Author's Note: I was going to write with the Japanese names(Tatara Ba, Shishi Gami) that sort of thing but I decided not to. I know its spelled Yakkle but I'm going to spell it how they pronounce it, "Yakkule". And I don't know how to spell Kourokou...see? Plus I don't know if its Jinko or Jiro.
"Look! Its Ashitaka!"
Toki set down her axe and waved to Ashitaka and Yakkule as they walked around a bend, heading for the gates of Iron Town.
"He's finally back from visiting the wolf girl," said Korokou.
"He was only gone a day. Now he can come back and help us."
Iron Town was still damaged pretty badly. Men and women stood on ladders, repairing the outside wall and sharpening the edges of giant logs. Boats floated out in the water, still collecting dead men and debris. It had only been one week since its destruction and the town was looking good again. Lady Eboshi had even decided to add onto Iron Town, building further up the mountain. The area under the most contruction was the giant, pyramid shaped building in the center, smoke pouring out of the holes in its roof. The bellos had been shut down for a while but now were back to work again.
Jinko walked down the road and under the water trough, towards Ashitaka. His little wood boots sank into the wet ground as he walked.
"Ashitaka, I want to congratulate you on your victory last week."
Ashitaka jumped off of Yakkule, grabbed the reigns and walked along side Jinko.
"What victory?"
"You beat me, you beat Eboshi, you even one over the animal spirits."
"I didn't really beat anyone, but thanks," replied Ashitaka.
Jinko smiled. "Well I guess you're back to fighting fair. Your next ememy will be keeping his arms, or head."
The brightness left Ashitaka's face and he slwoly looked down at his feet.
"I don't feel good about that," he said.
"Nobody feels good about killing anybody," said Jinko.
Yakkule rubbed his nose against Ashitaka and Jinko smiled.
"See you later, kid!"
The little man took off down the road and stopped to talk to the women at the gate.
Ashitaka sigh. He really wished he could be home, with Kaia and all of his friends. He had some new friends too, but only one stayed on his mind, and the memories of her would have to hold him off until his next visit. It had only been a day but he had really enjoyed it. Fishing, swiming, going for walks, and just talking.
"San," he whispered.
"Hey Ashitaka! Come help us over here!"
He looked up.
"Toki!"
He climbed back onto Yakkule.
"Be right there!"
San lay in the springs, thoughts racing through her head. She thought of her mother, Moro, and they very last time she saw her. She was being turned into a demon, just like Otokoto, when her mother's jaws reached in and grabbed her. The next thing she new, she was in Ashitaka's arms, and Moro was gone. She felt the crystal dagger he had given her resting on her chest. She pulled it off and looked at it. It would always remind her of him.
Her brothers looked down on her from the cliff high above. She knew that they didn't like it when Ashitaka came to visit. He was a human. But so was she. He was the only human she liked, the only one she could stand to be around.
"I wish we were together," she said, playing with the dagger on her chest.
She pulled herself up onto the beach and the sat there awhile, letting the wind dry her off.
"I'm going away for awhile!", she shouted up at her brothers resting on the cliff above.
She grabbed her clothes and put them on, then set out into the woods.
"To Iron Town," said Lady Eboshi.
"To Iron Town!" shouted the others at the table.
Ashitaka set down his cup, and started on his supper. Rice was the only food the people had, and they had to use it sparingly.
"Ashitaka, I want to thank you for all you've done. You've helped our people, and you've helped Iron Town," said Lady Eboshi.
"You're welcome."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Please, this is already hard enough, just let me in! I want to see Ashitaka!" said San through clenched teeth.
"That tone of voice isn't making me want to let you in. Besides, Mr.Ashitaka is dining the the Lady Eboshi at the moment.
San knew this was going to be hard.
"Then could you please just let me in so I may speak to him when he is done?"
The guard hardly thought about it before coming up with an answer.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave it up to Lady Eboshi to decide weather we let you in or not."
San said nothing more. She turned around and walked away.
The guard set down his rifle and took a seat in his chair.
San slowly walked into the water and started to swim around Iron Town. She had spotted an area that looked easy to get into when she was walking out of the woods. There was an area about 20 feet wide where the sharpened logs that usually stuck out of the ground around the outside wall had been broken off, and the wall itself was full of holes. She walked across the beach, stepping over debris from the logs and made her way to the wall. she knew since the wall was damaged, guards would be everywhere. She pulled out her knife and started to silently make a hole a little bigger, allowing her to slip inside.
"Whats that over there? You there! Girl!"
San pushed herself through the crack in the wall and immediately found a good disguse. It was a shirt just like the Iron Town women wore. She pulled it on over her head and knew that her white shirt was visible through it.
"Why am I doing this?" she said as she took off her white shirt, put on the tunic, and stuffed her own shirt under it. She then pulled her wet hair back and tied it in the back, like the other women. Now she resembled a hard working, rather fat, Iron Town woman.
"I said woman! What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I just got done with my shift in the bellos and I was heading home to my husband and I decided to buy us a loaf of bread."
The guard was hardly impressed.
