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Moving along on this fic with all possible speed. Enjoy.
Chapter 4
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San was looking into Ashitaka's eyes, thinking of nothing but play, when
suddenly she noticed shock and fear rise up into his eyes. Immediately,
she sprung into action, releasing his tongue and spinning around out of his
arms, preparing for battle.
What she saw was not a real threat, but a strange female human, whose own
eyes were filled with shock. Not a threat, but still trespassing on her
and her mate, unwanted.
"This is our territory, human," she snarled, bristling at the intrusion.
"Leave, at once, and to not encroach upon it again!"
The other girl stepped back, momentarily startled, but then Ashitaka
reached out and started petting San's hair, calming the heat of battle
inside her.
"Relax, San. This is not an enemy, but a friend."
"But you looked afraid! And she came into our den, uninvited!" she
protested, though she continued to let him stroke her hair.
"I was merely startled. I never expected to see her again." He looked up
at the new girl. "Come in, Kaya. San, meet Kaya- my sister from back in
the Emishi village. Kaya, meet San. My mate."
Kaya glanced at San, finally regaining the bearings she had lost some time
on her journey through the forest- she wasn't sure where, exactly, whether
it was the moment the kodama left her or the conversation where Windrider
said that Ashitaka was mating with a wolf, but this looked normal enough to
her. She had caught her older brother with a girl- a girl who, despite her
strange appearance, was very much human. For some reason, that modicum of
reassurance had stabilized her. For the moment.
"I thought I heard your 'mate' was a wolf. That wolf outside said so. The
villagers around here all agreed with him, and even expanded on the story,
calling her the PRINCESS of the wolves. I didn't know what to think- I
briefly considered that it might have been some bizarre arranged marriage
where you didn't know what to expect, and I feared I would find out that
you were some kind of bizarre pervert. But when I get here, I find that
really you're a girl, not a wolf," Kaya said bluntly.
San snarled at the younger girl, and almost attacked her for the outrage,
but Ashitaka held her back. She turned to look at him, about ready to hate
him for betraying her and not allowing her to correct this stupid human,
when she heard what he was saying.
"Kaya, San is very much a wolf. Maybe not in body- and I thank the gods
daily that it isn't in body, though I doubt she agrees with me- but in
heart, and mind, and spirit, and custom. She was born a human, but raised
a wolf. I believe her to be a wolf, as she believes herself to be.
However, I also believe her to be a human, which..." he glanced over at her
apologetically. "She neither agrees with nor appreciates."
Kaya had seen his eyes as he declared the obviously human girl crouching
next to him a wolf, and recalled having seen those eyes before. They were
the eyes which said that he would stand for no argument, and the gods help
those who tried. Or perhaps even the gods would be insufficient- he had
killed that tatarigami, after all.
Kaya took a closer look at San, just to see if she could find what it was
he was talking about in her appearance. The tattoos were odd, but somewhat
exotic, and seemed to fit her face. The earrings were oversized, and
looked as if they would jingle if she turned her head too quickly, but
framed her face well. The hair was roughly hewn and uneven, but again this
seemed to fit her personality.
Around San's neck, attached by a thin strap of leather, lay an ornament
that Kaya was quite familiar with- the crystal dagger, which had once been
her mother's and which she'd given to Ashitaka as he left. Her eyes darted
to her brother, narrowing briefly. She'd have to have a talk with him
about giving such a personal item to a stranger, but that could wait until
they were alone. No need to embarrass the girl- wolf, whatever she was-
that he had given it to.
Her eyes continued down the other girl's body. The dress was a plain white
fabric, perhaps stitched together from old rice bags. Sitting a ways away
from her- obviously set aside to protect it from the clay- lay another
garment which Kaya assumed belonged to the girl- a white fur with fake
wooden wolf-ears on it. Her legs appeared filled with tensile strength,
and now that Kaya noticed it her arms did, as well- almost as if she'd been
running on all fours all of her life. Then again, maybe she just exercised
a lot.
Kaya's eyes went back onto San's face, and it was there she finally saw the
proof in the words that her brother had spoke. The eyes of the other girl,
while human in shape, had a vaguely animal demeanor to them. Her nose was
wrinkled up into a slight snarl, and her movements suggested a vaguely
wolf-like action. Windrider, Ashitaka, and all those people in the village
were right: this was no girl, this was a wolf. One human enough to need to
mate with other humans, but a wolf nonetheless.
