my sister, San, and therefore is my brother.
As the sister of my brother, you are my sister."
Kaya blinked, not sure she heard right. "My brother married a wolf?"
The wolf chuckled. "Not married- mated. Wolves do not marry, and San was
very particular that she wanted to follow the wolven tradition," he said as
he finished crossing the river. "Now hold on- if I don't get you to where
your brother is by nightfall, you will be trapped outside."
He burst into a run before Kaya had a chance to say anything. She was
stunned, to say the least- was her brother a pervert? 'Mating' with a
wolf- what would their mother think? Were there no humans he could love?
Her shocked thoughts occupied her mind the remainder of the ride to Iron
Town. The wolf stopped just outside of a clearing, in the center of which
lay a damaged fortess. "Here we are, sister," Windrider said, taking a
seat. Kaya slid off, falling onto her back.
"Oof," she grunted. "You could have given me a LITTLE more warning than
that."
The wolf chuckled. "Sorry. Most of those who've ridden me just leapt off
when the trip was over." He paused. "Are you okay?"
Kaya sat up slowly. "Yeah, I'll live."
"Good," Windrider growled. "I don't feel like going into that human
village right now, despite our truce, so you're on your own the rest of the
way. And let my sister know we will be glad to see her- and whoever else
she brings with her- when she returns."
Kaya glanced over at the wolf. "I still can't believe my brother is
married- excuse me, 'mated to,' a wolf."
"All is not as it seems, Kaya," he replied. "Let the women at the gate
know you are Ashitaka's sister, and you will be well looked after.
Farewell."
Before Kaya could ask what he meant, he left, disappearing into the forest
with little more than a whisper of sound.
* * * * *
"Now, San, what did I tell you about pinching too hard?"
San giggled. "Hmm... I don't remember."
"I said it makes the walls of the bowl too thin. Are you trying to mess
this up?"
San was sitting between Ashitaka's legs. His hands were on hers, and he
was helping her to manipulate a lump of clay into a crude bowl. San and
Ashitaka were both covered in streaks of grey, where the drying clay had
been smeared on them. Ashitaka was somewhat uncomfortable, but he knew of
no other way to teach bowl-making. Usually, in his village, children were
taught how to work with clay at five years of age, and this was the method
used- the adult holding the childs hands and showing the young boy or girl
how to make the clay bend, fold, and and otherwise shape itself as it was
supposed to. However, usually the boy or girl wasn't a fully mature and
very attractive woman, as San was.
"Maybe," she growled playfully, leaning back into him and licking his
cheek. Suddenly, her face scrunched up, and she turned and spat. "Pheh!
You taste like dirt."
"That's because clay IS dirt," Ashitaka said with a slightly teasing smile.
"And you've been smearing that clay all over me for a while now."
"Why do you need to make a bowl, anyway?" San asked. "You already have
one."
"True, but this isn't a bowl for me. This is a bowl for you."
"For me?" she answered, surprised, squishing the vaguely bowl-like lump of
clay in her hand and forcing them to start over. "Why would I need a
bowl?"
Ashitaka considered how to answer for a moment. He knew they would be on a
journey shortly, and felt that a bowl would be something important for her
to have while on the road- they may be travelling places where food was
scarce, and if so she may have to rely on the stored food that had to be
prepared and cooked, rather than the hunting or foraging he knew she
preferred.
"Well, I know you are a wolf, at least at heart. But your body is that of
a humans, and the palette of a humans is probably a bit different from that
of a wolves. I don't know about a wolves' tongue, but a human's likes
variety from time to time, and exotic tastes and flavors. I was thinking
of spoiling you with a few well-prepared human meals... you may or may not
like the taste, but at least you'd be using the human part of yourself you
hate so much to an advantage."
San hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure she liked that idea- eating
human food? Wouldn't that make her more human, something she was trying to
avoid? Well... perhaps. But right at that moment, there were a few things
for which she was glad she was human.
"I will never say this again," she began. "And if you ever try to claim I
mentioned anything like this, I will violently deny it. However, I
think... I think there are a few things about having a human body that I do
like. You, being one of them." She hesitantly, and for effect, gave him a
quick kiss- a kiss, he noted, and not a lick. Her voice changed as she
continued, becoming a frisky wolfish growl. "But don't you EVER forget
that I'm NOT a human, no matter what my body may be- that inside, I'm still
a wolf, and will always BE a wolf. Got it?"
In response, he licked her on the nose- the only place on her (that he
could see, at any rate) which did not have clay streaks on it. Forgetting
the smushed bowl in their hands, San turned around in his arms and growled.
He licked her again, and she lightly caught his tongue in her teeth. Her
eyes were very playful, like those of a puppy Ashitaka recalled his sister
raising when he was very young, and she continued to growl at him.
It was into this scene that Kaya walked, eyes wide.
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