"All of the woman are working in the bellos tonight, we need all of them there while we rebuild. Bread is very expensive becuase we don't have a whole lot of it right now and you see that shop right there?"
San nodded.
"It sells bread but there is one problem."
"What's that?" asked San.
"Its closed. If you were going to buy bread show me your money!"
San didn't know what to do. She decided to fool the guard into thinking that she had accidentaly left her money somewhere else. She began to rumage through her tunic and suddenly she felt her white shirt fall out.
"You don't have any money! And you stole this fine fur shirt! You were going to steal bread too! You're a thief!"
"No! None of the women of Iron Town are thieves! We're Eboshi's women!" said San.
"I don't even think you're from Iron Town!"
San knew she was in trouble.
"You're the wolf girl! Still want more revenge!" said the guard as he reached for his sword.
He heard the clang of metal and his sword was now San's. He felt her foot connect with his stomach and before he hit the ground, she was gone.
San slowed down to a walking pace and stopped by a few men.
"Excuse me, but where may I find sir Ashitaka's hut?"
"Next to lady Eboshi's garden," answered one of the men.
"Thank you, sir."
Ashitaka walked back to his hut. The town was looking pretty good again. Not many people were out at night. Most men were asleep and most women were working the bellos. He rounded a corner and was met with a blow to the side. He slid in the loose gravel, and whatever had hit him knocked down a cart of fruit sitting next to a nearby building. He spotted San's white shirt laying next to him and slowly got up.
"San?"
San pulled her tunic tighter around her and stood up.
"Ashitaka!"
"Hey! There! Its the wolf girl!" shouted a guard as he ran around the corner.
Ashitaka winked.
"I'll get her!"
San jumped backwards and took off towards the nearest lookout tower. She quickly climbed the ladder and punched out the guard before jumping over the wall into the lake below. Ashitaka followed.
"Should we help him?" asked another guard as he ran up.
"No, he'll get her. Maybe they can have a nice chat."
San continued down the road until she was out of the site of the Iron Town guards.
"San!"
"Ashitaka!"
Ashitaka ran up to her.
"I never should have gone to Iron Town tonight."
"Why did you go?" asked Ashitaka.
"I wanted to see y-"
Ashitaka's eyes lit up.
"I don't know why..it was just stupid," she finished.
"Did you want to come and see me?" asked Ashitaka, "I would have come to see you next week."
"You wouldn've wanted me to come visit you?" asked San.
"No, it would be great if you'd come visit me. Its just that-"
"I have to build up a good reputation first so the people won't be afraid of me," said San.
"Right," said Ashitaka, "But since you came to see me I'll stay with you for the night, alright?"
San nodded.
"Alright."
"Look! Its Ashitaka!"
Toki set down her axe and waved to Ashitaka and Yakkule as they walked around a bend, heading for the gates of Iron Town.
"He's finally back from visiting the wolf girl," said Korokou.
"He was only gone a day. Now he can come back and help us."
Iron Town was still damaged pretty badly. Men and women stood on ladders, repairing the outside wall and sharpening the edges of giant logs. Boats floated out in the water, still collecting dead men and debris. It had only been one week since its destruction and the town was looking good again. Lady Eboshi had even decided to add onto Iron Town, building further up the mountain. The area under the most contruction was the giant, pyramid shaped building in the center, smoke pouring out of the holes in its roof. The bellos had been shut down for a while but now were back to work again.
Jinko walked down the road and under the water trough, towards Ashitaka. His little wood boots sank into the wet ground as he walked.
"Ashitaka, I want to congratulate you on your victory last week."
Ashitaka jumped off of Yakkule, grabbed the reigns and walked along side Jinko.
"What victory?"
"You beat me, you beat Eboshi, you even one over the animal spirits."
"I didn't really beat anyone, but thanks," replied Ashitaka.
Jinko smiled. "Well I guess you're back to fighting fair. Your next ememy will be keeping his arms, or head."
The brightness left Ashitaka's face and he slwoly looked down at his feet.
"I don't feel good about that," he said.
"Nobody feels good about killing anybody," said Jinko.
Yakkule rubbed his nose against Ashitaka and Jinko smiled.
"See you later, kid!"
The little man took off down the road and stopped to talk to the women at the gate.
Ashitaka sigh. He really wished he could be home, with Kaia and all of his friends. He had some new friends too, but only one stayed on his mind, and the memories of her would have to hold him off until his next visit. It had only been a day but he had really enjoyed it. Fishing, swiming, going for walks, and just talking.
"San," he whispered.
"Hey Ashitaka! Come help us over here!"
He looked up.
"Toki!"
He climbed back onto Yakkule.
"Be right there!"
San lay in the springs, thoughts racing through her head. She thought of her mother, Moro, and they very last time she saw her. She was being turned into a demon, just like Otokoto, when her mother's jaws reached in and grabbed her. The next thing she new, she was in Ashitaka's arms, and Moro was gone. She felt the crystal dagger he had given her resting on her chest. She pulled it off and looked at it. It would always remind her of him.