Kaya straightened. A wolf who apparently got quite upset when someone
called her a human. A wolf who she probably should apologize too.
She bowed down before San, and said, "I am terribly sorry, sister. Your
human body distracted me from seeing the signs of what you truly are... and
that is most definitely a wolf. I know this, not from the words of my
brother, but from seeing in your eyes, your strength, and in the way you
move. I beg that you forgive me for my former rude assumption."
San was taken somewhat aback. A human who could see the wolfish parts of
her? Even Ashitaka, who believed her to be both human and wolf, who loved
her dearly, and who felt that she was beautiful had never mentioned any
physical traits that made her appear human. In fact, mere moments
beforehand they had been talking about a human trait he believed to be in
her (and which she knew, from experience, was not really the case- she had
tasted 'human' food before, and didn't have any more appreciation for it
than she did for the roots and the raw meat which her mother and brothers
had offered her. She did not say anything about it to Ashitaka, however,
as she was having too much fun making the bowl to spoil it with such a
pointless concern). Perhaps the human was lying, but San did not get that
sense from her. This was something worth considering in the future, when
she could be alone with her thoughts.
"Your bloodline is more impressive than I believed, my mate," she said to
Ashitaka. "Our sister can see much that others can not."
Ashitaka caught the word 'our,' and was somewhat surprised. "So you will
allow her into the Moro clan?"
"I would," San admitted, "But I don't need to. All of those of your blood
are now part of our clan."
"My sister is my only living family from the Emishi," Ashitaka noted.
"Though she has more family from her father. My father died before I was
born, and Kaya's father still lives... but our mother passed on in
childbirth. Her third child, who would have been my brother, was buried
alongside her, stillborn. Kaya was still a babe, then, and I was not much
older." He paused. "And what I want to know is, why have you left your
father, and the village, to follow me here. You know that the curse of the
tatarigami ended my life, as far as the Emishi are concerned- you will get
in terrible trouble, if the village ever finds out."
"Not if your curse was cured- if that were the case, then once again we can
count you among the living," Kaya stated. "And it must have been, for
otherwise you would be dead by now."
Ashitaka shook his head, and even San looked somewhat surprised at that.
Pulling off his clay-stained sleeve, he revealed the arm with its blackened
welts. "Not quite. Partially, yes- the scar has faded some, and will not
grow, but it has not faded completely. It no longer causes me pain, and it
will not kill me, but it will still act. It remains... if anger takes
hold, it will take control- it will increase my strength and rage, and will
hold me through wounds which should be fatal. If I get angry enough to
fight, I may not be able to stop myself from killing another... and that, I
realize now, was the true reason I had to be dead to the village. Not
because I was dying, but because I could consume the village in hatred and
anger if I was not checked."
San raised a hand to trace the remains of the scars. "You did not tell me
of this," she said in a growl. A different type of growl than Ashitaka had
heard her make before- this one seemed soothing, as if she were trying to
comfort a sick child.
"I know," he said. "And I am sorry that I did not. I did not want to
concern you and add to your burden of adjusting to a life spent here part
of the time. I figured you would ask at some point in the future, when you
noticed that the scars remained, and I would tell you then. Now, however,
I feared would have been too soon." He paused. "It is not bad- I am at
peace, here, and it is unlikely that I will encounter a situation where I
must fight in anger. In fun, perhaps," he added, remembering his and San's
playful bout before Kaya's arrival, "But not in anger."
Kaya looked slightly distressed. "Then... you won't come home? You won't
return to our village?"
Ashitaka sighed. "No, sister. Not even if I WAS cured would I do that-
all that which is my life is here, now. My responsibilities are first to
San, then to the Moro clan, and then to both the forest and this village.
I am sorry."
Kaya nodded. "I was afraid you would not come home. But, then, brother, I
shall stay here with you. There is nothing for me back home."
Ashitaka frowned. "Yes, there is. You have friends, you have a father,
and you have a simple life. Life here is hard and filled with complexities
you should not have to deal with. It was nice to see you again, but I
don't believe you should stay here. Go home, Kaya... this is not the place
for you."
"Friends? Like who?" Kaya complained. "No-one bothers paying any
attention to me- not even my father. He barely acknowledges I exist! You
never ignored me, brother, and you were always kind to me. Life here is
hard? I'd rather have a hard life and be with you than have an easy life
and be alone. I am staying here."
"Nonsense," Ashitaka said. "I am fairly sure your father misses you, at
the very least. I suspect you didn't tell anyone that you were leaving,
and that the entire village in an uproar over your sudden disappearance.
And you were always running around with those other two girls- what were
their names again?"
"Miki and Yume. Miki was the one who fell..." Kaya recalled, shuddering.
"You were willing to face the tatarigami alone to protect her, even though
you had less chance than I did to fend off the demon. Do you mean to tell
me she and Yume mean nothing to you?" Ashitaka demanded.
"She hasn't said one word to me since you left the village! Neither of
them have- it's like when you left, they lost interest in me," Kaya cried.
San was watching this back and forth with confusion. What was Ashitaka so
upset about? His sister should be allowed to choose her own path, after
all. Then again, could this be another of those human things she didn't
understand? Just as she and the Moro clan were responsible for protecting
the forest, maybe Ashitaka felt it was his duty to protect his sister.
She'd have to ask him about that...
"Well," Ashitaka said. "Perhaps they just don't know what to say to you.
Especially Miki- she must feel like SHE was responsible for my death, after
all. How does she talk to you when she has that burden? You should have
approached them."
Kaya remained defiant for a few more moments, then sighed and looked away.
"Maybe you're right. But I'm already here, and it was a dangerous trip,
and... and... I can't go home now. I don't WANT to go home, now. I want
to stay with you," she said, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Ashitaka smiled sympathetically. "Kaya, you know that isn't possible.
Besides, I'm not going to stay here, myself. I'll live here some of the
time, but I'll also be living in the forest with San- she'd go insane if
she had to live in this village the rest of her life. In fact, I'll
probably live more time there than here... and I know you wouldn't like
living with us there, even if I was able to spend most of my time with you,
which I wouldn't." He sighed. "I am sorry, little sister, but we have to
go our separate ways. You have to let me go."
Kaya sniffed, using a finger to wipe away a tear. "Will you at least take
me home and keep me safe on the journey?"
"We both will," San interjected, drawing attention back to her. Kaya had
almost forgotten about her presence. "I did not know that Ashitaka's
mother and father were dead... I would like to go with you and, as you
humans put it, respect the graves of your ancestors. And I would like to
see the place my mate came from."
Ashitaka was surprised- he knew that they were going on a journey shortly,
but did not expect it to be back to his home. And he certainly didn't
expect San to join him, if it meant going that far. "Are you sure, San?
You will have to leave the forest for several days, and we will have to
stop in human villages you do not know, since we would need to purchase
supplies we could not forage from time to time."
San nodded. Her curiosity had been peaked. Yakul had told some
interesting stories of Ashitaka and his people, and Kaya also intrigued
her. Perhaps, if Ashitaka's village was able to produce more human's like
him and his sister, there was hope for peace after all. "Yes, I'm sure.
One of my brothers will go with us, and we can travel much faster... your
sister can ride Yakul, and you and I can both ride my brother."
Ashitaka shook his head. "No, my sister cannot ride Yakul. She does not
know how."
"I could ride one of your brothers, though- I rode Windrider here!" Kaya
suggested.
"Windrider?" San blinked.
"Oh, sorry," Ashitaka's sister apologized. "He said I couldn't pronounce
his name, and I wanted to be able to call him something, so I gave him a
name. He said I could call him whatever I wanted...."
San bent over and sniffed Kaya for a few seconds, much to the younger girls
surprise. "Ah, you rode... where is my mask?" San crawled over to her
wolfskin, putting on her mask and making a strange howling sound. "That is
his real name, and even I cannot pronounce it without help. I am a bit
surprised- he doesn't like being ridden, and so usually I travel on my
other brother. I will ask him if he will take you, though... and I will
ride on Yakul with Ashitaka."
Ashitaka shook his head. He hadn't exactly agreed to this. Then again, he
was one who accepted fate, and it seemed as if he had no real choice in
this matter. Besides, it might be nice to return home... even if he
couldn't go into the village.
"I just realized that there is a problem in this," he said, "though it can
be easily solved."
"What?" Kaya asked.
"Well... I am still dead to our village. I cannot go inside... but if you
still wish to visit my ancestors graves, San, I am sure Kaya can take you."
San was disappointed, but nodded. The important thing was seeing if
Ashitaka was right, and humans and the forest could really co-exist. "I
would rather go with you, but that would be acceptable."