Her brothers looked down on her from the cliff high above. She knew that they didn't like it when Ashitaka came to visit. He was a human. But so was she. He was the only human she liked, the only one she could stand to be around.
"I wish we were together," she said, playing with the dagger on her chest.
She pulled herself up onto the beach and the sat there awhile, letting the wind dry her off.
"I'm going away for awhile!", she shouted up at her brothers resting on the cliff above.
She grabbed her clothes and put them on, then set out into the woods.
"To Iron Town," said Lady Eboshi.
"To Iron Town!" shouted the others at the table.
Ashitaka set down his cup, and started on his supper. Rice was the only food the people had, and they had to use it sparingly.
"Ashitaka, I want to thank you for all you've done. You've helped our people, and you've helped Iron Town," said Lady Eboshi.
"You're welcome."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Please, this is already hard enough, just let me in! I want to see Ashitaka!" said San through clenched teeth.
"That tone of voice isn't making me want to let you in. Besides, Mr.Ashitaka is dining the the Lady Eboshi at the moment.
San knew this was going to be hard.
"Then could you please just let me in so I may speak to him when he is done?"
The guard hardly thought about it before coming up with an answer.
"I'm sorry, I'll leave it up to Lady Eboshi to decide weather we let you in or not."
San said nothing more. She turned around and walked away.
The guard set down his rifle and took a seat in his chair.
San slowly walked into the water and started to swim around Iron Town. She had spotted an area that looked easy to get into when she was walking out of the woods. There was an area about 20 feet wide where the sharpened logs that usually stuck out of the ground around the outside wall had been broken off, and the wall itself was full of holes. She walked across the beach, stepping over debris from the logs and made her way to the wall. she knew since the wall was damaged, guards would be everywhere. She pulled out her knife and started to silently make a hole a little bigger, allowing her to slip inside.
"Whats that over there? You there! Girl!"
San pushed herself through the crack in the wall and immediately found a good disguse. It was a shirt just like the Iron Town women wore. She pulled it on over her head and knew that her white shirt was visible through it.
"Why am I doing this?" she said as she took off her white shirt, put on the tunic, and stuffed her own shirt under it. She then pulled her wet hair back and tied it in the back, like the other women. Now she resembled a hard working, rather fat, Iron Town woman.
"I said woman! What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I just got done with my shift in the bellos and I was heading home to my husband and I decided to buy us a loaf of bread."
The guard was hardly impressed.
"All of the woman are working in the bellos tonight, we need all of them there while we rebuild. Bread is very expensive becuase we don't have a whole lot of it right now and you see that shop right there?"
San nodded.
"It sells bread but there is one problem."
"What's that?" asked San.
"Its closed. If you were going to buy bread show me your money!"
San didn't know what to do. She decided to fool the guard into thinking that she had accidentaly left her money somewhere else. She began to rumage through her tunic and suddenly she felt her white shirt fall out.
"You don't have any money! And you stole this fine fur shirt! You were going to steal bread too! You're a thief!"
"No! None of the women of Iron Town are thieves! We're Eboshi's women!" said San.
"I don't even think you're from Iron Town!"
San knew she was in trouble.
"You're the wolf girl! Still want more revenge!" said the guard as he reached for his sword.
He heard the clang of metal and his sword was now San's. He felt her foot connect with his stomach and before he hit the ground, she was gone.
San slowed down to a walking pace and stopped by a few men.
"Excuse me, but where may I find sir Ashitaka's hut?"
"Next to lady Eboshi's garden," answered one of the men.
"Thank you, sir."
Ashitaka walked back to his hut. The town was looking pretty good again. Not many people were out at night. Most men were asleep and most women were working the bellos. He rounded a corner and was met with a blow to the side. He slid in the loose gravel, and whatever had hit him knocked down a cart of fruit sitting next to a nearby building. He spotted San's white shirt laying next to him and slowly got up.
"San?"
San pulled her tunic tighter around her and stood up.
"Ashitaka!"
"Hey! There! Its the wolf girl!" shouted a guard as he ran around the corner.
Ashitaka winked.
"I'll get her!"
San jumped backwards and took off towards the nearest lookout tower. She quickly climbed the ladder and punched out the guard before jumping over the wall into the lake below. Ashitaka followed.
"Should we help him?" asked another guard as he ran up.
"No, he'll get her. Maybe they can have a nice chat."
San continued down the road until she was out of the site of the Iron Town guards.
"San!"
"Ashitaka!"
Ashitaka ran up to her.
"I never should have gone to Iron Town tonight."
"Why did you go?" asked Ashitaka.
"I wanted to see y-"
Ashitaka's eyes lit up.
"I don't know why..it was just stupid," she finished.
"Did you want to come and see me?" asked Ashitaka, "I would have come to see you next week."
"You wouldn've wanted me to come visit you?" asked San.
"No, it would be great if you'd come visit me. Its just that-"
"I have to build up a good reputation first so the people won't be afraid of me," said San.
"Right," said Ashitaka, "But since you came to see me I'll stay with you for the night, alright?"
San nodded.
"Alright."