"Then we'd better go see Eboshi and tell her where we're going. She should
know we won't be available for a while."
San wrinkled her nose in distaste. "If you must. I'll go and talk to my
brothers about our plans- one of them will have to stay behind, and guard
the forest." She went to a pot of water and started rinsing the dry clay
stains off of her skin.
Ashitaka nodded. "Okay. Kaya, what do you want to do? Go with San, see
Eboshi, or explore the village? I know a nice woman named Toki who would
love to give you a tour...."
Kaya notice San's glare at Ashitaka's back when he mentioned Toki's name,
and suspected there was some bad blood there. Of course, there was also
some quite noticeable hatred for this Eboshi woman as well. "I think I'll
join you, brother. I want to talk about some more things."
San finished cleaning herself, drying her arms on her shirt. She walked
over to her fur cloak and put it on. "I hate not having this on. My
wolfhood feels vulnerable without it," she noted. "Ashitaka, when we mate,
I WILL be wearing this."
Kaya gawked at her, but Ashitaka said nothing. He just grabbed his sister
by the arm and lead her out of the hut forcefully.
When they were out of what she thought was earshot, she turned to her
brother in surprise. "Did she just say what I think she said?"
Ashitaka just shrugged. "She was raised by wolves, and everything she
knows was taught her by wolves. Wolves do most everything in packs, and it
is very rare that a wolf is alone. San doesn't seem to grasp the concept
of 'privacy,' and when it's appropriate to discuss things like that or to
show affection, and I suspect it comes from that. It is rather
embarrassing, but I've accepted that she'll continue to act this way, and
it is much better to just let her do it than to try and change her."
"Yeah, but..." But what? Kaya couldn't think of anything to say about her
brother's calm surrender to San's odd behavior. And what would it matter?
Her brother was in love, and appeared willing to deal with a lot of weird
things for that love. So... what COULD she say? "Won't the wolf skin just
get in the way? And if she's going to insist that she look like a wolf, is
she going to ask you to-"
"Kaya!" Ashitaka admonished. "I put up with San doing things like that
because she just doesn't know better, but-" He stopped when he heard the
laughter coming from his sister. 'She's teasing me, huh? Well, fine.
Revenge is always possible....'
He paused to consider. "You know, you might be right. She probably WILL
insist on doing things wolf-style. I wonder if I'll be able to convince
her to try it human-style once in a while?"
Kaya gagged. "Ack! I surrender! Please, brother, have mercy!"
Ashitaka turned to her, an eye upraised. It had been a long time since
he'd been able to joke around with this- that was why he liked Toki. She
reminded him of his sister, and he could joke with her unlike with anyone
else in all of Iron Town. Though he DID still wonder if he'd made a
mistake in rescuing Koroku....
"Very well. But you DID raise an important point I hadn't considered
before... just how wolven IS San, in that regard, anyway?"
"Aargh!" Kaya groaned, and Ashitaka's laughter traveled through the streets
of Iron Town unlike it had any time before....
* * * * *
San sighed in contentment, running on all fours through the forest. It had
been some time since she'd been able to- she hadn't since the war against
the humans went into full swing. It was impossible to run that way while
carrying a weapon, and her brothers were so much faster when traveling.
For safety's sake, they always had to move quickly, and she always needed
her weapons when she was outside of the den during the war. But the war
was over, and she was now able to move on her own without her weapons...
which meant she could run on all fours, again.
In less time then she might have wished, she was at the den. Neither of
her brothers were present, and so she used her mask to howl out to them.
In seconds, one of the wolves appeared from behind her. "I wondered when
you were going to call us. Didn't you hear me following you?"
San blinked. "No... I was enjoying the run too much."
"I see," her brother growled. "Aren't you able to even spend one week with
the humans, or did that sister of his chase you out? She seemed rather
shocked when I told her that a wolf had mated with her brother."
"Neither. It wasn't nearly as bad as I feared, there- they only kept me
trapped behind the walls for the first two days, which I spent helping
Ashitaka build his new den. Then, when he learned how I felt being stuck
behind that town's gate, Ashitaka arranged for us to be outside, gathering
food. And I'm curious about his sister. She could see things in me that
no other human has." San paused. "No, the reason I've come here is
because Ashitaka and I are going to take Kaya back to the village of the
Emishi. It was my decision, but he agreed to it. I was hoping that you
might be willing to let Kaya ride you on this trip."
"And leave the forest unguarded?" he asked, surprised.
"No, I will be riding with my mate, on Yakul. Our brother will stay here
and make sure the humans don't start misbehaving, again."
"I do not like being ridden," the wolf snapped.
"You don't like ME riding you," San noted. "But Kaya says you volunteered
to carry her. And you even let her NAME you... Windrider, wasn't it?"
"Well, yes," the wolf growled sheepishly. "She was moving too slow. I
grew impatient."
"You ARE a gentler ride," San commented. "And she already knows you. Are
you sure you will not do this?"
"If you insist," he said. "With Moro's death, you DID become the leader of
this pack, and I cannot refuse your orders without challenging you."
San frowned. "I don't want you to go because I order you. I won't order
you- I was hoping you would be willing to do so just to have some fun.
It's not like we've had much chance to travel for pleasure since the war
started."
"That is true," he admitted. "I suppose it might be nice to see some other
forests, for a change. If the price is letting a human ride me, I guess it
might be worth it."
"Thank you," San said, smiling. "Now all we have to do is wait, and let
our brother know what is going on."
* * * * *
Eboshi nodded as Ashitaka finished explaining his plans to her. "Well,
this certainly sounds like an interesting journey," she said. Standing up,
she adjusted the cloak which covered the stub which was once her right arm.
"I think I would like to accompany you."
Kaya glanced at Ashitaka in surprise, but his eyes did not leave Eboshi's.
"San will not accept that, you know," he said.
Eboshi shrugged. "If she decides to leave you just because I join you on
your journey, so be it. I would like to see a village that lives in touch
with nature as yours seems to, so that I can know how to do this. I have
reformed myself, Ashitaka, after learning how great my mistakes were, but I
am still not sure how to reform Iron Town."
"It is forbidden to lead an outsider to our village," Ashitaka explained.
"San can only go because she is part of my new family."
"I can wear a blindfold," Eboshi suggested. "the location of your village
will remain a secret, but I will still be able to visit it."
"That is not acceptable," Ashitaka said sternly. "It is not permitted in
the laws of our village."
"I suspect that your returning to the village, yourself, is not permitted
by your laws, but you are ignoring that."
"I will not be entering the village, Eboshi."
"If you are not allowed in the village, though, then how will San be
allowed? She did not become your mate until AFTER you died to the Emishi,"
Eboshi pointed out.
Ashitaka's eyes narrowed. "I know you are not just interested in seeing a
village live with nature. You would much rather remain here, if that was
the only reason. Why do you REALLY want to accompany us?"
"My reasons are private," she said. "Though I can assure you my intentions
are good."
"I will not permit you to join us unless you tell me the true reason for
this request," Ashitaka insisted.
Eboshi stared at him for a few moments, then nodded. "Very well. But this
is only for your ears- you deserve to know. Your sister, however, must
remain outside." She turned to look at her attendants. "As must all of
you. Leave us."
"Yes, my lady," the attendants said in unison, departing swiftly.
"Brother-" Kaya started.
"Go, sister. I assure you I will not allow her to come unless her reasons
are valid. I know my responsibilities."
Kaya stared at him for a few moments, then nodded. "If you say yes, then I
MUST know what this reason is. You are still dead to the clan, brother- as
the only LIVING representative, I should know why she gains safe passage."
Ashitaka looked at Eboshi, as if seeking her permission. She nodded
slightly. "He can tell you... but only if he accepts my explanation. If
he doesn't, though, I do not want others to know. So, please, leave."
Kaya nodded and left. Eboshi didn't say anything for several moments, and
Ashitaka eventually grew tired of waiting.
"What are your reasons, Eboshi? The real ones," Ashitaka said. "It is
just you and me, now."
Eboshi did not look at him, instead choosing a spot on the ground to
concentrate on. "To begin with, I truthfully do not want to go if San does
not. I wish to journey with her, and see something more of how she lives
in her... natural element."
Ashitaka nodded. "Why?"
"This is... difficult," she said. "But I suppose you deserve to know. I
should mention, Ashitaka, that you are the only person outside of myself
who will know this. Moro knew, as well, but she is dead."
That interjection piqued his curiosity, but he merely nodded. "Go on."
"Ashitaka... San is... well, was... my daughter."
-------------------------
Expect a side-story dealing with Eboshi's first meetings with Moro at some
point. Whether I do that or chapter 5 first, I dunno yet.
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